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

Bond of Love

Summary:

In the story, the narrator tells about the emotional bond shared by his wife and their pet bear Bruno. He got the baby bear in an accident and presented it to his wife. She named the bear ‘Bruno’ and treated it like a baby. Bruno is a fun-loving, affectionate bear.

One day, accidentally, Bruno eats Barium Carbonate poison. The poison is kept in the library to kill mice and rats. Bruno suffers a stroke of paralysis and recovers with the help of a veterinary doctor. In another incident, he drinks a gallon of old engine oil which the narrator has kept to fight a termite attack. The oil could not affect Bruno in any way.

As days pass, Bruno grows bigger. Now his name is changed as ‘Baba’.  Baba has learned a few tricks. He wrestles with people, holds a stick as a gun, and cradles a wooden block as a baby As he is big now, he has to be chained because he could harm the tenant’s children.

Keeping the safety of children in view, they send Baba to the zoo at Mysore. The narrator’s wife misses Baba immensely. Baba also misses her. After three months, they visit Baba at the zoo. Baba recognizes her at once. The narrator wife cannot leave Baba in the zoo. So, she takes permission from the authorities and brings Baba back home.

They make a special island made for Baba to live on. It is surrounded by a deep dry pit. Baba has a box to sleep in, straw to keep him warm, his stick, and a piece of wood to play with.

The narrator’s wife visits Baba on the island by swinging on a rope tied to a mango tree. She lets the big bear sit in her lap for hours and pats him affectionately.

(Answers to the questions given on page no:119)

II. Answer the following questions.

Q1. “I got him for her by accident.”
(i) Who says this?
(ii) Who do ‘him’ and ‘her’ refer to?
(iii) What is the incident referred to here?

A.
(i) The narrator says this.
(ii) ‘him’ refers to the bear and ‘her’ refers to the narrator’s wife.
(iii) The incident referred to here is when the narrator’s companion shot a bear dead and they found that the baby bear was alive. They caught the baby bear and took it along with them.

Q2. “He stood on his head in delight.”
(i) Who does ‘he’ refer to?
(ii) Why was he delighted?

A.
(i) ‘he’ refers to Baba.
(ii) Baba was delighted to see the narrator’s wife.


Q3. “We all missed him greatly: but in a sense we were relieved.”
(i) Who does ‘we all’ stand for?
(ii) Who did they miss?
(iii) Why did they nevertheless feel relieved?

A.
(i) ‘we all’ stands for the narrator, his wife, his son, the Alsatian dogs and the tenant’s children.
(ii) They missed Baba.
(iii) They nevertheless felt relieved because Baba was a big bear now and keeping him at home was inconvenient for them.

III. Answer the following questions in 30 to 40 words each.

Q1. On two occasions Bruno ate/drank something that should not be eaten/ drunk. What happened to him on these occasions?

A. In the first incident, Bruno ate the poison Barium carbonate. The narrator kept the poison to kill rats. Bruno was struck by an attack of paralysis. The narrator took him to a veterinary doctor who injected medicines twice to revive Bruno.
In the second incident, Bruno drank the old engine oil. It was drained out of the sump of the narrator’s old car. He kept it to fight a termite attack. The oil had no effect on Bruno at all.

Q2. Was Bruno a loving and playful pet? Why, then, did he have to be sent away?

A. Yes, Bruno was a loving and playful pet. He was sent away because as he had grown into a big bear. It was not safe to keep him in a household where there are children. Bruno could harm people. The narrator, his son, and their friends convinced his wife who was particularly attached to Bruno and finally, it was sent to the zoo at Mysore.

Q3. How was the problem of what to do with Bruno finally solved?
A. The problem of what to do with Bruno was finally solved by sending him off to the zoo at Mysore. They wrote a letter to the zoo in charge at the zoo at Mysore. Upon his consent, Baba was packed in a cage and was sent away.

The Surgeon

Reading (Answers to the questions given on page no 84)

Answer the following questions.

1. Why did the prince refuse to be moved to a more luxurious hospital?

The prince refused to be moved to a more luxurious hospital because he had complete trust in the doctor who saved his life.

2.What did the prince offer to Robert Sandy? Why was Sandy not able to refuse?

The prince offered a pure white diamond to Robert Sandy as a token of appreciation. Sandy was unable to refuse it because refusing a gift offered by the king of Saudi Arabia would be a terrible insult to the king.

3. Why do you think Harry Gold suggested the Robert Sandy should take the diamond to an auction.

Harry Gold estimated that the diamond is worth at least half a million pounds and probably over a million. An auction offers a chance for the seller to get the best price. So, Harry suggested Robert Sandy to take the diamond to an auction.

4. Why did the couple decide to hide the diamond in the house?

The couple was going out for the weekend. They could not keep the valuable diamond in the bank locker as the banks were closed. They could not even carry the costly diamond with them. So, they decided to hide the diamond in the house.

5. On recognizing the diamond, how did Harry Gold act?

Harry Gold recognized that the diamond belonged to Robert Sandy. He wanted to make sure. He made a phone call to the Radcliffe Infirmary to ask if Sandy had lost the diamond.

6. How had the diamond landed in the young man’s stomach?

The young man was a thief. He broke into Robert Sandy’s house when they were away. He had a drink with some ice cubes. As the diamond was ice white, he could not see it and that is how the diamond had landed in the young man’s stomach.

7. Which aspect of the story makes it humorous?

The thief who came to steal the valuables from Sandy’s house did not see the diamond in the ice cube. He gulps it down along with his drink without realizing its value. This aspect of the story made it humorous. 

 

The River

 Poem appreciation (Answers to the questions given on page no: 87)

1. The river is compared to a child. What are the similarities between the two?

The river is full of energy like a child. It dances over yellow pebbles and passes through flowers and foliage on its way like a child at play.

2. Why does the poet call it ‘swelling river’?

The river seems to grow as it flows on over rocks. It builds up volume as it flows down the mountains. That is why the poet calls it swelling river.

3. How does the sea remind one of eternity?

The sea reminds of eternity as one cannot see the end of the sea. As far as we can see, we can see only water. Thus, the sea reminds us one eternity.

4. ‘The River’ is a poem which describers a river in all its vitality and splendor. Give examples.

The vitality of the river is described by the poet with the usage of words such leaping, brawling and leaping. The poet compares the river with impetuous youth.

On you rush through rough and smooth;

Louder, faster, brawling, leaping,

Over rocks, by rose-banks, sweeping

Like impetuous youth.

The above stanza is an example.

5. Pick out the words which sound like the movement of the river. What effects do these words create?

The different stages and the vitality of the river is described by the poet with the usage of words such as sparkle, glancing, swelling, leaping, brawling and leaping. The poet compares the river with impetuous youth. Words like brimming, and tending are also used.

6. The poet uses various similes. Mention them. Why has the poet made these comparisons?

The poet uses the following similes in the poem, the river. They are like a child at play, like impetuous youth, like mortal prime, and like eternity. This is to show the readers the similarity between human life and the various stages of a river.

7. Does the river and its movement suggest something else to you?

Yes. The river and its movement is suggestive of human life. A river is born like a child and grows as it flows on. It becomes an impetuous youth and then like a mortal prime gets ready to meet the ocean.

In the Kingdom of Fools

 Think about it (Answers to the questions given on Page 27)

1. What are the two strange things the guru and his disciple find in the Kingdom of Fools?

The Guru and the disciple found that in the Kingdom of Fools people used to work during nights and sleep during days. Everything was cheap and cost the same.

2. Why does the disciple decide to stay in the Kingdom of Fools? Is it a good idea?

Everything was cheap in the Kingdom of Fools. The disciple liked to eat. He was tempted by the cheap food. So, he decided to stay in that kingdom. It was not a good idea to stay there for a long time as one could be in danger any time because of the unpredictable behaviour of fools who are ruling the kingdom.

3. Name all the people who are tried in the king’s court, and give the reasons for their trial.

The owner of the house i.e. the merchant, the bricklayer, the dancing girl, and the goldsmith were tried in the king’s court. They all were tried because the thief died when the wall of the merchant’s house had collapsed. The merchant was tried for building a weak wall. The bricklayer was tried for doing his work carelessly. The dancing girl was tried for disturbing the concentration of the bricklayer. The goldsmith was blamed for making the dancing girl walk up and down to his house a dozen times.

4. Who is the real culprit according to the king? Why does he escape punishment?

The merchant’s dead father was held responsible for making the wall weak. But according to the king the rich merchant was the real culprit because he had inherited both sins and riches of his father. He escaped the punishment because he was too thin to fit the stake.

5. What are the Guru’s words of wisdom? When does the disciple remember them?

The Guru was full of wisdom and knew well that the unpredictable behaviour of the fools could create danger anytime. The Guru’s words were, “They are all fools. This won’t last very long, and you can’t tell what they’ll do to you next”. The disciple remembered them when he was arrested by the men of the king to execute merely because he fitted the stake.

6. How does the Guru manage to save his disciple’s life?

The Guru arrived on time to save his disciple and created a drama. He told the king that it was not an ordinary stake and whoever went to the stake first would become the king in the next life. The second to die would become his minister. The foolish king wanted to be a king in his next life too. So, he grabbed the opportunity.  The Guru and his disciple were released. Thus the Guru managed to save his disciple’s life.

The Adventures of Toto

 Think about it (Answers to the questions given on Page 11)

1. How does Toto come to grandfather's private zoo?

Grandfather loved animals. One day he saw this attractive monkey with a tonga driver. The monkey was tied to a feeding trough and seemed out of place there. So he decided to buy Toto from the tonga driver and bought it for five rupees.

2. “Toto was a pretty monkey.” In what sense is Toto pretty?

Toto had bright eyes sparkling with mischief, pearly white teeth, quick and wicked fingers and a gracious tail which served as a third hand. His hands were dried up but his fingers were quick. Altogether all these qualities made him pretty.

3. Why does grandfather take Toto to Saharanpur and how? Why does the ticket collector insist on calling Toto a dog?

Toto was a mischievous monkey. He kept disturbing all other animals in grandfather’s private zoo. It seemed that only grandfather could manage him properly. So, he took Toto to Saharanpur in a bag. The ticket collector called it a dog and charged a ticket fee for it because only dogs were allowed to travel on trains. If Toto had to travel by train, then, he would have to be termed a dog.

4. How does Toto take a bath? Where has he learnt to do this? How does Toto almost boil himself alive?

Toto cunningly tested the temperature with his hand then gradually stepped into the bath. He stepped first one foot, then the other, until he was into the water up to his neck. He rubbed himself all over with the soap. He learned it all from the author. One day Toto got in a large kitchen kettle which was on fire to boil. He enjoyed the warm water but when the water turned out to be hot he jumped up and down. Suddenly the grandmother arrived at and pulled him out in half-boiled condition.

5. Why does the author say, “Toto was not the sort of pet we could keep for long”?

Author’s statement about Toto proves itself if we take Toto’s misdeeds into consideration. Nobody could afford the frequent losses. He disturbed all other animals too. Obviously Toto was not the sort of pet we could keep for long.

The Lost Child

Vocabulary:

wintry shades of narrow lanes and alleys: in the winter season, the narrow lanes were full of shade.

Emerged: came out

Brimming over: to be full of something

Lagged behind: was left behind

Fascinated by: attracted to

Lined the way: were set up along the way

Lingering: lasting for a long time

Receding: left behind as he walked ahead

Suppress: put an end to

Cold: without any feelings, emotions

Tyrant: a cruel and oppressive ruler

Melted: became tender and loving

Pale: dull, colorless

Gaudy: extremely bright and showy

Abreast: side by side and facing the same way

Teeming out: to pour or empty out

Grove: a small wood or group of trees

Capers: a playful skipping movement

Throngs: huge crowds

Converging: gathering

Heeded: paid attention to

Overwhelming: a very strong emotion

Forbidden: not allowed

Coarse: unpleasant

Hither and thither: here and there

Intently: carefully

Congested: full of

Hefty: large and heavy

Thrust: push

Knocked: hit

Brutal: harsh, rough

Trampled: crushed

Surging: powerful

Soothe: relax, comfort

Pleaded: requested

Double-pitched strain: usage of a lot of force

Bore: carried

Reiterated: repeated

Disconsolate: very unhappy and unable to be comforted

Charge: a person or thing entrusted to the care of someone

 Think about it (Answers to the questions given on Page 6)

1. What are the things the child sees on his way to the fair? Why does he lag behind?

On his way to the fair the child sees toys, balloons of different colours, garlands of gulmohur, a swing and a snake-charmer playing a flute. He gets attracted to all these things. So, he lags behind.

2. In the fair he wants many things. What are they? Why does he move on without waiting for an answer?

The child wants many things at the fair. He wants to have toys, different sweets, a garland, balloons of different colours. He also wants to enjoy a ride on the roundabout. He moves on without waiting for an answer because his parents cautioned him to move on.

3. When does he realise that he has lost his way? How have his anxiety and insecurity been described?

The child sees a roundabout and wants to have a ride on it. He asks his parents for permission to enjoy it. Having no response on the part of his parents he realises that he has lost his way. He starts crying bitterly at once and runs here and there in search of them.

4. Why does the lost child lose interest in the things that he had wanted earlier?

The lost child loses interest in the things he has wanted earlier because he got lost in the fair. He is panic-stricken for being lost. Now he all that he wants is his parents. He is afraid and feels unsafe.

5. What do you think happens in the end? Does the child find his parents?

Yes, I feel that the child finds his parents at last. The kind-hearted person must have tried his best to find his parents. On the other hand, the parents of the child must have searched very hard to find their child.