GEMS OF WISDOM

An Anthology of Short Stories

Contents

Part One
1. The Lady, or the Tiger?
Frank R Stockton 3
2. The Gift of The Magi
O Henry 16
3. The Sniper
Liam O’Flaherty 31
4. Black Boy
Richard Wright 44
5. An Astrologer’s Day
R K Narayan 53

Part Two
6. The Model Millionaire
Oscar Wilde 67
7. Too Dear
Leo Tolstoy 83
8. The Ant and the Grasshopper
W S Maugham 97
9. The World-Renowned Nose
V M Basheer 111
10. The Diamond Necklace
Guy de Maupassant 127
 1 The Lady, or the Tiger?

Frank R Stockton

About the Author:

Frank Richard Stockton (1834–1902) was an American writer and
humorist born in Philadelphia in 1834. He was the son of a prominent
Methodist minister and his father always discouraged him from taking up
writing as a career. Stockton is best known for a series of original
children’s fairy tales that were widely popular during the latter part of the
19 century. His first fairy tale, Ting-a-ling, was published in 1867 in The
Riverside Magazine and his first book collection appeared in 1870.
Stockton avoided the educational moralising that was common to
children’s stories and instead used clever humour to highlight follies
such as greed, violence, and abuse of power. He was known for
describing the adventures of his characters in an appealing and
straightforward manner. Stockton’s first major success arrived with the
1879 publication of Rudder Grange, a collection of stories based on a
married couple and their servant. The Queen’s Museum and Other
Fanciful Tales and The Adventures of Captain Horn are some his
famous novels, the latter being the third best-selling book in the US in
1895. Some of his popular stories include The Griffin and the Minor
Canon and The Bee-Man of Orn, but The Lady, or the Tiger? is by far
one of his most famous tales that won him literary acclaim.

About the Story:

The Lady, or the Tiger? is a story about a whimsical king who rules
as his heart desires and has a strange way of handing out rewards
and punishments to people who are presented before him for justice.
The story describes how every person tried in front of the king is
4 Gems of Wisdom

taken to the public arena and is faced with two doors—behind one of
which is a hungry tiger that will devour him if he is guilty and behind
the other is a beautiful lady-in-waiting, whom he will have to marry, if
he comes out innocent. The same fate awaits a young man whom
the king discovers is in love with his daughter, the princess. While
the crowd waits anxiously to see the young man’s fate, he looks
upon his beloved princess, who points him to the door on the right.
The lover starts to open the door and ... the author leaves the story
on an open-ended question: Did the princess save her love by
pointing to the door which led to the beautiful lady, or did she prefer
to see her lover die rather than see him marry someone else? This
open-endedness challenges the mind of the reader and compels
him/her to think of the possible climaxes to this story while providing
an interesting twist in the tale.

The Lady, or the Tiger?

Part One
Long, long ago there lived a king who was crude and very much
like a savage. He had learned some manners from his Latin
neighbours, but mostly he was barbaric, loud and gruff. He had
none of the grace and polish of his neighbours. He was a man of
great fancies and even greater enthusiasm. Because he had so
much authority as a king, he was able to force some of these
fancies into reality.
His personality was normally calm when everything was in
order. When there was a little hitch, however, he was exultant
and happy. He loved it when things went wrong because that
meant that he could then correct them. He loved to make the
crooked straight, to crush down the uneven places in life.

He decided that there should be a way to add culture to the

lives of his subjects. His method was the public arena. There,
humans and beasts performed before audiences.
 The Lady, or the Tiger? 5
But his fancies asserted themselves here. The arena that he built
was not for the honour and glory of gladiators. It was not for
beasts to fight each other to the finish. It was not even for
throwing religious heretics to the lions. It was, he believed, for
the purpose of widening and developing the mental energies of
his people. It was a vast amphitheater with encircling galleries,
mysterious vaults, and unseen passages. It was to be a means for
poetic justice. It was to be a place where crime was punished or
virtue rewarded—all by chance.

When the king was interested in people and their crimes, he

would dictate that their fate should be decided in the arena. This
king knew no traditions from other kingdoms. His only
allegiance was to himself and his own fancies. This fancy, the
chance-fate decision in the arena, came about because of his
romantic, yet barbaric, idealism.
When all the people had gathered in the galleries and the
king was seated on his throne high up on one side of the arena,
he would give a signal. A door beneath him would open, and the
accused person would step out into the amphitheater. Directly
opposite the accused there were two doors, exactly alike and side
by side. The person on trial had to walk over to these doors and
open one of them. He could open whichever door he wanted; he
was subject to no pressure from the king or his court. The only
influence was that of fate or luck.

If the accused opened one door, a hungry tiger came out. It

was the fiercest and most cruel that could be found, and it
immediately jumped on him and tore him to pieces as a
punishment for his guilt. When the fate of the criminal was thus
decided, sad iron bells were rung, and great wails went up from
the hired mourners who were posted outside the arena. The
audience went home with bowed heads and
6 Gems of Wisdom

doleful hearts, sad that one so young and fair (or so old and
respected) should have merited such a fate.
If he opened the other door, a lady came out. The king
always chose the ladies himself. He made sure that each was of
the same age and station as the accused and that she was
beautiful. The rule was that the accused was to marry her
immediately. It didn’t matter if he were already married and had
a family. The lady was a sign of his innocence, so if the accused
already loved another, that other was to be forgotten. It was the
King’s way. He allowed nothing to interfere with his design.
Indeed, immediately after the lady appeared, another door
beneath the king opened, and out came a priest, musicians,
singers and a troupe of dancers. In a procession, they all
cheerfully marched and sang for the couple standing in the
middle of the arena. The bells rang, the audience shouted its
approval, and the innocent man, preceded by children strewing
flowers in the couple’s path, led his new bride to his home.

This was the king’s semibarbaric method of administering

justice, and its fairness is obvious. The criminal could not know
which door the lady was behind. He opened whichever door he
wanted to without knowing whether in the next instant he was to
be eaten of married. On some occasions the tiger came out of
one door, and on other occasions it came out of the other. In this
system, there was instant punishment for guilt and instant reward
for innocence—whether the accused wanted the reward or not.
There was no escape from the judgement of the King’s arena.

The institution was a popular one. When the people gathered

together on one of the trial days, they never knew whether they
were to witness a bloody slaughter or a festive wedding. This
element of uncertainty usually
 The Lady, or the Tiger? 7
made the occasion more interesting than it would have been
otherwise. The people were entertained, and no one doubted that
justice was being served. All believed that the accused had his
fate in his own hands.
Part Two
The semi-barbaric king had a daughter whom he loved deeply.
She was as passionate, fanciful, and strong as her father and was
devoted to him. As is the case in many fairy tales, this daughter,
the apple of her father’s eye, was in love with a young man who
was below her in station. He was a commoner. He was also
brave, handsome, and daring, and he loved the royal daughter
with all his being. The princess had enough barbarism in her that
their love affair was dramatic...too dramatic. It was a secret for
months, but then the king found out about it.

The king didn’t hesitate for a minute, he sent the young man
to prison and set a date for his trail in the arena. When the date
arrived, everyone in the kingdom wanted to attend. They all
knew of the king’s interest in the case, and there was excitement
in the air.
The king’s men searched the fiercest tiger in the realm. They
also searched for the fairest maiden in the land so that he could
have a fitting bride in case he were found innocent. Of course,
everyone knew that he had committed the crime of loving the
princess, but the king did not allow the facts of the case to alter
his decision. The trial would go on as planned. The youth would
be gone no matter what happened; he would either be dead or
married. The king could enjoy the proceedings for the sport of it.

The day arrived. The people were standing in every corner of

the arena. All was ready when the moment came. A signal was
given and the door opened, allowing the
8 Gems of Wisdom

princess lover to enter. The crowd gasped. He was handsome.

Half the audience did not know that one so attractive had lived
among them; no wonder the princess loved him! How terrible for
him to be there!
The princess had thought about this trial day and night for a
long time. She knew she couldn’t bear to miss the spectacle, but
there was another reason for her being there. She had such
power, influence, and force of character (as well as plenty of
gold) that she did what no one had ever done before; she found
out the secret of the doors for that day. She knew in which room
stood the hungry tiger and in which waited the lady. She knew,
too, that the doors were so thick that there was no way anyone
could ever hear some hint from behind them. If she were going
to warn her lover, she would have to do it by signal.

She also knew something which made the whole process

more complicated. She knew that the lady was one of the most
beautiful maidens in the whole country, and the thought of her
young man living with this woman enraged her. She hated the
lady and hated what might happen.
When the accused bowed to the royal box, as was the
custom, he looked only at the princess, and immediately he
knew. He had expected her to find out the secret of the doors and
now he knew that she had the answer. It was only left for her to
tell him.
His quick glance at her asked, ‘Which?’ It was as plain as if
he had shouted it. There was no time to lose; the quick questions
had to be answered just as quickly so that the king would not
suspect.
Her right hand was resting on a pillow in front of her. She
raised it slightly and made a small, fast movement to the right.
No one but her lover saw her. Every eye in the arena was fixed
on him.
 The Lady, or the Tiger? 9
He turned, and with a firm and rapid step he walked across
the empty space. Every heart stopped beating, every breath was
held, every eye was upon him. Without hesitation, he went to the
door on the right and opened it.
Did the tiger come out of that door, or did the lady? The
more we think about this question, the harder it is
to answer. It involves a study of the human heart which leads to
mazes of passion, love, hate and excitement. Do not answer this
for yourself, but put yourself in the place of the princess.

She was hot-blooded and semi-barbaric, and her soul burned

with the twin desires of longing and jealousy. She knew that she
had already lost him. But to whom?
How often she had kept awake at night imagining the horror
of her lover being killed by a tiger! Even in her dreams, she had
covered her face with her hands to hide from the cruelty.

But how much more often had she seen him at the other
door! In her mind she had screamed and torn her hair when she
saw his happy face at opening the door to the lady. Her soul
burned in agony as she saw him rush to that woman and then be
wedded in the next moment, when all about her were joyous. She
lived through the misery of the procession, the happy couple, the
singing and dancing, the shouts of the crowd, were lost in all the
joy.
Would it be better for him to die at once? Then he could go
to the place after death and wait for her.
And yet, that awful tiger, those shrieks, that blood! Her
decision had been made in the instant that she
moved her hand. She had known that he would ask, but she had
put off her decision until the last moment. She finally decided,
and without hesitation, she indicated the right-hand door.
10 Gems of Wisdom

This is not a question to be taken lightly. Her decision was

serious for her, so I do not presume to answer for her. I leave it
to all of you. Which came out of the opened door— the lady or
the tiger?

Glossary
Barbarism: A brutal act
Semi-barbaric: Half uncivilized
Gruff: Rough
Authority: The power or right to control
Hitch: Trouble
Exultant: Happy; triumphant Crooked:
Set at an angle, not straight Arena: A
sphere or scene of conflict
Assert: To state or maintain a fact/belief with confidence
Gladiator: A man trained to fight in arenas to provide
entertainment
Heretic: A person who does not conform to religious beliefs
followed by the church
Amphitheatre: A place where contests are held
Galleries: A covered passage way open on one side or on both
sides
Dictate: To order; to command
Vaults: A cellar, having an arched roof down to floor level
Allegiance: Loyalty
Fate: A supernatural force that determines the course of events
in a person’s life; destiny
Fierce: Aggressive; violent; ferocious
Wail: A loud, high-pitched cry
Idealism: Belief in or pursuance of ideals The Lady, or The
Tiger?
 The Lady, or the Tiger? 11
Mourner: A person in a state of grief after the death of a loved
one; a person who attends a funeral or is hired to attend a
funeral
Preceded: To preface or introduce
Doleful: Sorrowful; sad
Troupe: A group of touring performers, such as dancers, actors,
singers, etc.
Strewing: Scattering; to spread over a surface
Administering: To put into execution Savage:
Wild, untamed
Mazes of passion: Ways of love
Trial: The process of examining the evidence by a judge to
determine if the accused is guilty

Comprehension
I. Answer the following questions in brief:
1. Describe the king in the story The Lady, or the Tiger?
2. Why was the king’s arena built?
3. What was the ritual that was followed each time an
accused was presented in the king’s arena?
4. When the doors of the arena were opened, who used to
come out then?
5. What was the attitude of the people who gathered on the
day of the trials?
6. What kind of nature did the princess have? Whom did
she love?
7. When the king learned about the love affair of his
daughter, what did he decide to do?
8. Why had the king thrown the princess’ lover into the
prison?
9. Why was the young courtier implicated for trial? What
were the preparations the king ordered for his trial?
12 Gems of Wisdom

10. How did the princess indicate to her lover, the door that
he was to choose behind which would be the woman
choosen as a bride for him?
11. In your opinion, what would have been the appropriate
ending to this story?
II. Write short notes on the following.
1. The king’s method of delivering justice.
2. The description of the king’s arena.
3. The princess and the fate of her lover.
III. Objective-type Questions
A. Answer the following questions choosing from the options
that follow.
1. Which word best describes the king?
(a) Cruel (b) Melancholy
(c) Semi-barbaric (d) Loopy
2. When every member of the king’s domestic and political
systems moved smoothly in its appointed course, how did
the king behave?
(a) He was barbaric and ruthless
(b) He was calm and genial
(c) He was pompous and angry
(d) He was loving and progressive
3. When an accused walked into the arena, how many doors
was he expected to choose from?
(a) Three (b) Six (c) Two (d) One
4. What did the hungry tiger behind the door do once it
came out?
(a) Licked its paw and went back in
(b) Stretched infront of the accused and went to sleep

(c) Jumped up to the king and waited to be patted

(d) Sprang upon the accused and tore him to pieces
 The Lady, or the Tiger? 13
5. What was the accused expected to do once he was
married to the maiden behind the door?
(a) Hand her over to the king
(b) Make her his slave
(c) Take her home as his bride
(d) Feed her to the tiger
6. What lent an interest to the day of trial on the part of the
onlookers?
(a) Element of humour
(b) Element of uncertainty
(c) Anticipation of bloodshed
(d) Desire for good food
7. What happened to the young man once the king
discovered his daughter’s love affair?
(a) He was immediately cast into prison and a day was
appointed for his trial.
(b) He was invited by the king for dinner at the king’s
palace.
(c) He was asked to run away with the princess.
(d) He was forced to marry the princess’s attendant.
8. How has the author described the appearance of the
princess’s lover?
(a) Brave, handsome, and daring
(b) Fat, ugly and poor
(c) Pompous, vain and lethargic
(d) Athletic, intelligent and successful
9. Which way did the princess point to when her lover
asked with a questioning glance?
(a) Left
(b) Right
(c) Above
(d) Between the two doors
14 Gems of Wisdom

10. The author describes the amphitheatre, with its

‘encircling galleries’, ‘mysterious vaults’ and ‘unseen
passages’ as what?
(a) An agent of social justice
(b) An arena of entertainment
(c) An agent of poetic justice
(d) A dungeon of bloodshed
11. How was the king’s relationship with his daughter?
(a) He despised her as his stepdaughter
(b) He blamed her for his misfortunes
(c) She was the apple of his eye and was loved by him
above all humanity
(d) He loved her only because he was afraid she would
leave him and go
B. Answer the following questions by marking whether the
statements are True or False.
1. The king was a man of exuberant fancy and irresistible
authority.
2. The arena of the king was built to give the people the
opportunity of seeing performances by gladiators.
3. On every occasion that an accused was in the arena, the
tiger came out of the same door.
4. The king’s daughter had a soul as fervent and impervious
as his own.
5. The princess was very satisfied with her lover because he
was handsome and brave.
6. The princess knew the secret of the doors even before her
lover’s trial began.
7. One of the ugliest and oldest women in the land was
selected as the reward of the accused youth, should he be
proved innocent.
 The Lady, or the Tiger? 15
8. Looking up at the princess, the young man could not tell
if she knew which door contained the tiger and which the
lady.
9. The princess hesitated a lot before she had moved her
hand to the right.
10. The king gave patient hearing each time an accused was
brought to him for justice and was keen that proper
justice be provided.
 5 An Astrologer’s Day

R K Narayan

About the Author:

R K Narayan (1906–2001) is the most popular and successful Indian
writer in English. Born in Chennai and educated in Mysore, Narayan has
written a number of novels and hundreds of short stories. Most
recognised for his literary works set in the fictional south Indian town
called Malgudi, Narayan is credited with giving the genre of Indian
literature in English to the world, along with Mulk Raj Anand and Raja
Rao. Some of his well known novels are The Man-Eater of Malgudi, The
English Teacher, The Financial Expert, and The Guide. Short stories
such as The Astrologer’s Day and the Swami Stories are also equally
famous. He was awarded the Padma Vibhushan, India’s second highest
civilian award and was also nominated to the Rajya Sabha.

About the Story:

The begins with a general description of an astrologer, who is one of
many street vendors, except for the fact that he has a distinct aura of
holiness and power. He works in a busy, unnamed city, and the
author establishes that, in reality, he is a charlatan with no special
powers other than the keen ability to judge character. The astrologer
is about to return home at the end of the day when he is stopped by
an unusually aggressive customer. The story takes an unexpected
turn, when, unbeknownst to the customer, the astrologer recognises
him and tells him about something that happened in the past. He
was the person whom he pushed into a well thinking he was dead.
The astrologer struck a bargain with him. He gave such convincing
answers to his questions that the man was fully satisfied.
54 Gems of Wisdom

The astrologer told him that his enemy was crushed under a lorry
and now he show never travel southward to avoid anymore trouble
in his life. In this way he bade him good bye and got rid of his
enemy. Here, we can see the role that fate plays in a person’s life.
Narayan uses irony in his story: the astrologer was no good,
claimed money for false prophesies and yet when the time came
for him to be at the receiving end of justice, he escapes
unharmed. However, though the astrologer does not pay for his
crime, but the story ends on the note that he had spent years
regretting his deed and that in itself is punishment enough.

An Astrologer’s Day
Punctually at midday he opened his bag and spread out his
professional equipment, which consisted of a dozen cowrie
shells, a square piece of clothwith obscure mystic charts on it, a
notebook, and a bundle of palmyra writing. His forehead was
resplendent with sacred ash and vermilion, and his eyes sparkled
with a sharp abnormal gleam which was really an outcome of a
continual searching look for customers, but which his simple
clients took to be a prophetic light and felt comforted. The power
of his eyes was considerably enhanced by their position placed
as they were between the painted forehead and the dark whiskers
which streamed down his cheeks: even a half-wit’s eyes would
sparkle in such a setting. To crown the effect he wound a
saffron-coloured turban around his head. This colour scheme
never failed.

People were attracted to him as bees are attracted to cosmos

or dahlia stalks. He sat under the boughs of a spreading tamarind
tree which flanked a path running through the Town Hall Park. It
was a remarkable place in many ways: a surging crowd was
always moving up
 An Astrologer’s Day 55
and down this narrow road morning till night* A variety of
trades and occupations was represented all along its way:
medicine sellers, sellers of stolen hardware and junk, magicians,
and, above all, an auctioneer of cheap doth, who created enough
din all day to attract the whole town. Next to him in
vociferousness came a vendor of fried groundnut, who gave his
ware a fancy name each day, calling it “Bombay Ice-Cream” one
day, and on the next “Delhi Almond,” and on the third “Raja’s
Delicacy,” and so on and so forth, and people flocked to him. A
considerable portion of this crowd dallied before the astrologer
too. The astrologer transacted his business by the light of a flare
which crackled and smoked up above the groundnut heap
nearby. Half the enchantment of the place was due to the fact
that it did not have the benefit of municipal lighting. The place
was lit up by shop lights. One or two had hissing gaslights, some
had naked flares stuck on poles, some were lit up by old cycle
lamps, and one or two, like the astrologer’s, managed without
lights of their own. It was a bewildering criss-cross of light rays
and moving shadows.

This suited the astrologer very well, for the simple reason
that he had not in the least intended to be an astrologer when he
began life; and he knew no more of what was going to happen to
others than he knew what was going to happen to himself next
minute. He was as much a stranger to the stars as were his
innocent customers. Yet he said things which pleased and
astonished everyone: that was more a matter of study, practice,
and shrewd guesswork. All the same, it was as much an honest
man’s labour as any other, and he deserved the wages he carried
home at the end of a day. He had left his village without any
previous thought or plan. If he had continued there he would
have carried on the work of his forefathers namely, tilling the
land, living,
56 Gems of Wisdom

marrying, and ripening in his cornfield and ancestral home. But

that was not to be. He had to leave home without telling anyone,
and he could not rest till he left it behind a couple of hundred
miles. To a villager it is a great deal, as if an ocean flowed
between.
He had a working analysis of mankind’s troubles: marriage,
money, and the tangles of human ties. Long practice had
sharpened his perception. Within five minutes he understood
what was wrong. He charged three pies per question, never
opened his mouth till the other had spoken for at least ten
minutes, which provided him enough stuff for a dozen answers
and advices. When he told the person before him, gazing at his
palm, “In many ways you are not getting the fullest results for
your efforts,” nine out of ten were disposed to agree with him.
Or he questioned: “Is there any woman in your family, maybe
even a distant relative, who is not well disposed towards you?”
Or he gave an analysis of character: “Most of your troubles are
due to your nature. How can you beotherwise with Saturn where
he is? You have an impetuous nature and a rough exterior.” This
endeared him to their hearts immediately, for; even the mildest
of us loves to think that he has a forbidding exterior.

The nuts vendor blew out his flare and rose to go home. This
was a signal for the astrologer to bundle up too, since it left him
in darkness except for a littleshaft of green light which strayed in
from somewhere and touched the ground before him. He picked
up his cowrie shells and paraphernalia and was putting them
back into his bag when the green shaft of light was blotted out;
he looked up and saw a man standing before him. He sensed a
possible client and said: “You look so careworn. It will do you
good to sit down for
 An Astrologer’s Day 57
a while and chat with me.” The other grumbled some reply
vaguely. The astrologer pressed his invitation; whereupon the
other thrust his palm under his nose, saying: “You call yourself
an astrologer?” The astrologer felt challenged and said, tilting
the other’s palm towards the green shaft of light: “Yours is a
nature . . .”
“Oh, stop that,” the other said. “Tell me
something worthwhile. . .”
Our friend felt piqued. “I charge only three pies per question,
and what you get ought to be good enough for your money. . . ”

At this the other withdrew his arm, took out an anna, and
flung it out to him, saying: “I have some questions to ask. If I
prove you are bluffing, you must return that anna to me with
interest.”
“If you find my answers satisfactory, will you give me five
rupees?”
“No.”
“Or will you give me eight annas?”
“All right, provided you give me twice as much if you are
wrong,” said the stranger.
This pact was accepted after a little further argument. The
astrologer sent up a prayer to heaven as the other lit a cheroot.

The astrologer caught a glimpse of his face by the

matchlight. There was a pause as cars hooted on the road, jutka
drivers swore at their horses, and the babble of the crowd
agitated the semi-darkness of the park.
The other sat down, sucking his cheroot, puffing out, sat
there ruthlessly. The astrologer felt very uncomfortable.
“Here, take your anna back. I am not used to such
challenges. It is late for me today. . .”
58 Gems of Wisdom

He made preparations to bundle up. The other held his wrist

and said: “You can’t get out of it now. You dragged me in while
I was passing.”
The astrologer shivered in his grip; and his voice shook and
became faint. “Leave me today. I will speak to you tomorrow.”

The other thrust his palm in his face and said: “Challenge is
challenge. Go on.”
The astrologer proceeded with his throat drying up: “There is
a woman . . .”
“Stop,” said the other. “ I don’t want all that. Shall I succeed
in my present search or not? Answer this and go. Otherwise I
will not let you go till you disgorge all your coins.” The
astrologer muttered a few incantations and replied: “All right. I
will speak. But will you give me a rupee if what I say is
convincing? Otherwise I will not open my mouth, and you may
do what you like.”
After a good deal of haggling the other agreed. The
astrologer said:” You were left for dead. Am I right? “
“Ah, tell me more.”
“A knife has passed through you once?” said the astrologer.

“Good fellow!” He bared his chest to show the scar.

“What else?”
“And then you were pushed into a well nearby in the field.
You were left for dead.”
“I should have been dead if some passer-by had not chanced
to peep into the well,” exclaimed the other, overwhelmed by
enthusiasm.
“When shall I get at him?” he asked, clenching his fist. “In
the next world,” answered the astrologer. “He died
four months ago in a far-off town. You will never see any more
of him.”
 An Astrologer’s Day 59
The other groaned on hearing it. The astrologer proceeded:
“Guru Nayak”
“You know my name!” the other said, taken aback. “As I
know all other things. Guru Nayak, listen carefully
to what I have to say. Your village is two day’s journey due
north of this town. Take the next train and be gone. I see once
again great danger to your life if you go from home.” He took
out a pinch of sacred ash and held it to him. “Rub it on your
forehead and go home. Never travel southward
again, and you will live to be a hundred.”
“Why should I leave home again?” the other said
reflectively. “I was only going away now and then to look for
him and to choke out his life if I met him.”
He shook his head regretfully. “He has escaped my hands. I
hope at least he died as he deserved.”
“Yes,” said the astrologer. “He was crushed under a lorry.”

The other looked gratified to hear it.

The place was deserted by the time the astrologer picked up
his articles and put them into his bag. The green shaft was also
gone, leaving the place in darkness and silence. The stranger had
gone off into the night, after giving the astrologer a handful of
coins.
It was nearly midnight when the astrologer reached home.
His wife was waiting for him at the door and demanded an
explanation. He flung the coins at her and said: “Count them.
One man gave all that.”
“Twelve and a half annas,” she said, counting. She was
overjoyed. “I can buy some jaggery and coconut tomorrow. The
child has been asking for sweets for so many days now. I will
prepare some nice stuff for her.”
“The swine has cheated me! He promised me a rupee,” said
the astrologer. She looked up at him.
60 Gems of Wisdom

“You look worried. What is wrong? “

“Nothing.”
After dinner, sitting on the pyol, he told her: “Do you know
a great load is gone from me today? I thought I had the blood of
a man on my hands all these years. That was the reason why I
ran away from home, settled here, and married you. He is alive.”

She gasped. “You tried to kill!”

“Yes, in our village, when I was a silly youngster. We drank,
gambled, and quarrelled badly one day why think of it now?
Time to sleep,” he said, yawning, and stretched himself on the
pyol.

Comprehension

I. Answer the following questions in brief:

1. What are the professional equipments that the author is
talking about? Give an account of how the astrologer
prepares himself for his day.
2. When did the astrologer generally start his day’s
business?
3. Why did the astrologer think he had committed a
murder?
4. What personal effects did the astrologer use to attract
people towards him?
5. How does the author describe the place where the
astrologer sets up shop?
6. How had the astrologer mastered the art?
7. Describe in your own words the appearance of the
passer-by who stopped by the astrologer?
8. What happened as the astrologer was packing his
paraphernalia and getting ready to leave for the day?
 An Astrologer’s Day 61
9. What was the pact that was made between the astrologer
and the aggressive passer-by?
10. Why did the astrologer run from his village?
II. Write short notes on the following:
1. The character of the astrologer.
2. The place where the astrologer set up his daily business.

3. The theme of the story—An Astrologer’s Day

III. Objective-type Questions
A. Choose the appropriate options:
1. What did the astrologer apply on his forehead to
complete his look?
(a) Vermilion
(b) Ash
(c) Sacred ash and vermilion
(d) Turmeric paste and ash
2. ‘Bombay Ice-Cream’, ‘Delhi Almond,’ and ‘Raja’s
Delicacy’ were names used for which item?
(a) Vitamin tablets (b) Fried groundnuts
(c) Roasted peanuts (d) Candy floss
3. What did the astrologer see as mankind’s troubles?
(a) Marriage and money
(b) Money and relationships
(c) Money, success, and peace
(d) Marriage, money, and the tangles of human ties
4. How much money did the astrologer charge from his
clients?
(a) Three pice per question
(b) Seven pice per question
(c) One anna per question
(d) Tenpice per question
62 Gems of Wisdom

5. What did the astrologer see as a signal for him to bundle

up and go home?
(a) The shaft of green light went out
(b) The astrologer did not get any more clients for over
an hour
(c) A van came with a man who yelled for everyone to
leave
(d) The nut vendor blew out his flare and rose
6. How much money did the passer-by throw at the
astrologer before asking him any questions?
(a) Twenty pice (b) One anna
(c) Three annas (d) Threepice
7. How much money did the passer-by agree to give to the
astrologer If he found the astrologer’s answers
satisfactory?
(a) Five rupees (b) Seven annas
(c) Eight annas (d) Thirty pice
8. According to the astrologer’s recollection what
instrument had once been used on the passer-by that
nearly killed him?
(a) A gun (b) A knife
(c) A sword (d) A long stick
9. What was the name of the passer-by?
(a) Guru Nayak (b) Nayak Chand
(c) Swami Guru (d) Ram Nayak
10. What reason did the astrologer give for the death of the
man the passer-by had been looking for?
(a) He fell off a cliff
(b) He was murdered with a knife
(c) He consumed rat poison
(d) He was crushed under a lorry
 An Astrologer’s Day 63
B. State whether the following statements are True or False:

1. The astrologer wore a saffron-coloured turban around his

head.
2. The place where the astrologer sat to carry out his day’s
business had been very well-lit up.
3. The astrologer was as much a stranger to the stars as
were his innocent customers.
4. When the astrologer was about to leave for the day he
was confronted by a thug.
5. The astrologer was very ashamed of the way he earned
his money and felt guilty about it.
6. When the astrologer said to his customers that in many
ways they were not getting the fullest results for their
efforts, nine out of ten were disposed to agree with him.

7. The passer-by agreed to pay the astrologer five rupees if

he found the answers satisfactory.
8. All his life the astrologer had thought that he had the
blood of a man on his hands.