THE GENTLEMEN OF THE JUNGLE

JOMO KENYATTA

I....
1 Ans :- The Elephant asked the man on a rainy day to allow him to put his trunk inside the hut.
2 Ans :- False
3 Ans :- As soon as the elephant put his trunk inside the hut, slowly he pushed his head inside and
finally flung the man out in the rain.
4 Ans :- The skin of the man is harder than his.
5 Ans :- The lion decided to solve the problem by appointing a Commision of Enquiry.
6 Ans :- The man expected that he would get impartial justice and his hut would be naturally
returned to him.
7 Ans :- Because no one was appionted from his side as a member to the Commision of Enquiry.
8 Ans :- To save the hut from the hurricane.
9 Ans :- The judgement was given in favour of the elephant.
10 Ans :- He accepted the suggestion of building a new hut because he did not have any other
alternative and he was afraid of animals.
11 Ans :- Finally the man 'bought' the peace by setting the hut on fire.

II.....
1. On a rainy day man’s hut was occupied by the elephant. Hence, man started grumbling against
the elephant and complained to the king of the jungle. The Commission of Enquiry was appointed
by the king of the jungle in order to solve the problem between the man and the elephant as the
king of the jungle believed in peace and tranquility. So he wanted to have peace and tranquility in
his kingdom. The lion commanded the high ministers to appoint a commission of enquiry to go
thoroughly into the matter. The commission was established to give a fair trial to suit both the
elephant and the man. Thus he decided to solve the problem in a right way. The commission
consisted of jungle elders and they were all reputed for their impartial justice. So the decisions
and final judgment would be considered fair and truly impartial.

2. The members of the commission thought that nobody from the man's side was well enough
educated to understand the intricacy of the jungle law. They considered it was fair personnel and
the members of the commission were all reputed for their impartial justice. They assured him that
there would be no place for injustice as they were all chosen by God to look after the interest of
the people. However the animals had planned to occupy the huts one by one as the way the
elephant did. Moreover, all the animals were very imperialists and they all wanted to expand their
power over others. Having a member from man's side would have proved a hindrance to the idea
and spoiled their plans. So they cleverly avoided the trouble and chose members from their side.

3. When the enquiry of commission sat to take evidence they called the accused elephant to state
his case. The elephant addressed the committee members and referred to the real incident as just a
story. The elephant said that man himself had invited him to save his hut from being blown away
by hurricane. The elephant stated it was his duty to look after his friends own interest. So the
elephant entered the hut to turn the undeveloped space to a more economic use by sitting in the
empty space of the hut. The elephant added that if the members who were in commission would
have also done the same with equal readiness in similar circumstances. The members of the
commission agreed to elephant justification. Likewise the elephant subverted the real fact.

4. No, the verdict by the commission of enquiry was not on the expected lines. Before the they sat
to take evidence man was told that the verdict would be in favour of the man who was the real
owner of the hut. But judgement was passed in favour of the elephant. The final judgement would
have been in favour of the man, but through cunningness and their well preplan man could not
get. The members of the Enquiry Commission concluded that they heard sufficient evidence from
unbiased sources which supported the elephant. As a result, the commission believed in elephant
version of the story. Added to it the man was not given much chance to state his case. Hence the
argument became one sided and judgement was partial.

5. The process of building new hut is repeated until Mr. Boffalo, Mr. Leopard, Mr. Hyena and
rest of the animals accommodate in newly constructed huts. Many commissions were appointed
to look into the matter but same findings were given. Each time the man would build a new hut.
When some animals would occupy them and he could not stop it. Even members of the
Commission themselves do not spare the man. Instead they occupied the hut wherever the man
has built new huts. He was also afraid that he would be killed brutally if he had gone against their
decision.

III....
1 Ans :- In the beginning the man was very kind and innocent. He thought that the decisions
given by commission of enquiry were partial. Moreover the man was not given a single chance to
state his case. The members of the commission supported Mr. Elephant who bribed and misused
man's kindness. After they heard evidence from both parties, the judgement was given in favour
of the elephant. The commission suggested the man to build another hut more suited to his need.
The man having no alternatives, did as the members suggested he kept silent. No sooner had he
built new huts than all animals occupied. Again a royal commission was appointed but it did not
seem to be of any use to him. When he got fed up with all these troubles, he decided to end up the
illegal actions, so he set fire for a big hut in which all animals were inhabited. Thus all animals
burnt into ashes and he justified by saying ' peace is costly but it's worth the expense '.

2 Ans :- The man was the real gentleman of the jungle as he always stretched his hand to help his
fellow friend Mr. Elephant, who was in deep trouble. The elephant requested the man that it
would put its trunk inside man's hut to keep it out of the torrential rain. But as soon as the
elephant put its trunk inside the hut it flung the man out in the rain, who was the real owner of the
hut. The man could not do anything rather than grumble. This was the first instance of how the
man was deceived by the elephant. To find the solution for both parties, the commission of
enquiry was appointed by the king of the jungle, the lion. The members from the man’s side were
not included in the commission. On seeing the personnel, the man protested but he was told that it
was impossible since no one from his side was enough educated to understand the intricacy of the
jungle law. This was the second instance of how the man was cheated. Finally the commission
arrived at judgement which favoured the elephant. They suggested him to build new hut more
suited to his needs. When he built news huts, the animals occupied the huts through threatening.
This is how the man fooled eventually by his kindness.

3 Ans :- It is ironical that wars are continuously waged by countries in order to establish peace. It
takes a lot of effort from everyone concerned to be achieved peace in a country, and it can happen
only when everyone is aware of the necessity for peace and it's motivated to achieve it through
peaceful way. In the story, "The Gentlemen of the Jungle" the man is the real gentleman and he
portrayed as kind and always willing to lend a helping hand. But the elephant misused the man's
kindness, made him homeless through fear and power. The lion came to know that they disturbed
the peace of kingdom. In order to bring the peace, he ordered his members to appoint a
commission. But the commission of enquiry did not seem to be of any use. All the animals in the
jungle were started accommodate his newly build hut. Likewise the man was troubled and
suffered by all the animals. Finally he thought that he wanted to put an end to all and burnt the
animals including jungle lords.
In this story the author tries to convey a strong message to all when the man is free of all
exploitation by the animals after he kills them. He feels relieved and says “Peace is costly, but it's
worth the expense". Here it's evidently tells that it takes a lot of time and efforts to achieve peace,
consequently the man availed the peace.

4 Ans :- The author, Jomo Kenyatta concludes the story " The Gentlemen of the Jungle " by
quoting ' peace is costly but it's worth the expense '. Jomo kenyatta was not a professional fable
writer but his intention was to convey the strong message that how Kenya was exploited in the
time of colonial period. The author tried to convey a moral message to us through this short story.
In society ones weakness can be misused by the dominated people. Ultimately this would lead the
weaker section to leave the society. He is trying to instill the idea in the reader's suppressed
people in a society will eventually rise to seek power. We can understand in the story that how
the man suffered, protested and reached the achievement. The author stands by his ground by
saying that the dominated people can tool the minority for over a period of time but not forever.
No one likes to be treated as a slave or homeless in a society and equality is what everyone
desires. The moral of the story emphasizes to its readers that one should stop colonialism and
discrimination. It comes from the old saying “treat other the way you want to be treated".

5 Ans :- 'The Gentlemen of the Jungle' is a short story which is written by Jomo kenyatta. The
story provides some hidden facts about colonization and it's an answer how Kenya liberated from
the clutches of European chief powers. Europeans did not colonise the Africa in a single attempt.
The Europeans settled down and occupied the countries gradually. Every single attempt by
European chief powers was to occupy the every patch of land in Africa and turn it into their
economic use. The native Africans were so innocent and ignorant that they did not know they
were being colonized. Their attitude toward European "expansion" is made clear in the fable "
The Gentlemen of the Jungle".
The story is actually implicated with lot political issues. One can also look at the story from a
political satire angle. There is a political reference for each and every character the story. For
instance, if a man symbolically represents native Africans, some significant animals represent
chief European powers. A small hut is likely to be represented as a country in Africa. One could
draw a parallel line between incidents and their political implications. In the first incident itself
the story unearths how one among the chief European powers occupy the space inhabited by
native residents.The elephant flings the man out of a hut who is the real resident of it. A
commission of enquiry is appointed in order to give impartial justice. The king of the forest I.e
lion assures man to give equal opportunity. But the man is cheated as they didn't provide an
opportunity to state his case and rejects his demand of including a member from his side on the
account of poor education. This is how the Europeans brought under their submission and
suppressed the natives. Ultimately it was partial justice.
As they suggested he builds another hut, but it is occupied by Mr. Rhinoceros and many other
animals do so later. Here it is important to note that occupation of single hut symbolically
outlines how Europeans colonised every country in Africa. The man builds another bigger and
better hut for which animals competes for each other. It is an internal struggle among chief
European powers to take control over Africa. How Africa got independents from chief European
powers is defined by the action of putting fire on bigger hut in which all animals are burned into
ashes. The man also quotes an African proverb “Peace is costly, but is worth the expense".
Literally and ironically means if one wants to have peace, one should meet the expense of
violence.
 The School Boy
William Blake

Comprehension: I
1. Who, do you think, ‘I’ refers to in the poem?
I refer to the poet, William Blake in the poem.
2. ‘Sweet company’ refers to
Skylark, Huntsman’s horn and bird’s song.
3. What drives the boy’s joy away?
The very thought of going to school drives the boy’s joy away.
4. How do the little ones spend the day in the school?
The little ones spend the day in the school by sighing (grief) and dismay (fear).
5. What does ‘cage’ stand for in the poem?
Cage stands for School, where the children are entrapped.
6. Pick the phrase from the following which does not refer to formal schooling.
Fruits are gathered.
7. Relate the seasons mentioned under column A with the stages of life.
1. Spring -Childhood
2. Summer -Youth
3. Winter -Old age

Comprehension: II
1. What does the school boy love to do on a summer morn? What drives his joy away?
William Blake’s The School Boy’ is a typical extract of Blake’s songs of Experience. Blake
suggests that the educational system of his day destroys the joyful innocence of youth. Blake
himself is largely self educated and does not endure the drudgery of the classroom as a child.
This poem is less harsh and more playful than most of Blake’s other works.
In the poem the poet speaks in the persona of a school child that wakes up in the morning. He
loves to rise early in summer morning to enjoy the chirping sound of the birds, Huntsman’s
horn and the melody of skylark singing. But all the happiness gets driven away when he realizes
that he has to go to school. The main theme is the sorrow that the boy feels at the very thought
of going to school but he wishes to enjoy the summer. In the nature the child feels the freedom
that he is not under any surveillance. He has the obligation to go to a closed space, when he
wishes to be very much outside in the nature.

2. Describe the boy’s experience in the school.

‘The school Boy’ is a lyric from the ‘Songs of Experience’. Child loves to rise early in summer
morning to enjoy but all the happiness disappears when he realizes that he has to go to school.
The main theme is the sorrow that the boy feels at the very thought of going to school. The boy
longs for the freedom of the outdoors and cannot take delight in his book. He is compelled to
experience many anxious hour. The image of the bird is used in the poem. The birds sing
happily when they are free but if they are in a cage they cannot do it the same way. In the same
way the boy feels he is imprisoned at school. School boy in school and the bird in the cage are
seen as equivalents not only at the natural level under physical subjection but at the spiritual
level too. Both represent the caging and entrapping of imaginative vision. The image of the
plant applies to the school boys present and future. The young plant like the young child is
tender and vulnerable the way it is treated at this stage, dictates its later capacity to bear fruit.
Just as food gathered in autumn is necessary to ensure survival through the winter, so also the
 experiences of joy and the freedom of the imagination are necessary for a person’s capacity to
live well and survive the inevitable grief’s of life.

3. According to the poet how does formal education curb a learner’s potential?

The poem starts in a very positive way but it changes radically and the tone is very pessimistic.
The poet wishes his readers to see the difference between the freedom of imagination offered
by the close contact with nature and the repression or subjugation of the soul caused by so
called education. This poem depends upon 3 inter related images, the school boy, the bird and
the plant; All three are dependent upon the way in which they are treated by human beings.
Poet appeals that adults must realize that children are like plants, which needs to be nurtured
and given proper care. They have to bear fruit later on. School should be the place where
children are allowed to think freely. On the other hand memorizing things to learn history ,
civics literature as these subjects not only serve as the tools, people need to face life in a more
global or better way, but they also sharpen the mind and expand points of view.
So I think the poet is not arguing against education. But he wishes that school should provide
students with challenges, competition and opportunities to enhance their creativity. It should
be a place where children are provided with for practical play and develop at their own place.

Comprehension: III
1. Formal schooling not only takes away the joy of childhood but also hinders the child’s growth
forever. Explain.
Or
a. Do you think the poet is arguing against education? Discuss.

The poem starts in a very positive way but it changes radically and the tone is very pessimistic.
The poet wishes his readers to see the difference between the freedom of imagination offered
by the close contact with nature and the repression or subjugation of the soul caused by so
called education. This poem depends upon 3 inter related images, the school boy, the bird and
the plant; All three are dependent upon the way in which they are treated by human beings. In
the poem the poet speaks in the persona of a school child that wakes up in the morning. The
poet says the boy gets happiness in singing of bird and watching the huntsman. The nature is a
sweet company to him. But when the boy realizes that he has to go to school makes him
anxious, as he enters the school he spends the time in irritation and anxiety. The main theme is
the sorrow that the boy feels at the very thought of going to school while he wishes to enjoy
the summer. He has the obligation to go to a closed space, when he wishes to be very much
outside in the nature.
The boy longs for the freedom of the outdoors and cannot take delight in his book. He is
compelled to experience many anxious hour. The image of the bird is used in the poem. The
birds sing happily when they are free but if they are in a cage they cannot do it the same way.
In the same way the boy feels he is imprisoned at school. School boy in school and the bird in
the cage are seen as equivalents not only at the natural level under physical subjection but at
the spiritual level too. Both represent the caging and entrapping of imaginative vision. The
image of the plant applies to the school boys present and future.
The young plant like the young child is tender and vulnerable the way it is treated at this stage,
dictates its later capacity to bear fruit. Just as food gathered in autumn is necessary to ensure
survival through the winter, so also the experiences of joy and the freedom of the imagination
are necessary for a person’s capacity to live well and survive the inevitable grief’s of life.
Poet appeals that adults must realize that children are like plants, which needs to be nurtured
and given proper care. They have to bear fruit later on. School should be the place where
children are allowed to think freely and all round development is guaranteed. On the other hand
memorizing things to learn history , civics literature as these subjects not only serve as the
tools, people need to face life in a more global or better way, but they also sharpen the mind
and expand points of view. So I think the poet is not arguing against education. But he wishes
that school should provide students with challenges, competition and opportunities to enhance
their creativity. It should be a place where children are provided with for practical play and
develop at their own place.

Around A Medicinal Creeper

Poornachandra Tejaswi.

1 Ans :- When they found the creeper Mara tied it to the nearby tree.

2 Ans :- The medicinal plan is cursed by a sage that when someone needed that plant they
would not find it.

3 Ans :- The white man was surprised at the leaf which cured the wounded hand. In fact there
was no sign of any wound having been there.

4 Ans :- If the mangoose and the cowcal are bitten by poisonous snakes they immediately
chew the medicinal leaf and thus cure themselves.

5 Ans :- Mara lost his teeth on the right side because he had brushed a plant's stick by which
teeth were tumbled out of his mouth.

6 Ans :- When Mara's wife opened the packet of meat she saw a live wild buck.

7 Ans :- The milk became firm and rubbery.

8. Ans:- Native doctors believe that if they tell others about their medicines, the medicines
would lose their potency.

II.

1 Ans :- Poornachandra Tejashwi took almost twenty years to learn the facts about medicinal
creeper. He was told several unbelievable stories by Mara. But Tejaswi did not believe him
and assumed that all of his stories were cock and bull stories. He came to know the truth
about this medicinal creeper after a long time. But he understood about the partial truth from
Appanna. Appanna knew only one thing about the medicinal creeper that if someone
squeezed the juice of leaves, milk turned into hard. He came to know the real truth after
Krishna is cured from piles. As it was suggested by Malayali Sadhu, he ground this root and
drank it with milk. He was completely cured in five days. He discussed many times with
doctor friends and debated with them about the unique properties of the plants and herbals
though they were reluctant to talk.
It suggests that the narrator did not believe until comes to his experience.

2 Ans :- Once Mara and his friend laid a trap and caught a barking deer. They divided the
meat equally after they skinned and cleaned it in a stream. They wrapped their portions in
some leaves and brought them home. In Mara's house they already got ready to cook. No
sooner had they opened the bundle than they surprised, because there was a wild buck instead
of raw meat. It jumped up and ran out of the Mara's house as soon as it saw him. When Mara
was busy in chasing the wild buck, ignorantly his wife took the leaves and threw them into
the fire.
This incident shows that Indians do not think seriously about the plants and herbs and what
they cure. And people believe blindly without bringing them under experiments. Thus, out of
the ignorance they go accordingly to the situations and never turn the circumstances towards
them. This is the big weakness of Indians.

3 Ans :- Krishna was suffering from piles and met the narrator one day. He couldn't afford
the allopathic treatment through which one had to undergo surgical treatment at hospital. He
was unable to manage because of lack of income. Later, he inclined to ayurvedic medicines.
He knew a Malayali Sadhu who had treated him in an earlier occasion. Krishna went to see
that godman again. But godman was too old now and he couldn't search the medicinal
creeper. So, he would describe the features of the plant to him. Later, Krishna went in search
of the leaves. Now he met and described about leaves to Tejaswi. Those were the leaves
which Mara and Appanna had tied to the tree. Hearing this, narrator took him to the plant and
dug a bit. Krishna ground this root and drank with milk. Finally he was completely cured in
few days.

III

1 Ans :- In this short story, the author is suggesting us to know the use of medicinal plants.
Most of the Indians do not know how to use the medicinal plants for diseases. India is rich in
herbal medicine but the tragedy is modern man does not know the use of herbals. Ayurvedic
medicines are far safer than allopathic medicine in concern of side effects and cost. So
Tejaswi is awakening the mystification system through real instances. Indians are surrounded
with rich herbal plans but fail to show interest. In the story the author is suggesting the herbal
medicine with a few unbelievable stories which he told by Mara and others. Now a days the
modern man thoroughly neglects the use of tree and plants and forgets the ayurvedic
treatment like Tejaswi's doctor friends.

In the story we know the incidents that how Mara cured his wound by using medicinal leaf
and how Krishna cured his diseases. For instance, if Krishna had gone under the allopathic
treatment i.e. surgery, he would have hospitalized for several days and spent more money for
the treatment. Allopathic treatment also takes a long time to cure diseases. But Krishna
disease was cured within five days as he underwent Indian herbal medicine which requires
less money in compare with allopathic treatment. In fact ayurvedic is more powerful
treatment and no side effects and it is cheaper than allopathic. Today, it is the responsibility
of every Indian to preserve every ayurvedic herbal and to use in homes. If it is practiced in
homes no Indian could get disease and future of India could be free of disease forever.

3. ‘Our natural resources are our vital resources’ . Explian the statement in the light of
several ‘developmental’ projects that are being promoted today.
Ans. India is a diversified country having all sorts of nature viz, mountain, sea, rivers,
forests and desert. In addition, the human resource is also natural resource which is strong in
India. The geography of India makes it very clear that our natural resources are vital. The
people of early India never went to hospitals much as they utilized the natural resources in
their food. There was no nutrition crisis. Hence people should try to research the natural
resources instead of conducting industry oriented research. If we go in this direction we can
improvise the potential of natural resources. Surprisingly, people who have been educated
have started using herbals now a day. The indigenous people who know the unique properties
of the herbals have been educating the others. Many of the projects have been taken place
today in order to make use of the plants and herbs. There have been many naturopathy and
ayurvedic centers across the country. This shows the demand of the natural items

ORU MANUSHYAN
- VAIKOM MUHAMMAD BASHEER.

I. COMPREHENSION.

1 Ans :- The big city was some thousand five hundred miles from the narrator's hometown.
2 Ans :- The narrator stayed in the city in a very small dingy room on a dirty street.
3 Ans :- commit murder
4 Ans :- The narrator was teaching English to some migrant labourers from nine-thirty till
eleven in the night.
5 Ans :- b. Learning to write an address in English.
6 Ans :- The reason was to save the expense of drinking tea in the morning and eating the
noon meal.
7 Ans :- The narrator had fourteen rupees in his pocket as his life's savings.
8 Ans :- a. A man with a red turban.

II. COMPREHENSION

1 Ans :- The incident took place in a quiet big city in the valley of a mountain, some five
thousand miles from the narrator's home. The people of the city had never been know for the
quality of mercy. They were cruel people. There were around the narrator good men and
thieves, those who suffer from various infectious diseases and from madness. Murder,
robbery,pick pocketing, these were daily occurrences. By tradition the people were
professional soldiers. Some inhabitants went to distant places and lent out money on interest.
Many others served as watchmen in banks, mills, and large commercial establishments in big
cities. Money was highly valued by them. For money they would do anything, even commit
murder.

2 Ans :- The narrator stayed in a quiet big city in a very small dingy room on a dirty street.
He carried on a profession. He was teaching English to some migrant labourers from nine-
thirty till eleven in the night. He taught them to write address in English. Everyday the
narrator wakes up at four pm to save the expense of drinking tea in the morning and eating
noon meal. He finishes his daily chores and goes outside to eat something in restaurants.
Before nine-thirty pm he returns to his room and takes classes for migrant labourers. This was
the narrator's routine.

3. Ans :- One day the narrator went to the crowded restaurant by dressing up in a suit. He
had a wallet in his pocket. He had fourteen rupees in it as his life's savings at the time. He ate
a full meal consisting of chapatis and meat curry. He drank tea as well. The bill came to
eleven annas. When he wanted to pay the bill, he searched his pocket but he was shocked that
his wallet had been stolen. Consequently he began sweating profusely and almost digested in
instant all that he had eaten. He said the same to hotel owner, hearing that the owner caught
by the lapels and ordered to pay the money. The narrator looked at the people around him but
he did not see even one kind face. They had the look of hungry wolves. Finally narrator
offered his coat to keep it and he would bring some money. But owner asked him to take off
all clothes. So having no alternative he took off his clothes, when he was about to be naked, a
stranger came and helped the narrator by paying the bill. Thus he was embarrassed.

4 Ans :- Once, the narrator went to the restaurant by having fourteen rupees in his pocket and
ate a full meal consisting of chapatis with meat curry and drank tea. The bill was eleven
annas. He searched his pocket to pay the bill but he was trembled that his wallet was not in
his pocket and someone had stolen it. When he said the same to owner, he caught the
narrator's lapels and ordered to pay the money. But narrator did not have any money, so he
offered his coat to keep there and he would bring some money. But owner asked him to take
off all the clothes. While he was being humiliated by people who were in the restaurant, a
strange person, a fair-complexioned man, six foot tall, sprouted hand bar moustache with a
red turban and white trouser came and helped by clearing the bill. Thus the narrator was
saved by a stranger.

III. COMPREHENSION

1 Ans :- Transformation is a complete change in a person and the stranger never underwent
this complete change. In the story we come to know that the narrator speaks of a city known
for its cruelty and murders, robbery and pick pocketing were daily occurrences. And the
stranger in this story was the inhabitant of this city. In spite of these, the stranger became
the of kindness and mercy for the narrator. Because, the narrator who underwent an
extremely humiliating at the restaurant by being asked to strip himself in front of the people
had seen no kind face. On the other hand, they all had the look of hungry wolves. But the
stranger saved the narrator by paying his bill. The narrator named him as ‘mercy’. But this
was not the transformation in the stranger. Instead, he was moved by the situation, especially,
when he found that he was the cause for narrator’s predicament. The stranger who saved the
narrator from this humiliating experience hesitated to unveil his personal identity. He didn't
prefer a crowded place to return narrator’s wallet and he took the narrator to a deserted
bridge. These qualities we find in the stranger are related to the qualities of a thief and it
implies the absence of transformation in the stranger. The conversation between the narrator
and the stranger near the deserted bridge justifies that he has not transformed. The stranger
who had other wallets, stolen from others returned only the narrator’s wallet and asked the
narrator not to tell others if they had seen him. Thus he was unwilling to return other wallets
he had with him. Therefore, these instances clearly indicate the fact that the stranger in the
story is not a transformed person. Because, the fate of the narrator could be fate of any other
person who had been pickpocket.

2 Ans :- Viakom Muhammad Basheer is well known Malayalam short story writer and
novelist. He is known for his sympathetic portrayal of the joys and sorrows of ordinary life.
In his short story ' Oru Manushyan ', he has clearly depicted how people value the money
more rather than humanity. In this short story, the restaurant owner seems to be very money
minded. The narrator was unable to pay his bill because his wallet had been pick pocket.
When he couldn't pay his bill the restaurant keeper was over reacted with the narrator. After
sometime the narrator offered his coat to keep it with him until he pays the bill. The
restaurant keeper did not listen to his request and forcefully ordered to remove all of his
clothes. Instead the owner might have shown a sympathy and given him an opportunity to
pay the bill but the owner was not in the position to show mercy on him. The owner did not
know the value of a man but he teases him for mistake of not paying bill. Moreover it was not
a big offense, he could give a chance to pay another time instead of humiliating in front of the
unkind faces. On the other hand narrator feared and did not protest much, instead he suffered
all the humiliation in the restaurant. However the owner did not let him go until he clears his
bill. Finally the bill was paid by the stranger. This is how the restaurant keeper over reacted
with the narrator.

Money Madness
- David Herbert Lawrence

1. a) People feel pang, that is a sudden feeling of pain when they give one pound.
b) People feel real tremor when they give ten pounds.

2. "Money got us down" could mean- It has made us its slaves.

3. People are treated in an inhuman way. They are asked to eat dirty by rich.

4. Bread, shelter and fire should be made available free of cost.

5. The speaker is frightened of having no money or eating dirty.

6. We start killing one another if we do not regain our sanity about money.

II
1. D H Lawrence analyses how a materialistic society is being suffered from money madness.
Here it is important to note that nobody is free from this money madness. He metaphorically
compares money with madness. If the whole society is suffering from contagious money
madness, then individual also holds his share of madness and insanity around with him. As
poet conveys money triggers fear in an individual. The poet doubts that there exists a human
in this world who hands out a pound note to someone without feeling a pang at heart. If the
same man lends ten pounds note, he feels real tremor in him. The more he hands out money
for others the more he feels fear and unhappy. One's emotions are channeled controlled by
money which makes people quail in society.

2. People are not only terrified of money but also to the collective money madness of
everyone. It spreads widely among all people in society. There would be no consideration of
human values, ethics, relationships and space for fraternity. An individual interprets another
individual in terms of money only. In society he measures the value of other through money.
This could be the symptom of money madness. If an individual has no money, people let him
to eat dirt and ask to die. This exposes that how people who have money show indifference to
the predicaments of poor people. The poet fears about the mankind if it measures a man in
terms of money, there would be no future for human relationships.

III.

1. The poem Money Madness by David Herbert Lawrence discloses the materialistic way of
human life. It unfolds how an individual is oppressed by people who value the money most. It
is highly applicable to the present society which runs after money. As it is stated by the poet,
the whole society is not free from money madness. In the poem Lawrence says that whole
world is being ruled by money and filled with madness for money. Therefore he uses money
as a metaphor for the world madness. This madness is not on small or individualistic levels. It
is the madness of the multitude. Since the multitude as a whole is mad, so every person in this
world carries his own share of this madness.
If money is centralized in few people in society, majority of people are deprived of basic
needs. The people who have accumulated money would treat underprivileged people in a
human way. People measure everything in terms of money only. In a way there would be no
room for equality, humanity and brotherhood. The rich people exploit the poor according to
their wishes. This is too evident in the poem. Hence fair distribution and decentralization of
wealth is seems to be the solution.

2. D H Lawrence is a prominent twentieth century English writer. In the poem 'Money

madness', the poet perceives materialistic perspective of human beings. The poem tells how a
man becomes more materialistic and loses the humanity and values of relations in society. He
says if the man goes on consuming more money, he will have cruel power over moneyless
people. In the poem, the poet doesn't only talk about insanity about money. But he also offers
solution at the last course of the poem. If one should be cured of money madness, one should
regain sanity about money which has lost in people. Otherwise the whole mankind meets
with a disaster.
One should save some amount of money with him/her to avoid looking for shortcut for
earning money. Socialistically the basic needs such as bread, shelter and fire should be
provided free of cast. This must not be limited for some people in society. Since everyone is
suffering from money madness, these necessities have to be provided for all and anybody in
the world. Because if one is left unprivileged, there could be a chance that again world might
fill with money madness. We should get back our sanity about money before we ruin one
another for the sake of money.

BABAR ALI

I.1. Babar Ali runs classes for poor children in his family's backyard.
2. Babar Ali wakes up every morning at 7 and starts his day by doing some household
chores. He gets into an auto rickshaw to reach his school. In the afternoon he conducts classes
for poor children.
3. It is partially ruined concrete structure covered in half torn posters. Babar Ali's office is a
very tiny and dank room.
4. Because unlike most children in his village, he went to school and got formal education.
5. According to Babar Ali's father "Education" is the true religion.
6. Because parents could not bear the expenses of uniform and books.
7. An illiterate educationalist
8. His high school volunteers.
9. Taking advantage of the age gap.
II.
1. Babar Ali took the initiative of opening his own very school to bring about some changes
in the lives of poor children who were deprived of education. He was one of the fortunate
souls in his village. Because, unlike most children in his village, he went to school and got
formal education. Lot of families could not bear the expenses of uniforms and books of their
children. Thus instead of going to school most of the boys helped out their families by
working as mechanics, day labourers, grass cutters and live stock herders. Girls situation was
even worse. They were working as maid servants in the village when they cook, clean, wash
clothes and dishes for their employers. Babar Ali wanted to change this. Hence he took the
initiative of opening his very own school.
2. Indeed Babar Ali started his school 'Anand Shiksha Nikethan' when he was barely nine
years old. Surprisingly his school grew out of a game called 'School-School'. Babar used to
act as a teacher with his friends. The other children, unlike Babar Ali, had not seen the inside
of the school. Hence they were excited to play the game with him. The simple game was
institutionalised with the strength of eight in the year 2002.
Gradually the school emerged and it was aided by government and local means. Nine years
down the line, the school strength has increased to 800 hundred students, with 10 volunteer
teachers teaching grade 1 through 8. His school has been officially registered and recognised
by 'West Bangalore State Government'. Those who graduate from his school are eligible to be
transferred to other local high schools.
3. Babar Ali is the initiator of the school 'Anand Shiksha Nikethan'. Through this school, he
wants to bring about some changes educationally. The village children who would have
continued as maid servants, mechanics, and day labourers received education at Babar Ali's
school. The children of the village and the localities nearby are done with their chores and
jobs at day time. They run to attend Babar Ali's school in the afternoon. Without proper
education qualification, they would have never had the jobs other than what they could get in
their village. Hence Babar Ali is a real change maker who works for others betterment.
III.
3. Babar Ali's educational venture is a successful story. His story becomes successful not
only because he helps out hundreds of children to get enlightened, but he also inspires
millions of youths. He is a perfect icon and his story is a proof that how one person can
change the world positively. He was determined enough to do something about a situation he
felt unfair.
Actually Babar Ali started the school at the mere age of nine. In the year 2002, his school
strength was just eight members. Gradually the enrolments menus in the school increased.
Nine years down the line, it has got 800 hundred students in total. It has been officially
recognised and registered by 'West Bengal State Government'. Those who graduate from
Babar's school are eligible to be transfered to the other local high schools.
It is touching to see that the children are interested in studying. If Babar did not initiate and
run school for poor children, they would have continued their work as maid servants, day
labourers and so on. It is crystal clear that Babar Ali is a real hero who brought about drastic
changes in his village. Babar Ali has rightly proved the statement that where there is a will
there is a way. Also he is the reservoir of inspiration for all and sundry. Babar Ali did not just
dream of his school, but he worked hard to make his dreams come true.
 If I was a tree
-Mudnakudu Chinnaswamy
I COMPREHENSION

1 Ans: - C. no other creature in nature has the concept of defilement.

2 Ans: - The bird wouldn't ask the tree what caste it belongs to.

3 Ans: - The sacred cow scrapes her body onto the bark whenever it gets itches.

4 Ans :- The speaker wants to be hacked pieces of dry wood and burn in the holy fire and
become pure.

5 Ans :- Speaker's friendship with the cool breeze and leaves would be sweet.

II COMPREHENSION

1 Ans :- In the poem ' If I was a tree', the poet gives an analogy between mother nature and
human nature. In human nature we have lot of discrimination but in mother nature, no
creature has concept of defilement. That is why the poet wants to become a tree. When tree
tries to spread it's roots, mother earth wouldn't run away. Instead, mother earth would give
strength to the tree to get stronger and stronger with its roots being spread wider and wider.
Thus the poet shows that discrimination in the name of caste is prevalent only in human
society. The hopes and aspirations of the lower caste people are curbed and they are not
allowed to make use of their potential. It is Crystal clear that in the name of God and
religion,we have been following this diabolic system of caste.

2 Ans :- Nature has supplied its sources impartially to all the creatures. When the sunlight
falls on the tree, it doesn't feel that it has been defiled. The sunlight would fall on each and
every creature, including human beings in the same impartial manner. The poet intentionally
uses the the word 'embrace' to point out the truth that in human nature there is no division and
hatred. Likewise the cool breeze is sweet to the tree while passing by and doesn't shun the
tree in the name of low caste. Here again the poet uses the word ' friendship ' to show that
friendship which ought to be a healthy interaction in human society is absent because people
distance themselves from one another with artificially constructed idea of caste status.
However no such divisive force works in nature and very creation enjoys equality.

III

1 Ans :- The speaker is disappointed and saddened by caste discrimination. He feels helpless,
as there is no way to escape from ignominy. He wishes to be a tree so that he can be free from
shame and humiliation. He is sure that if he becomes a tree, no creature in nature will ever
bother about his caste. The bird would build its nest happily in the tree. Sunlight would
embrace him without any hesitation. The cool breeze and raindrops would touch him sweetly.
Mother earth would not run way when tree tries to spread it's roots and it supports. The
sacred cow would scrape her body onto the bark of the tree. Three hundred thousand gods are
sheltering inside the cow would touch the tree. As a human being, the speaker did not see
any hope of happiness and acceptance throughout his life. He says that he might become pure
by being cut into pieces of dry wood and burning in the holy fire. He might also become
purer by being a bier for sinless body borne on the shoulders of four good men. Thus the
speaker makes it clear that instead of being born as a human being in society which practices
discrimination, it is better to be born as a tree in nature as in nature there is no discrimination.

2 Ans :- The poem is a satire on social discrimination that happens due to a fact that which is
beyond the person's control. No child asks to be born in a low caste. Given the choice,
everyone would like to be born in a high caste. Besides, caste doesn't touch the character or
the soul. It was only a system of categorizing tasks and the people who do them, for the sake
of easy understanding. However, the system soon turned into a meaningless, rigid system
which did not allow a person from caste to move onto another. Further, it heaped certain
characteristics on each other caste, irrespective of whether the people belonging to those
castes possessed them or not. This worked very unfairly for people of the low castes. A
Brahmin, whether he was a scholar or not, enjoyed great respect and dignity in society but a
Dalit was treated with contempt since he was thought to be incapable of any learning or
excellence in his whole life. This attitude condemned the lives of many intelligent, creative,
sensitive Dalits who, no matter how hard they worked, could never earn dignity or respect.
Adults were marginalized, kept away from sources of water,never allowed near a high caste
or into a place of worship. They were also denied opportunities for education or work which
was not manual. Their very sight was contemptible to many high caste people. Hence the
speaker, out of frustration and helplessness, wishes to be a tree which will not be
discriminated against by any creature in Nature.

3 Ans :- The speaker wishes to be a tree because he wants be away from inhuman,
meaningless discrimination practiced by human beings. People born in low caste are treated
in a very cruel manner by the people of the high castes. They are not given access to sources
of water, place of worship or education and they are not allowed to acquire property or
wealth. They are considered inauspicious and the high caste people take bath when then come
across a low caste person or his shadow falls on them. Though such evil practices are not
common after independence and after enactment of many antitouchability laws, they do exist
in many parts of the country. The whole situation makes the speaker helpless and frustrated.
Hence he wishes to be a tree. He points out how the whole of nature- birds, sunlight,
breeze,leaves, raindrops, mother earth, cow never discriminates and bothers about the caste
of any other creature. He feels the world of nature is generous and loving than world of
human beings. No creature considers the other impure or dirty. The tree, towards its end, has
a chance of becoming pure by being used in the holy fire or by carrying a sinless body
towards the crematorium. But a low caste man is condemned to shame and humiliation
throughout his life, without any way of purifying himself. This situation makes him very sad.
 The watchman of the Lake
R K Narayan

I
1 Ans:- The headman was in a hurry to complete the road work because the king was to pass
by that way the next day and the road had to be ready for use.

2 Ans :- not to disturb the work and keep away from the king's sight.

3 Ans :- He hid himself in the branches of tree to draw the attention of the king to tell about
his dream which has revealed to him by Goddess.

4 Ans :- build the tank for stream.

5 Ans :- The king doesn't doubt Mara. He gave time to speak and asked him to accompany
them to the palace.

6 Ans :- Mara advised his son that he had to be the watchman of the lake after him in saving
the lake.

7 Ans :- The visitor approached Mara for some water from the lake to his village.

8 Ans :- C. The lake

9 Ans :- C. He was worried about the lake.

10 Ans :- Mara requested the Goddess not to carry out her act of devastation till he returned
from the capital.

II
1 Ans :- Mara would dream twice in the play. The first time, it is the dream of Goddess who
urges Mara to get a tank for river Veda so that she could find a home for herself. The second
time, it is the same Goddess, looks furious that her plaything Veda has been imprisoned by
miserable stones. When Mara reminds that it was her command that the bank was built. The
Goddess, who is in the mood of destruction, resorts that she is now ready for devastation.
After the vision, both the times, Mara thinks for general welfare. After the first dream, he
wants the bank to be built because he knows that preserved water would be of great use to the
subjects of the king. The second time after the dream, he realizes that nothing can stop the
Goddess from the act of destruction. Hence, he sacrifices himself in order to save the king
and his kingdom. Thus, we see that Mara is a true saviour of the people. The significance of
the dreams is that we have no control over divine design. Yet, if we have nobility of Mara,
we can escape the destructive edge of even divine plans.

2 Ans :- Mara, the watchman of the lake allows people and animals to drink water at the lake.
He doesn't tolerate anyone killing birds or animals there. Mara threatens the man who was
fishing in the lake that if he ever dared to fish in the lake, he would abuse him and push him
into tank. He tells his son also to be as strict as he was with such people. He tells him that the
lake is sacred and belongs to the Goddess, and her command is that nothing flies or swims or
walks in these parts should ever be killed. When Mara sees a man taking his cow to the water
edge, he sends his son to warn that man not to go to deep into the water. We see Mara as a
proud watchman of the lake, doing his duty of protecting the water from cruel human beings
very sincerely. He is not afraid of anyone and says that even the village headman will have to
beg Mara for permission if he wants to touch the water. Thus his devotion for the lake is
incredible.

3 Ans :- Mara tells a story from the epic about the spot that standing in front of the king
below the tree, Mara says that that place is a sacred spot because Lord Hanuman had stood
there once. That was the day when Lakshmana was wounded in the battlefield at Lanka and
lay in a deadly faint. Guided by omens, Hanuman came to that spot and then went up the
mountain. On the peak of the mountain he found Sanjeevini. He flew to Lanka with it, and at
its breath Yama's messengers fled, and Lakshmana rose to his feet with a new life. Such was
the power of Sanjeevini; and where it grew there rose a steam which came down the
mountain and flowed near the village.

4 Ans :- A. The first time, when the Goddess appeared before Mara, he recognized her
immediately as the divine mother and fell at her feet. He was struck by her grand look, he
gives description of her appearance that her hair was flying in the wind and she had worn
coronet which had stars. Her garment was woven in gold.
B. The second time, when the Goddess appeared before Mara, he understood that she was in
angry and had terrible look. This time she laughed loudly and she had carried a sword. She
did not speak as she spoke at the first time. She wanted to destroy the tank which was built by
her wish. Now listening her command, he prostrated before her and begged.

III.
2 Ans :- "Nature is both protective and destructive" these words very much closer to this
short play, Watchman of the lake. The Goddess is symbolic of nature in the play. As she
herself claims, the river is her plaything and she plays with it as she wants. She tells Mara to
have the king get a tank constructed so that the people never have to suffer drought. Things
were calm for some years. But one evening nature which is under the control of Godess
showed her another face. When Goddess appears at second time, she says that she is in the
mood of destruction and kicks away the miserable stones they have piled up to imprison the
water of her 'Veda'.
We see that the same river as the saviour and destroyer. Initially, Godess herself appears in
the dream of Mara and informs him to construct a tank to imprison river Veda which is her
plaything. Mara also follows the same as it was told by Goddess. But when everything is
going smoothly, the Godess shows another form of hers which is terrible to witness. She
informs to Mara that she is in a reckless mood to slash the bounds of the lake which is
extended more than a tank. Being helpless Mara couldn't think of anything else except to
meet and deliver the message to the king.
But people in general claim that they will have control over nature. But this play breaks down
those false notions. Being a mortal being Mara couldn't do anything except sacrifices his own
very life for the sake of people. Hence before Goddess every one of us is helpless and
powerless. We need to accept the two faces of the same coin that is destructive and protective
moods of nature.
 The Farmer's wife
Farmer's wife
Volga

1. ‘You’ in the poem refers to the farmer and ‘I’ refers to the farmer's wife.

2. He couldn't clear the debt and unable to bear the shame in society. So the speaker's husband
committed suicide.

3. The speaker draws the contrast between her husband and herself. Her husband was virtuous,
but she is a sinner. He is dead while she is alive.

4. Being a man, he couldn't bear the idea of bending his down or stretching his hand in front of
the creditors. Even he was unable to sell his crops as they were destroyed due to several
reasons. The speaker says he crossed over everything what he couldn't solve and bear.
Although he was aware of her social condition as a woman he left her alone. She questions
her husband how he had passed the responsibility upon her and left her with children.
Moreover, being a woman, her motherly instinct made it impossible for her to leave her
children. And the prospect of bringing up four children in the face of poverty is daunting. She
faces the challenge and doesn't think of committed suicide. Thus we see that the difference
the man and the woman lies in the way women are generally treated in society and the way in
men treat women at home. In the poem Farmer's wife is ready survive against all odds of life
unlike her husband who failed to survive and committed suicide. Hence farmer's wife will
have brave heart to face the hard realities of life.

5. All the above.

6. The woman was ill-treated by her husband both physically and verbally when he was alive.
She had to bear all these because society made her to believe that a man had the right to rule
over his wife. The idea of manhood is fallen down when the farmer is unable to withstand the
pressure and commits suicide.

7. The phrase 'harvest of my womb' refers to the four children the woman has borne. They are
the familial crops. Her husband thought of just ruined material crops grown up in the fields. It
couldn't be sold because it was worm eaten. She questions her dead husband as he could just
thought of the material crops forgetting his own familial crops. She questioned her husband
could she leave her children to like worm eaten cotton crops which are insignificant and not
looked after by the farmer. Here her words actually imply that her children become orphans
who are not looked after by any one like worm eaten cotton crops if she dies like her
husband.

8. The farmer's wife is in a state which is worse than death. The speaker uses the words 'death
blow' to suggest how her husband's death gives a big blow to her own existence. Now she has
to face the life determinedly in her husband's absence. The crop has been destroyed and so no
money could be got from it. The debt had remained and the creditors troubled her every day,
forcing her to hang her head in shame. The family had hit the dust and their hearts had turned
to water. Yet, she had decided to live on and teach her children to fight the problems of life.

9. A will to survive against all odds.

 II.
1.
A shade of sarcasm is implied in the use of the words 'virtuous' and 'poor sinner'. These
words are used to refer to how she has to tolerate the things that he burdened over to the lady
who was a poor sinner. Sarcastically she calls her husband virtuous because he didn't stretch
his hand or bend his head in front of the creditors. In one way, he was a man of self respect.
When he kicked and abused her, she thought a man could treat his wife in any way he
wanted. But she loses all fear or respect for him when he commits suicide, leaving her
helpless with the children. Moreover she comes an understanding that her husband fails to
analyze the life the way she is doing. She also says to analyze the circumstances in difficult
course of life needs a firm heart. She is sure he wouldn't have had the guts to understand how
to solve the problems or ton question any particular situation. The poem ends with an
optimistic note that she will not be like her husband, running away from the situation, but live
on and face all problems of life.
2.
The farmer's wife is a representative of all farmers' wives whose husbands commit suicide for
different reasons. Her husband's act of commuting suicide pushed her to a situation in which
she feels ax if she is in the middle of the ocean nowhere else to survive. It also takes a
refreshingly different angle of perceiving the problem from the farmer's wife's angle.
The poem is an eye opener because generally when we hear or read about the facts of
suicide, we think only about the tragic plight of the farmer who was pushed into the act of
commuting suicide. The fact remains that the family would be in the worst state of affairs
because the so called 'man of the house' is dead and the family still has no source of income.
The aim of poem is not to single out one case of suicide, but to throw light on a social
problem which needs government’s intervention to be resolved. On the other hand, the poem
is request to all those who give up their struggle no to do so and brave the storm
courageously. The poem also mocks at the idea of a man as the breed winner and his sense of
superiority over the woman he takes for a wife. The poem, at yet another level, is an appeal to
the government and perhaps even social organizations to support those people who want to
live with dignity.

Frederick Douglass
I
1Ans :- Black slaves were not aware of their birth dates because there were no authentic
record and that was the wish of the masters to keep them ignorant.

2 Ans:- Masters would think that all such enquiries on the part of a slave improper and
impertinent.

3 Ans :- There was a whisper that Frederick's father was his master.

4 Ans :- Douglass separated from his mother before knowing her as his mother.

5 Ans :- Douglass's mother was able to meet him only at night time.

6 Ans :- The penalty to the field hand for not being in the field at sunrise was whipping.

7 Ans :- Douglass was seven years old when he lost his mother.
8 Ans :- Captain Anthony who was believed to be the both Douglass's father and mother.

9 Ans :- Mr.Plummer was an overseer, a miserable drunkard, a profane swearer and a savage
monster.

II.
1 Ans :- Frederick Douglass was a black slave who was victimised under the slavery in
America. Through his writing he tries unfold the agony of countless blacks. He knows that
his mother was coloured and quite dark woman named Harriet Bailey. He was separated from
his mother when he was an infant, before knowing her as his mother and this was common
custom in the part of Maryland. Hence he was placed under the care of an old woman. He had
seen his mother only four or five times in his life. Each of these times was very short in
duration. The custom of slavery left him and his mother very little time for communication.
He does not remember having ever seen her mother in day light and never enjoyed to any
considerable extent, her soothing presence, her tender watchful care. When he lost her mother
when he was about seven years old, he didn't affect much by his mother's death.

III
1 Ans :- The slaveholders had made the rules on their own lusts. Many black women and
mulatto children were suffered by their wicked desires. This class of slaves invariably
suffered greater hardship, and had to contend than others. The mistress always found fault
with the slaves and specially mulatto children. She never ever pleased by their hard work than
when she sees them under the lash. Whenever she suspected her husband of showing extra
favours to his mulatto children which he withheld from other black slaves, her anger was
even more and she forced her husband to sell this class of slaves. Unless he does this, he must
not only whip them himself, but must stand by and see one white son tie up and beat his
brother. Thus the slaves suffered unbearable hardships at the hands of slave holder, his
mistress and his sons.

2 Ans :- The dreadful experience of slavery starts the very minute a child is born. The child is
separated from the mother in its infancy stage, breaking the bond between the mother and the
child. Even after that, the mother is not allowed to meet the child often, and this again goes
against the possibility of establishing an emotional bond. The child has to suffer the
psychological impact of not knowing who the father is. These emotional problems are
compounded with physical harassment. The slaves are constantly whipped by not only their
slave masters but also others such as overseers and the slave master's white children. The
women are in an even worse situation. We can see that they are used by white men to fulfill
their lust. Their plight as field hands is pitiable. To see their children, they can move out only
after nightfall, and have to be back at work at dawn, unless they have permission from
masters. The references to the women who have had their heads slashed and body completely
bruised beatings given with the cowskin are a testimony to inhuman treatment meted out to
the slaves by their masters. Thus the lesson is a first person narration of Frederick Douglass,
makes the readers aware of the heart wrenching plight of the slaves.
 An old woman
Arun kolatkar

I comprehension
1 Ans :- anyone
2 Ans :- The old woman offers him to take him to the horseshoe shrine.
3 Ans :- She expects 50 Paise coin for her service.
4 Ans :- C.
5 Ans :- bullet holes
6 Ans :- A

II comprehension
1Ans :- The poet depicts the condition of an old woman. The woman's age is very significant
and fact that the problem is more pronounced in the case of the old. The poet asks us to know
the reason for her pitiable condition and how old age women are neglected by everyone. People
have no space for old and they are not aware of their predicaments. If the people do not give
space for old, they would come to streets and they reduced to the level of beggars. In the poem,
the woman depicts all those who live in poverty and homeless. Hence the poet wants to take
up this social problem of the old and take necessary measures to ensure that they live a life of
dignity. Poet has a definite purpose in talking about the cracks on her face extending to the
hills, temple,and sky. When speaker has this realisation, he has changed perspective and he
finds himself reduced to the position of being a person of significance. Her suffering is
indicated by the description that eyes she has are lifeless bullet holes. Thus the poet tries to
awaken in us a sense of responsibility towards our fellow brethren.

2 Ans :- Certainly, the woman is a self appointed tourist guide because she posters the speaker
to avail of her services even when his intention is to get rid of her. Her persistence is seen in
the fact that she hobbles after him and goes to the extent of stopping him by tightening her grip
on his shirt. The speaker is more and more annoyed and he wants to get rid of her by being
firm in refusing her offer. If we compare the interaction between the speaker and the old
woman, we see that it isn't much different from the transaction that takes place between a
tourists and a beggar. The beggars also follow people around pestering them with a demand of
alms. But the difference is that if the tourist guides offer their service, the beggars don't. This
immediately introduces a world of difference between the two categories of people. It shows
that even if the tourist guides can be as annoying as the beggars, they are people with self
respect.

3 Ans :- In the poem we see the speaker getting annoyed with the old woman for pestering
him for fifty Paise with the offer of taking him to horseshoe shrine. The speaker wants to get
rid of her as he has already seen the shrine. When he hears the question "what else can an old
woman do on hills as wretched as these?"makes him realise her condition and look at cracks
of the woman, the cracks in our homes and society that no longer care for the old. He is ashamed
of being a part of the system which doesn't value the old. The speaker who had until then
considered the old woman insignificant because he has not seen the kind of struggle the old
woman has witnessed in her life. At the end of poem he finds himself getting reduced in his
worth and in his own esteem.

III. Comprehension
1 Ans :- The poet, Arun Kolatkar brings a social issue through a common place. At every
tourist place we meet a self appointed tourist guide like the old woman in the poem. They need
money and pester us. They even promise to give us some service instead of money we give
them. Generally tourists give them something to get rid of them and some tourists don't. Here
we must understand that they have no other means of earning their livelihood. Hence the only
option left for them is to beg. The very fact that they don't beg but offer their services show
that somewhere deep within them there is some self-respect. At temple, their acts seem to be
very irritating but one should remember that it is the circumstance that has reduced them to that
condition. Especially in the case of an old woman like the one found on the hills, they can't do
anything. When the speaker realizes that he has no answer for the question what she asked him.
After observing,his perception of the old woman undergoes a sudden change. The cracks on
her face become symbolic of the cracks in the society. At last, the speaker has a new found
respect for the old woman and feels ashamed and reduced rob the small change in her hand. In
a moment of realization the narrator finds himself reduced in his self esteem. His awakening
to the real world makes him feel small as insignificant as the small coin in her hand.

Two Gentlemen of Verona

Archibald Joseph Cronin

I
1Ans :- The narrator first meets the two boys on the outskirts of Verona ,near the foothills of
the alps.
2 Ans :- The driver suggests the narrator not to buy fruits from the two boys because of their
shabby appearance and he doesn't succeed in shopping the narrator from buying the fruits.
3 Ans :- The boys did a variety of jobs to earn their living. They sold fruits ,hawked
newspapers,shined shoes,conducted tourists round the town and ran errands for tourists and
asissted the tourists.
4 Ans :- C. Wanted to save the money for medical expenses.
5 Ans :- The boys' unremitting willingness to work , their friendliness,cheerfulness and
seriousness attracted the narrator.
6 Ans :- C. Didn't want to ask anyone for favours.
7 Ans :- The two boys went to Poleta to visit their sick sister. They didn't want the narrator to
know their problems.
8 Ans :- C. He wanted to respect their privacy.
9 Ans :- A bomb had destroyed their house and rendered them homeless.
10 Ans :- He comes to know the story of the two boys and about family.
11 Ans :- A. The boys would prefer to keep their secret.

II Comprehension
1 Ans :- The boy were useful in many ways. The boys took the narrator and his companion
around the Verona. In the week that followed, they brought the visitors pack of American
cigarettes, opera tickets and acted as their tourist guides. They not only took them around the
beautiful places but also give them useful information as to which restaurants served good
ravioli.
2 Ans :- The boys were truly gentlemen ,very reformed and courageous in character. They
were devoted to their sister, and in order to earn money for her treatment, undertook all kinds
of jobs available in Verona. They worked all the day even till midnight by working hard.
They didn't consider any job below their dignity. Though they were born to such jobs, they
learnt them and performed them well. Their eagerness to learn and perform varieties of jobs
demonstrates a sacrificing,loving nature which is ready to go to any extent to secure
happiness of loved one. They were also selfless because,very earnestly,they saved the money
they they earned to pay the hospital but never spent on cloths or food. Both of them were
very proud boys. They did not discuss their problems with anyone because they didn't want to
gain others sympathy. Even when the narrator took them to the hospital,then went in by
themselves and did not speak to him about their sister.
3 Ans :- C , they didn't want to gain anybody's sympathy.

Don't ask of Me, My Love.

Faiz Ahmad Faiz.

I.1. The speaker realises what he thought about love was not true after he experienced the
sorrows around him.
2. The speaker's realisation of realities
3. Caused by poverty and deprivation
4. Fidelity to his love.
II.
1. The speaker realises the harsh realities of the world after he comes out from his cocooned
romantic love. There are problems in the world that he has to be addressed in the poem. The
line ' those dark and brutal curses of countless centuries’, probably means the sufferings
caused by stark poverty which seems to be brutal curse on the helpless poor people. Factually
miseries and sufferings have been troubling man since8 untold number of centuries. These
might have been caused by war, diseases or slavery. So he kindly asks his beloved not to ask
him for the love he had for her.

2. The speaker experiences the harsh realities of the world when he is thought of the outer
world. He realizes many sufferings caused in the world by war. There are certain images in
the poem which support it. He witnesses bodies bathed in blood and dust covered bodies of
the soldiers. People are also affected with epidemic diseases. There are other disturbing
images like pus oozing out their festering sores. The anguishes of slaves who are ill-treated
are sold in the market like animals. These are the harsh realities that have drawn the writer's
attention away from the beauty of his beloved. Hence the poet says that he must also turn his
eyes to these sufferings and realities as well.

3. The general theme of the poem is the transformation in the perception of the poet's love.
The poet loved his beloved conditionally. On one hand he was immersed in the beauty of his
beloved. On the other he thought her sorrow was much more than any other pain. As long as
his beloved was with him, he felt the whole world was his. Moreover he considered his
beloved's eyes were everything whereas all else seemed pointless and useless in the world.
But at later stage in the poem the poet moves out of romantic love to enter the world of love
where he can extend his love to mankind. He sees sufferings caused by war and conflicts,
bodies of soldiers covered with blood and dust. And then he witnesses bodies afflicted with
epidemic disease. These made him realize that the pain of separation from his beloved was
not the only sorrow, but there are many more in the world and felt it unconditionally.
III.
1. The poet seems to be very faithful to his love. He expresses his fidelity to his love although
he demands his beloved not to ask for the same love which he expressed before. He assures
her that he still finds her very beautiful. Nevertheless, he can no longer be in the cocoon of
romantic love. He has seen the various kinds of sufferings in the world. As a result it has
made him realize his duty towards the society and the country.
There are certain images in the poem which talk reflect the miseries and sufferings of people.
He witnesses bodies bathed in blood and dust covered bodies of the soldiers. People are also
affected with epidemic diseases. There are other disturbing images like pus oozing out their
festering sores. The anguishes of slaves who are ill-treated sold in the market like animals.
Actually he shows concern to the world's problems unconditionally. He has enjoyed the
beauty and the love of his beloved, but he has also realized the joy of serving the society and
country. He finds that joy greater than his private love. He realizes the responsibility of
serving the society greater than pleasing his beloved. Hence, he repeatedly asks her not to ask
him to love her in the same manner.