Oldman at the bridge Questions and Answers

Extract Based
Question 2.
“Where do you come from?” I asked him.
“From San Carlos,” he said, and smiled.
That was his native town and so it gave him pleasure to mention it and he smiled.
“I was taking care of animals,” he explained.
“Oh,” I said, not quite understanding.
“Yes,” he said, “I stayed, you see, taking care of animals. I was the last one to leave the town of
San Carlos.” He did not look like a shepherd nor a herdsman and I looked at his black dusty
clothes and his gray dusty face and his steel rimmed spectacles and said, “What animals were
they?”
“Various animals,” he said, and shook his head. “I had to leave them.”
(a) What was the business of the narrator (scout or soldier)? What did he see while coming back
after observing the enemy ?
Answer:
The narrator who was a young soldier in army, was on a mission to cross the bridge and find out
how far the enemy had advanced. After the narrator had scanned the region for any sign of the
enemy troops, he noticed the old man still sitting at the pontoon bridge.
(b) Why was the narrator surprised to see the old man still there ?
Answer:
The narrator found that there were not so many carts and very few people were moving on foot
but the old man was still there. He was sitting at the same place and was not moving from there
hence he felt surprise to see him.
(c) What was the first question that the narrator asked the old man ? What did the old man
answer? Why did the old man smile?
Answer:
The narrator asked the old man where he came from. The old man replied that he belonged to
his native town San Carlos. While telling the narrator his living place, he smiled because he was
deeply attached with his native town and he felt great pleasure at the mention of his native town.
(d) Why was the old man the last one to leave his town? How did the old man look ?
Answer:
The old man was the last to leave his native town because he was taking care of his animals
and he was extremely worried about the safety of his animals. The old man wore dusty clothes
and steel-rimmed spectacles. His face was grey and dusty. He appeared weak and exhausted.
(e) Who has been referred to as ‘he’ in the extract given above ? In what condition was he ?
Answer:
The old man has been referred to as ‘he’. He was in a weary condition as he had already
walked twelve kilometres and too tired to move further. Moreover his clothes were dusty and his
face had turned grey.
(f) What all animals did he own? What kind of relationship did he share with them?
Answer:
He had two goats, a cat and four pairs of pigeons. He had an emotional attachment with his
animals. The animals were his family; he loved them and cared for them so much that
separately from them made him feel that he had lost his reason for existence.
Question 3.
“And you have no family?” I asked, watching the far end of the bridge where a few last carts
were hurrying down the slope of the bank. “No,” he said, “only the animals I stated. The cat, of
course, will be all right. A cat can look out for itself, but I cannot think what will become of the
others.”
“Whatpolitics have you?” I asked.
“I am without politics,” he said.
“I am seventy-six years old. I have come twelve kilometers now and I think now I can go no
further.”
“This is not a good place to stop,” I said. “If you can make it, there are trucks up the road where
it forks for Tortosa.”
(a) What was the narrator doing while conversing with the old man ? What did the old man do
with the animals ?
Answer:
While conversing the old man, the narrator was nervously awaiting the advent of the Fascist
army and the ensuing battle between the armies. The old man left the animals behind in his
native town of San Carlos. The heavy firing from the enemy forced him to do so.
(b) How did the old man express his concern about the safety of his animals? What did he say
about the cats ?
Answer:
The old man expressed his concern about the safety of his animals saying what would happen
to his animals as there was none to look after them. He said that the cat would be all right
because cats could look after themselves.
(c) What does the old man mean when he says, ‘I am without politics’? Why does he mention
his age ?
Answer:
The narrator who was more concerned for the old man’s safety than those the animals enquired
what the old man’s politics was. The old man replied that he was without politics. The old man
means to say that like other innocent civilians what matters to the old man was his home and
animals rather than politics. He mentions his age along with the fact that he already walked
twelve kilometres to reflect the extent of his weariness.
(d) What was the old man doing in San Carlos ? Which place does the narrator refer to when he
say, ‘This is not a good place to stop’?
Answer:
In San Carlos, the old man was taking care of his animals. The place referred to is a war zone
at a pontoon bridge across the Ebro river. The place is twelve kilometres from San Carlos in
Spain.
(e) What shows that the old man is fatalist ?
Answer:
During the conversation with the soldier at the bridge, the old man reveals he is not worried
about the safety of his own life but he is deeply concerned about the safety of his animals. It
clearly shows that he is a fatalist.
(f) What advice did the narrator give to the old man ? How did the old man react ?
Answer:
The narrator advised the old man to cross the bridge and catch a truck towards Barcelona. But
the old man replied that he did not know anyone there. However, he thanked the narrator for his
suggestion and continued to express his concern for the fate of the animals he had left behind.
(g) Which thought always lingered in old man’s mind ? How did he feel?
Answer:
The old man was so much worried about the fate of the animals that he could not get rid of the
thought of the safety of his animals. This thought made him depressed and sad.

A Horse and Two Goats

Question 2.
His wife lit the domestic fire at dawn, boiled water in a mud pot, threw into it a handful of millet
flour, added salt, and gave him his first nourishment for the day. When he started out, she would
put in his hand a packed lunch, once again the same millet cooked into a little ball, which he
could swallow with a raw onion at midday.
His fortunes had declined gradually, unnoticed. From a flock of forty which he drove into a pen
at night, his stock had now come down to the two goats, which were tethered to the trunk of a
drumstick tree which grew in front of his hut and from which occasionally Muni could shake
down drumsticks. This morning he got six. He carried them in with a sense of triumph. Although
no one could say precisely who owned the tree, it was his because he lived in its shadow.
(a) What did Muni’s wife cook for him in the morning ? How did she cook it ?
Answer:
Muni’s wife cooked balls of millet flour for him in the morning. She boiled water in a mud pot.
Then she threw a handful of millet flour into it and added salt in it. Then she made balls of millet
flour.
(b) How did Muni’s fortunes decline ?
Answer:
Muni was once an affluent cattle grazer, but pestilence afflicted his cattle and his fortunes
declined gradually and he was now left with two goats, too skinny to sell or eat.
(c) Why did Muni tether his two goats to the trunk of a drumstick tree ? What was his claim ?
Answer:
Muni tethered his goats to the trunk of the drumstick tree probably to make his claim over the
tree stronger. His claim was that he owned the tree as he lived in its shadow.
(d) What kind of food did Muni’s wife serve him in the morning and what did she give him for
lunch ?
Answer:
Muni’s wife served him salted millet flour in boiled water in the morning and packed the same
food for lunch.
(e) Why did Muni’s wife agree to supply him with what he was craving for ?
Answer:
Muni’s wife agreed to prepare the drumstick sauce as he was craving for the same because she
thought he might not be alive the following year to ask for anything.
(f) Under what condition was Muni’s wife ready to fulfil his desire ?
Answer:
Muni’s wife was ready to fulfil his desire or craving if he would get her all the stuff like dhall,
chilly, curry leaves, mustard, coriander, gingelley oil, one large potato and some rice or millet.
Question 3.
“You have only four teeth in your jaw, but your craving is for big things. All right, get the stuff for
the sauce, and I will prepare it for you. After all, next year you may not be alive to ask for
anything. But first get me all the stuff, including a measure of rice or millet, and I will satisfy your
unholy craving. Our store is empty today. Dhall, chilly, curry leaves, mustard, coriander,
gingelley oil, and one large potato. Go out and get all this.” He repeated the list after her in order
not to miss any item and walked off to the shop in the third street.
(a) On which profession did the villagers rely on ?
Answer:
Mostly villagers were illiterate and poor. They relied on cultivating their lands or grazing
domestic animals like goats and sheep to earn a bare living at the day’s end.
(b) Whose family was prosperous in the village and how ?
Answer:
Only one family in the village was prosperous. It was the village headman who had apparently
duped the poor villagers by lending money and charging high interest and made a lot of money
and built a brick house-the only one to be seen in the village.
(c) For which thing did Muni crave to chew ? What did Muni’s daily meals consist of ?
Answer:
One day Muni brought home some drumsticks or seed pods and greatly craved to chew them
out of sauce. Muni’s daily meals usually consisted of only millet and an onion.
(d) How did Muni’s wife agree to fulfil his craving ?
Answer:
Muni’s wife agreed to make the sauce if he could get all the necessary ingredients from the
village shop such as, dhall, chilly, curry leaves, mustard coriander, gingelley oil, and one large
potato.
(e) Why did Muni’s wife say, ‘You have only four teeth in your jaw, hut your craving is for big
things’ ?
Answer:
Muni’s wife gave the remark quoted above because Muni had grown about seventy years old
and he was left with only four teeth in his jaw and yet he desired to chew the drumstick.
(f) Did Muni succeed to get all those ingredients which were demanded by his wife ? Why ?
Answer:
No, Muni did not succeed to get all the ingredients demanded by his wife because the
shopkeeper was unwilling to give him anything on credit as he had already a huge debt.
A Face in the Dark Questions and Answers Extract
Based
Question 2.
When there was a strong wind, the pine trees made sad, eerie sounds that kept most people to
the main road. But Mr Oliver was not a nervous or imaginative man. He carried a torch, and its
gleam —the batteries were running down — moved fitfully down the narrow forest path. When
its flickering light fell in the figure of a boy, who was sitting alone on a rock, Mr Oliver stopped.
Boys were not supposed to be out after dark.
(a) Where is the story A Face in the Dark set?
Answer:
The story is set on the outskirts of the hill-station of Shimla where the protagonist was teaching
in a boarding school. It was three miles away
from Shimla which had cinema halls, restaurants and other shops, which used to be visited by
Mr. Oliver, in the evenings.
(b) What kind of atmosphere has the author created in the story? What showed that something
evil was going to happen?
Answer:
The author has created an eerie atmosphere in the story. It was night time and strong wind was
blowing. The pine trees were making mysterious sad sounds, indicating that something evil was
likely to happen. The batteries of Oliver’s torch were running down, creating an atmosphere of
suspense and fear.
(c) What does the following line ‘Oliver was not a nervous or imaginative man’ signify?
Answer:
The line given above signifies that Oliver did not believe in imaginary or ghost stories. He was a
brave and courageous man. He never felt any kind of fear while walking through the pine forest.
(d) What route did Oliver take to return to his lodging? What kind of weather was there on the
night?
Answer:
Oliver took the short cut route through the pine forest while returning to his lodging. It was utter
darkness in the forest due to being thickly populated with pine trees. The strong wind was
blowing through the trees. This made sad, eerie sounds.
(e) What did Oliver carry with him? What did he come across in the forest? What did he think?
Answer:
Oliver carried with him a torch the batteries of which were running down. In the forest, he came
across a boy who was sitting alone on a rock. He thought that boys were not supposed to be out
after dark.
(f) In what posture was the boy sitting? What was the boy doing?
Answer:
The boy’s head hung down. He held his face in his hands and his body shook convulsively. The
boy seemed to be weeping and sobbing.
Question 4.
The torch fell from his trembling hand. He turned and scrambled down the path, running blindly
through the trees and calling for help. He was still running towards the school buildings when he
saw a lantern swinging in the middle of the path. Mr Oliver stumbled up to the watchman,
gasping for breath. ‘What is it, Sahib?’ asked the watchman. ‘Has there been an accident? Why
are you running?’
(a) Whose ‘trembling hand’ is referred to in the above extract? Why was it trembling?
Answer:
Oliver’s trembling hand is referred to. Oliver was profoundly stunned to see the boy without
face. He found that the boy’s face was without eyes, ears, nose or mouth, hence he was filled
with great fear and his hand began to tremble.
(b) Why did Mr. Oliver call for help? In what state did he run and where?
Answer:
Mr. Oliver was much frightened to see a faceless body in the pine forest so he called for help in
utter fear. In a panic state, he turned and ran blindly through the trees towards the school
buildings.
(c) In what condition did the watchman find Mr. Oliver? What did the watch man ask Mr. Oliver?
Answer:
When Mr Oliver stumbled up to the watchman, he was breathing fast and seemed quite scared.
The watchman found that he was quite uncomfortable and nervous. The watchman asked Mr.
Oliver what had happened with him and why he was running so fearful.
(d) What experience did Mr. Oliver narrate to the watchman?
Answer:
When the watchman saw Mr. Oliver running in a panic state, he asked him why he was running.
At this Mr. Oliver told him that he had seen a boy who had no face, i.e., no eyes, ears, or any
other features on his face.
(e) What did the watchman do after hearing Mr. Oliver’s experience? What did Mr. Oliver see?
Answer:
After hearing Oliver’s experience, the watchman raised the lamp to his own face and asked
Oliver if the boy’s face looked like this. Mr. Oliver saw that the watchman too was without a face.
(f) How does the story end?
Answer:
The story ends with a sense of ambiguity, making the readers ponder over the question whether
it was ghosts, which Oliver encountered or whether it was a prank played upon him by a
mischievous student.

Cold Within
Extract – II
Their dying fire in need of logs
But the first one held hers back,
For, of the faces round the fire,
She noticed one was black
Question 1: Explain the significance of phrase ‘Their dying Fire’.
Answer: The dying fire literally means the fire which is burning to reduce the effect of bitter cold.
The fire needs more fuel or wood to keep it burning. The symbolical meaning of dying fire
implies the reducing of basic spirit of compassion and warmth in the hearts of people.
The word ‘dying’ suggests the sorry state of social relationship in present world where it is
decreasing rapidly.
Question 2: What does the first one hold black and why?
Answer: The first-one perhaps is a white lady who holds back her log because she is guided by
her racist attitude towards the black skinned person. She prefers not to use her log of wood as
she never wants the black man to get the warmth in burning her log of wood. She herself
prefers to suffer from cold.
Question 3: What does the word ‘Logs’ imply here?
Answer: The word ‘Logs’ here refers to the negative attitudes or prejudices of people who are
present there. They are so obsessed with their prejudices that they forget that their basic
survival is at risk if they do not use their log. Still due to malice, jealousy and prejudices, they
refrain themselves from using the logs to save their own life.
Question 4: What kind of discrimination is referred to here in this stanza?
Answer: Here, the white woman refuses to use her log of wood so that its warmth does not
benefit the black person who is there in this gathering of six people. This kind of attitude is
called racial discrimination in which the people maltreat others on the basis of their colour or
caste. It is a foolish attitude and people should rise above such petty attitudes.
Question 5: Is this discriminatory attitude good for humanity at large?
Answer: Not at all, it is high time we all must absorb the basic spirit of humanity, rise above petty
racial attitude and help each other in the time of crisis. If this set of six people had helped each
other instead of being driven by their prejudices, they would have survived the bitter cold and
death. The influence, hatred and discrimination brought their doom.
Extract – III
The next man looking cross the way
Saw one not of his church’.
And could not bring himself to give
The fire his stick of birch.
Question 1: What character traits would you associate with this second character?
Answer: The person mentioned in this stanza duffers from religious prejudice. Usually, no
religion teaches a man to differentiate people on the basis of religious practice they follow. But
here we see a man intolerant of the other who is not from the same church. It prevents him from
offering his log of wood to fire so that it may not benefit the man who belongs to other church,
than his.
Question 2: What feeling prevents this next man to offer his log of wood?
Answer: The next man sees a man who does not belong to his church. In spite of severe cold,
his religious beliefs prevent him from sharing the log of wood. Each religion is based on highest
principles and ideals but the way it has been absorbed by people leads to such an action. Here,
the role of people who teach or preach religion should be such as not to inculcate the feeling of
hatred for the people of other place or caste.
Question 3: Explain ‘Could not bring himself to give.’
Answer: Through these words the poet wants to clear before us that in spite of the need of the
time, this man is insensitive to others due to his religious practices. It is really shocking as no
religion preaches intolerance, still people behave the way this man does. As a result, he brings
his own doom as well as doom for others.
Question 4: What type of people are needed in today’s world?
Answer: As the world has shrunk globally and no country or individual can survive in insolation,
we need tolerant people who do not get carried away by prejudices and ill-feeling for people
belonging to other religions or creed.
Question 5: Do you think religious differences lead to intolerance?
Answer: I don’t think any religion teaches intolerance for others who are from other religions or
from other church. It is basic meanness or insensitive nature of man which prompts not to help
others who are not following his religion. This problem has prevailed due to lack of
understanding, the basic teachings of any religion.

The Bangle Seller

Extract – I
Bangle sellers are we who bear
Our shining loads to the temple fair…….
Question 1: Why does the poet use the word ‘delicate’ to describe the bangles? How is
‘rainbow-tinted circles of light’ and appropriate description of bangles?
Answer: The poet uses the word ‘delicate’ to describe the bangles as they are made of glass
and hence can break easily. ‘Rainbow-tinted circles of light’ refers to the round shaped,
multi-coloured bangles that glow in sunlight. Therefore, it is an appropriate description of the
bangles.
Question 2: Explain the following phrases from the poem in your own words; Shining loads,
Lustrous tokens of radiant lives, For happy daughters and happy wives
Answer:
‘Shinning loads’ means the bangles which are sparkling in sunlight.
‘Lustrous tokens of radiant lives’ mean bright symbols of shining lives.
‘For happy daughters and happy wives’ means that the radiant bangles are meant for happy
daughters and happy wives. It expresses the happiness of daughters at young age and the joys
a married woman has in her marital life.
Question 3: The poet uses several images of sight and sound to create a musical effect in the
poem.
Answer: The examples of these things are: ‘shining loads’, ‘Tinkling, luminous, tender, and clear’
and ‘Rainbow-tinted circles of light’.
Question 4: What are the emotions that the poet associates with a bride on her wedding day?
What colours are the bangles on her wrist that reflect these emotions?
Answer: The poet associates the emotions of happiness and sadness with a bride on her
wedding day. She is happy as she is getting married and entering into a life of her dreams. She
is sad because she is going to leave her parental home. The bride is wearing bangles that are
deep red in colour which express the passion of her heart.
Question 5: What colours does the poet associate with: a maiden, a middle-aged woman. How
does the poet describe the thoughts and concerns of women in both these stages of life?
Answer:
Blue, green, red and silver colours are associated by the poet with a maiden.
Purple and gold-flecked grey colours are associated by the poet with a middle-aged woman.
The maiden is fresh and beautiful and dreams of getting married. The middle-aged woman is
mature and responsible. She is concerned about fulfilling her household duties.

Extract – III
Some are like fields of sunlit corn,
Meet for a bride on her bridal morn,
Some, like the flame of her marriage fire,
Or, rich with the hue of her heart’s desire,
Tinkling, luminous, tender, and clear,
Like her bridal laughter and bridal tear.
Question 1: The word ‘some’ has been repeatedly used by the poetess in this poem. What can
be its purpose?
Answer: The poetess has used the word ‘some’ to denote different coloured bangles which have
been described by her in different stanzas. She has described different colours for different ages
or stages when women would like to wear bangles according to their state of mind.
Question 2: What does the expression ‘fields of sunlit corn’ mean? How is this relevant in the
context of a bride?
Answer: It suggests the joyful prospect of a new phase of life for a bride that is about to start. It
suggests that some colours of bangles are meant to a bride as she wears ornaments made of
gold so to compliment her jewellery, she needs the bangles of golden colour just like the colour
of corn when sunray falls on it.
Question 3: Which figure of speech has been used in the expression ‘like flame of her marriage
fire’? Which colour does it suggest?
Answer: The phrase ‘like flame of her marriage fire’ is an example of simile as a comparison is
being made between the colours of bangles and the flame of marriage fire.
According to the poetess the colours of the bangles of a bride are red, yellow and golden just as
the colours produced by the flame of marriage fire.
Question 4: Bring out the relevance of the line ‘Some, like the flame of her marriage fire.’
Answer: The bride on her wedding day generally wears crimson red and orange colour bangles
which resemble the colour of flame. This flame is very important in a bride’s life as she takes
marriage vows with her groom around it. The flame like colour of bangles symbolises the flames
of love in a marriage.
Question 5: What do you understand by the phrases ‘bridal laughter’ and ‘bridal tear’? With
what they have been compared in the extract?
Answer: The phrase bridal laughter refers to the happiness of a bride when she is going to start
a new chapter of her life while getting married. ‘Bridal tear’ refers to the sadness which a bride
feels while leaving the parental house. These phrases have been associated with the bangles
suitable for a bride-shiny red, bright and radiant. The colours of the bangles of a bride are the
reflection of her mood as when she laughs, they look luminous and when she weeps, they look
tender.

TELEVISION
Extract – IV
IT ROTS THE SENSE IN THE HEAD!
IT KILLS IMAGINATION DEAD!
IT CLOGS AND CLUTTERS UP THE MIND!
IT MAKES A CHILD SO DULL AND BLIND
HE CAN NO LONGER UNDERSTAND
A FANTASY , A FAIRYLAND!
HIS BRAIN BECOMES AS SOFT AS CHEESE!
HIS POWERS OF THINKING RUST AND FREEZE!
HE CANNOT THINK – HE ONLY SEES!
Question 1 : How does Television kill child’s imagination?
Answer : The child of today spends hours together in front of the ‘idiot box’. He goes nothing
else but watch TV all day. The child loses the capacity to think. He slowly loses the ability to
understand and respond to the environment around him. In today’s scenario TV has killed the
habit of reading books. As a result the child has lost his creativity and ability of imagination.
Question 2 : What is the significance of writing these lines in capital letters?
Answer : The winner has written these lines in capital letters to emphasise the disadvantages of
TV watching. As these lines are written in capital letters, these lines show poet’s desperate
attempt to draw reader’s attention towards the problems that too much watching TV can cause.
Question 3 : Explain this line “IT CLOGS AND CLUTTERS UP THE MIND”.
Answer : Watching junk on TV can have a negative impact on the child’s mind. As the child
watches useless programmes on TV, he is away from reality. His mind’s creativity gets
damaged, thinking power goes away and he remains absorbed in the images, he watches on
TV. He lives far away from reality but does not understand . This TV watching messes up a
child’s organised ideas and thoughts.
Question 4 : ‘HE CANNOT THINK – HE ONLY SEES’, What does this line suggest to us?
Answer : The poet wants to warn parents about the ill-effects of TV watching. The line clearly
states that creativity and imagination of a child get damaged by watching TV everyday. The child
is lost in a virtual world, oblivious of his surroundings. His analytic power does not develop. The
poet categorically says that too much watching TV spoils the creativity of children as they are
not able to use their brain to understand things.
Question 5 : What message does the poet convey through these lines?
Answer : The message is pretty clear. He tells that Television watching is very harmful activity. It
rots our senses and kills imagination. It clutters up the mind. Parents need to inculcate the habit
of reading in children right from childhood. The poet advises to throw the TV set away, install a
nice bookshelf in its place and stuff it with books on various topics. In this way a new world will
appear before them and they will be able to use their ability of imagination and creativity.
Extract – V
‘All right’ you’ll cry. ‘All right!’ you’ll say,
‘But if we take the set away,
What shall we do to entertain
Our darling children? Please explain!’
We’ll answer this by asking you,
‘What used the darling ones to do?
How used they keep themselves contended
Before this monster was invented?
Question 1 : Explain , All right ‘you’ll cry ‘All right!’ you’ll say.
Answer : The poet wants to bring change in children’s lives by getting them rid of TV sets. It is
not children who have to be convinced but their parents as they will decide whether to keep the
TV set or throw it away for the welfare of their children. Here, he displays the possible reactions
that he will receive when he will ask them to get rid of TV set. It will be a shock for them so they
will cry and will ask many questions to get the solution of the problem.
Question 2 : What is the question? Why is it asked?
Answer : The question is what the parents will do to entertain their children in the absence of
Television as without it they will get bored. The question is asked by the parents when they are
asked to throw away their TV set for well being of their kids but they are in dilemma as they will
be left with no option to entertain their children.
Question 3 : Why are the parents so concerned about the entertainment of their children?
Answer : The parents are so concerned about the entertainment of their children as it is very
important for their development. If a child does not get entertained he will get bored and
eventually will be used to it. It will affect his growth adversely while if he is entertaining himself,
his mental and physical growth will be positive.
Question 4 : How does the poet answer the question asked by the parents?
Answer : The parents wants to know what they will do entertain their kids if they are to throw
away TV set. At this the poet asks them another question what they themselves used to do
when they were young and there was no television as it had not been invented then. He
indirectly suggests them to use the same options to entertain their children as used by them.
Question 5 : What does he call monster and why?
Answer : The poet is very critical about Television and calls it the real culprit for the decline to
children’s health and morality. According to him a monster first kills his prey and eats it, in the
same way a Television just as a monster first kills the physical activities in a child then finishes
them making the child inactive. In short TV set is the main reason behind the gradual inactivity
in chidlren.