For Anne Gregory

About the Poet: William Butler Yeats (1865-1939) was an Irish poet, dramatist, writer, and one of the foremost figures of 20th-century literature. He was educated in London and Dublin and was interested in folklore and mythology. He won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1923.

Summary of the poem: The poem is written as a conversation between the poet, Yeats, and a young girl named Anne Gregory. The poet tells her that if she finds a young boy who becomes sad because of her rejection, it doesn’t mean that he is a true lover. He could have been in love with her because of her beautiful yellow hair. It implies that the boy might be in love with her because of her attractive looks. The poet says that a true lover will be the one who will love her for her inner qualities and not her looks. Then, Anne says that she will change her looks by dying her hair into some other colour. She will become less attractive and then, maybe, she will find true love for herself. At last, the poet explains her that the previous night, he had heard some religious man saying that only God loves us for what we are. The conclusion is that God loves us for our inner beauty but never for our outward appearance.

“Never shall a young man,

Thrown into despair                            

By those great honey-coloured

Ramparts at your ear,

Love you for yourself alone

And not your yellow hair.”

 

Literary Devices:

Rhyme Scheme: abcbdb

Metaphor: honey-coloured Ramparts at your ear (Anne’s hair is compared to the ramparts of a fort)

 

“But I can get a hair-dye

And set such colour there,     

Brown, or black, or carrot,

That young men in despair

May love me for myself alone

And not my yellow hair.”

 

Literary Devices:

Rhyme Scheme: abcbdb

Alliteration: repetition of consonant  ‘s’ sound at the start of two consecutive words. (Set Such)

 

 “I heard an old religious man

But yesternight declare

That he had found a text to prove

That only God, my dear,                               

Could love you for yourself alone

And not your yellow hair.”

 

Literary Devices:

Rhyme Scheme: abcbdb

Anaphora: Repeated use of a word at the beginning of two lines (That he….That only god)

Alliteration: he had, your yellow

 Question and Answers

 1- What does the young man mean by “great honey-coloured /Ramparts at your ear?” Why does he say that young men are “thrown into despair” by them?

Ans. The “great honey coloured/ Rampart at your ear” means the yellow coloured hair of the girl. Her ears are covered by her hair like a protective wall around a fort. Young men may fall in love with Anne because of such beautiful hair. They may be thrown into despair if she rejects them.

 

2. What colour is the young woman’s hair? What does she say she can change it to? Why would she want to do so?

Ans. The hair of young woman is yellow in colour. She says that she can change them to brown, black or carrot color by using a hair dye. She wants to do so to get rid of the lover who loves her for the yellow – coloured hair. She seeks a true lover  - one who loves her for her inner beauty.

Kathmandu

Summary:  Vikram Seth describes his visit to the capital of Nepal, Kathmandu through this excerpt from his book ‘Heaven Lake’. During his trip, he visits two temples where notice stark differences between them. One temple was a pilgrimage for Hindus, the Pashupatinath temple.

After that, there was the Baudhnath temple which is for the Buddhists. He notices that they restricted the entry at the Pashupatinath temple to only Hindus. Thus, there was quite a chaos amongst the tourists, priests and the pilgrims. To top it all, people were polluting the River Bagmati by washing clothes in it, bathing in it and throwing away dry flowers in it.

After that, he went to Baudhnath temple. He saw that the scenario here was completely different from what he saw at the Pashupatinath temple. This Buddhist temple had a huge dome which is white in colour. The place was very calm and serene. Outside the temple, there was a Tibetan market and people were selling bags, clothes, ornaments and more.

He notices the numerous things Kathmandu offers from religious places to many tourist destinations. Moreover, it also has various shops of antiques, cameras, cosmetics, chocolates and more. Nonetheless, it is also a very noisy city from the car horns to the music and vendors. He enjoyed having a marzipan bar, corn, coca-cola in the city. After that, he also read love stories, comics and Reader’s Digest books.

On returning to Delhi, he thought of taking an adventurous route which comprises of a bus or train journey and then a boat ride, but he dropped the idea for that would have been too tiring. Thus, he booked a flight back. He saw an interesting flute seller outside his hotel. He had a pole with a lot of flutes on it and seemed like a porcupine body.

The flute seller kept playing his flutes and also did so in different tunes. But, what set him apart from the other flute sellers was that he played the flute thoughtfully. He did not scream to attract customers, he played it. This attracted the author and he wondered that flute is so common all over. Then, he compares it to the human voice and says how he is noticing even the little things now.

Question and Answers:

Answer these questions in one or two words or in short phrases.

1. Name the two temples the author visited in Kathmandu.

A. The author visited the pashupatinath and the Baudhnath temples in Kathmandu.

2. The writer says, “All this I wash down with Coca Cola.” What does ‘all this’ refer to?

A. ‘All this’ refers to all the food items – the marzipan bar and the corn on the cob that the author ate.

3. What does Vikram Seth compare to the quills of a porcupine?

A. Vikram Seth compares the flutes protruding out of the flute-seller’s pole to the quills of a porcupine.

4. Name five kinds of flutes.

A. Five kinds of flutes are the reed neh, the recorder, the Japanese shakuhachi, the deep bansuri of Hindustani classical music and the clear or breathy flutes of South America.

Answer each question in a short paragraph.

1. What difference does the author note between the flute seller and the other hawkers?

A. The author noticed that the flute seller was calm and quiet. He did not scream to sell his wares like other hawkers did.

2. What is the belief at Pashupatinath about the end of Kaliyug?

A. The belief at the Pashupatinath temple about the end of Kaliyug is that when the small shrine will protrude completely, then the goddess will emerge out of it. The goddess will bring an end to the evil period of Kaliyug.

3. The author has drawn powerful images and pictures. Pick out three examples each of

(i) the atmosphere of ‘febrile confusion’ outside the temple of Pashupatinath (for example: some people trying to get the priest’s attention are elbowed aside…)

(ii) the things he sees

(iii) the sounds he hears

A. (i) the atmosphere of ‘febrile confusion’ outside the temple of Pashupatinath (for example: some people trying to get the priest’s attention are elbowed aside…)

a) There are so many worshippers that some people trying to get the priest’s attention are elbowed aside by others

b) By the main gate, a party of saffron-clad Westerners struggle for permission to enter.

c) A fight breaks out between two monkeys.

(ii) the things he sees

a) fruit sellers

b) flute sellers

c) hawkers of postcards

(iii) the sounds he hears

a) Film songs blare out from the radios

b) car horns sound

c) vendors shout out their wares.

 

3. “To hear any flute is to be drawn into the commonality of all mankind.” Why does the author say this?

A. The author says this because the sound produced by the flute is the closest to human voice. It is an extension of human voice as it is produced by exhaling into it.

The Book that Saved the Earth

 

Summary

The story begins with a stage show of twenty-fifth century in which a historian is sitting in the museum and she explains the truth about the Martian invasion that happened in the twentieth century.

 

In the next scene, two characters are shown one of them who has a balloon brain is shown as the master. His name is Think Tank and another one is his assistant Noodle. Both of them are discussing their plan to invade earth. They think that earth is a ridiculous plan and they should invade earth so as to establish their kind rule over the planet. So, the master think tank sends one of his crew to inspect earth.

 

The crew lands into a library and looks confused as they know nothing about the items (books) of the library. So, they consult it with their master Think Tank whom they think is very intelligent. He asks them to show the item and tells them that they are sandwiches, is a staple diet of the earthlings. He commands his crew to eat it, which they then consider as tasteless eatable.

 

His assistant Noodle corrects him and tells him that they are communication devices. He on hearing this, asks his crew to listen to the information from the devices. They try to hear it but they get nothing to hear from them. Once again Noodle corrects his master Think Tank that they are to be read and not heard. So with the help of the vitamins provided by the chemical department of Mars, the crew tries to read the book. It was a book of rhymes, Mother Goose. But they are unable to understand the book.

 As Oop started reading the book of nursery rhymes they take the literal meaning of rhymes. Think Tank called his Martians team and says that they have gathered some information about earthlings, and they should be postponing the idea of invasion. Then Oop read the rhyme Humpty Dumpty, and they all saw the picture of Humpty who looked like Think Tank. Think Tank drew an inference that the earthlings have identified him and will kill him soon. So, he asked his team to run immediately from there and thus a dusted book of rhymes saved us from the Martian invasion.

 Answers to Textual Questions

Q1-Noodle avoids offending Think-Tank but at the same time he corrects his mistakes. How does he manage to do that?

A1-Noodle avoids offending Think-Tank but at the same time he corrects his mistakes in a very clever way. He used to present his ideas as a thing of less importance but this would help think tank in correcting his mistakes.

 

Q2- If you were in Noodle’s place, how would you handle Think-Tank’s mistakes?

A2- If I would have been at Noodle’s place I would have handled the situation just like Noodle did. I would have suggested my master the right things but in a way that he may not feel being pointed out by a subordinate.

 

Q3-Do you think books are being replaced by the electronic media? Can we do away with books altogether?

A3- Yes it is true to some extent that books are being replaced by the electronic media but we cannot do away with the books completely. It is so because books still serve the purpose of deriving information from them. It is so because still there are many things which are sometimes not available on the electronic media.

 

Q4- Why are books referred to as a man’s best companion?

A4- Books are man’s best companion because they not only provide us with information but also sometimes become a good source of entertainment.

Read and Find out: Page 63

 1. Why was the twentieth century called the ‘Era of the book’?

There were books for everything, from anteaters to Zulus in the twentieth century. Books taught people what to do, how to do, when to do and why to do. Books explained, educated, directed and decorated. So, twentieth century was called the eta of books.

2. Who tried to invade the Earth in the twenty first century?
Martians tried to invade the Earth in the twenty first century.

 

Page 65

3. What guesses are made by Think-Tank about the books found on Earth?
Think-Tank first guesses books to be sandwiches. Then he calls them communication devices. After that he thinks them to be some kind of eye communication devices that have to be devices watched.

 Think About It:  (Page 74)

1. Noodle avoids offending Think-Tank but at the same time he corrects his mistakes. How does he manage to do that?
Noodle avoids offending Think-Tank while correcting his mistakes by presenting his own thoughts, but referring to them as being of no particular importance. Whenever he had to say something contrary to what Think-Tank said, he would do this. In this way he would correct Think-Tank’s errors without making Think-Tank feel that he was being corrected.

2. If you were in Noodle’s place, how would you handle Think-Tank’s mistakes?
If I were in his place, I would do the same. I would politely and gently suggest the corrections.

3. Do you think books are being replaced by the electronic media? Can we do away with books altogether?     
Yes, these days online reading has replaced traditional books to a large extent. The internet, social media like Facebook, Twitter etc. have decreased interest in reading. But, the truth is that books cannot be totally replaced. Books can never go out of life although they may exist in a different form.

4. Why are books referred to as a man’s best companion?

A book is a man’s best companion because it is always there. It never leaves us alone. It is there with us even when everyone else is gone. Books guide us, instruct us, make us laugh, inform us, inspire us and are always true to us.

Talk About It (Page 74)

 

1. In what ways does Think-Tank misinterpret innocent nursery rhymes as threats to the Martians? Can you think of any incidents where you misinterpreted a word or an action? How did you resolve the misunderstanding?
The words like ‘shell’ and ‘silver’ make Think-Tank think that humans grew them in farms. Then, there js a line about ‘cow’ and ‘ ‘moon’. Also, the picture of Humpty-Dumpu and the rhyme of‘great fall’ make Think- ink think that humans were about to invade Mats. Yes, I had a similar misunderstanding wirh a friend. But, I was fortunate as I got to know the actual truth just in time. I did not believe what 1 had heard earlier.
2. The aliens in the play speak English. Do you think this is their language? What could be the language of i.e aliens?
No, English was not their language. If it had been so, they would not have misinterpreted the- nursery rhymes. They could be speaking some Martian language.

Fog

 Poet:

Carl August Sandburg (1878-1967) was an American poet. He was awarded three Pulitzer Prizes (two for his poetry and one for his biography of Abraham Lioncoln).

Poem: Fog is a small poem consisting 2 sentences in 6 lines. The poet writes about the arrival and departure of the Fog into a harbour city. He compares the fog to a cat. 

Summary: 

The poet says the fog is coming towards the city and the harbour just like a cat. It comes very silently and unnoticed. Later the fog covers the whole city and the harbour as if a cat is siting on its hunches. At the end, the fog departs as silently, as unpredictably as a cat.

Literary Devices:

Metaphor: Fog is comapred to a cat.

Personification: Fog is personified. 

Enjambment: The two sentences used in the poem continue to the following line without any punctuation marks at the end of the lines.

Rhyme Scheme: There is no rhymne scheme followed in the poem. It is in free verse.

Answers to the textual questions:

1. What does Sandburg think the fog is like?

Sandburg, the poem thinks that the fog is like a cat that comes silently and unnoticed.

2. How does the fog come?

The fog comes very silenctly like a cat.

3. What does 'it' in the third line refer to?

'It' in the third lilne refers to the fog.

4. Does the poet actually say that the fog is like a cat? Find three things that tell us that the fog is like a cat.

The poet compares fog to a cat.

The three things that tell us that the fog is like a cat are:

1. The fog comes on its little cat feet meaning that the fog arrivves silently just like a cat.

2. It sits looking over harbour and city on silent hunches meaning that the fog has encompassed the city as it a cat sitting on its hunches is looking all over.

3. ... and then moves on meaning that the fog departs as silently and as unexpectedly as a cat.

The Lake Isle of Innisfree

 Literary Devices in the poem

 1. Rhyme Scheme: abab

 2. Alliteration: Alliteration is the repetition of a consonant sound in two or more closely placed words.  

  a.‘hive’, ‘honey bee’ – ‘h’ sound is repeated;

  b.‘lake’, ‘lapping’, ‘low’ – ‘l’ sound is repeated

  3. Repetition: ‘I will arise and go now’ is repeated in stanzas 1 and 3

  4. Personification: morning is personified

  5. Metaphor: clouds are compared to veils

 

 Summary

 

The poet remembers his past, his boyhood when he visited the peaceful Lake Isle of Innisfree. He wants to go there and says he will live there alone. He wants to build a small cabin with clay and wattles. He would grow beans and set up a honeybee hive.

 

The poet describes the peaceful natural surroundings of the lake. He tells us that the scene of the cloudy mornings, the shining stars, the glowing Sun, and birds flying in the sky give him peace. He feels relaxed to hear the pleasant sound of the cricket’s song.

 

The poet feels the urgency to go to the lake Isle of Innisfree. Deep in his heart, he can hear the sound of the lake waters hitting the shore. It is as if the lake is calling him. He hears the sound everywhere; either on the busy roads or the grey-colored pavements of the city where he lives. This indicates that he wants to escape from the artificial life of the city into the peaceful surroundings of nature.

 

 Answers to the Textual Questions

1. What kind of place is Innisfree? Think about:

 

(i) the three things the poet wants to do when he goes back there (stanza I);

 

Ans:

 

(i) The three things that the poet wants to do when he goes to Innisfree are as follows –

 

a) he wants to build a small cabin with clay and wattles.

 

b) he wants to plant nine rows of beans.

 

c) he wants to keep a honeybee hive.

 

(ii) what he hears and sees there and its effect on him (stanza II);

 

Ans:

(ii) The poet sees the cloudy morning which looks like the sky is wearing a veil. He hears the song of the cricket. He sees the linnet bird flying in the evening sky. The glimmering stars in the night sky and the purplish glow of the afternoon Sun. All these give him a feeling of being at peace.

  (iii) what he hears in his “heart’s core” even when he is far away from Innisfree (stanza III).

 Ans:

 (iii) Even when the poet is far away from Innisfree, he hears the sound of the lake water hitting the shore in the depth of his heart.

 

2. By now you may have concluded that Innisfree is a simple, natural place, full of beauty and peace. How does the poet contrast it with where he now stands? (Read stanza III.)

 A. The poet describes lake Innisfree as a place full of the bounties of nature. He sees the cloudy sky, the glowing stars in the night sky, the purple glow of the afternoon Sun, and the linnet bird flying in the evening sky. The sound of the cricket’s song is also pleasing to him. On the other hand, the place where he stands now is an urban place that is devoid of all these beauties of nature. He says that there are roadways and grey-colored pavements around him.

 

3. Do you think Innisfree is only a place or a state of mind? Does the poet actually miss the place of his boyhood days?

 A. Innisfree is a place that the poet used to visit in his boyhood. As he lives in the city now, he expresses a desire to go to Innisfree which had peaceful surroundings. This shows his state of mind.

 Yes, he misses lake Innisfree when he says that the sound of the lake water hitting the shore echoes in the core of his heart.

 

 II. 1. Look at the words the poet uses to describe what he sees and hears at Innisfree

 (i) bee-loud glade

 (ii) evenings full of the linnet’s wings

 (iii) lake water lapping with low sounds

 What pictures do these words create in your mind?

 Ans:

 (i) bee-loud glade

 We can imagine bees buzzing around.

 (ii) evenings full of the linnet’s wings

The image of linnets flying across the evening sky appears in the reader’s mind.

 (iii) lake water lapping with low sounds

 These words draw an image and also, create the sound of the lake water striking against the shore of the lake.

 

2. Look at these words;

 … peace comes dropping slow

 Dropping from the veils of the morning to where the cricket sings

 What do these words mean to you? What do you think “comes dropping slow…from the veils of the morning”? What does “to where the cricket sings” mean?

 Ans: These lines indicate that the feeling of being ‘at peace’ seeps in slowly and gradually. As one sees the cloudy morning which is followed by the pleasant song of the cricket, the poet gains peace of mind. These vibrant sounds and scenes of nature bring a feeling of peacefulness experienced by the poet.

Iswaran the Story Teller

 Summary

This is a story about Mahendra, a junior supervisor, and his cook, Iswaran. Mahendra had to keep moving from place to place as ordered by the head office. But he had, fortunately, an expert caretaker, Iswaran who cooked his meals, washed his clothes, and chatted with him at night.

Iswaran was very fond of reading Tamil thrillers during his spare time. As a result, he innovated his own thrillers and would tell them to Mahendra. Mahendra would listen and enjoy them without any criticism.

Iswaran told a story about how he paralyzed a mad elephant that had gone berserk. He told that there were timber logs loaded on trucks. But if an elephant went mad no mahout could control it. The elephant now entered a school ground where children were playing, breaking through the brick wall. Children and teachers ran helter and shelter to save their lives. The elephant was stunned when Iswaran then only a little boy took a cane and hit at the elephant’s third toenail. The secret was if the elephant is hit there, his nervous system gets paralyzed.

Finally, one day talking about spirits of the ancestors, Iswaran began to talk of ghosts. He said that the place where they had their shed was once a burial ground. He also had come across ghosts but he was not scared of them. He told Mahendra about a woman ghost seen only on a full moon night. She moaned and carried a fetus in her arms. This terrified Mahendra so much that he finally thought of that woman ghost on a full moon night. He could hear a low moan outside his window. He peeped from his window and there stood the ghost of the woman. He flung himself down and found that he was often dreaming of that woman ghost. He had forgotten all about it the next morning till Iswaran asked him, “Sir, you were angry with me the other day when I told you about the ghost but didn’t you see her yourself last night?” Mahendra felt that the place was really haunted by ghosts and decided to go away from the place.

Question and Answers

1. In what way is Iswaran an asset to Mahendra?

A. Iswaran is an asset to Mahendra as he accompanies him everywhere without complaining. He cooks food for him, washes his clothes, cleans the living place, and entertains him with his unique stories.

2. How does Iswaran describe the uprooted tree on the highway? What effect does he want to create in his listeners?

A. Iswaran would describe the uprooted tree dramatically by raising his eyebrows and making animated gestures with his hands. He would describe it as a huge beast lying on the road. Only after going near to it he realized that it was a fallen tree. He would say that its branches appeared to be the beast’s limbs that had spread out onto the road.

He wanted to create a scene in the listener’s mind so that he would get captivated in the story.

3. How does he narrate the story of the tusker? Does it appear to be plausible?

A. He gave an introduction that his village was surrounded by a dense forest. The wood was processed at the timber yards and the logs of timber were transported onto the lorries by elephants. He added that the beasts were huge and in case one of them went mad, it could not be controlled even by an experienced mahout. He told about a tusker that had gone mad. He would get so caught up in the excitement of his own story that he would get up from the floor and jump about, stamping his feet in emulation of the mad elephant.

No. The story doesn’t appear plausible.

4. Why does the author say that Iswaran seemed to more than make up for the absence of a TV in Mahendra’s living quarters?

A. Iswaran seemed to more than makeup for the absence of a TV in Mahendra’s living quarters because his stories were so entertaining that every night they made up for the absence of a TV in Mahendra’s living place. Mahendra would enjoy these stories which were full of adventure, suspense and horror.

5. Mahendra calls ghosts or spirits a figment of the imagination. What happens to him on a full moon night?

A. Mahendra scolds Iswaran and says that ghosts do not exist. On a full moon night, he woke up from his sleep as he heard someone crying. At first, he thought that it was a cat that was hunting mice but as the sound grew louder and harsher, he was tempted to peep out of the window. In the white moonlight, he saw a dark, shady figure holding a bundle in its arms. Initially, he got scared but overcame it as he felt that his subconscious mind had played a trick on him. The next day, the presence of the ghost was confirmed by Iswaran and Mahendra realized that he actually saw a ghost the previous night. He did not want to live at a haunted place and so, resigned from the job.

6. Can you think of some other ending for the story?

A. The story proved the narrating abilities of Iswaran. I think it would be interesting if both the characters Iswaran and Mahendra did some more investigation into the matter before coming to a conclusion. After all, the presence of the ghost was confirmed by the storyteller, Iswaran himself. There was no other proof. 

A House is Not a Home

 Summary

The story is about a boy named Zan. He was sad as he had to go to a new high school. He missed his old friends. He was a new junior in his new school. His house caught fire. Other than a few papers and photos of his father they lost everything. His pet cat was also missing. They did not have any cash, credit cards, or identity proofs and had to borrow money from his grandparents.

Zan got depressed and did not want to attend school. One day at school, he was astonished to see a table full of things - books, stationery items, clothes, and so on. They were collected by his classmates to help him. He came out of the depression and realized that life was beautiful. Zan saw his house being rebuilt and felt that same was happening with his life too.

A kind woman returned his cat which had run away on being scared of the fire. Zan bounced back to life. He realized that life was not about material possessions but about love, affection, and being with one’s loved ones. This is what is meant by the title, ‘A house is not a home’.

Think about it (Answers to the questions given on Pages 54 & 55)

1. What does the author notice one Sunday afternoon? What is his mother’s reaction? What does she do?

The author was doing his homework. He noticed smoke pouring in through the seams of the ceiling. Soon the room was filled with the smoke. The author and his mother ran outside to save their life. His mother ran out of the house with a small metal box full of important documents. She became so crazy that she rushed back to the house again.

2. Why does he break down in tears after the fire?

The author’s house was completely burned down. Five hours later when the fire was finally put out, he realised he lost everything and his cat was also missing. He felt helpless as he had to go to the new school. So, cried and broke down in tears.

3. Why is the author deeply embarrassed the next day in school? Which words show his fear and insecurity?

The author was full of sorrow as he lost everything. He didn’t have proper dress or study material. He had no backpack. He was feeling insecure. He was shocked deeply and seemed frustrated. The words uttered by him “Was I destined to be an outcast and a geek all my life? I didn’t want to grow up, change or have to handle life, if it was to going to be this way. I just wanted to curl up and die” reveal his fear and insecurity.

4. The cat and the author are very fond of each other. How has this been shown in the story? Where was the cat after the fire? Who brings it back and how?

The author loved his cat very much. She used to sit with him when he did his homework and other household work. When the author found his cat back, he was overwhelmed. He grabbed her quickly and felt relieved. This proved that they were very fond of each other.

The cat ran over a mile away when the house was on fire. A lady brought it back.

5. What actions of the schoolmates change the author’s understanding of life and people, and comfort him emotionally? How does his loneliness vanish and how does he start participating in life?

His schoolmates bought him necessary materials like school supplies, notebooks, all kinds of different clothes. It was a matter of surprise for him and he could not believe it. People who were new now became his friends. He got all the things he needed. He started enjoying his life as usual.

6. What is the meaning of “My cat was back and so was I”? Had the author gone anywhere? Why does he say that he is also back?

Here the author wants to point out that life without love and affection is useless. He was depressed after a great loss in the fire. He was depressed and he had no interest in life. In the end, he received everything he lost with the help of his newfound friends. An unknown woman gave his cat back. He recovered from this gloomy state and bounced back to life. So he said, “My cat was back and so was I”.

The Beggar

Summary

Lushkoff was a beggar. While begging he met an advocate Sergei. Sergei found out that he was telling lies to people in order to win their sympathy. He wanted to change the beggar and gave him work. Sergei asked the beggar to cut wood and directed the cook Olga to show him the shed where wood was kept. The beggar was too weak and was under the influence of alcohol. Olga scolded him and reported that the work was finished. Every month the beggar used to come to Sergei’s house and earn some money doing odd jobs.

When Sergei shifted his house, he employed the beggar to transport household articles.  Sergei noticed that the beggar had changed as he was sober that day. Satisfied that his efforts had paid in reforming a drunkard, Sergei recommended the beggar to a better job.

After two years, Sergei chanced to see Lushkoff at a theatre. Sergei came to know that Lushkoff was now working as a notary and earned 35 Roubles a month. Lushkoff revealed that it was not for Sergei but for his cook, Olga that he was a changed man. She would scold him, cry for him, and chopped the wood for him. Her behaviour transformed Lushkoff.

Think about it (Answers to the questions on Page 67)

1. Has Lushkoff become a beggar by circumstance or by choice?

Lushkoff was a middle-aged man and belonged to a choir group. He was sent out of the choir because of his drinking habits. He became a beggar by choice as he did not like to work hard.

2. What reasons does he give to Sergei for his telling lies?

Lushkoff told Sergei the truth and accepted that he was a liar. He said that he told lies to gain sympathy from others. He reasoned that if he had spoken the truth he wouldn’t be helped by anyone.

3. Is Lushkoff a willing worker? Why, then, does he agree to chop wood for Sergei?

No, Lushkoff was not a willing worker. He was too weak to work. He agreed to chop wood because of pride and shame and he had been trapped by his own words. So he had no other way but to accept Sergei’s offer.

4.Sergei says, “I am happy that my words have taken effect.” Why does he say so? Is he right in saying so?

Sergei looked satisfied with the transformation of the beggar and felt happy. But he was not right in saying so because Lushkoff had not developed the habit of working hard. He was still a lazy fellow.

5. Lushkoff is earning thirty five roubles a month. How is he obliged to Sergei for this?

Sergei played an important role in improving the condition of the beggar. It was because of Sergei that Lushkoff could earn thirty five roubles a month. He believed that the beggar was a changed man and sent him to one of his friends to do the job of copying. Later he became a notary.

6. During their conversation Lushkoff reveals that Sergei’s cook, Olga, is responsible for the positive change in him. How has Olga saved Lushkoff?

Olga realised the condition of Lushkoff and took pity on him. She tried her best to improve the same. She did the work of his part as she wanted to change him. She kept criticizing him in order to improve him. He understood her feelings towards him and a change took place in his heart. So, Olga was responsible for the positive change in him.

If I Were You

Summary

Gerrard was a playwright. He was ready to go out of his house to deliver props for a rehearsal. Just as was leaving, an intruder entered his home. He was carrying a gun. He wanted to kill Gerrard and steal his identity. He wanted live on Gerard’s identity. The intruder had committed a murder and was wanted by the police. He wanted to know details about Gerrard before killing him so that he could imitate him well.

Gerrard said that he was a crook too. He warned the intruder the police would be chasing him even after stealing the identity. Gerrard told the intruder that he had killed someone and the police had evidence against him. Gerrard was successful in fooling the intruder to believe him. Gerrard managed to push the intruder inside a cupboard and locked it.

Question and Answers

1. “At last a sympathetic audience.”

(i) Who says this?

(ii) Why does he say it?

(iii) Is he sarcastic or serious?

Answer:

i) Gerrard

ii) Gerrard says this because he is glad that finally, someone has asked him to speak about himself.

iii) he is sarcastic

2. Why does the intruder choose Gerrard as the man whose identity he wants to take on?

Answer: The intruder chooses Gerrard because he feels that they are similar to each other. As he has committed a murder, he plans to steal Gerrard’s identity and live peacefully.

3. “I said it with bullets.”

(i) Who says this?

(ii) What does it mean?

(iii) Is it the truth? What is the speaker’s reason for saying this?

Answer:

i) Gerrard

ii) It means that when things went wrong, Gerrard had to kill a person.

iii) No, it is not the truth. Gerrard said this in order to escape being killed by the intruder.

4. What is Gerrard’s profession? Quote the parts of the play that support your answer.

Answer: Gerrard is a playwright. This is indicated from the following -

i) This is all very melodramatic, not very original

ii) At last a sympathetic audience

iii) In most melodramas the villain is foolish enough to delay his killing long enough to be frustrated. You are much luckier.

iv) I said, you were luckier than most melodramatic villains.

v) That’s a disguise outfit; false moustaches and what not.

vi) Sorry I can’t let you have the props in time for rehearsal, I’ve had a spot of bother — quite amusing. I think I’ll put it in my next play.

5. “You’ll soon stop being smart.”

(i) Who says this?

(ii) Why does the speaker say it?

(iii) What according to the speaker will stop Gerrard from being smart?

Answer:

i) the intruder

ii) The intruder says this to scare Gerrard

iii) According to the intruder when Gerrard would come to know that his aim was to kill him, he would get scared and stop being smart.

6. “They can’t hang me twice.”

(i) Who says this?

(ii) Why does the speaker say it?

Answer:

i) the intruder

ii) The intruder says that he has committed a murder and Gerrard’s murder would be his second murder. He was not scared of being punished as already, he was to be hanged for the first murder and if he did one more, they would not hang him twice for committing two murders.

7. “A mystery I propose to explain.” What is the mystery the speaker proposes to explain?

Answer: Gerrard proposes that his lifestyle was mysterious as he did not meet many people and did not have any visitors. He proposed to explain the reason for his mysteriousness.

8. “This is your big surprise.”

(i) Where has this been said in the play?

(ii) What is the surprise?

Answer:

i) This has been said twice in the play. Firstly, when the intruder reveals his plan to kill Gerrard. Secondly, by Gerrard when he reveals his false identity to the intruder.

ii) The intruder’s surprise is his intention of killing Gerrard. Gerrard’s surprise is his false identity.

Consult your dictionary and choose the correct word from the pairs given in brackets.

1. The (site, cite) of the accident was (ghastly/ghostly).

2. Our college (principle/principal) is very strict.

3. I studied (continuously/continually) for eight hours.

4. The fog had an adverse (affect/effect) on the traffic.

5. Cezanne, the famous French painter, was a brilliant (artist/artiste).

6. The book that you gave me yesterday is an extraordinary (collage/college) of science fiction and mystery.

7. Our school will (host/hoist) an exhibition on cruelty to animals and wildlife conservation.

8. Screw the lid tightly onto the top of the bottle and (shake/shape) well before using the contents.

Answers:

1. Site, ghastly

2. Principal

3. Continuously

4. Effect

5. Artist

6. Collage

7. Host

8. shake