Echoes (Collection of Isc Short Stories) Workbook (Handbook) 11

Teacher’s Handbook
For
Echoes
(A Collection of ISC Short Stories)
WORKBOOK
Latest Edition
JU19
INTRODUCTION
What is a short story ?
Story-telling has been in vague for centuries. Aesop’s Fables, Tales from Panchtantra,
The Biblical Stories, The Arabian Nights and the tales from the Ramayana and the
Mahabharata have been popular with the common masses, though they primarily were
told with a purpose to convey some moral or teach some better ways of living. The short
story is a comparatively recent development. As early as Chaucer there were short stories
in verse. His Canterbury Tales are stories put into the mouths of travelling pilgrims. The
origin of the proper short story can be traced back to the last part of the nineteenth century,
though its phenomenal rise was made possible in the twentieth century. Today it stands as
one of the most popular forms of literature. Edgar Allan Poe, Herman Melville and Anton
Chekhov in the nineteenth century and Henry James, Flannery O’Connor, Julio Cortazas,
etc. in the twentieth century are among a few topmost short story writers.
The short story differs from the novel in that it is short, a story of incident, the focus of
interest is on the course and outcome of the events. Edgar Allan Poe defines the short story
as the prose tale that can be read at one sitting of from one-half hour to two hours, and that
it is limited to ‘a certain unique or single effect’, to which every detail is subordinate.
Teaching Methodology for a Short Story

The teacher, in order to make his lesson effective and useful, must explain different aspects
of the story as the plot, theme, narrative technique, characterization, language etc. Unless
the structure of the story is made clear, the students cannot comprehend the story clearly.
Students may be enlightened on the following aspects of the short story :
1. Plot
The essentials of a good story include a plot or the storyline which develops to a climax
or contains a moral. The plot of the story need not be elaborate but it must have action
of a credible nature or that it is probable. The situation depicted at the beginning must
change into a different situation as the story develops. At the end, the situation described
in the beginning has to change into a new state of affairs, linked to but different from the
starting point. A good plot has the unity of action, the unity of time and the unity of place.
A story, like our life itself, moves at different speeds in different situations. It may move
more swiftly towards its climax. At times the narrative may linger to set scenes or the
build suspense action and description alternate. The beginning, the middle and the end are
carefully planned to give the story a proper shape. The story may have a sudden twist, that
is, a sting in the tail. For example, the story ‘The Sound Machine’ ends with the device being
smashed while experimenting with sounds.
2. Theme
The main purpose of telling a story is no doubt amusement or entertainment. It is never
didactic, but the writer has something to convey in a story. The modern stories portray the
[Teacher’s Handbook - Echoes : A Collection of ISC Short Stories : WB] 3
society and take up the complexities of life facing the people. The theme is never direct; it is
to be deduced from the story. It may be the evils of war, alienation of an individual from the
society; loneliness or some lofty ideals cherished and attained fearlessly. The story may con-
vey more than one idea. For example, the story ‘To Build a Fire’ seems to convey too many
ideas – (i) one should not give up easily in the face of sure defeat or death (ii) one should not
be overconfident of one’s powers and skills.
3. Setting
Setting of a story is important to know the time or the background in which it takes place.
It is essential to know how the characters act or behave and under what circumstances so
that the events or incidents in the story look natural and logical. For example, the story
‘Quality’ has the industrial background in which the mass production of goods brings havoc
to the skilled workers who have to suffer starvation and poverty.
4. Characters
A story must have people who should look like real human beings. They may be imaginary
but should have feelings and emotions like ours. A good writer describes what his characters
feel, think and do. He gives them motives for their conduct. He reveals their natures by their
words as well as by their action. To do this he must write credible dialogues and describe
relevant scenes and narrative events. For example, in the story ‘The Singing Lesson’ , Miss
Meadows, behaves according to her moods, first of sadness and then of cheerfulness, as the
events of an hour sway her personality.
5. Point of View
Authors employ different ways to present a story. The simplified classification is the third
person and the first person narratives. In the third person narrative, the narrator is someone
outside the story and he refers to all the characters in the story by proper name as in
‘Salvatore’. In the first person narrative, the narrator speaks as ‘I’ and is himself a character
in the story. For example, the story ‘B.Wordsworth’, the boy himself is an important part of
the action of the story, his point of view makes the story quite authentic.
6. Language
The language of the story should be simple, precise and straightforward. It should be in
keeping with the theme and the characters in different situations. For example, in the story
‘Quality’ the protagonist Mr Gessler speaks in German dialect and his language has a tinge
of German flavour. In ‘B.Wordsworth’, it is the boy who is telling the story. So his language
is simple and straightforward. In order to lend authenticity to the story, the writer uses the
kind of English used by the natives in their dialogues. The boy and his mother use ungram-
matical English, while the poet uses standard English.
4 [Teacher’s Handbook - Echoes : A Collection of ISC Short Stories : WB]

7. Literary Devices
The writers use some literary devices such as similes, metaphors, irony, symbols, etc. to
convey ideas or depict scenes and characters more effectively and clearly. Whereas a simile
is a comparison between two distinct things, a metaphor identifies one thing with an other.
Irony is a contrast between what is said and what is actually implied. There may be an
irony of situation also. Symbols are the words which stand for different objects or ideas
than what they are used for. For example, in ‘The Singing Lesson’, the author uses symbolic
names and symbolic situations. Miss Meadows is a symbol of goodness. Demeter Basil, her
fiance, is the mythological creature basilik, that is an unbelievable kind of snake.
Some Important Tips for Teachers

This Handbook is meant exclusively for the teachers. They will find the material given here
quite handy. Instead of giving the complete answers to the questions in Assignments on the
stories, only beginning has been suggested here in one or two paragraphs on each question.
Sometimes the students find it difficult to understand the language of the question and can-
not think of answering the question properly. The beginning part given in answer to each
question will facilitate the remaining part to be developed easily. They can then continue
with their answers.
The scheme in the Specimen Papers is a departure from the one followed in Assignments.
Here only Hints have been provided with the help of which the questions can be answered
quite easily. The Hints are quite exhaustive and will be useful.
The teachers are expected to deal with the stories given in ‘‘Echoes’’ in their own way. But if
the students are given some idea about the author and the story and its theme beforehand,
they will find the story more interesting and rewarding. The teachers should encourage the
students to read the story at home and the classroom teaching can be utilised in discussing
characters, language, tone and message of the story. The more the discussion on various
aspects of the story, the more useful and amusing the whole story will become. The students
may be asked to discuss why a particular story has a greater or better appeal to them. They
may be inspired to find out a link in all the stories included in ‘‘Echoes.’’
They may also be encouraged to compare a particular story with another story they may
have read earlier. This will surely widen their mental horizon and sharpen their intellect to
evaluate stories judiciously. It is hoped that the handbook will be useful to all the teachers
concerned. Suggestions for improvement are welcome.

1. Salvatore
Q.1. Begin like this :
One of the maladies that affects the people of the world is that they attach too

much importance to the opinion of the people. They quite often react strongly
against what is said about them. Their thinking, being limited and narrow
makes them believe it to be true what the people might have just said casually or
offhand without verifying the facts. Little do they introspect or cross-examine the
statements made about a person or on a situation. Thus forming an opinion based
on just hearsay without confirming from the person concerned leads to disastrous
results. It is found to be the common way of the world. It is evident from the story
‘Salvatore’ wherein Somerset Maugham voices dissatisfaction with the fact that
for most people the things spoken about oneself are more important than the man
himself. ...........................................................................................

Now continue .................
External features or the colour of the skin of a person are given more importance
by the worldly people than the inner beauty or the morals and inner world
of a person. What is of more significance is the character–the sum total of an
individual’s moral values-than the wealth or beauty of an individual. It is because
of attachment to outerthings like wealth, beauty, status that the importance to the
inner goodness of a person is completely ignored. No wonder there is dissatisfaction,
discontentment, alienation in the world. If we begin to consider inner things higher
than the worldly things, there will be more harmony and understanding in the
world. ............................................................................................

Now continue .................
Salvatore was a young fisherman. He was in love with a girl, and both were
engaged. He had to leave to do his compulsory military service. He was sent from
one place to another. In China, he was afflicted with rheumatism. He was found
unfit for further service and was sent back home. He was excited to meet his
fiancee. He was shocked when the girl said that she could not marry a man who
could not work like a man. He remained sad but said no harsh word of the girl he
had loved so well. ............................................................................................

Now continue .................
Salvatore is the protagonist of the story. The whole story revolves around him.
He is a pleasant, hard working, noble and kind-hearted fisherman. He is an
embodiment of the loveliest and the rarest quality anyone can have, and that
quality is goodness.
In spite of being an ordinary Italian fisherman he holds the reader’s attention
during the whole story. Salvatore is a static character because he doesn’t change

in the story. He is a very sensitive guy. This quality is really important and
interesting for the reader to understand. ...........................................

Now continue .................
2. Fritz
It is the hallmark of a story to end on some unexpected surprise which is described
as ‘the sting in the tail.’ ‘Fritz’ is one of those stories which shock us at the end and
force us to think beyond the text.
Throughout the story, Fritz is described as an ordinary doll. It was a gift to the
protagonist Jayanto when he was a child and lived with his family in Bundi. The
doll was a twelve-inch-long figure of an old man, dressed in traditional Swiss style.
Jayanto almost always played with it. He was very fond of it. .........................

Now continue .................
Jayanto’s father had worked in the Archaeological Department in Bundi thirty-one
years ago. Jayanto had childhood memories about the town. So on his insistence
to visit his childhood town, Bundi in Rajasthan, Shankar (the narrator) agreed to
accompany him. Shankar knew that the Fort of Bundi was famous as a tourist
attraction. Both the friends stayed in the circuit house where Jayanto had spent
some years with his family. After arriving in Bundi Jayanto became somewhat
quiet. While taking a stroll in the garden, he recalled that there used to be a
deodar tree. He was very happy to locate it in a corner. Then childhood memories
were revived in his mind slowly. Both the friends went to see the fort. ..............

Now continue .................
Jayanto and Shankar are the two main characters in the story. Whereas they
share some common qualities of gentleness and geniality, they have some striking
and contrasting qualities. Jayanto is a sensitive, thoughtful person. By profession
he is a newspaperman, an editor working in the editorial division of a newspaper.
Shankar on the other hand, is the narrator of the story. He is a school teacher and
is Jayanto’s close friend. In contrast with Jayanto, he seems to be more mature,
realistic and practical in his outlook on life. The way he narrates the account of
his visit, along with his friend, to Bundi, reveals his sense of keen observation and
human interest. ............................................................................................

Now continue .................
Fritz was an ordinary doll which Jayanto, the protagonist in the story, got from one
of his uncles. His uncle had brought it for him from Switzerland. It was a twelve-
inch-long figure of an old man. It was dressed in a traditional Swiss style. It was

very lifelike. It was possible to bend and twist its limbs. Its face had a smile on it.
It had a Swiss cap on its head. Its clothes were perfect with belt, buttons, pockets,
collars and socks. There were even little buckles on the shoes. The doll had been
bought in a village in Switzerland. The man who sold it to Jayanto’s uncle jokingly
said, ‘‘He’s called Fritz. You must call him by this name. He won’t respond to any
other.”. ............................................................................................

Now continue .................
3. Quality
It is desirable and pleasurable if one is able to make one’s hobby one’s profession.
But it is not always possible due to several factors. Sometimes a hobby is such that
it is too expensive to turn it into a profession.
Sometimes the profession made out of a hobby may not be economically viable. But
when a hobby is turned into profession it is surely to provide endless happiness
and satisfaction.
The Gessler Brothers in the story ‘Quality’ seem to have made their hobby of
making quality shoes a profession.................................................................

Now continue .................
Gessler Brothers are artists in the true sense of the word. They take genuine pride
in their profession of bootmaking and give due respect to their trade. They are
skilled workers who earn their livelihood with the sweat of their brow. They work
day and night and take all pains to come up to the entire expectations of their
customers.
They own a small shop – two shops combined into one – with a board ‘Gessler
Brothers’ outside the window and a few pairs of exotic leather shoes at the window.
.........................................................

Now continue .................
The title of the story ‘Quality’ is apt and suggestive. It is the high ideal of quality

or excellence which is in focus throughout the story. The Gesslers are excellent
boot makers. They aim only at quality. They use leather of quality in making their
boots. They ensure that their boots fit to the entire satisfaction of the customer.
They seek no assistance from any quarter. Each of them work on the pairs of shoes
meticulously as if an artist were at his masterpiece. Consequently, they are slow.
They make little money. The elder brother dies of poverty. ..................................

Now continue .................
The story is set against the backdrop of the industrial revolution in the twentieth
century London where the two shoemakers struggle hard for their livelihood and
survival. The times have changed and people are easily attracted by tempting
advertisements publicising various goods. The Gessler Brothers face stiff
competition from big shoemakers and from imported shoes. The story is a poignant
picture of the lives of traditional workers working against heavy odds in this
background of industrial revolution where quick-fix approach and mass production
rule the roost. People do not relish and value high ideals of quality and excellence.
........................................................

Now continue .................
Mr Gessler was a passionate and hardworking shoemaker for whom shoemaking
was sacred vocation and he was totally dedicated to it. He would shut himself in
his shop for hours on end and would not come out.
He would keep on making boots for the satisfaction of his customers and the joy
of his own. He considered his work an art and practised it with utmost sincerity.
So shopping at Gessler Brothers was different. One could not expect to be served
at Gessler’s shop. It was like a place of worship – a place where the shopkeeper
worshipped the shoes he made. If once Gessler received an order for shoes, he
would observe the model for long and take precise measurement by drawing and
redrawing. ............................................................................................

Now continue .................
4. To Build A Fire
The old-timer in Sulphur Creek seems to be a mature person with a lot of
knowledge and experience of Yukon wilderness through which the man in the
story undertakes his precarious journey to reach the Henderson Camp on a very
cold, snowy day. This old-timer in Sulphur Creek comes as a voice of warning
and sound advice to the rash and adventurous fellow to be cautious and avoid
foolhardiness when the odds clearly seem to be against such a misadventure. The
old timer gives some sound pieces of advice and warning so that the man thinks
twice before taking any rash step. But the man goes on without caring for the
advice of the old man and consequently meets the inevitable. .........................

Now continue .................
There is clearly no bond or usual relationship between the man and the dog.
Throughout the story there is hardly any trace of affection of the man for the
dog. No love or intimacy is seen or felt between the man and the dog. Led by
his intellect and determination the man undertakes a rash and crazy journey in
cold and freezing conditions. The dog simply trails the man’s path, following him
instinctively. If the man in the story represents intellect, the dog represents pure
instinct. The story highlights these two contrasting traits. ..............................

Now continue .................
‘To Build a Fire’ is an adventure or misadventure story. There is a thin line of
demarcation between an adventure or misadventure. If one’s adventure comes out
to be successful, it is laudable and speaks of a man’s bold and adventurous spirit.
But if on the other hand, he meets failure or death, it is taken to be misadventure.
Nothing succeeds like success. This story records the struggle of a determined man
for his very survival on an extremely cold day. Nature is there in all its icy fury to
thwart any challenge to its power. The man, a solitary hiker, along with his dog,
departs from the main Yukon trail (near the current day Alaska) to be reunited
with his travelling companions at the Henderson Camp. ..............................

Now continue .................
The solitary-hiker set out on an arduous, risky journey in Yukon to be reunited
with his friends at the base camp. He hoped to reach the camp by six o’clock in
the evening. He was well-prepared for the journey on a very cold, snowy evening.
He was aware of the various dangers and obstacles on his path, but he thought he
would overcome them. He was accompanied by a dog whom he used selfishly as a
slave. ............................................................................................

Now continue .................
The man, a solitary-hiker, and his dog depart from the main Yukon trail to reach
the Henderson Camp on a very cold, snowy day. The temperature was about
seventy-five degree below zero, which was not good to venture out. The man,
however, thought he would overcome all difficulties on the way. As he moves
on his unprotected cheekbones start freezing. He knows about the dangers of
frostbite, but he does not bother.
After covering a good distance the man stops for lunch, builds a fire and warms
himself. The dog also sits beside the fire and feels good. The man resumes the
journey. After a while, he falls into a concealed spring and wets himself up to his
shins. His feet and fingers are numb. .........................................................

Now continue .................
The man, accompanied by a dog, starts his journey from the main Yukon trail to
reach the base camp. He hopes to be reunited with his friends by six o’clock in the
evening. He is well-prepared for all the obstacles on the way. But the reality has a
bitter lesson for him : that he should not have ventured out on an extremely cold
day when the temperature was about seventy-five degree below zero. His hands
and feet go numb. When he fails to rebuild the fire, he suddenly realizes that the
time is up for him. The fear of death makes him suddenly panicky :

This threw him into a panic, and he turned and ran up the creek-bed along the old,
dim trail, without intention, in fear such as he had never known in his life. ........

Now continue .................
5. The Story of An Hour
In ‘The Story of an Hour’ we find that Mrs Mallard was a heart patient. When the
news of her husband’s death reached Mr Mallard’s friend Richards and her sister
Josephine, every care was taken to break to her the sad news as gently as possible.
When the news was disclosed, Mrs Mallard’s reaction was instant. She did not
show paralyzed inability to accept the significance of the news like many women.
She wept at once, with wild abandon, in her sister’s room. ................................

Now continue .................
There are many veiled hints in the story that show that Mrs Mallard is unhappy
about her married life. It is only after the death of her husband that she realizes
suddenly that she would enjoy complete freedom of body and soul. This freedom
seems to be too subtle and elusive. She breathes heavily and tries to resist before
succumbing to this feeling of freedom. She thinks to herself how she will cry when
she sees the dead body of her husband. She is kind of excited about the chance to
make her own decisions and not feel accountable to anyone. She feels even more
swept by the idea of freedom than the fact she had sometimes felt love for her
husband.

“There would be no powerful will bending hers in that blind persistence with which
men and women believe they have a right to impose a private will upon a fellow-
creature.”............................................................................................

Now continue .................
There is no doubt that time plays an important role in our life. Sometimes we
experience so much in a brief span of time that we have never experienced before.
Some events or remarks can change our life drastically once and for all.
The events that take place in ‘The Story of an Hour’ cover a short span of only
one hour. It focuses on the supposed death of Mr Mallard and its effect on
Mrs Mallard’s life, and shows that in an hour, life can change drastically and a
person can change dramatically. ...................................................................

Now continue .................
When Mrs Mallard, a heart patient, is told gently the news of the death of her
husband, her reaction is instant, unlike those of many other women. She weeps at
once, in complete abandonment, in her sister’s arms. Then she goes to her room to
be by herself.
In the loneliness, she looks out of the window at a world that seems alive and
fresh. She sobs occasionally and then muses over the event. Then suddenly a
feeling of freedom seizes her. She dreads it at first. She stops feeling bad about it.
She is excited about her free body and free soul. She has a vision of a life which
she will live for herself. She will not be accountable to anyone. Her vision is
suddenly broken by the voice of her sister. ......................................................

Now continue .................
6. The Chinese Statue

Alexander Heathcote was the British Ambassador to China. He had a great
appreciation of Ming dynasty art although he wasn’t fortunate enough to have
any of it in his private collection. He would often undertake travels on horseback
into the outlying districts to learn about the country and its people. He was
always accompanied by a Mandarin, who acted as interpreter and guide. On one
such journey Alexander happened to visit a small village called Ha Li Chuan at a
distance of about fifty miles from Peking. Here, he entered a wooden workshop to
admire the delicate pieces of ivory that crammed the shelves. ...............................

Now continue .................
Sir Alexander Heathcote was a tall gentleman, extremely disciplined and meticulous.
He followed a rigid routine in doing everything. He was in the diplomatic service.
Because of his dedication and sincerity he progressed fast. From a shared desk
at the Foreign Office in Whitehall he became third secretary in Calcutta, second
secretary in Vienna, first secretary in Rome, Deputy Ambassador in Washington,
and finally minister in Peking. Thus, he had a distinguished career. He had got
the opportunity to represent the British government in China. ...............................

Now continue .................
Alexander Heathcote, the British Ambassador to China, was able to get a very
precious statue of Emperor Kung from an old Chinese Craftsman. Having
completed his duty in Peking, he returned to his native home Yorkshire. Before
his death he wrote his will. He bequeathed the Emperor Kung to his first son
Major James Heathcote, requesting him to do the same so that the statue might
always pass to the first son in the family. He also instructed that it should never
be sold unless the family honour was at stake. Alexander died in his seventieth
year. His son Major James Heathcote kept the statue safely with him throughout
his life. From him his first born Reverend Alexander Heathcote inherited it, who
in due course became Bishop Heathcote. .....................................................................

Now continue .................
Alexander Heathcote, the British Ambassador to China, belonged to aristocracy
and was held in high esteem. In Peking he found it a great opportunity to observe

in their natural habitat some of the great statues, paintings and drawings which
he had always admired in books. Being a great lover of art, he knew a lot about
Ming dynasty art but he wasn’t fortunate enough to possess any of the Ming
artistic work in his private collection. No wonder when he saw the ivory statue
of Emperor Kung he was so much fascinated by it that he expressed a desire to
possess it. The moment the Mandarin translated his words, he regretted having
voiced his thoughts. But the old craftsman, knowing well the Chinese custom,
parted with the valuable statue. .......................................................................

Now continue .................
7. A Gorilla in the Guest Room

There is still a common perception about zoos as a place where a variety of animals
are put for public display. People come to see the animals, enjoy themselves and
go back. The zoo animals feel depressed and unhappy as they are underfed and
under constant human gaze. They feel helpless and powerless. But there are some
zoological parks where sincere efforts are being made to contribute towards the
conservation of wildlife. In some of them, for instance, under Save Tiger mission,
tigers are allowed proper, natural environs to mate and thrive. ..............................

Now continue .................
The story ‘A Gorilla in the Guest Room’, conveys the message of love and affection
for animals. We need to change our attitude towards wildlife. We should take
all steps to conserve wildlife. We must ensure that animals are given love and
affection. They must be attended to in respect of their urges. The author believes
that “unless they lack finances, I have no use for zoos that acquire animals purely
for exhibition and make no efforts to provide them with a mate.” He thinks that
companionship in animal species is equally of great importance.
In this story we learn that the author takes interest in providing a female mate
to N’Pongo just to avoid his getting morose or losing his liveliness of manners and
disposition. ............................................................................................

Now continue .................
N’Pongo is a male gorilla, whereas Nandy is the female one. Though both of them
belong to the same species they have widely different natures. Like the males
of all species, N’Pongo is more powerful than Nandy and shows his superiority
at the first available opportunity. Nandy, like any other female, seems to be in
comparison submissive and helpless.
N’Pongo, even as a baby, has courteous, civilized manners. His gentle behaviour
in the house is impressive. The author’s mother feels so attached to him that she
expresses her desire not to encage the gorilla in the zoo :

... my mother was doing her best to try to persuade me to keep him in the house
permanently. ............................................................................................

Now continue .................
The story ‘A Gorilla in the Guest Room’ reveals that the author is a great lover of
animals. He is so caring and affectionate towards animals that it seems as if they
were more than his family members to him. He has set up a Zoological Park in
Jersey to conserve and preserve the rarest Species of animals. The way he takes
care of N’Pongo, a gorilla and his female companion, Nandy, shows his love and
concern for the well-being of animals. He becomes worried at the slightest signs of
indisposition on the part of N’Pongo. Even sneezes by N’Pongo are thought to be
prelude to his catching pneumonia. When N’Pongo falls seriously ill, he takes all
pains to consult vets and physicians. ........................................................

Now continue .................
8. The Singing Lesson

Miss Meadows is a music teacher in a school. There is no physical description of
Miss Meadows. She wears “cap and gown” and handles “little baton”, the symbol
of her authority over her students. She is past normal marriage age and has been
tense and worried lest she should remain single and ‘abnormal’ in the eyes of her
colleagues. When she falls in love with Basil and they are engaged they are really
quite happy. But then a letter from Basil expressing his inability to marry shocks
her, throwing her into endless turmoil. .............................................................

Now continue .................
Miss Meadows, the music teacher in a girl’s school, is in a mood of desperation as
she has received the latest letter from her fiance showing his inability to marry
her. So when she is conducting the music class with a song ‘A Lament’, she gets
a call from her headmistress Miss Wyatt. Instructing her students not to be noisy
while she is away, she walks to the headmistress’ office. She is handed a telegram
by the headmistress. It is from Basil : “Pay no attention to letter, must have been
mad, bought hat-stand to-day.”.........................................................

Now continue .................
The story ‘The Singing Lesson’ is an excellent example of Katherine Mansfield’s
unique talent for realistically capturing a moment in time. Her simplistic style
conceals complex thoughts. Miss Meadows’ ordeal in ‘The Singing Lesson’ is
written in the third person from a female perspective. Mansfield, noted for her
preference for a woman’s point of view, moves away from the examination of a
woman at home at the turn of the twentieth century and instead concentrates on

the woman at work. This story shows Mansfield’s wondrous skill in expressing the
inexpressible feelings of the protagonist. ‘The Singing Lesson’ explores the inner
recesses of the mind and unearths dramatic situations. ........................................

Now continue .................
The ending of the story is most appropriate. The story captures the swinging
moods–first of despair and then of cheerfulness – of Miss Meadows, the music
teacher in a girls’ school. The story ends on a happy note with Miss Meadows
releasing her utmost tension and singing joyously. On receiving a telegram from
Basil apologizing for his earlier letter, she feels transformed. Her mood is joyous
– “On wings of hope, of love, of joy.” Miss Meadows goes back to the music hall,
picks up the Chrysanthemum and raps with her baton. She turns to another page
of the songbook.

“We come here To-day with Flowers o’erladen,
With Baskets of Fruit and Ribbons to boot,. .......................................................
To congratulate ...........................

Now continue ................
‘The Singing Lesson’ is structured in such a way that ordinary things acquire
symbolic import. The author has used symbolic names and symbolic situations.
The use of colours as symbols is prominent.
Meadows means fields, greenland. That is the kingdom of Demeter, the material
goddess of earth, harvests, seasons and fertility. She is usually represented beside
a snake. Demeter is enraged and calm by turns in mythology. When she is united
with her daughter, nature smiles and blooms; when they are separated, the ground
remains sterile, infertile, and it is autumn and winter...................................................

Now continue ................
9. The Sound Machine

Klausner is a crazy but amateur scientist. He is obsessed with sounds. He himself
tells his physician friend Dr Scott, “I like sound.” He has evolved his theory about
sounds. The theory is that the human ear can’t hear everything. It can hear
certain sounds, whether high-pitched or low-pitched. Such sounds can also be
called ‘notes’. Explaining his theory, he explains to Dr Scott that a human can’t
hear any note having more than fifteen thousand vibrations a second. Likewise
such sound vibrations may go higher and higher to infinity, even beyond the stars.
Indeed, there is a whole world of sounds above us all the time that we cannot hear.
Similar is the case with music being created in the inaudible regions. If made to
be heard, this music would drive us mad. .......................................................

Now continue ................

Ideas rule the world. They are precursors to any invention or discovery. At first
they may appear to be funny or absurd. People generally laugh at such novel
ideas. But when a researcher is obsessed with some ideas, he goes ahead with it,
experiments with it and is ultimately successful in showing to the world the truth,
the value or the worth of it.
Klausner was a sort of scientist. He believed that there are sounds that are so low-
pitched or high-pitched that the human ear cannot hear them. We cannot hear any
note having fifteen thousand vibrations a second. Still there are vibrations higher
and higher going to infinity. The same is true of music. If our ears are tuned to
listening to so high-pitched sounds in the inaudible regions, we will go mad. ..........

Now continue ................
Klausner was an amateur scientist who had evolved his own theory about sounds.
He was so much fascinated with his idea of sound that he went crazy to test it on
a complicated machine. With the help of this machine he wanted to study subtle
sounds and vibrations. Greatly excited but nervous, he carried his device into the
garden. Putting on the earphones, he could hear a faint, spasmodic crackling.
The little needle of the machine kept moving across the dial when he heard a
sudden frightful piercing shriek. His eye fell on Mrs Saunders, his neighbour
who was cutting yellow roses across the lawn in her garden. He asked her to cut
another rose stem with her clippers. Surprised at Klausner’s request, she did
what Klausner had asked her, taking him to be a peculiar but harmless person.
.....................

Now continue ................
Dr Scott is a close friend and physician with whom Klausner freely shares his ideas
and experiences. Being very inquisitive and supporting, he listens to Klausner’s
theory about sounds and vibrations of plants. No doubt, he lends keen ears to
Klausner. He feels such things are not probable. He thinks that the idea of sounds
made by plants seems fantastic. All the same he does not contradict Klausner and
listens to him attentively and patiently. Dr Scott is a polite and obliging person.
He is rational and does not readily endorse Klausner’s funny and fantastic ideas
about sounds. ............................................................................................

Now continue ................
10. B. Wordsworth
It is quite difficult to judge the protagonist in the story ‘B. Wordsworth.’ Our
first impression about him is that he may be one of those tramps who move from
place to place asking people for food or money. Such tramps are alluded to by the
narrator in the beginning of the story. His house is visited daily by three beggars,
an old woman and a blind man for food. “Sometimes we had a rogue”, as he recalls
the days of his boyhood. B. Wordsworth is one such person who one day calls and
asks if he can come in and watch bees. He seems to be different from others. But
after his entry into the house, he tries to sell a poem in vain. This gives us the
impression of his being a tramp. Later, he confirms that he remains out of work
most of the time. In the calypso season he sings calypsoes to make some money.
...........

Now continue ................
It is important to note that the story ‘B. Wordsworth’ is set in Trinidad in
contemporary times. The black natives live with the whites who once ruled them.
There is a lot of difference between the ways of life of the natives and the whites.
There is a lot of suspicion in the minds of the blacks about their white neighbours.
In fact, both distrust each other, and yet both have to depend upon each other for
various needs. Most of the natives are, for example, not so refined and cultured
as the whites are. Anybody who speaks good English is a suspect in the eyes of
the natives. B. Wordsworth is a black native – ‘B’ stands for Black. However, he
speaks good English and his manners are refined. The boy’s mother develops an
instant dislike of him and avoids him. ...........................................................

Now continue ................
The story ‘B.Wordsworth’ ends with the death of the poet and the boy visiting
Alberto Street where the poet lived. But it is not the real end. The death of the
poet has a larger meaning. It is suggestive of the demise of an era in which people
loved nature and upheld good human values. The story gives us a peep into the
life of B.Wordsworth who is a poet in the real sense of the word. Like a poet, he
is sensitive, loving and sincere. He has a genuine love for nature. We are not sure
whether he writes poems. It is his poetic attitude that draws our attention to him.
...............................

Now continue ................
One of the themes of this story is that in the modern, materialistic world poetry
holds no charm and poets are only looked upon as crazy, abnormal persons, even
tramps. Poetry is certainly a bad profession. It is often not saleable. That is why,
when the boy in the story asks his mother if she would like to buy ‘a poetry for
four cents’, her sharp response is “Tell that blasted man” (the poet) to “haul his
tail away from my yard...” In such circumstances, the poet can do little to survive.
B. Wordsworth sings calypsonians in the calypso season to make some money,
though that is not sufficient. ..........................................................................

Now continue ................

SHORT ANSWER QUESTIONS
1. Salvatore
Set-I
Hints :
(a) · Salvatore, positive outlook on life

· Sensitive guy, rejected by his fiancee

· terribly unhappy, does not blame the girl

· doesn’t speak a hard word, can hold in his feelings
(b) · Salvatore a gripping story

· set on an Italian island, describes life of fishermen

· very hard, means of livelihood, fishing

· working in vineyards, dependence on nature.
(c) · one of the themes, love and affection

· Salvatore loved deeply the pretty girl, lived on Grande Marina

· engagement, failed to marry her

· married Assunta who loved him, lived happily

· great affection for his sons, love sustains life
Set-II
Hints :
(a) · Salvatore, pleasant, noble youngman

· loved his fiancee very much

· in the course of military service, fell ill

· stayed in hospital, declared unfit for further military service

· news reached his fiancee, refused to marry him, could not work like a man
(b) · Salvatore could not marry till had done military service,

· became a sailor in the Navy of King Victor Emmanuel

· visited different countries, in China, fell ill, mysterious illness

· stayed in hospital for months, treatment for rheumatism

· declared unfit for further military service
(c) · Salvatore, pleasant, noble

· rare quality, goodness, appeals to readers

· beloved rejects him bluntly, very unhappy

· remains quiet, does not blame her, does not complain

· speaks no harsh word against her

· besides goodness, kindness
Set-III
Hints :
(a) · Salvatore could not marry, till military service completed
· joined navy of King Victor Emmanuel
· life in battleship different, hard to live with strangers
· felt terribly homesick, missed the mountains, sea
· walking in noisy, friendless cities, boring, wrote long letters to his fiancee
(b) · came back from military services,
· went to meet his fiancee, not warmly welcomed
· knew about his returning, also about his illness from another island boy.
· heard, won’t be quite well again, decided not to marry him
· could not work like a man
(c) · after marriage, Salvatore, Assunta, settle in a tiny house
· two sons were born, Salvatore, happy in the company of his sons
· would bring them with him, to give them a bath
· would dip his sons in water, hold them tenderly
· would dry them with delicate care
2. Fritz
Set-I
Hints :
(a) · ‘Fritz’ a mystery story, supernatural elements
· blending of real and weird
· arrival of Jayanto, descriptions highly realistic
· in the night, element of weird, introduced
· arrival of someone, walking of something
· suspense, till digging of the ground, human skeleton, adds to horror
· left to imagination
(b) · kept watching intently, Jayanto made a strange sound.
· eyes bulging, trembling finger, pointed to the hole
· there lay, flat on its back twelve-inch-long
· perfect little human skeleton, looked, with horror, amazement
(c) · in Bundi, Jayanto behaves erratically
· cheerful for sometimes, then suddenly morose
· recalls important places, memory of deodar tree
· wakes up at night, something walked over his chest
· remains obsessed with idea of reality of Fritz, thus behaves in this manner.
Set-II
Hints :
(a) · suddenly stopped walking, said ‘Deodar’
· happy to locate it, childhood memories evoked
· a doll of an old man, Fritz, gifted by his uncle
· dressed in swiss style Jayanto played with it, badly disfigured by stray dogs
· buried under deodar tree.
(b) · a doll gifted to Jayanto, doll a twelve-inch long figure.
· Jayanto very fond of it, became an obsession, spent hours with it
· Fritz, funny smile, as if understood what Jayanto said
· Jayanto’s parents warned, not to overdo things
(c) · ending, unexpected, shocking
· Fritz ordinary doll,a gift to Jayanto, dressed in Swiss style
· became an obsession, disfigured by stray dogs
· strange experience at night, foot prints on the quilt
· ground was dug, white little human skeleton found
· ending unusual
Set-III
Hints :
(a) · Shankar decided to bring Jayanto to normalcy
· should dig the ground, under the tree, to see remnants of Fritz
· Jayanto might get rid of weird notions
· feared if this was not done, Jayanto might go mad
(b) · ground being dug up, Jayanto kept staring unblinkingly
· suddenly saw something, flat on its back, a twelve-inch long figure
· human skeleton, Shankar gaped at the ground
· horror, disbelief, spade slipped from the gardener’s hand
(c) · Fritz, story with open ending, end shocks us
· Fritz, an ordinary doll, disfigured by dogs
· after 31 years, the place revisited, strange experience at night
· tiny footprints, ground dug up, a perfect little skeleton found
· open ending, how is this possible, Fritz, an inactive ghost
3. Quality
Set-I
Hints :
(a) · backdrop of industrial revolution, 20th century London
· two little shops, let into one, a small by-street, west End

· Gessler brothers, famous for high quality shoes
· peaceful ambience in the shop, one chair for customer
· an attic reached by wooden stairs, their workshop
(b) · theme-work is its own reward
· rarely, workers work for excellence these days
· Gessler brothers skilled workmen, full value to customers
· lost one brother, a part of the shop, committed to excellence
· endured hardships, did not work for money, resigned to fate
(c) · genuine pride in their profession, skilled workers
· different from other shoes makers, don’t use inferior leather
· make shoes, slim, elegant, fit perfectly
· remain starved, fail to employ means of publicity
· time of industrial advancement, spoils their labour
· fail to face the competition, business blown away by winds of advertisement
Set-II
Hints :
(a) · title, apt, suggestive, quality, degree of excellence
· ideal of quality in focus, two brothers make shoes
· slow but skilled, can’t stand competition, elder brother dies
· younger faces starvation, ideal of quality of no avail.
· title has another connotation, quality of Gessler brothers as human beings
(b) · narrator visited their shop, father sent him
· started getting shoes from them, impressed by quality
· used good leather, worked day and night
· made sure, each pair fitted well
· on narrator’s complaint, agreed to return the money.
(c) · quality relegated to the background in modern times
· mass production units increased, money spent on advertisement
· Gessler brothers suffer, skill not known to others
· fail to beat new fashion, one by one they die
· fail due to tactlessness and lack of foresight
Set-III
Hints :
(a) · Narrator’s long association with the Gessler brothers
· belief in ideals of excellence quality
· introduced to them at the age of fourteen
· pursue boot making religiously

· narrator attached to them emotionally, tries to help them
· laments that shop occupied by a new person
(b) · quite desirable, not always possible, hobby sometimes expensive
· profession, made out of hobby, may not be economically viable
· if hobby, made profession, gives endless joy
· Gessler brothers, hobby made profession
· artists, do not seek help from others, age of mass production, get no work
(c) · Gessler brothers, true artists, work hard
· produce quality, shoes, believe in excellence
· age of mass production, takes away their customers
· use traditional orthodox methods, don’t realize, quality has no value
· age of materialism, trendy fashions, quality pushed to background
· intense competition, money spent on advertisement, Gessler brothers choke, die
one after the other
4. To Build A Fire
Set-I
Hints :
(a) · The man, a solitary hiker and his dog
· depart from Yukon trail, good friends
· builds fire, warms himself and the dog
· man loses his life, due to inexperience, overconfidence
· the dog survives due to instincts
(b) · man without imagination, carries, woolen clothes maps etc.
· proud of rationality, overconfidence, works on reason
· lost his instincts, feels surge of envy for the dog
· dog survives due to strong instincts, considers his own survival
· senses death, moves towards the camp, to get food
· his instincts more powerful than man’s intelligence
(c) · story concentrates on man’s struggle against nature
· does not give up easily, remains determined
· continues to pursue his goal, remains undeterred
· nature more powerful, overpowers his reasons, his pride meets his death
Set-II
Hints :
(a) · The man sets on a risky journey
· hopes to reach the camp by 6 o’clock in the evening
· well prepared, dangers on the path, fell through ice into water
· tried to build fire, snow on the boughs fell, extinguished fire
· trying to protect, he put out the fire, thus, faced many problems
(b) · from names of places, learn about setting
· reference to Klondike, Dawson, story set in Klondike region, Canada near Alaska
· old claim on Henderson creek
· time, reference gold rush, began in 1897
· set in wilderness of frozen Yukon, winter month, no sun in sky
(c) · focus on man’s struggle against nature
· man underestimates forces of nature, the man goes in Yukon wilderness
· reminded of his weakness, fingers numb, spittle freezes
· feet numb, builds fire, takes pride in his ability
· but nature proves more powerful, intense cold kills him.
Set-III
Hints :
(a) · theme, heroic will to fight
· man, may be destroyed, should not accept defeat
· face death with calm resignation, the man realized folly
· temperature 75° below zero, does not give up
· builds up fire, starts running thought of death, does not deter him
(b) · message, confidence is good, overconfidence, a fault
· leads to doom, hiker, warned by old timer
· starts journey on bad snowy day, accompanied by dog
· despite his weakness, the man, very courageous
· continues to pursue his goal, unafraid of problems
· strikes the whole pack of matches, hands burn, meets his doom due to
overconfidence
(c) · the man well prepared, reality has a lesson to teach
· should not have started on that day, fails to rebuild fire second time
· fear of death, starts running, feels better
· has no stamina, can’t run endlessly, stumbles and falls
· thought of death, frightens him, slows down, sits down
· decides to meet death with dignity
5. The Story of An Hour

Set-I
Hints :
(a) · Mrs Mallard, patient of heart trouble
· Josephine, took care, conveyed sad news of Mr Mallard’s death
· broke the news, veiled hints
· Mrs Mallard, wept passionately, went away to her room
· sank into easy chair, exhaustion, haunted her body and soul
(b) · alone in her room, looks out of the window
· an open square, tops of trees, signs of new spring
· breath of rain in the air, peddlers selling wares in streets
· symbolism, objects of nature, symbolize feelings of new life
· feeling of complete freedom, twittering of sparrows, imagining of Mrs Mallard
(c) · feminist writings, protest against patriarchal system
· woman, subordinate to men, invariably rebels
· asserts her right to freedom, individuality
· Kate Chopin, not feminist, concerned about women’s plight
· Mrs Mallard, oppressed, stifled, news of husband’s death;
· sensation of being free, exults, vision gets smashed, causes instant death
Set-II
Hints :
(a) · a new-found sense of freedom.
· seems subtle and elusive, ‘free’ repeated thrice, significant, complete freedom
· tries to resist the feeling, unable to believe

· excited to make her own decisions, swept by the idea of freedom
(b) · coming years would belong to her only

· no one to live for, live for herself,

· no powerful will, bending her will

· no one to impose a private will upon a fellow creature
(c) · veiled hints, Mrs Mallard unhappy with her husband

· after news of death, realizes, would enjoy complete freedom

· freedom of body and soul, would live for herself

· not be accountable to anyone, won’t have to submit to husband’s will, painfully.
Set-III
Hints :
(a) · in her comfy chair, felt depleted, suddenly, an unknown feeling

· too subtle, tried to resist, feeling of freedom overpowered her

· excited about chance to make her own decisions

· focused on how liberated she would feel, will live for herself

· waiting for it fearfully, dreaded new feeling, vision of bright future
(b) · veiled hints, Mrs Mallard’s calm face, wrinkles, bespoke of repression

· dull stare in her eyes indicated suspension of intelligent thought
· unhappy married life, suffocated, happy to feel, free completely
· no powerful will, bending hers, no one to impose his decision on her
(c) · ending, meaningful, turns and twists of events
· Mrs Mallard, told gently, husband’s death, weeps bitterly
· alone in her room, excited, imagines about a different life, totally free
· excitement justified, appearance of husband, dream gets shattered
· blow proves too much, weak heart sinks, not out of joy
· due to sudden realization of death of her dream
6. The Chinese Statue

Set-I
Hints :
(a) · Alexander, learns the true value of the statue
· asks Mandarin, to find out bio-data of old craftsman
· writes to his banker to send money to Peking
· gets a beautiful white house built, visits the old craftsman
· gifts him the newly completed white house
(b) · Alexander wrote a long detailed will
· instructions about disposal of his estate, and about, the statue
· bequeathed the statue to his first son
· asked him to do the same, statue, to pass to the first son
· or to daughter if male line faltered, never to be sold
· Alexander died in 70th year, statue came in possession of Major James
Heathcote
(c) · According to will statue passes on to the first son in the family
· not to be sold unless family honour at stake
· statue came in possession of Alex Heathcote, a spoiled spendthrift
· lost much money in business, when casinos opened, under debt
· decided to sell the statue, family honour at stake
· took it to Bond Street, gave it to Sotheby, property of a gentleman
Set-II
Hints :
(a) · statue of Emperor Kung, made of ivory, supposed to be centuries old
· heirloom representing the Ming dynasty, Alexander Heathcote got it in China
· brought for auction, assessed by experts, two hundred year old
· base attached to the statue, small dark figures, casually fixed to it
· base turned out to be genuine work of art, satire on connoisseurs of art.

(b) · Alexander Heathcote, disciplined, honest, hardworking
· rose to a high position, earned respect, British Ambassador to China
· Alex Heathcote, picture of indiscipline, slothfulness, selfish self-centred
· spoiled by excessive love of mother who dies undertension
· fails in whatever he does
(c) · surprise ending, exposes shallow lovers of art
· can’t distinguish between fake and genuine
· Alexander got a statue, emperor Kung, in exchange gave a white house
· taken to the auctioner turned out to be fake copy of the original
· worth only 700 pounds, the base, casually attached, genuine
· ending amuses us, psendo covers of art feel proud of their knowledge
Set-III
Hints :
(a) · Alexander Heathcote, interested in Ming dynasty art
· happy to be aspointed, British Ambassador in China
· chance to learn about China, its people
· once, in a village, entered workshop of an old craftsman, Yung Lee
· appreciated all the pieces lying on shelves, Young Lee showed him Chinese
statue
(b) · story centres round, chinese statue, Emperor Kung, gifted to Alexander
· Young Lee, old craftsman, had been in family, seven generations.
· Alexander, desired to possess it, Yung Lee gave it reluctantly
· Chinese statue remains in focus through out the story, title appropriate
(c) · Alexander Heathcote, a hardworking, disciplined, honest, meticulous
· held in high esteem, very punctual, devoted to work
· his father, a general, but he did not join military service
· chose to serve the queen, progressed in life
· became, third secretary in Calcutta, second secretary in Vienna
· Deputy Ambassador in Washington and minister in Peking
7. A Gorilla in the Guest Room

Set-I
Hints :
(a) · widely different from each other
· N’Pongo having the male superiority
· more polite and submissive than Nandy
· amiable and plesant, N’Pongo
· Nandy conscious of rights
· more reserved, Nandy
· gradually accept each other
(b) · zoos don’t provide proper habitat to animals
· do not care to preserve endangered species
· animals not properly treated in zoos
· companionship not provided to animals
· urges and needs of animals ignored
(c) · plea to change our mindset

· must show love and affection to animals

· must take steps to conserve rare species

· companionship vital for conservation of animals

· urges and physical needs must be taken care of

· must be provided proper treatment and diet

· author’s example of giving companionship to N’Pongo and Nandy laudable

· author’s concern for N’Pongo in illness
Set-II
Hints :
(a) · N’Pongo kept in the guest room until his cage was ready

· his grave courteous manners won author’s and his wife and mother’s hearts

· was provided with delicacies

· curious to know his surroundings

· walked like a small black professor in a museum

· when left, the room looked like a 16th century alehouse
(b) · symptom of acute diarrhoea

· suffering from colitus

· last weight and stopped eating or taking milk

· no antibiotics could be given

· author consulted expert vets

· different foods tried and injections given

· showed signs of recovery

· soon regained health and weight
(c) · eye-catching title

· excites curiosity, why a gorilla in the guest room

· keeping a baby gorilla in the guest room out of common

· N’Pongo, the gorilla, kept in the guest room temporarily until the cage was ready

· shows author’s concern for animals’ comforts

· author treats the gorilla as if he were a human
Set-III
Hints :
(a) · wildlife conservation in order to protect rare and endangered species

· zoos to contribute a great deal

· must not remain show places for animals

· zoos to be financed and supported to preserve the most endangered species

· author himself shows the laudable path

· brings baby gorilla home

· provides proper care and treatment to N’Pongo

· supplies a female companion
(b) · author’s deep concern to preserve endangered species

· felt, all common animals in zoos to be replaced by the rare and endangered species.

· his sincere efforts in procuring a gorilla

· kept him in the guest room till the cage was ready

· obtained a female mate for N’Pongo

· monitored the health of N’Pongo in illness

· all care and treatment for the sick animals
(c) · The narrator, Gerald Durrel, a great lover of animals

· caring and affectionate towards animals

· looked upon them as family members

· concern during sickness

· consultation with vets

· ready to sacrifice his visit to take care of N’Pongo

· did go only when N’Pongo showed signs of improvement

· positive and determined to do what he has planned
8. The Singing Lesson

Set-I
Hints :
(a) · in her past marriageable age

· received a letter from fiance, calling off the wedding

· letter spoils her mood

· rudely shaken by the contents of the letter

· highly upset, changes the lesson

· asks the students to sing the saddest song ‘A Lament’.
(b) · story explores the theme of sadness and despair

· Miss Meadows, a music teacher

· going to take her music class

· a letter from her fiance upsets her mood

· change from prepared lesson to a sad one

· change in mood affects her body

· taps with the baton

· ignores excitement and glee on faces of students
(c) · Miss Meadows totally reliant on Basil

· her marriage called off by her fiance

· now upset because she is past marriageable age

· feels she may have to leave the school

· wants to keep appearance

· wishes to settle in life

· relieved when she receives Basil’s telegram of apology

· fears what others will think if she remains single

· shows reliance on Basil and appearance in society
Set-II
Hints :
(a) · no explicit message
· captures realistically a moment in time

· message only on the individual level

· must have guts to face and accept reality

· must not be escapists

· Miss Meadows unable to accept reality

· wants to keep appearance

· message on the social level - need for a proper atmosphere where a single
woman can live with honour
(b) · earlier deeply upset

· Basil’s telegram of apology relieves her

· her mood at once changes

· on wings of hope, of love, of joy

· spring in life returns

· beams at the girls

· sings the sweet song of blooming flowers
(c) · skilful use of symbols

· symbolic names and symbolic situations

· Miss Meadows, the material goddess of seasons and fertility

· Basil, her fiance, mythological creature basilisk

· can kill with a breath

· here Basil kills Meadows happiness with a letter
· symbolic situation - internal turmoil creates. atmosphere of despair
Set-III
Hints :
(a) · turn of events towards the end sudden and unexpected
· Basil’s telegram of apology changes the mood of Miss Meadows
· brings smiles on her face
· on wings of joy and excitement
· story ends on a happy note
· releases Meadow’s, tensions and she sings joyously
· shift in her mood
· wants to show appearance than reality
(b) · opening lines of the story

· a case study of inner turmoil of the protagonist

· sadness and despair caused by something undesirable

· affects mind and body

· Basil’s letter affects and disturbs Meadows sharply

· negative effect on her mood

· treats children peevishly

· affects authority on students to conceal her inner feelings
(c) · Miss Meadows believes in keeping appearance

· cannot face harsh reality of living as a single woman

· is ready to accept her fiance Basil as he is

· knows that Basil does not love her

· but happy that she will be treated as a married woman by society

· appearance to her more important than reality

· Love of Basil not important to her

· society should perceive her as a married woman
9. The Sound Machine

Set-I
Hints :
(a) · story set in three places
· first in the laboratory
· here we see a black box on a bench
· we are told what for this box is : to hear sounds with human ear can’t hear
· then the story is set in a garden
· here Klausner, the scientist, hears the shrieking sound of a plant with the help
of his box
· then the story is set in a park
· the machine is tested here on a tree
· the time of the story, not mentioned
(b) · many low-pitched or high-pitched sounds, the human ear incapable of hearing
· if enhanced with an instrument can be heard
· Klausner makes a machine for the purpose
· is able to hear the shriks of a plant and a tree, when harmed
(c) · if Klausiner’s experiments had succeeded
· people would have realized that plant are as sensitive as humans to pain and
suffering
· they would stop harming nature
· no question of global warming
· afforestation would have got boosted
Set-II
Hints :
(a) · Klausner hit the tree with the axe
· heard a wailing sound on his machine placed under the tree
· again hit the tree to make Dr Scott listen to the sound
· a big branch of the tree fell down
· smashed Klausner’s machine
· Klausner and Dr Scott escaped unhurt
(b) · the message of the story clear
· should not hurt plants and trees
· should not cut them down insensitively
· should realize the pain plants feel when we cut them
· plant life similar to human life
(c) · Klausner invented a machine
· used it to hear the sounds of a plant and a tree in pain
· human beings, it is clear, deaf to these painful sounds
· the smashing of Klausner’s machine by the branch of a tree a symbolic act
· if we go on cutting the trees ruthlessly, we will meet the fate of Klausner’s
machine
Set-III
Hints :
(a) · science fiction is based on some imaginary idea/ideas
· Klausner makes a machine
· wants to hear those sounds which human ear can’t hear
· hears the sounds of plants in pain, when hurt
· this seems to be a fanciful idea, but very useful
(b) · Klausner’s axe made a gash or wound in the tree
· before leaving, Klausner wanted Dr Scott to apply iodine on the tree’s wound
· he felt concerned for the tree
· Dr Scott seemed to be amused, but did not decline the request
· Klausner really a sensitive being
(c) · Klausner invented a machine
· looked like a black box having several wires, tubes, etc
· used it to hear the sounds of plants and trees
· heard the wailing sound of a plant when its flowers were plucked
· heard the shriek of a tree when he hit with an axe
· felt-sorry for harming the tree
· wanted to prove that there are sounds which the human ear can’t hear
10. B. Wordsworth
Set-I
Hints :
(a) · theme of failure and disillusionment
· both leave life-long scars
· B.Wordsworth, a failure in life
· fails as a poet, as a lover
· disillusioned with man’s attitude towards nature, fellow human beings
· the poet’s death symbolises the death of good human values
(b) · nature needs to be appreciated and respected
· most of us insensitive to nature
· B.Wordsworth himself a lover of nature
· loves to watch bees, stars in the sky
· has a lot of trees in the garden of his house
· wants the boy to love nature like him
(c) · in the eyes of the boy B.Wordsworth, a caring and loving person
· finds in him a sincere friend and well-wisher
· comes to adore him because of the love he receives from the poet
· realizes the B.Wordsworth has suffered much as a lover
· cries bitterly over his death
Set-II
Hints :
(a) · Poetry a source of trouble
· no one wants to buy poetry
· B.Wordsworth spurned by one and all
· has to earn some money by singing calypsonians in the calypso season
· deliberately denies his being a poet
· wants the boy to keep off poetry and poets
(b) · escapism, a way to divert one’s mind from harsh realities of life
· people who are highly imaginative, sensitive are often escapists
· B.Wordsworth escapes into the world of nature and poetry
· has been a failure in life, unable to earn decent living
· shatters the illusion of a romantic world
· wants the boy not to be an escapist like him
(c) · the story takes a U-turn towards the end
· B.Wordsworth denies having any business with poetry
· perhaps says so to keep the boy away from the snare of the poetic world
· the story does not end on his death
· a year after his death, his house with many trees nowhere to be found
· brick and concrete everywhere
· death of the poet symbolic of the death of an era in which people loved nature,
unhold good human values
Set-III
Hints :
(a) · B.Wordswordth calls William Wordsworth his brother
· a lover of nature like him
· writes poems like him

· lives in green surroundings, watches bees, flowers and stars
· wants the boy to love nature
(b) · B. Wordsworth tells the story of a boy and a girl in love
· both the boy and girl, poets, got married
· lived happily in a room
· the girl got pregnant, expected another poet
· unluckily died with the foetus in her womb
· seems to be the poet’s own story
· as he told the story, he seemed to grow old
(c) · the boy found the poet’s condition very bad
· before dying the poet made a confession
· said the story of the boy and the girl was untrue
· his talk about poetry and about the great poem he was writing, untrue
· feels that this confession of B.Wordsworth is wrong
· made the confession to wean the boy from poetry, sensitivity and love of nature
· wanted the boy not to be failure in life, like him
EVERGREEN SPECIMEN PAPERS

Specimen Paper – 1
Make use of the given hints and write your answers.

Q.13. (a) Hints :
· Assunta, a twenty-four or twenty-five year old, ugly, grim girl
· loved Salvatore who had been ditched by his fiancee
· Salvatore heart-broken
· his mother asked him to marry Assunta
· he could buy a boat of his own as Assunta had some money of her own
· he could buy a vineyard too
· Salvatore met the girl and agreed to marry her
· found the proposal practically good
(b) Hints :
· played a very important role in stabilizing Salvatore’s life
· though ugly, she had a golden heart
· fully devoted to Salvatore
· had her children

· gave her money to Salvatore with which he bought a boat and a vineyard
· lived happily with her family
(c) Hints :
· after his marriage with Assunta, Salvatore had a stable family life
· Salvatore came to own a boat and a Vineyard
· life quite hard, illness did not stand in his way
· would spend the whole nights catching the fish, then go to Venice to sell the
catch
· whenever his rheumatism became worse, he would rest
· seeing him lying down, smoking, some foreigners would remark that Italian
fishermen were all lazy
Q.14. Hints :
· sincere, hard work done consistently-its own reward
· gives genuine satisfaction and great pleasure
· nothing to do with material gains
· Gessler Brothers work sincerely, use best quality leather and make durable
shoes
· endeavour to satisfy customers
· make no compromise with quality of leather
· not worldly-wise
· face hardship and starvation
· still enjoy pleasure in making quality shoes
Q.15. Hints :
· The story of man’s courage and determination to face challenges heroically
· overconfident and rash hiker
· clearly warned not to venture out in freezing temperature
· takes unnecessary risk and meets his doom
· but thought of death fails to deter him
· completely exhausted
· decides to confront death with dignity
· so man is either foolhardy or foolish
Q.13. (a) Hints :
· title appropriate
· the focus remains on the sound machine
· the machine invented by Klausner
· in the form of a black box having many wires and tubes
· can catch very low-pitched sounds
· Klausner, using the machine, hears the shrieks of a plant and a tree in pain
· machine gets smashed in the end
(b) Hints :
· Klausner, an amateur scientist
· looks weak, pale, a crazy fellow
· dreamy distracted
· considered eccentric
· even his friend Dr Scott does not believe what he says about his machine
(c) Hints :
· Roald Dahl shows his concern for nature
· Klausner his spokesman
· Klausner invents a machine to catch those sounds which human ear can’t catch
· hears the shrieks of a plant and a tree in pain
· Says sorry to the tree after using an axe
· other people’s apathetic attitude towards nature clear when they do not hear
the wails of plants
· Klausner wants to prove that plants are like humans
· seems to advocate that trees and plants should not be hurt in any way
Q.14. Hints :
· events take place quickly, in an hour
· Mallard, a heart patient cries in sister’s arm at the news of the death of her
husband
· in loneliness muses over the incident
· excited at the thought of her freedom–free body and free soul
· suddenly finds her sister with her husband back to life
· her dream of freedom shattered
· her weak heart sinks out of the sudden realization of the death of her dream
Q.15. Hints :
· an old Chinese tradition – a part of its culture
· the giver of a gift to a stranger gains respect in the eyes of his fellow men
· Alexander Heathcote, his appreciation for Ming dynasty art
· meets an old craftsman Yung Lee, having ivory statue of Emperor Kung
· Alexander Heathcote desires to have it

· the craftsman hands over, keeping the Chinese tradition of parting with
something special
· Heathcote too remembers another Chinese custom : return the kindness within
the calendar year
· gifts a small house to the old craftsman
Q.13. (a) Hints :
· colours used in the story symbolic
· yellow hair of the science teacher and the yellow flower offered by a student to
Miss Meadows, meaningful
· yellow associated with warmth or happiness
· Miss Meadows, in Sad mood, resents yellow colour
· Miss Meadows recalls Basil in bright blue suit with a rose in the button hole
· blue colour associated with purity and coolness, rose with health, beauty and
youth.

(b) Hints :
· title very appropriate
· has double meaning
· means a class where students learn how to sing
· means a lesson that is singing itself as if it were alive
· singing reflects the mood of Miss Meadows
· The song ‘A Lament’ reflects her sad mood
· the happy song ‘We come here Today’ reflects the inner happiness of Miss
Meadows

(c) Hints :
· Basil, Miss Meadows’ fiance, an important character
· does not appear in the story, but his presence felt throughout
· a young man of twenty, selfish and wavering
· his latest letter breaks his fiancee’s heart
· but his apologetic telegram lifts her spirits
· dominates the action throughout
Q.14. Hints :
· most appealing thing in the story – friendship of the poet with the boy
· poet’s love and fondness for the boy for latter’s poetic temperament

· boy makes his mother let the poet come in
· friendship strengthened by the boy’s visit to the poet’s house
· poet’s consoling words–a healing touch to the boy’s bruised ego
· enjoy the beauty of nature
· sincerity and selflessness in the two appeals most
· poet’s death a personal loss to the boy
Q.15. Hints :
· mysterious setting – in a remote and lonely place in a sleepy town of Bundi in
Rajasthan
· the ancient fort of Bundi adding to the mystery
· the whole setting having an old world charm
· burying the Swiss doll under the deodar tree after it is torn and disfigured
· visit to the place reminds old memories
· Jayanto’s feeling creeping sensations
· little marks on the quilt
· the ghost in the form of non-living inactive doll
· digging up of the doll
· twelve-inch-long, pure white, perfect little skeleton discovered
· all lend mystery and supernaturalism to the story
Q.13. (a) Hints :
· authors’ concern to conserve endangered species
· common animals to be replaced by rare animals
· established his own zoo for the purpose
· got a baby gorilla against heavy odds
· kept it in the drawing room
· procured a female mate for the gorilla
· monitored the health of animals through communication system
· author’s genuine concern for the needs and urges of animals
· establishing his own zoo.

(b) Hints :
· a special bond of friendship between men and animals desirable
· humans and animals to live in harmony

· N’Pongo, a gorilla stayed in the guest room of the narrator
· provided with a female partner
· taken care of well in sickness
· love and affection to animals as to family members

(c) Hints :
· Gerald Durrel, a great lover of animals
· set up a zoological park
· caring and affectionate towards animals
· treats N’Pongo as his own family member
· keeps him in his guest room
· provides a female partner to him
· takes care of needs and urges
· consults vets for treating N’Pongo’s sickness
· gentle, calm, cool, positive
Q.14. Hints :
· mutual understanding vital for healthy marital relations
· trust and affection between the two partners conducive to happiness in family
· acting just on hearsay spoils relations
· inner goodness of a person more important than outer physical appearance
· Salvatore’s fiancee acts on hearsay which gives blow to their relations
· Salvatore’s wife though ugly is constantly devoted to her husband
· she has a beautiful heart and manages the family nicely
· true bonding essential for happy married life
Q.15. Hints :
· B.Wordsworth (‘B’ for Black), a failed poet
· identity ambiguous
· good-intentioned, sensitive, emotional person
· harmless fellow
· friendship with the boy selfless
· unlike a tramp, has a house with a lot of greenery
· his writing a great poem mysterious
· not a tramp in the negative sense
· he is poor and needy but never cheats or begs
· a sensitive soul

Q.13. (a) Hints :
· Jayanto taking a stroll in the garden
· recalled there was a deodar tree
· located it in a corner
· suddenly recalled something out of childhood memories
· a doll named Fritz, a gift from uncle
· a twelve-inch doll dressed in traditional Swiss style
· badly disfigured by dogs
· buried under the deodar tree.

(b) Hints :
· a doll, gift from Jayanto’s uncle
· a 12-inch long figure of an old man dressed beautifully
· Jayanto always played with it
· gradually, doll an obsession with Jayanto
· would spend hours playing with this doll
· Fritz having a funny smile on lips
· Fritz seemed to understand every word spoken by Jayanto
· Jayanto gave all his time to Fritz

(c) Hints :
· Unexpected ending, a sting in the tail
· Jayanto’s fascination for it
· disfigured by dogs and buried
· Jayanto recognised in his second visit
· a strange experience of Jayanto
· something walking over his chest
· ground dug under the deodar tree
· a twelve-inch skeleton of a human being found
· raises many questions, remain unanswered
Q.14. Hints :
· accompanied by a dog, the man ventures out on an extremely cold day
· temperature seventy-five degrees below zero
· hands and feet go numb

· fails to rebuild fire
· recalls the words of the old timer from Sulphur Creek
· fear of death makes him panicky
· starts running along the Creek
· fears losing fingers and toes
· stumbles and falls
· thought of death makes him run
· meets death heroically
Q.15. Hints :
· need for companionship, basic requirement of men and animals
· animals too have their urges and needs
· in absence of a mate, an animal may become morose or antisocial
· author’s sincere efforts to provide a female mate to N’Pongo (the gorilla) in the
zoo
· a female gorilla Nandy brought for companionship
· author’s concern for the needs of both N’Pongo and Nandy
· provides them necessary care and affection

Q.13. (a) Hints :
· set against the backdrop of the industrial revolution
· two shoemakers struggling hard for survival in London
· Gessler Brothers known for making high quality shoes
· interior of the shop skilfully depicted
· a small attic reached by wooden stairs
· the place smelling of leather

(b) Hints :
· sincere hard work for some high ideal – a reward in itself
· few persons work for excellence in competitive world
· Gessler Brothers make high quality shoes
· give full value of money to customers
· shoe-making a sublime art for Gesslers
· suffer poverty, starvation and death
· but stick to principle of ‘excellence’ in what they make

(c) Hints :
· artists in the true sense of the word
· Gessler Brothers take genuine pride in making best quality shoes
· earn their livelihood with hard work
· two shops joined in one
· do not keep a shoe not made by them
· customers fully satisfied
· do not take to unfair means
· no advertisements made
· fail to face the stiff competition
· business blown away by strong winds of advertisement
Q.14. Hints :
· Jayanto, central character, sensitive, thoughtful
· an editor of a newspaper
· genial and adventurous
· relishes old memories
· visits Bundi in the company of Shankar
· behaves erratically, cheerful and at times morose
· emotionally attached to his doll
· hallucination that something walks over his chest
· whimsical, hypersensitive, emotional person
· his friend Shankar mature and realistic
· both friends gentle and genial
Q.15. Hints :
· the story about the plight of women in the patriarchal system
· Mrs Mallard a victim of the prevalent social norms and values
· feels oppressed, stifled and miserable in her married life
· sheds tears in wild abandonment
· in her own room experiences something never imagined before
· sensation of being liberated
· feeling of exultation : free body and free soul
· had been unhappy about her married life
· now would live for herself
· dream gets smashed with sudden appearance of her husband

· story reveals the true feelings of an oppressed married woman
· not actually a feminist story but has some feminist touch in the whole situation

Q.13. (a) Hints :
· a hardworking disciplined man
· progress made by dint of sincerity
· gradually became an ambassador to China
· appreciation of Ming dynasty art
· had the opportunity to observe great statues and paintings in natural habitat
· often travelled on horseback into outlying districts
· always accompanied by a Mandrin as guide

(b) Hints :
· travelled in outlying districts on horseback
· visited village Ha Li Chuan, fifty miles from Peking
· entered a wooden workshop
· welcomed by an old craftsman
· Alexander Heathcote accompanied by a Mandarin
· Alexander studied and praised workmanship
· Craftsman claimed he had a piece of ‘Ming’, the little statue, hardly six inches
in height

(c) Hints :
· an important Chinese tradition
· if an honoured guest requests something, the giver gains estimation of fellow
men
· Alexander Heathcote meets Yung Lee, a craftsman
· his desire to possess an ivory piece of art of Emperor Kung
· old craftsman fixes a base and gifts it to Alexander
· Mandarin reminds Alexander of old Chinese tradition
· return kindness within the calender year
Q.14. Hints :
· Klausner, an amateur scientist, obsessed with sounds
· low pitched or high pitched sounds inaudible to human ear

· can be heard with a device if ears are attuned
· a device can convert notes to a scale of audible tones
· Klausner demonstrates it in the garden
· Mrs Saunders clipping a rose stem
· Klausner hears loud screaming
· experiments before his friend Dr Scott
· an axe struck on the tree trunk
· harsh sound heard
· a gash appeared
· machine a figment of imagination
Q.15. Hints :
· sincere and selfless friendship between the poet and the boy
· poet loves the boy for the latter’s poetic talent
· friendship strengthens with the boy’s visit to the poet’s house
· fruit trees in the poet’s garden
· spend a lot of time together
· the poet tells the story of a boy and a girl in love
· about himself writing a great poem
· asks the boy never to return to his house
· tells that the story about the boy and the girl and about himself writing a great
poem untrue
· his purpose to wean away the boy from treading his path and suffer
· the boy ‘crying’ out at his death reveals the extent of personal loss to him

Q.13. (a) Hints :
· departure from Yukon trail for the Henderson Camp
· temperature 75 degree below zero
· man stops for lunch, builds fire and warms himself
· the dog also warms itself
· journey resumed
· falls into a concealed spring
· man’s fingers became numb
· builds fire but snow falling blots the fire
· cannot hold matches
· burns his hands

(b) Hints :
· apt and suitable
· fire is for convenience and also for survival
· story revolves around building of fire
· short journey by man, below 75 degree temperature
· face numb, cheeks frostbitten
· builds fire to warm himself
· snow falling from the trees puts out fire
· several attempts to build fire
· fire remains at the centre of the story

(c) Hints :
· adventure story
· protagonist under threat of being overtaken by wilderness
· unnamed hero, daring and adventurous
· warning by the old timers unheeded
· man not given to thinking
· undertakes journey, 75 degree temperature below zero.
· too cold, fingers, face get numb, burns fingers, dies heroically
Q.14. Hints :
· Gessler Brothers – skilled and devoted shoemakers
· traditional and orthodox
· no compromise with quality of leather
· customer, friendly
· face stiff opposition from modern mass production techniques and
advertisements
· remain stubborn and practise their craft
· the elder dies after ‘sanctum sanctorum’ snatched
· the younger fades away from commercial materialism
· victims to the harshness of modern mass production
· end of individual craftsmanship with their death
Q.15. Hints :
· the man, a solitary hiker on an arduous journey
· overconfident of overcoming all obstacles
· the old timer’s warning against such a journey

· the man falls through the ice into water and gets hit
· feeling of numbness in the freezing temperature
· trying to make fire in the open a mistake
· fire extinguished due to snow dropping from the shaking boughs
· suddenly struck with the idea of death
· started running along the Creek
· falling and running, again breathless
· met death as a hero, not as a coward
Q.13.(a) Hints :
· Josephine, breaks news of Mr Mallard’s death to her sister Mrs Mallard
· Mrs Mallard weeps passionately, then goes to her room
· once alone, sinks into a comfy chair, exhausted, sad news haunts her
· a strange feeling begins to overpower her, she dreads it

(b) Hints :
· alone in her room, looks out of the window
· an open square, tops of trees bear signs of new spring
· breath of rain in the air, peddlers selling wares in streets
· highly symbolic, objects of nature symbolise, feelings of new life
· twittering of sparrows, symbolise imaginings of Mrs Mallard

(c) Hints :
· feminist writings, protest against, male dominated society
· women, subordinated to men, often rebels, asserts her freedom
· individuality upheld, Kate Chopin, not feminist
· concerned about women’s plight, Mrs Mallard oppressed
· news of husband’s death, sensation of being free, exults
· vision gets smashed, causes instant death
Q.14. Hints :
· The story ‘Quality’ most appealing
· The author’s focus on the problems afflicting the society
· high ideals of quality and excellence cherished by only a few truly real artists
· story about the dedicated, honest and hardworking shoemakers
· non-compromising with quality

· orthodox, so fail to face mass production technique
· die in starvation, but keep art alive
· story of traditional workers working against heavy odds in the background of
industrial revolution
Q.15. Hints :
· Fritz, an ordinary doll gifted to Jayanto by his uncle
· a twelve-inch-long figure of an old man
· lifelike, possible to bend and twist its limbs
· bought from Switzerland
· Jayanto highly obsessed with the doll
· got disfigured and buried under a deodar tree
· something creeping felt on his chest by Jayanto
· the ground underneath the deodar tree dug
· a human skeleton twelve-inch-long-pure white
· a doll, or an inactive ghost – nothing can be said surely
· a great mystery unresolved

Q.13. (a) Hints :
· B. Wordsworth’s shocking confession, story of boy poet untrue
· death, symbolically significant, good old values, of love devotion disappeared
· a year after, no signs of poet’s house, trees cut down, brick and concrete
· symbolize, demise of era of love of nature, old values, no longer upheld

(b) Hints :
· difficult to say, a tramp or a poet, visits, house of ‘Sonny’, the boy
· tries to sell a poem, remains out of work most of the time, seems a tramp
· friendship grows, tragic story of a boy poet and a girl poet
· seems his own story, at ending denies everything
· the purpose behind it, a failed poet, doesn’t want the boy to suffer

(c) Hints :
· story set in Trinidad, natives live with the whites
· ways of life different, the blacks, suspicious of their neighbours
· both have to depend on each other, natives not refined as the whites
· contrast between, the modern world and the traditional, fast developing

· real contrast, clear towards the end,
· urban development, a threat to world of peace, contentment
· old values vanished in new world, symbolically represented
Q.14. Hints :
· the narrator, a great lover of animals
· his efforts in the direction of conserving threatened species
· maintains his own Zoological Park
· affectionate and caring towards animals
· knows that animals have their urges
· provides a female mate to the gorilla N’Pongo
· attends to their needs in their indisposition
· consults vets and provides them the necessary treatment
· ready to sacrifice his engagements for the sake of animals
· spends liberally on getting animals and their maintenance
Q.15. Hints :
· knowledge conveyed in a brief span of time can change life drastically
· supposed death of Mr Mallard affects Mrs Mallard deeply
· she weeps with wild abandonment
· the storm of grief being over, she views the tragedy in a different perspective
· reflects over her past miserable married life
· new knowledge of freedom from oppression
· hope of a liberated life
· to live life for herself
· new and sudden information of her husband coming back in her life
· dies, perhaps of too much joy – joy that kills
· dramatic change, blows her dream of possible future freedom
*****

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Teacher’s Handbook

Teaching Methodology for a Short Story

4 [Teacher’s Handbook - Echoes : A Collection of ISC Short Stories : WB]

Some Important Tips for Teachers

[Teacher’s Handbook - Echoes : A Collection of ISC Short Stories : WB] 5

6 [Teacher’s Handbook - Echoes : A Collection of ISC Short Stories : WB]

[Teacher’s Handbook - Echoes : A Collection of ISC Short Stories : WB] 7

6. The Chinese Statue

12 [Teacher’s Handbook - Echoes : A Collection of ISC Short Stories : WB]

7. A Gorilla in the Guest Room

8. The Singing Lesson

14 [Teacher’s Handbook - Echoes : A Collection of ISC Short Stories : WB]

9. The Sound Machine

[Teacher’s Handbook - Echoes : A Collection of ISC Short Stories : WB] 15

[Teacher’s Handbook - Echoes : A Collection of ISC Short Stories : WB] 17

20 [Teacher’s Handbook - Echoes : A Collection of ISC Short Stories : WB]

[Teacher’s Handbook - Echoes : A Collection of ISC Short Stories : WB] 21

5. The Story of An Hour

6. The Chinese Statue

[Teacher’s Handbook - Echoes : A Collection of ISC Short Stories : WB] 25

7. A Gorilla in the Guest Room

[Teacher’s Handbook - Echoes : A Collection of ISC Short Stories : WB] 27

8. The Singing Lesson

30 [Teacher’s Handbook - Echoes : A Collection of ISC Short Stories : WB]

9. The Sound Machine

[Teacher’s Handbook - Echoes : A Collection of ISC Short Stories : WB] 33

EVERGREEN SPECIMEN PAPERS

Make use of the given hints and write your answers.

34 [Teacher’s Handbook - Echoes : A Collection of ISC Short Stories : WB]

36 [Teacher’s Handbook - Echoes : A Collection of ISC Short Stories : WB]

[Teacher’s Handbook - Echoes : A Collection of ISC Short Stories : WB] 37

38 [Teacher’s Handbook - Echoes : A Collection of ISC Short Stories : WB]

[Teacher’s Handbook - Echoes : A Collection of ISC Short Stories : WB] 39

40 [Teacher’s Handbook - Echoes : A Collection of ISC Short Stories : WB]

Make use of the given hints and write your answers.

[Teacher’s Handbook - Echoes : A Collection of ISC Short Stories : WB] 41

42 [Teacher’s Handbook - Echoes : A Collection of ISC Short Stories : WB]

Make use of the given hints and write your answers.

[Teacher’s Handbook - Echoes : A Collection of ISC Short Stories : WB] 43

Make use of the given hints and write your answers.

[Teacher’s Handbook - Echoes : A Collection of ISC Short Stories : WB] 45

46 [Teacher’s Handbook - Echoes : A Collection of ISC Short Stories : WB]

Make use of the given hints and write your answers.

[Teacher’s Handbook - Echoes : A Collection of ISC Short Stories : WB] 47

48 [Teacher’s Handbook - Echoes : A Collection of ISC Short Stories : WB]

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