CLASS 12 ENGLISH

FLAMINGO AND VISTAS

CLASS 12 -FLAMINGO
CHAPTER 1- THE LAST LESSON
Theme of the Lesson
The importance of language and its connection with nationalism are the central themes of
the chapter “The Last Lesson.” The protagonist of the narrative is a little kid, Franz, whose
teacher, M Hamel is compelled to flee his native town in France’s Alsace region because
German settlers are annexing it and making German its official language. Now the mother
tongue, French will not longer be taught in the schools of Frech districts of Alsace and
Lorraine. Even though it is obvious that his students won’t be able to speak French in the
future, the narrator’s French teacher, Monsieur Hamel, is determined to give them one
more lesson in the language. The teacher emphasizes that language is an integral element
of one’s identity and culture and that its suppression constitutes an act of oppression, as
done by the enemy country. The French villagers reaize that they have been overpowered
by the enemy soldiers because they did not value their country and their mother tongue.
The Last Lesson Explanation

Passage: I started for school very late that morning and was in great dread of a scolding,
especially because M. Hamel had said that he would question us on participles, and I did not
know the first word about them.
Word Meaning: in great dread of: fear of
Explanation of the above passage: The narrator of the story is a young school-going boy
named Franz. That morning, he was scared as he was late for school. Also, as their teacher M.
Hamel had announced the previous day that he would test them on the topic of ‘Participles’ and
Franz did not know anything at all, he was more scared of being scolded.
Passage: For a moment I thought of running away and spending the day out of doors. It was
so warm, so bright! The birds were chirping at the edge of the woods; and in the open field
back of the sawmill the Prussian soldiers were drilling.
Word Meaning:
Sawmill: a factory for cutting wood
Drilling: exercising
Explanation of the above passage: Franz had another option in his mind – to miss school and
enjoy the day out in the warm and bright weather. He describes the scene – there were birds
chirping on the trees and the noise of the Prussian soldiers doing the drill behind the sawmill
could also be heard.
Passage: It was all much more tempting than the rule for participles, but I had the strength
to resist, and hurried off to school.
Word Meaning:
Tempting: attracting
Resist: to stay away
Explanation of the above passage:The scene outside was more attractive than the school but
Franz controlled the temptation and chose to attend school.
Passage: When I passed the town hall there was a crowd in front of the bulletin board. For
the last two years all our bad news had come from there — the lost battles, the draft, the
orders of the commanding officer — and I thought to myself, without stopping, “What can
be the matter now?”
Word Meaning :
bulletin-board: a notice board for putting up the latest news and communication
Explanation of the above passage: As Franz walked past the town hall, he noticed a huge crowd
at the notice board. The war with Prussia had begun two and a half years ago and since then all
the bad news like losing the war, occupation of Alsace and Lorraine by the enemy i.e. Prussia, etc
had been communicated to the people through this bulletin board. Franz kept on walking
towards the school and thought in his mind that what news could have been put up at the board
now.
Passage: Then, as I hurried by as fast as I could go, the blacksmith, Wachter, who was there,
with his apprentice, reading the bulletin, called after me, “Don’t go so fast, bub; you’ll get to
your school in plenty of time!”
I thought he was making fun of me, and reached M. Hamel’s little garden all out of breath.
Word Meaning: Apprentice: trainee
Explanation of the above passage: As he walked hurriedly towards the school, the blacksmith
who was also reading the news and had come along with his trainee called out to Franz from
behind and said that he needn’t go in such a hurry as there was plenty of time for him to reach
school.
Franz thought that the blacksmith was making fun of him as he was already late for school. When
Franz reached the garden outside the school, he was out of breath as he had walked very fast.
Passage:
Usually, when school began, there was a great bustle, which could be heard out in the
street, the opening and closing of desks, lessons repeated in unison, very loud, with our
hands over our ears to understand better, and the teacher’s great ruler rapping on the
table.
Word Meaning :
a great bustle: a lot of noise created by many people
in unison: at the same time
rapping: striking
Explanation of the above passage:Franz describes the usual scene at the school in the
mornings – a lot of noise created by the moving of desks, children repeating their lessons and
teachers striking the tables with the rulers could be heard.
Passage: But now it was all so still! I had counted on the commotion to get to my desk
without being seen; but, of course, that day everything had to be as quiet as Sunday
morning.
Word Meaning :
counted on: depended upon
commotion: noise and confusion
Explanation of the above passage:That day was unusual as there was no such sound coming
out of the school and it seemed that the school was closed as it used to be on a Sunday morning.
Franz had planned that he would take cover under the commotion and reach the class without
being noticed but that did not seem possible.

Passage:Through the window, I saw my classmates, already in their places, and M. Hamel
walking up and down with his terrible iron ruler under his arm.
Explanation of the above passage:Franz peeped inside his class and saw his classmates seated
and M. Hamel, their teacher walking in the class with the ruler made of iron placed under his
arm. Franz feared a beating.
Passage:I had to open the door and go in before everybody. You can imagine how I blushed
and how frightened I was.
Word Meaning :
Blushed: face turned red in colour due to shame
Explanation of the above passage:Franz was ashamed of being late and feared a scolding as he
had to enter the classroom in front of everyone.
Passage:But nothing happened. M. Hamel saw me and said very kindly, “Go to your place
quickly, little Franz. We were beginning without you.”
Explanation of the above passage:Franz found it strange as M. Hamel did not say anything and
on the contrary, politely asked him to get to his seat,as the class was about to begin without him.
Passage:I jumped over the bench and sat down at my desk. Not till then, when I had got a
little over my fright, did I see that our teacher had on his beautiful green coat, his frilled
shirt, and the little black silk cap, all embroidered, that he never wore except on inspection
and prize days.
Explanation of the above passage:Franz hurried to his seat. After some time when he overcame
the scare and became comfortable, he noticed that their teacher had worn his best embroidered
that day. The teacher normally wore it on occasions like inspection and prize distribution days.
Franz wondered if that day was a normal day, then what could be the reason for M. Hamel to
wear his special dress.
Explanation of the above passage: Besides, the whole school seemed so strange and
solemn. But the thing that surprised me most was to see, on the back benches that were
always empty, the village people sitting quietly like ourselves; old Hauser, with his three-
cornered hat, the former mayor, the former postmaster, and several others besides.
Word Meaning: Solemn: serious.
Passage:Franz felt that the atmosphere in the school was unusual and serious. To add to it,
the last benches of the classroom were occupied by the senior village men – Hauser, who
was wearing his three-cornered hat, the retired mayor, postmaster, etc.

Passage:Everybody looked sad; and Hauser had brought an old primer, thumbed at the
edges, and he held it open on his knees with his great spectacles lying across the pages.
Word Meaning:
Primer: basic reader of any language
Thumbed: torn and damaged
Explanation of the above passage:They all looked sad. Hauser had brought his reader which
was old and torn. He had opened it, kept it on his knees and had placed his spectacles on it.
Passage:While I was wondering about it all, M. Hamel mounted his chair, and, in the same
grave and gentle tone which he had used to me, said, “My children, this is the last lesson I
shall give you. The order has come from Berlin to teach only German in the schools of
Alsace and Lorraine. The new master comes tomorrow. This is your last French lesson. I
want you to be very attentive.”
Word Meaning :
Grave: serious
Explanation of the above passage:Franz was confused and could not figure out what was
happening that day. Just then M. Hamel told them that it was their last lesson in French as the
Prussians in Berlin had ordered that French language would no longer be taught in the schools of
Alsace and Lorraine and that German language be taught instead. The German teacher would
arrive the next day and as this was the last lesson in French, he wanted them to pay attention.
Passage:What a thunderclap these words were to me! Oh, the wretches; that was what they
had put up at the town-hall!

Word Meaning :
Thunderclap: used in comparison to refer to something startling or unexpected
Wretches: here, it refers to an unfortunate happening
Explanation of the above passage:Franz was shocked to know that he could not learn French
any longer and now he knew the latest news that had been put up at the bulletin board of the
town hall.
Passage:My last French lesson! Why, I hardly knew how to write! I should never learn any
more! I must stop there, then! Oh, how sorry I was for not learning my lessons, for seeking
birds’ eggs, or going sliding on the Saar!
Word Meaning :
Saar: a river which passes through France
Explanation of the above passage:Franz regretted for not being serious towards studies and for
wasting his time in hunting bird’s eggs and playing in the Saar river.

Passage:My books, that had seemed such a nuisance a while ago, so heavy to carry, my
grammar, and my history of the saints, were old friends now that I couldn’t give up.
Word Meaning :
Nuisance: problem, burden
couldn’t give up: cannot leave
Explanation of the above passage:Till now Franz considered his books to be an unwanted
burden but suddenly, he starts considering them to be his best friends whom he could never
leave. The writer wants to show the change in Franz’s attitude towards study after hearing the
news that he could not learn French any longer.
Passage:And M. Hamel, too; the idea that he was going away, that I should never see him
again, made me forget all about his ruler and how cranky he was.
Word Meaning :

Cranky: strange, short – tempered

Explanation of the above passage:The news that their teacher M Hamel was leaving also had a
similar impact on him. Franz did not want him to go away. He no longer thought the teacher to
be short–tempered and strict.
Passage:Poor man! It was in honour of this last lesson that he had put on his fine Sunday
clothes, and now I understood why the old men of the village were sitting there in the back
of the room.
Word Meaning :
Sunday clothes: the best dress that a person has.
Explanation of the above passage:Now Franz knew that M Hamel was wearing his best dress in
honour of this last lesson. He also realized that the village men had come to pay respect and
thank M Hamel for his service of forty years in that school.
Passage:It was because they were sorry, too, that they had not gone to school more. It was
their way of thanking our master for his forty years of faithful service and of showing their
respect for the country that was theirs no more.
Explanation of the above passage:The village men had come to the class as they were also
repenting for not have studied well in their childhood. They had come to thank their teacher for
his forty years of service as a teacher of French. Also, they wanted to show respect to their country
and were sad as their mother tongue – French would no longer be taught to them.
Passage:While I was thinking of all this, I heard my name called.

Explanation of the above passage:The teacher calls out to Franz as it his turn to recite the topic
of participles.
Passage:It was my turn to recite. What would I not have given to be able to say that dreadful
rule for the participle all through, very loud and clear, and without one mistake?
Word Meaning :
Dreadful: frightening
Explanation of the above passage:As the news had impacted Franz, he was eager to study and
so, he was desperate to show his eagerness. He wanted to be able to recite the topic in one go and
without any mistake and please his teacher. His desperation is reflected in his willingness to give
away all that he had in return for reciting the lesson well.
Passage:But I got mixed upon the first words and stood there, holding on to my desk, my
heart beating, and not daring to look up.
Word Meaning :
mixed up: confused
Explanation of the above passage:As Franz did not know the lesson, he got confused and stood
quietly. His heart was beating fast as he was ashamed of himself and did not have the courage to
face his teacher.
Passage:I heard M. Hamel say to me, “I won’t scold you, little Franz; you must feel bad
enough. See how it is! Every day we have said to ourselves, ‘Bah! I’ve plenty of time. I’ll learn
it tomorrow.’ And now you see where we’ve come out.
Word Meaning :
where we’ve come out: result
Explanation of the above passage:M. Hamel said to Franz that he would not scold him as now
he had realized his mistake. Everyday Franz told himself that he would study the next day and
now the opportunity to study had ended and he knew nothing.
Passage:Ah, that’s the great trouble with Alsace; she puts off learning till tomorrow. Now
those fellows out there will have the right to say to you, ‘How is it; you pretend to be
Frenchmen, and yet you can neither speak nor write your own language?’ But you are not
the worst, poor little Franz. We’ve all a great deal to reproach ourselves with.”
Word Meaning :
Pretend: show
to reproach: blame
Explanation of the above passage:M Hamel says that all the people of Alsace were to be
blamed as no one was serious towards learning. He tells the class that the enemies (Prussians)
would laugh at them and say that they only show to be Frenchmen as they

can neither speak nor write their own language. He says that Franz should not feel guilty as
everyone is at fault.
Passage:“Your parents were not anxious enough to have you learn. They preferred to put
you to work on a farm or at the mills, so as to have a little more money. And I? I’ve been to
blame also. Have I not often sent you to water my flowers instead of learning your lessons?
And when I wanted to go fishing, did I not just give you a holiday?”
Explanation of the above passage:M. Hamel says that Franz’s parents were not interested in
getting him educated. They wanted him to work at a farm or a mill and earn some money. He
says that as a teacher, he was also not interested in teaching them. He would send them to his
home to water the plants. Sometimes, he would declare a holiday and go for fishing.
Passage: Then, from one thing to another, M. Hamel went on to talk of the French language,
saying that it was the most beautiful language in the world — the clearest, the most logical;
that we must guard it among us and never forget it, because when a people are enslaved,
as long as they hold fast to their language it is as if they had the key to their prison.
Explanation of the above passage:M. Hamel praises their mother tongue – French language as
being the most beautiful, clearest and most logical language in the world. He tells the class to
guard their language as it is the only way to free oneself from the prison of slavery. If a person
knows his mother tongue well, no one can enslave him. Knowing the mother tongue well as a
language is a tool to fight domination.
Passage:Then he opened a grammar and read us our lesson. I was amazed to see how well I
understood it. All he said seemed so easy, so easy! I think, too, that I had never listened so
carefully, and that he had never explained everything with so much patience.
It seemed almost as if the poor man wanted to give us all he knew before going away, and
to put it all into our heads at one stroke.
Word Meaning :
at one stroke: at once, in one go.
Explanation of the above passage:The teacher took a lesson in grammar. That day Franz was
surprised that he understood the lesson with ease. He felt that he had been attentive and that M.
Hamel also explained the lesson with a lot of patience. Franz felt that the teacher wanted to give
them all the knowledge he had before leaving.
Passage:After the grammar, we had a lesson in writing. That day M. Hamel had new copies
for us, written in a beautiful round hand — France, Alsace, France, Alsace.
Explanation of the above passage:After Grammar, they had a lesson in writing. M. Hamel gave
the class new notebooks with “France, Alsace, France, Alsace” beautifully written on them.
Passage:They looked like little flags floating everywhere in the school-room, hung from the
rod at the top of our desks. You ought to have seen how everyone set to work, and how
quiet it was! The only sound was the scratching of the pens over the paper.
Explanation of the above passage:Franz felt that here was an air of patriotism in the class. The
notebooks were like flags of France that were floating all around. The entire class was busy
writing and the only sound that could be heard was that of the pen writing on the paper.

Passage:Once some beetles flew in; but nobody paid any attention to them, not even the
littlest ones, who worked right on tracing their fish-hooks, as if that was French, too.
Word Meaning :
beetles: a large-sized insect
not even the littlest ones: refers to the pigeons
who worked right on tracing their fish-hooks: scratching with their claws.
Explanation of the above passage:Once some mosquitoes flew into the class, but no one
panicked as everyone was busy writing. The writer considers the pigeons sitting on the roof of the
class to be students as well and says that even the pigeons were busy scratching the roof with
their claws and it seemed that they were also busy writing the task of French language.
Passage:On the roof the pigeons cooed very low, and I thought to myself, “Will they make
them sing in German , even the pigeons?”
Word Meaning :
Cooed: the sound made by the pigeons
Explanation of the above passage:The ‘coo’ sound of the pigeons could be heard in the class
and Franz wondered that would the Prussians force the pigeons also to change their language
and coo in German. The writer wants to say that language comes naturally to a being and it
cannot be forced upon anyone – be it the pigeons or the French men.
Passage:Whenever I looked up from my writing I saw M. Hamel sitting motionless in his
chair and gazing first at one thing, then at another, as if he wanted to fix in his mind just
how everything looked in that little school-room.
Word Meaning :
Gazing: looking intently
fix in his mind: store or keep forever
Explanation of the above passage:In between writing, Franz looked at M. Hamel who sat still
and stared at the different things in the classroom in succession as if he wanted to memorize the
appearance of everything before leaving.
Passage:Fancy! For forty years he had been there in the same place, with his garden outside
the window and his class in front of him, just like that.

Only the desks and benches had been worn smooth; the walnut-trees in the garden were
taller, and the hopvine that he had planted himself twined about the windows to the roof.
Word Meaning :
worn smooth: had worn out and became smooth due to overuse
twined: twisted
Explanation of the above passage:M. Hamel had been teaching at that same place for the last
forty years. The only changes were that the desks in the classroom had worn out due to use over
the years, the walnut trees in the garden outside had grown taller, the hopvine on the outer wall
of the school building had climbed up to the roof.

Passage:How it must have broken his heart to leave it all, poor man; to hear his sister
moving about in the room above, packing their trunks! For they must leave the country next
day.
Explanation of the above passage:Franz feels that the teacher must be heartbroken to be sent
away from a place where he had spent forty years of his life. The noises of his sister packing and
moving their luggage could be heard from the room upstairs as they had to leave the next day.
Passage:But he had the courage to hear every lesson to the very last. After the writing, we
had a lesson in history, and then the babies chanted their ba, be bi, bo, bu.
Explanation of the above passage:M. Hamel remained composed and heard the lesson from
the entire class. After the writing task, there was a lesson of history followed by phonetics where
they recited the sounds of alphabets. Franz referred to the class as “babies” because although
they were grown up, they were reciting the lesson of phonetics which is usually done by younger
children. So, he calls himself and his class to be ‘babies’.
Passage:Down there at the back of the room old Hauser had put on his spectacles and,
holding his primer in both hands, spelled the letters with them.
You could see that he, too, was crying; his voice trembled with emotion, and it was so funny
to hear him that we all wanted to laugh and cry. Ah, how well I remember it, that last lesson!
Explanation of the above passage:Hauser had put on his spectacles and holding the primer in
both his hands, recited the letters with the class. He was crying, his voice trembled as he spoke.
Franz had mixed feelings – he found it funny to see how an old man like Hauser was crying and
trembling and on the other hand, he also felt emotional like Hauser did. Franz could never forget
this last lesson.

Passage:All at once the church-clock struck twelve. Then the Angelus.

Word Meaning :
Angelus: prayer song in the church, the start is marked by the ringing of the bell.
Explanation of the above passage:Just then the clock at the church struck twelve and the prayer
song begun.
Passage:At the same moment the trumpets of the Prussians, returning from drill,

sounded under our windows. M. Hamel stood up, very pale, in his chair. I never saw him
look so tall.
Word Meaning :
Trumpets: a musical instrument.
Pale: used to describe a person’s face or skin if it has less colour than usual
Explanation of the above passage:At the same moment, the sound of the trumpets played by
the Prussian soldiers who were returning from the drill was heard. M. Hamel’s face became dull
and colourless as the time had come for the class to get over. He stood straight and motionless
and Franz says that he had never appeared to be so tall.
Passage:“My friends,” said he, “I—I—” But something choked him. He could not go on. Then
he turned to the blackboard, took a piece of chalk, and, bearing on with all his might, he
wrote as large as he could — “Vive La France!”
Word Meaning :
Choked: became unable to speak due to strong emotions
Explanation of the above passage:M. Hamel began to speak but could not continue as he was
overpowered by his emotions. He took a piece of chalk and wrote the words “Vive La France”
meaning ‘Long Live France’ on the blackboard as large as he could.
Passage:Then he stopped and leaned his head against the wall, and, without a word, he
made a gesture to us with his hand — “School is dismissed — you may go.”
Word Meaning :
Gesture: a signal
Explanation of the above passage:Then he stopped writing, bent towards the wall and without
speaking anything signalled the class to leave as the class was over.
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The Last Lesson Video Explanation Part 2

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Question and Answers
Q1. The people in this story suddenly realise how precious their language is to them.
What shows you this? Why does this happen?
A. When the village men realize that their mother tongue, French will no longer be taught to
them, they realize its importance. Suddenly, they develop an inclination towards learning.
They attend the last lesson of French, bring their old, torn primers to learn the language
which shows their eagerness. They regret putting off learning French to the next day. Now,
finally, the last lesson has arrived, and they cannot read their own language. They are
ashamed of themselves and realize that the Germans have overpowered them due to their
lack of knowing their own language.
Q2. Franz thinks, “Will they make them sing in German, even the pigeons?” What
could this mean?
A. Franz is disheartened when he comes to know that he can no longer learn his language –
French. Their district has been captured by Germany and now German will be taught to
them. Franz feels that mother tongue comes to a person naturally, he is born with it and no
one can snatch it away.
Just like the pigeons make the ‘coo’ sound, irrespective of the country from which they are,
similarly, human beings also communicate in their mother tongue. As the Germans are
trying to impose their language on the French, so similarly, Franz feels that they will teach
the pigeons also to ‘coo’ in German language. He has given this example to highlight his
point that language is a natural mode of communication and it cannot be imposed.
CBSE Class XII Board questions
Q1: Answer in 30 – 40 words: (2)
[CBSE paper, 2012]
What changes did the order from Berlin cause in the school?
A: The order from Berlin directed schools in the districts of Alsace and Lorraine in France to
teach German instead of French.
Q2: Answer in 30 – 40 words: (2)
[CBSE paper, 2013]
How did Franz react to the declaration that it was their last French lesson?
A: Franz was shocked and sad when he heard this news. Suddenly he developed a liking for
‘his’ language and was keen to learn French. He was remorseful for not learning well in the
past and was sad that his teacher, Mr. Hamel would go away.
Q3: Answer in 30 – 40 words: (2)
[CBSE paper, 2014]
Why were the elders of the village sitting in the classroom?
A: The elders of the village came to the classroom to attend the last lesson of French in the
school as a mark of respect to the French teacher Mr. Hamel who had been teaching there
for the last forty years. These ‘elders’ had not studied well and could not read and write their
mother tongue, French and so as it was the last opportunity for them, they came to attend
the class.
Q4. Answer the following question in 120 – 150 words: (6)
[CBSE paper, 2015]
The order from Berlin aroused a particular zeal in the school. Comment.
OR
Q5: Answer the following question in 120 – 150 words: (6)
[CBSE paper, 2016]
Our language is part of our culture and we are proud of it. Describe how regretful M.
Hamel and the village elders are for having neglected their native language, French.
A: When Berlin ordered that French language would no longer be taught in schools in the
French districts of Alsace and Lorraine, it stirred the otherwise lazy Frenchmen. Suddenly,
they all had a strong desire to learn how to read and write their mother tongue. It was not
only the children who went to school but also the elders of the village who had not studied
seriously in their childhood, putting off ‘unimportant’ works to the next day. The day finally
arrived as the last day of French language in the schools. They become serious and keen to
learn as they feel the German would laugh at them for not knowing their own language.
They are ashamed of themselves when the teacher says that this lack of knowledge is the
reason for their defeat to the Germans and asks them to guard their mother tongue as
being close to one’s language is the key to escape from the prison of slavery.
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The Last Lesson Extract based questions
1. But now it was all so still! I had counted on the commotion to get to my desk without
being seen; but, of course, that day everything had to be as quiet as Sunday morning.
Through the window I saw my classmates, already in their places, and M. Hamel walking up
and down with his terrible iron ruler under his arm.
1. ‘Counted on’ means___________
a. To count numbers
b. To depend on
c. To borrow
d. To think
A. b
2. Find a synonym of disturbance
A. Commotion
3. Why did the narrator want to reach his desk without being seen?
a. He was afraid of the enemy soldiers
b. He was afraid of being caught by the teacher
c. He was afraid of his classmates
d. He was afraid of his mother
A. b
4. Why was everything quiet on a Sunday morning?
A. It was quiet on a Sunday morning because it was a holiday in the school.
5. State true or False
A. The statement “M. Hamel walking up and down” means that he was walking on the wall of
the classroom
False

2.Ah, that’s the great trouble with Alsace; she puts off learning till tomorrow. Now those
fellows out there will have the right to say to you, ‘How is it; you pretend to be Frenchmen,
and yet you can neither speak nor write your own language?’ But you are not the worst,
poor little Franz. We’ve all a great deal to reproach ourselves with.”

1. Who / what is Alsace?

a. A girl
b. A district
c. not mentioned
d. Both a and b
A. b
2. Who are ‘those fellows’?
A. The enemy German soldiers.
3. Why does he call Franz poor?
A. Franz is called poor because he is not learned in his mothertongue the French language.
4. Find a synonym of scold
A. Reproach
5. ‘A Great deal’ means
a. A big matter / issue
b. A big business deal
c. both a and b
d. None of these
A. a
3.Then, from one thing to another, M. Hamel went on to talk of the French language, saying
that it was the most beautiful language in the world — the clearest, the most logical; that we
must guard it among us and never forget it, because when a people are enslaved, as long as
they hold fast to their language it is as if they had the key to their prison. Then he opened a
grammar and read us our lesson. I was amazed to see how well I understood it. All he said
seemed so easy, so easy! I think, too, that I had never listened so carefully, and that he had
never explained everything with so much patience.

1. How can we guard a language?

A. We can guard a language by not forgetting it and by using it in our daily lives.
2. How is our language the key to the prison of enslavement?
A. One’s language or mother tongue helps one remain attached to the mother land and
unites all countrymen because it is a unique thing which is common in the people of one
country.
3. Why on that day Franz understood the lesson?
a. It was easy
b. He listened carefully
c. Teacher had taught with patience
d. b and c
A. d
4. Find a synonym of surprised
A. Amazed

SHORT -SUMMARY
The story is narrated by a French boy, Franz. He is lazy but sensitive and likes to play. He dislikes
studying French and hates his teacher M. Hamel.

After overpowering their districts of Alsace and Lorraine in France, Berlin has ordered that German
language instead of French be taught in the schools there.
It is the last day of their French teacher M. Hamel, who has been there for forty years. He is full of grief,
nostalgia and patriotism. As a mark of respect to his hard work, the village men also attend his ‘last
lesson’. They are sad as they did not learn their mother tongue, French in their childhood.
Franz is shocked to know that it’s his last lesson, as he does not know French. Now, suddenly, he gets
interested in learning it and understands everything taught on that day!
He develops an instant liking for the teacher, M. Hamel and respects him for his sincerity and hard work.
He feels sad at departing from him and is ashamed for not being able to recite the lesson of participles.
M. Hamel tells them that they all are at fault for not being eager enough to learn, putting it off to the next
day. He blames himself for not teaching them sincerely.
His patriotism is reflected in his praise for the French language as being the most beautiful and most
logical language in the world. He tells the class to guard their language as being close to one’s language is
the key to escape from the prison of slavery. It will help them in getting free from the Germans.
They realize the importance of learning their mother tongue and that they have been defeated by the
Germans because of their illiteracy.
Franz feels that it is not possible to take away one’s language from a person as it is natural to each being,
may it be the “coo” to the pigeons or “French” to the Frenchmen.
 THE
LOST
Theme of the Lesson
--- ANEES JUNG

The sad position of poor children who are forced to have a wretched life and forgo the fun
times of childhood due to their social circumstances is the subject of the story “Lost Spring.”
These children are compelled to labour from an early age and are not given the opportunity
to pursue an education. Anees Jung, the writer, makes a concerted effort to end child
labour. She advocates for government enforcement of strict laws prohibiting child work as
well as enforce the education of children. The word was spread so that child exploitation
might be stopped and all children could enjoy their happy, springtime days. She talks about
her encounter with a slum dweller kid named Saheb-e-Alam who is a ragpicker and wishes
to play tennis and go to a school. However, these wishes remain unfulfilled. Another boy
named Mukesh hails from a family of bangle makers from Firozabad. Their lives are
miserable because the profession does not provide a good livelihood and harms them
physically too. The boy dreams to do something different but his dreams are restricted to
the life that he has seen in his hometown. He aspires to become a car mechanic.

The Lost Spring Explanation Notes

Story 1 – ‘Sometimes I find a Rupee in the garbage’

Passage: “Why do you do this?” I ask Saheb whom I encounter every morning scrounging for
gold in the garbage dumps of my neighborhood. Saheb left his home long ago. Set amidst
the green fields of Dhaka, his home is not even a distant memory. There were many storms
that swept away their fields and homes, his mother tells him. That’s why they left, looking
for gold in the big city where he now lives.
Word Meaning
Scrounging – searching for
Amidst – in the middle of
Explanation of the above Passage: Every morning, the writer sees a young ragpicker boy who
visits the garbage dump near her house and searches for ‘gold’ in it. The writer says that he
searches for ‘gold’ ironically because although the garbage dump is full of useless, thrown away
things, still he shuffles it so minutely as if he will get something as precious as ‘gold’ from it. The
boy’s name is Saheb. His home in Dhaka was in the middle of lush green fields. They had left it
many years ago and he does not remember it anymore. His mother had told him that there were
many storms that destroyed their homes and fields. So, they left home and shifted to the cities in
search of ‘gold’. The writer again says, “looking for gold in the big city”. Gold here refers to
something precious which was not available in their hometown. Things like shoes, money, bags,
etc. for the children and food, clothing, shelter as means of survival for their parents. The boy
searches for such precious things in the garbage dumps. One day the writer questions Saheb and
asks him the reason for shuffling through the garbage.
Passage
“I have nothing else to do,” he mutters, looking away.
“Go to school,” I say glibly, realizing immediately how hollow the advice must sound.
“There is no school in my neighborhood. When they build one, I will go.”
“If I start a school, will you come?” I ask, half-joking.
Word Meaning
Mutters – to speak in a low voice
Glibly – speaking or spoken in a confident way, but without careful thought or honesty
Hollow – meaningless
Explanation of the above Passage: Saheb replies to the writer that he has nothing else to do
other than rag picking. The writer suggests that he should go to school. She realizes that her
advice is meaningless for the poor boy. He replies that there are no schools in the area where he
lives. He also assures her that he will go to school when one is built near his house. The writer
asks him jokingly that if she opened a school would he attend it.
Passage “Yes,” he says, smiling broadly. A few days later I see him running up to me. “Is
your school ready?”
“It takes longer to build a school,” I say, embarrassed at having made a promise that was not
meant. But promises like mine abound in every corner of his bleak world.
Word Meaning
Embarrassed – feeling ashamed
abound – exist in large numbers
bleak – empty
Explanation of the above Passage: Saheb says that he would join the writer’s school and after a
few days, he runs up to her to ask whether her school is ready. The writer replied that it takes a
lot of time to build a school. She felt ashamed at making a false promise. She had said this as a
joke and had never intended to open a school, so she felt ashamed of herself. Saheb was not hurt
because he was used to such false promises as they existed in large numbers in his empty world.
He was surrounded by such false promises made by everyone around him. His world was empty
as no promise made to Saheb was ever fulfilled.
Top
Passage: After months of knowing him, I ask him his name. “Saheb-e-Alam,” he announces.
He does not know what it means. If he knew its meaning — lord of the universe — he would
have a hard time believing it. Unaware of what his name represents, he roams the streets
with his friends, an army of barefoot boys who appear like the morning birds and disappear
at noon. Over the months, I have come to recognize each of them.

he would have a hard time believing it – it would be difficult for him to believe that his name
meant ‘the Lord of the Universe’
Word Meaning
barefoot – wearing nothing in the feet
Explanation of the above Passage: The writer had known Saheb for a few months when she
asked him his name. He replied as if he was making an announcement that his name was Saheb
– E – Alam. The writer thought that the boy did not know the meaning of his name and if he came
to know that his name meant “Lord of the Universe” he would not be able to believe it. His name
was opposite to his life. He went around the streets with a group of friends. It was like an army of
boys who did not wear any footwear. They appeared in the morning like the morning birds and
disappeared at noon. The writer could recognize all of them as she had been seeing them for the
past few months.
Passage:
“Why aren’t you wearing chappals?” I ask one.
|“My mother did not bring them down from the shelf,” he answers simply.
Lost Spring Stories of Stolen Childhood Class 12 Video
Part 2 Explanation

Top
The writer asked one of them that why was he not wearing any footwear. The boy simply
replied that his mother did not get them down from the shelf. As they were beyond his
reach, he did not wear them

“Even if she did he will throw them off,” adds another who is wearing shoes that do not
match. When I comment on it, he shuffles his feet and says nothing. “I want shoes,” says a
third boy who has never owned a pair all his life. Travelling across the country I have seen
children walking barefoot, in cities, on village roads. It is not lack of money but a tradition to
stay barefoot, is one explanation. I wonder if this is only an excuse to explain away a
perpetual state of poverty.
Word Meaning
Shuffles – slides them over each other
excuse – a reason to justify a fault
perpetual state of poverty – never-ending condition of being poor
Explanation of the above Passage: Another boy who was wearing a different shoe in each foot
said that even if his mother would have given him the footwear, he would have thrown it away.
He meant that the boy was not wearing footwear because he did not want to wear one. The writer
asked the second boy the reason for wearing a different shoe in each foot. He did not reply and
shuffled his feet as he tried to hide the shoes. A third boy spoke that he was eager to get a pair of
shoes as he had never owned one all his life. The writer takes the example of shoes to highlight
the condition of these boys. They search the garbage dumps looking for such precious things. She
further tells us that as she travelled across the country, she had seen many children walking
barefoot in the cities as well as the villages. They reasoned that they were barefoot not due to lack
of money to buy footwear, but being barefoot was a tradition for them. The writer wondered and
concluded that the reason of it being a tradition was a mere excuse to hide the fact that they were
so poor that they could not afford footwear.
Passage: I remember a story a man from Udipi once told me. As a young boy he would go
to school past an old temple, where his father was a priest. He would stop briefly at the
temple and pray for a pair of shoes. Thirty years later I visited his town and the temple,
which was now drowned in an air of desolation. In the backyard, where lived the new priest,
there were red and white plastic chairs. A young boy dressed in a grey uniform, wearing
socks and shoes, arrived panting and threw his school bag on a folding bed. Looking at the
boy, I remembered the prayer another boy had made to the goddess when he had finally
got a pair of shoes, “Let me never lose them.” The goddess had granted his prayer. Young
boys like the son of the priest now wore shoes. But many others like the ragpickers in my
neighborhood remain shoeless
Word Meaning
Desolation – the state of being empty
Panting – taking short and quick breathes
Explanation of the above Passage: The writer narrates a story told to her by a man from Udipi.
(Udipi is a town in Karnataka). When he was a young boy, he would walk to his school. On the
way, he would cross a temple where his father worked as a priest. He would stop at the temple
and pray to God to bless him with a pair of shoes. After thirty years the writer visited the town
and the temple. Now the place was nearly empty. The new priest lived in the backyard of the
temple. Plastic chairs in red and white colour were kept there. A young boy came running. He was
wearing grey coloured school uniform, socks and shoes. He had a school bag hung on his
shoulders. He threw it on the bed and ran away. The writer wants to say that the financial
position of the priest at the temple had improved over the last thirty years. Now, he could afford
shoes for this children. She was reminded of another boy who got a pair of shoes. He prayed to
the goddess that he may never lose the shoes that he had got. The goddess had granted his
prayer as the boy never lost his footwear. This shows us that the underprivileged value anything
that they get because they have been longing for it.
Passage: My acquaintance with the barefoot ragpickers leads me to Seemapuri, a place on
periphery of Delhi yet miles away from it, metaphorically. Those who live here are squatters
who came from Bangladesh back in 1971. Saheb’s family is among them. Seemapuri was
then a wilderness. It still is, but it is no longer empty. In structures of mud, with roofs of tin
and tarpaulin, devoid of sewage, drainage or running water, live 10,000 ragpickers.
Word Meaning
Acquaintance – contact
periphery- outer area
metaphorically–symbolically
squatters – a person who unlawfully occupies an uninhabited building or unused land
wilderness- a wasteland
tarpaulin- heavy-duty waterproof cloth
Explanation of the above Passage: The writer describes the area where these rag picker boys
live. Seemapuri, located on the outskirt of Delhi was very different from the capital of the country.
In 1971 when these rag pickers had migrated from Bangladesh, the area had been a wasteland.
Seemapuri was still a wasteland but now it was not empty as almost ten thousand rag pickers
lived there in structures made of mud, with roofs made of thin sheets of tin or plastic material
called tarpaulin. There was no sewage, drainage or running water facility in Seemapuri. They lived
in unhygienic conditions. It was a piece of wasteland where the garbage of the city was collected.
These people had started living there illegally.
Passage: They have lived here for more than thirty years without an identity, without
permits but with ration cards that get their names on voters’ lists and enable them to buy
grain. Food is more important for survival than an identity. “If at the end of the day we can
feed our families and go to bed without an aching stomach, we would rather live here than
in the fields that gave us no grain,” say a group of women in tattered saris when I ask them
why they left their beautiful land of green fields and rivers.
Word Meaning
Permits – legal documents
Tattered – torn
Explanation of the above Passage: The ragpickers had been living illegally in Seemapuri for the
last thirty years. They have occupied the area without government permission or ownership. The
politicians of the area have provided them ration cards and voter identity cards. They got grocery
for their family through these ration cards and in return, they cast their votes in favour of the
politician who had helped them. The writer asked a group of women who were wearing torn saris
that why did they leave their homes in Dhaka. They replied that if they were able to satisfy the
hunger of their families and sleep well at night, they were happier to live in Seemapuri than their
fields in Dhaka which were ruined and gave them no food.

Passage: Wherever they find food, they pitch their tents that become transit homes.
Children grow up in them, becoming partners in survival. And survival in Seemapuri means
rag-picking. Through the years, it has acquired the proportions of a fine art. Garbage to
them is gold. It is their daily bread, a roof over their heads, even if it is a leaking roof. But for
a child it is even more.
Word Meaning
Transit homes – a temporary home
Explanation of the above Passage: These people travelled in search of food and wherever they
found it, they set up temporary homes and started living there. Their children kept on growing
there and gradually, they also started helping their parents in seeking means of survival. For
those who lived in Seemapuri, the means of survival was rag picking. As they had been doing it for
many years, they became trained at rag picking and did it well. For the rag pickers the garbage
was as precious as gold. These families searched the garbage dumps and got things which they
sold to fund their food. They gathered torn or damaged sheets which were used to cover the roof
of their homes. These did not cover them well but still provided them with some protection. For
the children, the garbage dumps were more than a means of survival.
Passage: “I sometimes find a rupee, even a ten-rupee note,” Saheb says, his eyes lighting up.
When you can find a silver coin in a heap of garbage, you don’t stop scrounging, for there is
hope of finding more. It seems that for children, garbage has a meaning different from
what it means to their parents. For the children it is wrapped in wonder, for the elders it is a
means of survival.
Word Meaning
Lighting up – show joy and happiness
Explanation of the above Passage: Saheb was happy to say that sometimes he found a rupee
and even a ten – rupee note in the dump. As one often finds even a silver coin in the garbage
dump, he kept on searching hoping to find more. For the children, the garbage dump was a
means of fulfilling their dreams although partially while for their parents, it was a means of
aiding survival by providing the basics – food, clothing and shelter.

Passage: One winter morning I see Saheb standing by the fenced gate of the
neighbourhood club, watching two young men dressed in white, playing tennis. “I like the
game,” he hums, content to watch it standing behind the fence. “I go inside when no one is
around,” he admits. “The gatekeeper lets me use the swing.”
Word Meaning
Content – satisfied
Explanation of the above Passage: One winter morning the writer saw Saheb standing by the
fence of a club. He was watching a tennis game being played by two young men. Saheb liked the
game but could not play it. He told the writer that he went inside the club when it would be
closed. He was allowed to take swings by the guard there.
Passage: Saheb too is wearing tennis shoes that look strange over his discolored shirt and
shorts. “Someone gave them to me,” he says in the manner of an explanation. The fact that
they are discarded shoes of some rich boy, who perhaps refused to wear them because of a
hole in one of them, does not bother him. For one who has walked barefoot, even shoes
with a hole is a dream come true. But the game he is watching so intently is out of his reach.
Word Meaning
Discarded – thrown away
Bother – worry
Explanation of the above Passage: The writer saw that Saheb was also wearing tennis shoes.
They did not look appropriate with his dress which was worn out and had faded. He told the
writer in an attempt to justify himself that someone gave him the shoes. She however figured out
that he had got them from a garbage dump. They must have been thrown away by a boy from a
rich family as he did not want to wear them anymore. Probably they had a hole or two in them
due to which he did not want to wear them. On the contrary, Saheb was not bothered by this fact
and had no problem wearing them as he could not afford anything better than that. He walked
barefoot and to wear a shoe even with a hole was like a dream for him. Although due to the
garbage dump, Saheb’s dream of wearing shoes had been partially fulfilled but his desire to play
tennis would never be fulfilled.
Passage: This morning, Saheb is on his way to the milk booth. In his hand is a steel canister.
“I now work in a tea stall down the road,” he says, pointing in the distance. “I am paid 800
rupees and all my meals.” Does he like the job? I ask. His face, I see, has lost the carefree
look. The steel canister seems heavier than the plastic bag he would carry so
light over his shoulder. The bag was his. The canister belongs to the man who owns the tea
shop. Saheb is no longer his own master.
Explanation of the above Passage: One morning the writer met Saheb who was on his way
to the milk booth. He was holding a steel container. He told her that he had got a job at the
nearby tea stall. He would earn eight hundred rupees a month and get meals too. The writer
asked him if he liked the job as she could see that he had lost the carefree look. As now
Saheb was working for someone else and was carrying his master’s container, he was
burdened with responsibility. Earlier, as a rag picker, Saheb would carry his own bag and
was his own master. Now, he was no longer his own master.
Story 2 – “I want to drive a car”
Passage: Mukesh insists on being his own master. “I will be a motor mechanic,” he
announces.
The writer met a boy named Mukesh who aspired to become a motor mechanic.
“Do you know anything about cars?” I ask.
She asked him if he knew anything about cars.
“I will learn to drive a car,” he answers, looking straight into my eyes. His dream looms like a
mirage amidst the dust of streets that fill his town Firozabad, famous for its bangles. Every
other family in Firozabad is engaged in making bangles. It is the centre of India’s glass-
blowing industry where families have spent generations working around furnaces, welding
glass, making bangles for all the women in the land it seems.
Word Meaning
looking straight into my eyes – with confidence and determination
looms like a mirage – seems that it will be true in the future but actually it will not be so
amidst – in the middle of
glass-blowing industry – industry related to making glass
furnaces – a closed room or container where heat is produced
welding – the process of joining metal or glass pieces by heating them
Explanation of the above Passage: The boy was confident and replied that he would learn
to drive a car. His dream was far away from reality and although the boy was confident, he
would succumb to the societal pressures. He lived in Firozabad which was famous for glass
bangles. The writer felt that the boy’s dreams would not materialize and gradually get
influenced by the dusty streets of Firozabad. She wanted to say that as every family in the
town of Firozabad was involved in the glass bangle industry, so would Mukesh do with the
passage of time. She tells us that Firozabad was the main town of India for the glass –
blowing industry. The families had been involved in working at furnaces, welding glass, and
making bangles for generations. They made so many bangles that it seemed that they made
bangles for all the women of the world.
Passage: Mukesh’s family is among them. None of them know that it is illegal for children
like him to work in the glass furnaces with high temperatures, in dingy cells without air and
light; that the law, if enforced, could get him and all those 20,000 children out of the hot
furnaces where they slog their daylight hours, often losing the brightness of their eyes.
Word Meaning
Dingy – dark, dim
Slog – work hard
Daylight hours – hours of the day when there is sunlight
Brightness of their eyes – here, refers to the power to see
Explanation of the above Passage: Mukesh’s family was also involved in the profession of
glass bangle – making. They were not aware of the law. They did not know that it was
unlawful to force children to work in such glass furnaces. The work places were hot, dark
closed rooms without ventilation. The writer felt that if the law would come into force, it
would rescue almost twenty thousand children from these inhuman places where they were
forced to work hard during the daytime. They often ended up losing their eyesight also.
Passage: Mukesh’s eyes beam as he volunteers to take me home, which he proudly says is
being rebuilt. We walk down stinking lanes choked with garbage, past homes that remain
hovels with crumbling walls, wobbly doors, no windows, crowded with families of humans
and animals coexisting in a primeval state. He stops at the door of one such house, bangs a
wobbly iron door with his foot, and pushes it open.
Word Meaning
Beam – shine brightly
Volunteers – freely offers to do something
Stinking – bad smell
Choked – blocked
Hovels – slums
Crumbling – falling down
Wobbly – unsteady
Coexisting – present at the same time and place
Primeval – prehistoric
Bangs – hits
Explanation of the above Passage – Mukesh was happy as he took the writer to his home.
He felt proud as he informed her that it was being renovated. They walked down streets
which were full of garbage and gave foul smell. The streets were lined with slums which
were unsteady. The walls were falling apart, the doors were unsteady, there were no
windows and were full of families where people lived along with animals. They reminded the
writer of the prehistoric man who lived just like animals. Mukesh stopped in front of one
such door, hit it hard with his foot and pushed it open.
Passage: We enter a half-built shack. In one part of it, thatched with dead grass, is a
firewood stove over which sits a large vessel of sizzling spinach leaves. On the ground, in
large aluminium platters, are more chopped vegetables. A frail young woman is cooking the
evening meal for the whole family. Through eyes filled with smoke she smiles. She is the
wife of Mukesh’s elder brother. Not much older in years, she has begun to command
respect as the bahu, the daughter-in-law of the house, already in charge of three men — her
husband, Mukesh and their father.
Word Meaning
Shack – a roughly built hut
Thatched – covered with dry grass
Vessel – container for cooking food
Sizzling – make a hissing sound when frying or cooking
Platters – large plates
Chopped – cut finely
Frail – thin, weak
eyes filled with smoke – her eyes are filled with the smoke coming out of the firewood
stove
command respect – she is worthy and so, is respected
Explanation of the above Passage: The house where Mukesh lived was partially
constructed hut. In one corner was a firewood stove made with dead grass. A vessel with
spinach leaves was kept on it. on the ground There were more plates with chopped
vegetables in them. There was a thin, young woman cooking the evening meal for the
family. Her eyes were full of the smoke emanating from the stove but she was still cheerful
and smiled to see the writer. She was the wife of Mukesh’s elder brother. Although she was
not much older than Mukesh, she was a responsible person and was worthy to get respect
from the family as the daughter-in-law of the family. She took care of three men – her
husband, Mukesh and their father.
Passage: When the older man enters, she gently withdraws behind the broken wall and
brings her veil closer to her face. As custom demands, daughters-in-law must veil their faces
before male elders. In this case the elder is an impoverished bangle maker. Despite long
years of hard labour, first as a tailor, then a bangle maker, he has failed to renovate a house,
send his two sons to school. All he has managed to do is teach them what he knows — the
art of making bangles.

Word Meaning
Withdraws – goes back
Veil – a piece of fine material worn by women to protect or hide the face, cover or hide
Impoverished – very poor
Labour – hard work
Renovate – repair
Explanation of the above Passage: As Mukesh’s father entered the house, the daughter-in-
law hid behind the wall and covered her face behind her veil. It was a tradition for the
daughter-in-laws to hide their face in the presence of the older male members of the family.
The elder here was a poor bangle maker. He had worked hard all his life – first as a tailor,
then as a bangle maker. He was still not able to either renovate the house or send his sons
to school. He had just managed to teach him the skill of making bangles.
Passage: “It is his karam, his destiny,” says Mukesh’s grandmother, who has watched her
own husband go blind with the dust from polishing the glass of bangles. “Can a god-given
lineage ever be broken?” she implies.
Word Meaning
Destiny – fate
God-given lineage – here, a profession carried on through the generations of a family –
glass bangle making
Explanation of the above Passage: Mukesh’s grandmother justified her son by saying that he
was destined to make bangles as it had been their family profession. She had seen her
husband become blind due to the dust from polishing the glass bangles. She said that their
family had got this art of bangle making from God and so they had to carry on the tradition.

Passage: Born in the caste of bangle makers, they have seen nothing but bangles — in the
house, in the yard, in every other house, every other yard, every street in Firozabad. Spirals
of bangles — sunny gold, paddy green, royal blue, pink, purple, every colour born out of the
seven colours of the rainbow — lie in mounds in unkempt yards, are piled on four-wheeled
handcarts, pushed by young men along the narrow lanes of the shanty town.
Word Meaning
Yard – the open area at the back of the house
Mounds – heaps
Unkempt – not taken care of
Piled – kept one on top of the other
Shanty town – a town that is full of small, roughly built huts
Explanation of the above Passage: They were born in a particular caste which had to follow the
profession of bangle making. All their life they had just seen these glass bangles. They were
everywhere – in the backyard, in the next house, in their yard and even in the streets of the town.
There were huge spiral bunches of bangles in different colours like gold, green, blue, pink, purple.
There were bangles of all the colours of the rainbow. Further, the writer says that there were
bangles in the neglected yards also. They were dumped on handcarts for sale. They were pushed
by men along the streets of Firozabad.
Passage: And in dark hutments, next to lines of flames of flickering oil lamps, sit boys and
girls with their fathers and mothers, welding pieces of coloured glass into circles of bangles.
Their eyes are more adjusted to the dark than to the light outside. That is why they often
end up losing their eyesight before they become adults.
Word Meaning
Welding – joining
Explanation of the above Passage: The writer describes the environment where these
bangle makers work. They were small, dark huts. The children would sit next to a line of oil
lamps whose flames were unsteady. They, along with their parents joined the pieces of
coloured glass into circles called bangles. As they spent a lot of time in the dark, their eyes
would not adapt to the bright sunlight. Many of them lost their eyesight before gaining
adulthood.
Passage: Savita, a young girl in a drab pink dress, sits alongside an elderly woman, soldering
pieces of glass. As her hands move mechanically like the tongs of a machine, I wonder if she
knows the sanctity of the bangles she helps make. It symbolizes an Indian woman’s suhaag,
auspiciousness in marriage.
Word Meaning
Drab – faded, colorless
Soldering – joining
Tongs – an instrument with two moveable arms joined at one end
Sanctity – the state of being sacred or holy
Auspiciousness – good omen
Explanation of the above Passage: There was a young girl by the name of Savita. She wore a
faded pink coloured dress. She was sitting with an elderly woman and they were joining pieces of
glass to make bangles. Her hands moved like a machine just like the tongs of a machine. The
writer wondered if Savita knew that bangles were sacred. They were a good omen for a woman’s
wifehood.
Passage: It will dawn on her suddenly one day when her head is draped with a red veil, her
hands dyed red with henna, and red bangles rolled onto her wrists. She will then become a
bride. Like the old woman beside her who became one many years ago. She still has
bangles on her wrist, but no light in her eyes.
Word Meaning
Dawn on her – she will realize
Draped – covered
Explanation of the above Passage: She thought that Savita would realize this when she would
become a bride. That day she would cover her head with a red coloured veil, colour her hands
with henna and wear red coloured bangles on her wrist. The elderly woman sitting next to Savita
also became a bride many years ago. She was still wearing the glass bangles but had lost her
eyesight now.
Passage: “Ek waqt ser bhar khana bhi nahin khaya,” she says, in a voice drained of joy. She
has not enjoyed even one full meal in her entire lifetime — that’s what she has reaped! Her
husband, an old man with a flowing beard, says, “I know nothing except bangles. All I have
done is make a house for the family to live in.”
Word Meaning
Ser – a unit of measuring quantity
Reaped – received as a benefit
Explanation of the above Passage: The elderly woman complained that she had not eaten even
a ser of food. Ser is a unit of measuring quantity. The woman wants to say that they are so poor
that they cannot eat enough food. That is the benefit that she has received by adopting the
profession of bangle-making. The woman’s husband has a flowing beard. He says that he does
not know anything other than bangle – making. All that he has been able to accomplish is to
make a house for his family to live in.
Passage: Hearing him, one wonders if he has achieved what many have failed in their
lifetime. He has a roof over his head!
Explanation of the above Passage: The writer wonders that probably the old man has achieved
something which many other people have not been able to achieve. At least he has been able to
secure a shelter for his family.
Passage: The cry of not having money to do anything except carry on the business of
making bangles, not even enough to eat, rings in every home. The young men echo the
lament of their elders. Little has moved with time, it seems, in Firozabad. Years of mind-
numbing toil have killed all initiative and the ability to dream.
Word Meaning
Rings – a sound which is repeated
Echo – repeat
Lament – complaint
Mind – numbing – boring
Toil – physical hard work done to earn a living
Explanation of the above Passage: This problem was prevalent in all the homes which carried
on the profession. They did not know anything else other than bangle-making and it did not even
provide them enough to eat. The young men who had entered the traditional profession also had
the same complaint. With the passing time there was no improvement in their condition. As they
had been doing hard work for a countless number of years, they did not have any ability to do
something else or to dream of it.
Passage: “Why not organise yourselves into a cooperative?” I ask a group of young men who
have fallen into the vicious circle of middlemen who trapped their fathers and forefathers.
“Even if we get organised, we are the ones who will be hauled up by the police, beaten and
dragged to jail for doing something illegal,” they say. There is no leader among them, no one
who could help them see things differently. Their fathers are as tired as they are.
Word Meaning
Vicious – cruel
Hauled up – dragged, taken away
Explanation of the above Passage: The writer suggests them to form a cooperative. She talked
to a group of young men to get out of the clutches of the cruel middlemen who had trapped their
elders. The men said that if they dared to do something like that, they would be dragged and
beaten up by the police and sent to jail. Their acts would be termed to be unlawful. The writer felt
that as they had no leader, they could not think of doing things differently. They all were so tired –
the men and their fathers.
Passage: They talk endlessly in a spiral that moves poverty to apathy to greed and to
injustice. Listening to them, I see two distinct worlds — one of the family, caught in a web of
poverty, burdened by the stigma of caste in which they are born; the other a vicious circle of
the sahukars, the middlemen, the policemen, the keepers of law, the bureaucrats and the
politicians. Together they have imposed the baggage on the child that he cannot put down.
Before he is aware, he accepts it as naturally as his father. To do anything else would mean
to dare.
Word Meaning
Spiral – here, a never-ending continuous process
Apathy – lack of concern
Greed – intense and selfish desire for something
Distinct – separate
Stigma – dishonor
Bureaucrats – government officials
Imposed – forced upon
Baggage – burden
To dare – do something courageous
Explanation of the above Passage: The men complained that it was a continuous process. Their
poor condition led to lack of concern for their problems. This made them greedy and led to
injustice. The writer envisioned that there were two separate worlds – one was of such families
who were stuck in poverty and the pressure of doing the traditional profession according to the
caste in which they were born. The other world is a never-ending cycle of moneylenders,
middlemen, policemen, law keepers, government officials and politicians. Both of these worlds
had forced the young boys to follow the family traditions. The young boys get into the profession
and become a part of the vicious cycle even before they realize it. If they did anything else, it
meant that they were challenging these two worlds.
Passage: And daring is not part of his growing up. When I sense a flash of it in Mukesh I am
cheered. “I want to be a motor mechanic,’ he repeats. He will go to a garage and learn. But
the garage is a long way from his home. “I will walk,” he insists. “Do you also dream of flying
a plane?” He is suddenly silent. “No,” he says, staring at the ground. In his small murmur
there is an embarrassment that has not yet turned into regret. He is content to dream of
cars that he sees hurtling down the streets of his town. Few airplanes fly over Firozabad.
Word Meaning
Hurtling down – moving around
Explanation of the above Passage: The boys had not been reared up to be bold so that they
could dare to go against the system. The writer was happy to sense that Mukesh had the spark in
him. He repeated that he would be a motor mechanic. He wanted to go to a garage and learn the
job. The writer asked that as the garage was at a distance from his home, Mukesh insisted that he
would walk up to it. She asked him if he dreamt of flying planes. The boy became silent and
refused. He did not know about them as he did not know about planes. Not many planes flew
over Firozabad. As he had only seen cars moving around in Firozabad, his dreams were restricted
up to them.
The Lost Spring Summary
Summary of the Lesson “the Lost Spring – Stories of stolen Childhood” – The author
tells us stories of her interactions with children from deprived backgrounds. She describes
their poor condition and life in an interesting manner. The story touches the reader and is
thought-provoking.
The author described two of her encounters with children from deprived backgrounds.
Through them she wants to highlight the plight of street children forced into labour early in
life and are denied the opportunity of schooling. Also, she brings out the callousness of
society and the political class towards the sufferings of the poor. The first encounter is with
a rag picker boy named Saheb – E – Alam who migrated from Bangladesh in 1971 and lives
in Seemapuri in Delhi. These ragpicker children look for ‘valuables’ in the garbage – things
like a coin or torn shoes which are as precious as ‘gold’ for them.
They could hardly manage some food for themselves, other things like identity, education,
shoes and sports are their unfulfilled dreams. Their parents scrounged the garbage
searching for things that helped them survive – afford food, clothing and shelter for the
family. The children hunted through the garbage heaps looking for things which could
partially fulfil their unfulfilled dreams.
One day the writer saw the boy, holding a steel can, going towards the milk booth. He had
got a job at a tea stall. He was happy that he would get eight hundred rupees and all the
meals. The writer noticed that Saheb had lost the freedom of being his own master which
he had enjoyed as a rag picker.
The second boy was Mukesh who belonged to a family of bangle makers in Firozabad. The
boy had a dream of becoming a car mechanic. On the contrary, his family was traditionally
engaged in bangle making, although the profession harmed them physically and they hardly
earned any money out of it.
Still, no one dared to dream of doing something else due to the fear of the police and the
middlemen. The family elders were content that other than teaching the art of bangle–
making to their children, they had been able to build them a house to live in. The boy
wanted to be a car mechanic. Cars were all that Mukesh had seen on the roads of his town
and so, he could not dream any further.
Top
Lost Spring Question Answers
Think as you read
1. What is Saheb looking for in the garbage dumps? Where is he and where has he
come from?
A. Saheb is looking for any precious thing which he cannot afford to buy. Things like a rupee,
silver coin or a pair of shoes. He has come to the garbage dump in the writer’s
neighborhood. He lives in Seemapuri in Delhi and has come from Dhaka.
2. What explanations does the author offer for the children not wearing footwear?
A. The author says that they do not wear footwear because it is a tradition in their families
to remain barefoot.
3. Is Saheb happy working at the tea-stall? Explain.
A. Saheb is happy that he has got work at the tea stall. He will get eight hundred rupees
every month and his meals too.
4. What makes the city of Firozabad famous?
A. Firozabad is famous for glass blowing industry.
5. Mention the hazards of working in the glass bangles industry.
A. People who work in the glass bangle industry lose their eyesight.
6. How is Mukesh’s attitude to his situation different from that of his family?
A. Mukesh dares to dream and has a way out of his situation. He aspires to become a motor
mechanic. On the other hand, his family does not dare to dream. They are too tired and
scared to do something to come out of their grim situation.
Understanding the text
Q1. What could be some of the reasons for the migration of people from villages to
cities?
A. People migrate from villages to cities in search of a better life. They want to earn money
so that they can lead a good life and rear their children in a better way. As cities have more
opportunities for work, this makes them migrate from the villages to these big cities.
Q2. Would you agree that promises made to poor children are rarely kept? Why do
you think this happens in the incidents narrated in the text?
A. Yes, I agree that the promises made to poor children are rarely fulfilled. In the story the
writer jokingly offers the rag picker boy to join a school that she would open. In fact, she
does not intend to open a school. She speaks mindlessly but the boy takes it to be true and
later asks her if the school has opened. There are many such hollow promises in the boy’s
life because the person who makes the promise never intends to fulfil it.
Q3. What forces conspire to keep the workers in the bangle industry of Firozabad in
poverty?
A. The writer tells us that the bangle – makers of Firozabad are poverty – stricken. They are
burdened by the fact of the particular caste in which they are born – bangle – makers. They
have to continue the traditional profession. Further, the society has formed a harsh circle
around them. The money – lenders, middlemen, policemen, law – keepers, officers and
politicians altogether form a barrier around them and tie them in the grip of poverty. They
cannot escape from it.
Q4. How, in your opinion, can Mukesh realise his dream?
A. Mukesh dared to dream and wanted to become a motor mechanic. He wanted to drive
cars too. He took the initial step by aspiring to do something different from the family
business. I think that Mukesh can realize his dream with determination and hard work.
Q5. Mention the hazards of working in the glass bangles industry.
A. The poor bangle makers in Firozabad work in dangerous conditions. The furnaces have
very high temperatures and no ventilation. Hence, they are prone to ailments like lung
cancer. While polishing the bangles, the dust harms their eyes and many lose their vision.
They remain in dark for long hours and so are unable to see during the daytime.
Q6. Why should child labour be eliminated and how?
A. Forcing a child to work is a crime. This is so in order to prevent exploitation of children. If
forced to work, Children cannot enjoy their childhood. They cannot get proper education.
Also, when they are forced into hazardous works, they get ailments at a young age. This
destroys their future. Their parents overlook all these facts as they need money. So, the
government has to become proactive and take measures to check child labour and enforce
the law strictly.
This Page includes Notes of the Chapter The Lost Spring
Top

Lost Spring Extract based questions

1. “Why do you do this?” I ask Saheb whom I encounter every morning scrounging for gold in
the garbage dumps of my neighbourhood. Saheb left his home long ago. Set amidst the
green fields of Dhaka, his home is not even a distant memory. There were many storms that
swept away their fields and homes, his mother tells him. That’s why they left, looking for
gold in the big city where he now lives.
1. What is the boy doing?
a. Cleaning utensils
b. Sifting through the garbage
c. making tea
d. Playing with friends
A. b
2. ‘Gold’ is which figure of speech?
a. Rhyme
b. Imagery
c. metaphor
d. Pun
A. c
3. Find a synonym of ‘in the middle of’
A. amidst
4. Which ‘big city’ do they live in?
a. Dhaka
b. Delhi
c. Mumbai
d. Kolkata
A. b
2. “Go to school,” I say glibly, realising immediately how hollow the advice must sound.
“There is no school in my neighbourhood. When they build one, I will go.”
“If I start a school, will you come?” I ask, half-joking. “Yes,” he says, smiling broadly.
A few days later I see him running up to me. “Is your school ready?”
“It takes longer to build a school,” I say, embarrassed at having made a promise that was not
meant. But promises like mine abound in every corner of his bleak world.
1. What does glibly mean?
a. Spoken confidently but without careful thought
b. Done with confidence and careful thought
c. spoken in a serious manner
d. Careless attitude
A. a
2. A few days later I see him running up to me. “Is your school ready?”
This shows
a. The boy wants to go to school
b. The boy is showing her down
c. the boy does not want to work and wants to escape to a school
d. The boy likes her
A. a
3. Why is the narrator embarrassed?
A. She is embarrassed because she made a false promise. She did not intend to open a
school but the boy took her seriously.
4. Why does she say that promises like mine abound in every corner of his bleak world?
A. The poor boy’s life is full of sadness. He sees many things around him which are like the
writer’s promise but he never gets anything. So his life is not encouraging and it is full of
false promises.
3. My acquaintance with the barefoot ragpickers leads me to Seemapuri, a place on the
periphery of Delhi yet miles away from it, metaphorically. Those who live here are squatters
who came from Bangladesh back in 1971. Saheb’s family is among them. Seemapuri was
then a wilderness. It still is, but it is no longer empty. In structures of mud, with roofs of tin
and tarpaulin, devoid of sewage, drainage or running water, live 10,000 ragpickers. They
have lived here for more than thirty years without an identity, without permits but with
ration cards that get their names on voters’ lists and enable them to buy grain.
1. “ a place on the periphery of Delhi yet miles away from it” means –
i. Semapuri is not in Delhi
ii. Seemapuri is in Delhi
iii. Seemapuri is different from the rest of Delhi
iv. Seemapuri is near Delhi
a. i, ii, iii, iv
b. ii, iii
c. i, ii
d. iii, iv
A. b
2. Find a synonym of outskirts
A. Periphery
3. Which of the following best describes a squatter?
a. One who lives on a land not belonging to him
b. One who sits cross legged
c. One who spends all the money he has
d. None of these
A. a
4. Why do they have ration cards only?
A. The ragpickers aim at mere survival and so the authorities provide them ration cards
through which they get cheap ration. Other than that, these people never ask for any permit
or identity card.
5. Find a synonym of without
A. Devoid
4. And survival in Seemapuri means rag-picking. Through the years, it has acquired the
proportions of a fine art. Garbage to them is gold. It is their daily bread, a roof over their
heads, even if it is a leaking roof. But for a child it is even more.
1. What ‘more’ does the garbage mean for the children?
A. It proves to be a means to fulfil their desires by providing torn shoes, a coin, old clothes
and other such wonders.
2. Why is ragpicking an art?
A. Ragpicking is an art because the ragpicker should have an eye to search the valuable
things in a heap of garbage
3. “It is their daily bread, a roof over their heads, even if it is a leaking roof.” This statement
means –
1. The roof is made of garbage
2. The bread is made of recycled garbage
3. They earn money for bread by selling things found in the garbage
a. 1, 2, 3
b. 1 only
c. 3 only
d. None of these
A. c
5. His dream looms like a mirage amidst the dust of streets that fill his town Firozabad,
famous for its bangles. Every other family in Firozabad is engaged in making bangles. It is
the centre of India’s glass-blowing industry where families have spent generations working
around furnaces, welding glass, making bangles for all the women in the land it seems.
1. Mirage here means _____
a. An aeroplane
b. A hope that cannot be achieved
c. An image seen in hot weather in the deserts
d. none of these
A. b
2. Why every other family in Firozabad is engaged in making bangles?
a. They don’t know any other work
b. Firozabad is the centre of India’s glass-blowing industry
c. They don’t dare do anything else
d. All of these
A. D
3. Why does the author say that “making bangles for all the women in the land it seems”?
A. She says this because in Firozabad numerous glass bangles are made. It appears that all
the women buy and wear bangles made here.
4. Find a synonym of fireplace.
A. Furnace
6. He stops at the door of one such house, bangs a wobbly iron door with his foot, and
pushes it open. We enter a half-built shack. In one part of it, thatched with dead grass, is a
firewood stove over which sits a large vessel of sizzling spinach leaves. On the ground, in
large aluminium platters, are more chopped vegetables. A frail young woman is cooking the
evening meal for the whole family. Through eyes filled with smoke she smiles. She is the
wife of Mukesh’s elder brother.
1. Wobbly means ______
a. Strong
b. wooden
c. trembling
d. All of these
A. c
2. Shack means ______
a. Shop
b. Hut
c. room
d. None of these
A. b
3. Find a synonym of ‘weak’
A. Frail
4. Why are her eyes filled with smoke?
A. Her eyes are filled with smoke because she is cooking on the firewood stove which is
emitting smoke.
7. “Why not organise yourselves into a cooperative?” I ask a group of young men who have
fallen into the vicious circle of middlemen who trapped their fathers and forefathers. “Even
if we get organised, we are the ones who will be hauled up by the police, beaten and
dragged to jail for doing something illegal,” they say. There is no leader among them, no one
who could help them see things differently. Their fathers are as tired as they are.
1. Why will they be beaten by the police?
A. The police will beat them to stop them from organizing themselves into a cooperative.
2. Hauled up means ________
a. To call to account for something
b. to stop
c. to criticize
d. To teach
A. a
3. They are tired of __________
1. Making bangles
2. The vicious circle of middlemen
3. Each other
a. 1, 2, 3
b. Only 1
c. Only 2
d. Only 3
A. c
4. Find a synonym of harsh
A. Vicious

The Lost Spring Summary

Summary of the Lesson “the Lost Spring – Stories of stolen Childhood” – The author
tells us stories of her interactions with children from deprived backgrounds. She describes
their poor condition and life in an interesting manner. The story touches the reader and is
thought-provoking.
The author described two of her encounters with children from deprived backgrounds.
Through them she wants to highlight the plight of street children forced into labour early in
life and are denied the opportunity of schooling. Also, she brings out the callousness of
society and the political class towards the sufferings of the poor. The first encounter is with
a rag picker boy named Saheb – E – Alam who migrated from Bangladesh in 1971 and lives
in Seemapuri in Delhi. These ragpicker children look for ‘valuables’ in the garbage – things
like a coin or torn shoes which are as precious as ‘gold’ for them.
They could hardly manage some food for themselves, other things like identity, education,
shoes and sports are their unfulfilled dreams. Their parents scrounged the garbage
searching for things that helped them survive – afford food, clothing and shelter for the
family. The children hunted through the garbage heaps looking for things which could
partially fulfil their unfulfilled dreams.
One day the writer saw the boy, holding a steel can, going towards the milk booth. He had
got a job at a tea stall. He was happy that he would get eight hundred rupees and all the
meals. The writer noticed that Saheb had lost the freedom of being his own master which
he had enjoyed as a rag picker.
The second boy was Mukesh who belonged to a family of bangle makers in Firozabad. The
boy had a dream of becoming a car mechanic. On the contrary, his family was traditionally
engaged in bangle making, although the profession harmed them physically and they hardly
earned any money out of it.
Still, no one dared to dream of doing something else due to the fear of the police and the
middlemen. The family elders were content that other than teaching the art of bangle–
making to their children, they had been able to build them a house to live in. The boy
wanted to be a car mechanic. Cars were all that Mukesh had seen on the roads of his town
and so, he could not dream any further.
 --- WILLIAM DOUGLAS

Theme of the Lesson

This lesson is taken from William Douglas’ autobiographical book “Of Men and Mountains,”
which deals with the subject of conquering fear. He talks about how he finally overcame his
early phobia of the sea. The incident in the swimming pool where a bully nearly drowned
him as a youngster and the boyhood experience of being knocked down by the waves at the
California beach contributed to a dread of water that haunted him even as an adult. He
ultimately made the decision to face his anxiety because he was unable to enjoy swimming,
fishing, or boating like others. His further attempts to get over the fear, demonstrate his
guts and willpower. Therefore, the message being sent to us is that one must get above
their fear.

Deep Water Explanation

Passage: It had happened when I was ten or eleven years old. I had decided to learn to
swim. There was a pool at the Y.M.C.A. in Yakima that offered exactly the opportunity. The
Yakima River was treacherous.

Word Meaning
Y.M.C.A. – Young Men’s Christian Association
Yakima – a place in Washington, USA
Treacherous – dangerous
Explanation of the above Passage: The writer narrates his experience. He was ten or eleven
years old when he had joined the Y.M.C.A. swimming pool to learn swimming. He did not go to the
Yakima river to swim as it was considered dangerous. This shows that he had a prior fear of
water.
Passage: Mother continually warned against it, and kept fresh in my mind the details of
each drowning in the river. But the Y.M.C.A. pool was safe. It was only two or three feet deep
at the shallow end; and while it was nine feet deep at the other, the drop was gradual. I got
a pair of water wings and went to the pool. I hated to walk naked into it and show my skinny
legs. But I subdued my pride and did it.

Word Meaning
Drop – slope from the shallow area to the deep area
Water wings – A pair of inflatable waterproof bags designed so that one can be attached to
each arm, especially of a child learning to swim
Skinny – thin
Subdued – to overcome
Pride – self-respect
Explanation of the above Passage: William’s mother would warn him not to go near the Yakima
river and would discuss the various incidents of drowning. He felt that the pool at Y.M.C.A. was
safer. The shallow area of the pool was only two to three feet deep while the deep area was nine
feet in depth. The slope from the shallow area to the deep area was not steep. He also got a pair
of water wings to prevent drowning. He did not like to wear the swimming costume which exposed
his thin legs but as he was keen to swim, he gave up his self-respect and wore it.
Passage: From the beginning, however, I had an aversion to the water when I was in it. This
started when I was three or four years old and father took me to the beach in California.
He and I stood together in the surf. I hung on to him, yet the waves knocked me down and
swept over me. I was buried in water. My breath was gone. I was frightened.
Father laughed, but there was terror in my heart at the overpowering force of the waves.
Word Meaning
Aversion – dislike
Surf – wave of the sea
Knocked me down – threw him down
Explanation of the above Passage: William says that he had always disliked water and recounts
an older experience when he was three or four years old. He went to the beach in California with
his father. They stood as a wave leapt towards them. William stuck to his father to save himself,
but the strong wave threw him down and he was covered in water. He was scared as he could not
breathe. His father laughed and tried to make him feel comfortable, but the little child was scared
when he realized that the waves were so powerful.
Passage: My introduction to the Y.M.CA. swimming pool revived unpleasant memories and
stirred childish fears. But in a little while I gathered confidence. I paddled with my new water
wings, watching the other boys and trying to learn by aping them. I did this two or three
times on different days and was just beginning to feel at ease in the water when the
misadventure happened.
Word Meaning
Revived – brought back to mind
Aping – copying
To feel at ease – to feel comfortable
Explanation of the above Passage: When William joined the swimming pool at the Y.M.C.A., the
fear of water resurfaced in his mind. He gathered confidence by watching other boys swim and
tried to copy them. He had done this twice or thrice at different occasions and had started gaining
confidence when the incident happened. He had a narrow escape from death.
Passage: I went to the pool when no one else was there. The place was quiet. The water was
still, and the tiled bottom was as white and clean as a bathtub. I was timid about going in
alone, so I sat on the side of the pool to wait for others.

Explanation of the above Passage: When William reached the pool, no one was there and so he
sat on the edge waiting for other boys to arrive. He was afraid to swim all alone in the pool. As the
swimming pool was empty, William could see the bottom also. It had white coloured tiles on it
and looked white and clean like a bathtub.
Passage: I had not been there long when in came a big bruiser of a boy, probably eighteen
years old. He had thick hair on his chest. He was a beautiful physical specimen, with legs
and arms that showed rippling muscles. He yelled, “Hi, Skinny! How’d you like to be ducked?”
Word Meaning
Bruiser – a person who is tough and aggressive and enjoys a fight or argument
Specimen – example
Skinny – a thin person
Ducked – push or plunge someone under water
Explanation of the above Passage: It had not been long since William had been sitting by the
pool when a boy arrived. He was around eighteen years of age, had a well – built body with
rippling muscles. He seemed to be a bully. He asked William if he wanted to be thrown into the
pool.
Passage: With that he picked me up and tossed me into the deep end. I landed in a sitting
position, swallowed water, and went at once to the bottom. I was frightened, but not yet
frightened out of my wits. On the way down I planned: When my feet hit the bottom, I would
make a big jump, come to the surface, lie flat on it, and paddle to the edge of the pool.
Word Meaning
Tossed – threw
Wits – intelligence
Explanation of the above Passage: The boy picked William and threw him into the deep end of
the swimming pool. William landed on the surface of the pool in the same position as he had
been sitting in. His mouth was open and as he did not know swimming, he swallowed water as he
sank into the pool. He was frightened, but he used his intelligence and on his way down the pool,
planned to push himself up when he reached the bottom. He thought that he would make a big
jump to the surface, lie on his back and swim to the edge of the pool.

Passage: It seemed a long way down. Those nine feet were more like ninety, and before I
touched bottom my lungs were ready to burst. But when my feet hit bottom I summoned all
my strength and made what I thought was a great spring upwards. I imagined I would bob
to the surface like a cork. Instead, I came up slowly. I opened my eyes and saw nothing but
water — water that had a dirty yellow tinge to it. I grew panicky. I reached up as if to grab a
rope and my hands clutched only at water. I was suffocating. I tried to yell but no sound
came out. Then my eyes and nose came out of the water — but not my mouth.
Word Meaning
Summoned – gathered
Spring – push
Bob – jump
Tinge – touch of colour
Suffocating – unable to breathe due to lack of air
Yell – scream
Explanation of the above Passage: William took a long time to reach the bottom of the pool. It
seemed that the depth was ninety feet instead of nine feet. He could not hold his breath and felt
as if his lungs would burst. When his feet touched the bottom of the pool, he gathered all his
strength and jumped upwards. He had thought that the next moment, he would come out of the
pool, but the opposite happened. His movement upwards was slow and when he opened his eyes,
he saw water all around which was yellowish in colour. William got scared and tried to grab
something – a rope which would help him reach the edge of the pool, but he got nothing other
than water. William was at a loss of breath and tried to scream for help, but no sound came out
of his mouth. His nose and eyes came out of the water, but his mouth remained in it.

Passage: I flailed at the surface of the water, swallowed and choked. I tried to bring my legs
up, but they hung as dead weights, paralysed and rigid. A great force was pulling me under.
I screamed, but only the water heard me. I had started on the long journey back to the
bottom of the pool.
Word Meaning
Flailed – waved his hands
Choked – unable to breathe
Rigid – hard
Explanation of the above Passage: William waved his hands at the surface of the water for
help, but he swallowed water and choked himself. He tried to pull his legs up, but they were very
heavy and lifeless. He felt that something was pulling him towards the depth of the pool. He
screamed but his voice did not go out of the water. Once again, William started going down
towards the bottom of the pool.
Passage: I struck at the water as I went down, expending my strength as one in a nightmare
fights an irresistible force. I had lost all my breath. My lungs ached, my head throbbed. I was
getting dizzy. But I remembered the strategy — I would spring from the bottom of the pool
and come like a cork to the surface. I would lie flat on the water, strike out with my arms,
and thrash with my legs. Then I would get to the edge of the pool and be safe.
Word Meaning
Expending – losing, giving out
Ached – pained
Throbbed – felt pain in a series of beats
Dizzy – faint, unsteady
Strategy – plan of action
Strike out – extend
Thrash – hit with force
Explanation of the above Passage: William tried to save himself from drowning in the pool and
tried to grab something, but as there was water all around, he could not do so. He compares his
situation to a person who sees a nightmare and fights against the dreadful dream but is unable
to ward it off. William was breathless. He felt pain in his lungs and his head felt a sensation of
beating. He was getting unconscious, but he could recollect the plan to save himself – as his feet
touched the bottom, he would take a leap and jump up to the surface in a jiffy. Then he would lie
on his back, hit the strokes with his limbs and reach to the edge of the pool to safety.
Passage: I went down, down, endlessly. I opened my eyes. Nothing but water with a yellow
glow — dark water that one could not see through. And then sheer, stark terror seized me,
terror that knows no understanding, terror that knows no control, terror that no one can
understand who has not experienced it. I was shrieking under water. I was paralysed under
water — stiff, rigid with fear. Even the screams in my throat were frozen. Only my heart, and
the pounding in my head, said that I was still alive.
Word Meaning
Stark – severe
Seized – gripped
Shrieking – screaming
Paralysed – incapable of movement
Pounding – repeated beating
Explanation of the above Passage: William sank into the pool and the journey downwards
seemed endless. He opened his eyes. There was water all around. It had a yellowish glow and he
could not see through it. This terrorized William. He says that his feeling can not be explained but
it can only be understood by those who have experienced a similar situation. He was screaming in
the water, he was unable to move due to the fear. His screams also froze. Only his heart beat and
the beating in his head indicated that he was alive.
Passage: And then in the midst of the terror came a touch of reason. I must remember to
jump when I hit the bottom. At last I felt the tiles under me. My toes reached out as if to
grab them. I jumped with everything I had.
Word Meaning
In the midst of – between

Explanation of the above Passage: In between the phase of terror, William recollected the plan
that he had to take a jump as he touched the bottom of the pool. As he felt the tiles of the bottom
of the pool, his feet used all the strength he had, and he jumped up.
Passage: But the jump made no difference. The water was still around me. I looked for
ropes, ladders, water wings. Nothing but water. A mass of yellow water held me. Stark terror
took an even deeper hold on me, like a great charge of electricity. I shook and trembled with
fright. My arms wouldn’t move. My legs wouldn’t move. I tried to call for help, to call for
mother. Nothing happened.
Explanation of the above Passage: The effort went in vain. He was still submerged in the water.
He looked around for help, for any rope, ladder or water wing with the help of which he could
rescue himself. He could only see water all around him. It was as if a chunk of yellow water had
grabbed him. The terror grew intense. It was like an electric shock that ran through the whole
body. He trembled with fright. He could neither move his limbs nor call out for help.
Passage: And then, strangely, there was light. I was coming out of the awful yellow water. At
least my eyes were. My nose was almost out too.
Then I started down a third time. I sucked for air and got water. The yellowish light was
going out. Then all effort ceased. I relaxed. Even my legs felt limp; and a blackness swept
over my brain. It wiped out fear; it wiped out terror. There was no more panic. It was quiet
and peaceful. Nothing to be afraid of. This is nice… to be drowsy… to go to sleep… no need
to jump… too tired to jump… it’s nice to be carried gently… to float along in space… tender
arms around me… tender arms like Mother’s… now I must go to sleep…
Word Meaning
Ceased – ended
Explanation of the above Passage: Something strange happened, and William saw light. His
eyes came out of the water. His nose was almost out of it.
Then he started going downwards into the pool for the third time. He tried to breathe but gulped
water instead. The light went out as he drowned again. Then he stopped making efforts to save
himself. William relaxed, his legs became lifeless and his brain experienced a black–out. The fear
ended, he did not panic. He became quite and experienced peace. He was not afraid of drowning
anymore. He felt sleepy, was tired to jump up, felt nice to be carried in his mother’s arms as he
felt sleepy.
Passage: I crossed to oblivion, and the curtain of life fell.

Word Meaning
Oblivion – the state of being unaware or unconscious of what is happening around
one
Curtain of life fell – life came to an end
Explanation of the above Passage: William became unconscious as he drifted away towards
death.
Passage: The next I remember I was lying on my stomach beside the pool, vomiting. The
chap that threw me in was saying, “But I was only fooling.” Someone said, “The kid nearly
died. Be all right now. Let’s carry him to the locker room.”
Explanation of the above Passage: When William gained consciousness, he was lying on his
stomach, beside the pool and was vomiting. He heard someone scolding the boy who had pushed
him into the pool. The voice said that William had almost died, and the boy replied that he was
fooling with him. The voice asked the boy to carry William to the locker room.
Passage: Several hours later, I walked home. I was weak and trembling. I shook and cried
when I lay on my bed. I couldn’t eat that night. For days a haunting fear was in my heart. The
slightest exertion upset me, making me wobbly in the knees and sick to my stomach.
Word Meaning
Wobbly – weak
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Explanation of the above Passage: After many hours, William walked home. He felt weak and
shivered. He kept on crying as he lay on the bed. He was unable to eat food. The fear kept on
haunting him for many days. The incident made him physically upset. The slightest work made
him feel that his knees were unable to bear his weight. He would feel like vomiting.
Passage: I never went back to the pool. I feared water. I avoided it whenever I could.
Explanation of the above Passage: William did not go to the swimming pool as he feared the
water. He remained away from water.
Passage: A few years later when I came to know the waters of the Cascades, I wanted to get
into them. And whenever I did — whether I was wading the Tieton or Bumping River or
bathing in Warm Lake of the Goat Rocks — the terror that had seized me in the pool would
come back. It would take possession of me completely. My legs would become paralysed.
Icy horror would grab my heart.
Word Meaning
Cascades – waterfall
Explanation of the above Passage: After some years, William came to know of a waterfall and
wanted to go in it. Whenever he went for swimming in different rivers like the Tieton, Bumping
river, Warm lake of the Goat Rocks, the fear of water returned. It would grab him completely,
disable his limbs and grab his heart.

Passage: This handicap stayed with me as the years rolled by. In canoes on Maine lakes
fishing for landlocked salmon, bass fishing in New Hampshire, trout fishing on the
Deschutes and Metolius in Oregon, fishing for salmon on the Columbia, at Bumping Lake in
the Cascades — wherever I went, the haunting fear of the water followed me. It ruined my
fishing trips; deprived me of the joy of canoeing, boating, and swimming.
Word Meaning
Handicap – a circumstance that makes progress or success difficult
Canoes – small boats
Ruined – destroyed
Deprived – to take away
Explanation of the above Passage: The fear of water remained with William as he grew up. On
the boating trips to different lakes in the Maine region, New Hampshire, Deschutes, Metolius,
Columbia, Bumping lake – where he fished different varieties of fish, namely – salmon, bass and
trout, the fear followed him. His fishing trips were destroyed as he did not enjoy boating and
swimming due to the fear.
Passage: I used every way I knew to overcome this fear, but it held me firmly in its grip.
Finally, one October, I decided to get an instructor and learn to swim. I went to a pool and
practiced five days a week, an hour each day. The instructor put a belt around me. A rope
attached to the belt went through a pulley that ran on an overhead cable. He held on to the
end of the rope, and we went back and forth, back and forth across the pool, hour after
hour, day after day, week after week. On each trip across the pool a bit of the panic seized
me. Each time the instructor relaxed his hold on the rope and I went under, some of the old
terror returned and my legs froze. It was three months before the tension began to slack.
Then he taught me to put my face under water and exhale, and to raise my nose and inhale.
I repeated the exercise hundreds of times. Bit by bit I shed part of the panic that seized me
when my head went under water.
Word Meaning
Cable – thick rope
Slack – to reduce
Shed – removed
Panic – fear
Seized – gripped
Explanation of the above Passage: William tried to ward of the fear but was unable to get rid of
it. Finally, in the month of October, he hired an instructor to teach him swimming. He would
practise for an hour each day, five days a week. William describes the learning process. The
instructor put a belt around William’s waist. The belt was attached to a thick rope. The rope went
through an overhead pulley and was held by the instructor. It ensured that in case William
drowned, the instructor would pull him out. William swam across the length of the pool for
several weeks. Whenever the instructor loosened the rope, he went down into the water and the
fear would return. It would immobilize his legs. It was after three months of practise that William
got comfortable. Then the instructor taught him to breathe in the water. He taught him to put his
face under the water and exhale his breathe. He was taught to raise his nose out of the water
and inhale. William practiced several times. Gradually, he got rid of the panic that would grab
him when he put his head under the water.
Passage: Next he held me at the side of the pool and had me kick with my legs. For weeks I
did just that. At first my legs refused to work. But they gradually relaxed; and finally I could
command them.
Word Meaning
Command – order
Explanation of the above Passage: In the third phase of the learning process, the instructor
taught William to kick the water’s surface with his legs. He did this for many weeks. Initially, his
legs did not move but gradually, they relaxed and finally, William could order them to kick in the
desired way.
Passage: Thus, piece by piece, he built a swimmer. And when he had perfected each piece,
he put them together into an integrated whole. In April he said, “Now you can swim. Dive off
and swim the length of the pool, crawl stroke.”
Word Meaning
Stroke – a particular style of moving the arms and legs in swimming.
Explanation of the above Passage: Finally, the instructor made a swimmer out of William in
phases. When William had perfected each phase, he compiled them. In the month of April, the
instructor told William that now he could swim. He asked him to dive into the pool and swim the
length of the pool in a particular style called the crawl stroke.
Passage: I did. The instructor was finished.
Explanation of the above Passage: William swam and the classes came to an end.

Passage: But I was not finished. I still wondered if I would be terror-stricken when I was
alone in the pool. I tried it. I swam the length up and down. Tiny vestiges of the old terror
would return. But now I could frown and say to that terror, “Trying to scare me, eh? Well,
here’s to you! Look!”
And off I’d go for another length of the pool.
Word Meaning
Vestiges – traces
Explanation of the above Passage: William had not overcome the fear yet and wondered if the
terror would grab him when he would be alone in the water. He tried to swim alone in the pool.
The terror returned in small phases but now, as he knew how to swim, he faced the terror with
confidence. He swam another length of the pool.

Passage: This went on until July. But I was still not satisfied. I was not sure that all the terror
had left. So I went to Lake Wentworth in New Hampshire, dived off a dock at Triggs Island,
and swam two miles across the lake to Stamp Act Island. I swam the crawl, breast stroke,
side stroke, and back stroke. Only once did the terror return. When I was in the middle of
the lake, I put my face under and saw nothing but bottomless water. The old sensation
returned in miniature. I laughed and said, “Well, Mr Terror, what do you think you can do to
me?” It fled and I swam on.
Word Meaning
Miniature – small size
Explanation of the above Passage: William swam like this till the month of July but was not
satisfied. He wanted to be sure that all of the fear had left him. So, he went to Lake Wentworth in
New Hampshire, dived into it from Triggs island and swam for two miles, up to Stamp Act island.
He swam in different styles – crawl, breast stroke, side stroke and back stroke. The terror returned
only once when he was in the middle of the lake. When he put his head under water, he saw
water all around and the fear returned. This time, William laughed at the terror and said to it that
it could not harm him. He saw that the terror vanished, and he resumed swimming.
Passage: Yet I had residual doubts. At my first opportunity I hurried west, went up the
Tieton to Conrad Meadows, up the Conrad Creek Trail to Meade Glacier, and camped in the
high meadow by the side of Warm Lake. The next morning I stripped, dived into the lake,
and swam across to the other shore and back — just as Doug Corpron used to do. I shouted
with joy, and Gilbert Peak returned the echo. I had conquered my fear of water.
Explanation of the above Passage: William still had some doubt about the fear. So, he hurried
towards the western direction. He went up the Tieton, reached Conrad meadows, walked up the
Conrad creek trail to Meade glacier. He camped at the meadow by the Warm lake. The next
morning, he wore the swimming costume and dived into the lake. He swam across it to the other
end and returned just like the famous American Doug Corpron used to do. William shouted with
joy as he had overcome his fear. His voice resounded as the mountain peak named Gilbert peak
reverberated it. He had overcome the fear.

Passage: The experience had a deep meaning for me, as only those who have known stark
terror and conquered it can appreciate. In death there is peace. There is terror only in the
fear of death, as Roosevelt knew when he said, “All we have to fear is fear itself.” Because I
had experienced both the sensation of dying and the terror that fear of it can produce, the
will to live somehow grew in intensity.
At last I felt released — free to walk the trails and climb the peaks and to brush aside fear.
Explanation of the above Passage: The experience had a great importance in William’s life. He
realized that death was peaceful and only the fear of death was fearful. He recollects the words of
one of the Presidents of America – Roosevelt. Roosevelt had said that all we have to fear is fear
itself. As William had experienced death and the fear of death, his desire to live grew immensely.
He felt released from fear and was free to walk up the trails and climb up the mountains
fearlessly.
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Deep Water Question Answers
Q1. How does Douglas make clear to the reader the sense of panic that gripped him as
he almost drowned? Describe the details that have made the description vivid.
A. William describes his experience where he had a close brush with death at the Y.M.C.A.
Swimming pool. As it a first-person account, he has described it deeply. The emotional, mental
and physical struggle and the paralyzing fear of drowning have been discussed in detail.
William retained his intelligence and had a plan to come to the surface. He tried it but I did
not work and after a few trials to save his life, death dawned upon him. All these details
make the description vivid.
Q2. How did Douglas overcome his fear of water?
A. William Douglas was not able to come out of his fear. So, he hired a swimming instructor.
Once he had learned swimming, he wanted to check if he had overcome the fear as well. He
would swim in lakes and found the fear to return in small phases. William was no longer scared
as he knew that he could swim. Hence, he overcame the fear.
Q3. Why does Douglas as an adult recount a childhood experience of terror and his
conquering of it? What larger meaning does he draw from this experience?
A. William Douglas gives a detailed description of his childhood experience so that the
reader gets familiar with the kind of fear that he had as a child.
When he quotes Roosevelt ““All we have to fear is fear itself” he tries to draw a larger
meaning from this experience. He wants to highlight the fact that life became meaningful
and the desire to live grew intense once he had conquered his fear.
Board questions
Q1: Answer the following question in 120 – 150 words: (10)
[CBSE paper, 2012]
How did Douglas develop an aversion to water?
OR
Q2: Answer the following question in 120 – 150 words: (6)
[CBSE paper, 2015]
What happened at the YMCA swimming pool which instilled fear of water in Douglas’
mind?
A: Since the age of three or four, when the author accompanied his father to the beach, he
realized that he disliked water. He would get frightened by the power of the waves which
threw him, swept over and he was buried in water.
Later, at the age of ten – eleven years, he decided to learn swimming. He joined swimming
classes at a swimming pool at the Y.M.C.A. He felt that the swimming pool was safe. Also,
the pair of water wings would help him stay on the surface but more, they instilled a sense
of confidence in him. It was just when he had started feeling comfortable that an incident
took place. A big boy picked up the author and threw him in the pool at the deep end. He
got water in his mouth and sank to the bottom. He was frightened but kept his mind
working and devised a way out but things did not turn out as planned. His lungs felt as if
they would burst, he was overpowered by fear, reached out, as if to grab something, but
could only get his hands on the water. He got suffocated due to lack of air, could not
scream, moved his arms desperately but all his efforts failed and he once again sank to the
bottom of the pool. An unexplainable terror seized him. His limbs were lifeless, rigid due to
fear and he could not even scream, the only sign of life was his heart beat. He sucked in
water and then suddenly all his efforts to save himself stopped. He was relaxed, peaceful,
fearless and sleepy, almost dead.
It was due to these experiences that the author developed an aversion to water.
Q3: Answer in 30 – 40 words: (2)
[CBSE paper, 2013]
How did the instructor turn Douglas into a swimmer?
A: The instructor made him practice swimming step by step and gradually, piece by piece,
turned him into a swimmer. When he had perfected each piece, he put them together into
an integrated whole.
Q4: Answer the following question in 120 – 150 words: (6)
[CBSE paper, 2015]
Describe the efforts made by Douglas to overcome his fear of water.
A: Douglas was in the tight grip of a fear of swimming in water bodies and finally decided to
get rid of it. He hired an instructor who taught him swimming piece by piece and when he
had learnt it all, he combined all the pieces together and made Douglas a swimmer. Still, he
was not confident, and the terror would seize him time and again. Douglas wanted to get rid
of all the fear, he wanted to conquer it. So, he went to various lakes, dived and swam across
them. He reverted sarcastically to the tiny vestiges of fear that would grip him time and
again until all of it vanished away. Douglas realized that fear was merely a crop of the mind
and once he had conquered it, he felt released, free to walk arduous terrains, climb peaks
and brush aside fear. Douglas had faced stark terror and then by conquering it his desire to
live life grew intensely.
Q5: Answer the following question in 30 – 40 words: (2)
[CBSE paper, 2016]
How did his experience at the YMCA swimming pool affect Douglas?
A: Douglas’ experience of drowning and almost being dead instilled a fear of water in him.
He shook and cried, couldn’t eat, for days a haunting fear engulfed him, the slightest
exertion upset him. He never went back to the pool, feared water and avoided it whenever
he could.
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Deep Water Extract based questions

1. It was only two or three feet deep at the shallow end; and while it was nine feet deep at
the other, the drop was gradual. I got a pair of water wings and went to the pool. I hated to
walk naked into it and show my skinny legs. But I subdued my pride and did it.
1. The author subdued his pride and did it. This shows that he –
a. Hated swimming
b. Loved swimming
c. did not want to swim
d. Was forced to swim
A. b
2. What are water wings?
a. A pair of wings to fly over the water
b. A pair of life saving tube to swim in water
c. both a and b
d. None of these
A. b
3. He got water wings before going to the pool. This shows that he –
a. Was brave
b. Was courageous
c. was rich
d. Was scared
A. d
4. State true of False –
The writer could drown at the shallow end of the pool
A. False
5. Find a synonym of overpower
A. Subdue
2. But I was not finished. I still wondered if I would be terror-stricken when I was alone in the
pool. I tried it. I swam the length up and down. Tiny vestiges of the old terror would return.
But now I could frown and say to that terror, “Trying to scare me, eh? Well, here’s to you!
Look!” And off I’d go for another length of the pool.
1. Find a synonym of trace
A. Vestige
2. Did the narrator actually speak to the terror?
A. No, he said this in his mind.
3. What quality can be seen in the author?
a. Courage
b. Terror
c. fear
d. All of these
A. a

Deep Water Summary

The story has been taken from the author’s autobiography- ‘Of Men and Mountains’.
In this piece, he tells about his fear of water and how he conquered it by determination and
willpower.As a child, when he was 3 or 4 years old, he would go to the beach in California
with his father. He would get scared by the might of the huge waves which swept over him
and it instilled fear in his subconscious mind.
A few years later, in his eagerness to learn swimming, he joined a swimming pool where an
incident further increased his terror. He was pushed into the pool by another boy and
experienced death closely.
Many years after that incident, he stayed away from water but the desire to go fishing and
swimming in nature was strong enough to motivate him to overcome his fear.
He learned swimming with the help of an instructor who ensured that William knew
swimming well enough to be able to swim in huge lakes and waterfalls also.
Still, when he would swim, the fear from his childhood experiences, embedded in his
subconscious mind would grip him over and over again. He wanted to conquer that fear.
He faced it sarcastically, thinking that now, as he knew how to swim, what harm could it do
to him. He challenged his fear in the face of it and finally, it would vanish.
It was a baseless fear instilled in his subconscious mind. This experience was valuable for
him. He had experienced terror and death. He overcame it and finally conquered it.
William realized that death is peaceful and it is the fear of death that is terrorizing. His will to
live life grew intensely as he had overcome his fear and started living fearlessly.
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