Father’s Help

1. What were Swami’s feelings on Monday morning? Why do you think he felt so?

Swami shuddered to think that he had to go to school on Monday morning. He hoped that his school would be damaged by an earthquake. He felt like this because he was not interested to go to school after enjoying a relaxed weekend.

2. How did Swaminathan convince his mother to let him stay at home?

Swaminathan convinced his mother to let him stay at home by telling her that he had a terrible headache. When his mother suggested that he should go to school on a jukta if he was suffering from a headache, he said that the jutka would jolt him and made him feel worse. He also told her that there were no important lessons on that day.

3. What did Swami tell his father about Samuel? Why did he do so?

Swaminathan told his father that his teacher, Samuel was a violent man. He punished his students by beating them with his cane. He would not stop canning until blood oozed out. He wouldn’t tolerate latecomers.

Swami told his father so in hope that his father would be convinced that going late to Samuel’s class would end in punishment and he would allow Swami to stay at home.

4. Father’s behavior on learning about Samuel took an unexpected turn. How did he react?

Swami’s father was excited when he came to know that ill-treatment given by Samuel to the children. He thought such kind of behavior was bad and such teachers should not be allowed to teach. He wrote a letter of complaint against Samuel to the headmaster. He sealed the letter and gave it to Swami to be delivered to the headmaster.

5. Why was Swami reluctant to give the letter to the headmaster?

Swami realized that in his eagerness to avoid school, he had exaggerated Samuel's violence to his father. He thought it would be unfair to give the complaint letter to the headmaster. Swami could not remember Samuel sir beating him. In fact, Samuel sir encouraged him. Swami felt bad as he had told lies to his father about Samuel. That is why Swami was reluctant to give the letter to the headmaster.

6. Why did Swami plan to disobey Samuel?

Swami was reluctant to give the complaint letter to the headmaster as Samuel was very tolerant and gentlemanly. He wanted Samuel to beat him as it would justify the complaint letter. In order to make Samuel angry, Swami planned to disobey him. Swami thought that if he could make Samuel angry, Samuel would beat him.

7. ‘But today Samuel appeared to have developed more tolerance and gentleness.’ Why did Swami feel so?

Swami gave an account of Samuel's violence to his father. He told his father that Samuel would cane the late coming students mercilessly. Then his father wrote a letter of complaint to the headmaster and ordered Swami to go to school even though it was late. Samuel allowed Sami to the class without even scolding him. He even excused Swami for not doing the homework. So, Swami felt that Samuel had developed tolerance and gentleness.

8. How did Swami convince himself about giving the letter to the headmaster?

In the last period, Swami could make Samuel angry and got punished. Samuel gave eight wholesome whacks with his cane on Swami’s palms. Swami felt relieved and took the punishment. Now, he could give the complaint letter to the headmaster as Samuel had canned him. Thus, Swami convinced himself about giving the letter to the headmaster.

9. Why did Swaminathan not deliver the letter to the headmaster?

Swaminathan had not delivered the letter to the headmaster as the peon told him that the headmaster was on leave since that afternoon and he would not return for a few days. The letter could be given to the assistant headmaster. The assistant headmaster is none other than Samuel. Swami could not give a letter of complaint against Samuel to Samuel himself as it was a false complaint.