Author name: Prasanna

Treasure Trove Poems and Short Stories Workbook Answers

After Blenheim Summary by Robert Southey

After Blenheim Summary About the Poet

Robert Southey (12 August, 1774 – 21 March, 1843) was a prolific writer of verse and histories and an accomplished ; biographer. After meeting Samuel Taylor Coleridge, he published his first collection of poems in 1794.

Though contemporary with Coleridge and Wordsworth, he is one of the less celebrated poets, and he wrote one i of the first anti-war poems, ‘After Blenheim’. His other famous work being ‘The Inchcape Rock.’

After Blenheim Summary

Robert Southey’s poem ‘After Blenheim’ illustrates the theme that war, though being pointless and brutal, affects everyone. The poem is set at the site of the ‘Battle of Blenheim (1704)’. It is narrated in the form of questions of small children and about a skull one of them has found. An old man tells his grandchildren about the burnt homes, civil causalities and rotting corpses, while repeatedly referring to the poem as a ‘famous victory.’

After Blenheim Explanation of the Poem

Stanza 1 & 2

“It was a summer evening,
Old Kaspar’s work was done,
And he before is cottage door
Was sitting in the sun,
And by him sported on the green
His little grandchild Wilhelmine.
She saw her brother Peterkin
Roll something large and round,
Which he beside the rivulet In playing there had found;
He came to ask what he had found,
That was so large, and smooth, and round.”

Explanation: Old Kaspar has finished his work and was sitting in the sun in front of the cottage, watching his little Y granddaughter play. Peterkin, his grandson, has been rolling a large round object he found near the stream. Out of curiosity he brings it to the old man.

Word Meanings :
1. Sported – Played
2. Rivulet – A small stream

Stanza 3 & 4
“Old Kaspar took it from the boy,
Who stood expectant by?
And then the old man shook his head,
And, with a natural sigh,
“T is some poor fellow’s skull,’ said he,
‘Who fell in the great victory?
‘I find them in the garden,
For there’s many here about;
And often when I go to plough,
The ploughshare turns them out!
For many thousand men,’ said he
‘Were slain in that great victory.”

Explanation: Kaspar took the object from the boy – who waited anxiously. The old man examines it and tells that he has found many such objects while ploughing the fields or in their garden, and it is the skull of a soldier who died in the Battle of Blenheim, which was a ‘great victory/ as many men were killed in that battle and were not given a decent burial.

Word Meanings :
1. Expectant – Curious
2. Slain – Killed

Stanza 5 & 6
“Now tell us what ’twas all about,’
Young peterkin, he cries;
And little wilhelmine looks up
With wonder-waiting eyes;
‘Now tell us about the war,
And what they fought each other for.’
‘It was the English,’ Kaspar cried,
‘Who put the French to rout?
. But what they fought each other for,
I could not well make out;
But everybody said,’ guoth he,
‘That ’twas a famous victory.”

Explanation: Peterkin and Wilhenmine are interested to know more about it and urge their grandfather to tell them about the war and why it was fought. They anticipated a thrilling and exciting story which they waited to hear with a gleam in their eyes.

Old Kaspar recollects that, in this ‘famous battle’, as what people called it, the English defeated the French. But he himself had no clue of the reason behind the war. It shows a common man’s ignorance about the cause and purpose of war.

Word Meanings :
1. Wonder-waiting – Anxious
2. To rout – Defeat
3. Quoth – Said

Stanza 7, 8 & 9
“My father lived at Blenheim then,
Yon little steam hard by;
They burnt his dwelling to the ground,
And he was forced to fly;
So with his wife and child he fled,
Nor had he where to rest his head.
‘With fire and sword the country round Was wasted far and wide,
And many a chiding mother then,
And new-born baby died;
But things like that, you know, must be
At every famous victory.”

Explanation: The old grandfather tells the children that, during the war his father lived by a stream at Blenheim. As a consequence of the war, his father’s house was burnt down and he was forced to flee with his wife and child, Kaspar. They were, thus, rendered homeless.

In this stanza, the poet highlights the fact that, wars and battles are a massive source of misery and pain. It shows the destruction caused by them. Kaspar tells that, when the war was over, it was a shocking sight to see. Houses were burnt, innocent people were killed, many pregnant women-and new-born babies lost their lives. There was death and horror everywhere. Thousands of dead bodies of soldiers lay rotting in the field. But Kaspar talks about those killings casually and thinks that such terrible consequences are part of such a famous war.

Word Meanings :
1. Dwelling – House
2. Childing – Expecting, pregnant

Stanza 10 & 11
“Great praise the Duke of Marlbro’s won
And our good Prince Eugene.’
‘Why, ’twas a very wicked thing!’
Said little Wilhelmine.
‘Nay …. nay my little girl,’ quoth he,
‘It was a famous victory.
‘And everybody praised the Duke
Who this great fight did win.’
‘But what good came of it at last?’
Quoth little Peterkin.
‘Why that I cannot tell,’ said he,
‘But’t was a famous victory”

Explanation: An English General, Duke of Marlborough along with Prince Eugene, an Austrian General, led the war against the French and defeated them in the famous ‘Battle of Blenheim’ and thus, brought glory to their country.

Little Wilhenmine was confused and asks her grandfather, how could he praise such a bloody affair. She terms the killing of innocent people as wicked. But he contradicts her. According to him, it was a great victory. Peterkin raises an important question about what good came out of the fighting. To this Kaspar replies that, he had no reply but he just knows that it was a famous victory.

Thus, the poet ironically states the fact that, the wars are seen as a glorifying act and the war-heroes are held in high esteem, without understanding what good they have brought to mankind and why such victory becomes great or famous.

Word Meaning :
1. Duke – A man of very high rank in the British nobility

After Blenheim Summary Questions and Answers

Question 1.
Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow :
And then the old man shook his head,
And with a natural sigh-
“T is some poor fellow’s skull,” said he,
“Who fell in the great victory.”
(After Blenheim, Robert Southey)

(i) Who is the old man? What causes him to sigh?
(ii) What incident prompted the old man to give an account of the Battle of Blenheim?
(iii) How did the battle affect the old’s man family?
(iv) Name the two countries that fought each other in the battle. Which army won? What reason does the old man give for the victory?
(v) Point out the refrain in the poem. What effect does the refrain have on the reader? What do you think is the poet’s attitude to war?
Answer:
(i) The old man in the poem is ‘Old Kaspar’. His grandson Peterkin had brought a round large and smooth object to him for inspection, which he had found while playing near the small river. The child was curious to see the strange thing. Old Kaspar looks at it and sighs, explaining to Peterkin that it was the skull of one of the soldiers who was slain in the ‘famous and great War of Blenheim, and the corpses lie deep scattered in the field, which was a common sight for him as many a times he had come across them while plowing.

(ii) The mention of the war as a !great war1 and ‘a famous victory’, excites the curiosity of Kaspar’s little grand children. They get anxious to know more about it, expecting some thrilling stories behind it. So they prompt him to narrate them whatever he knew about the Battle of Blenhein, and what was it fought for.

(iii) Old Kaspar recollects that, at the time of the battle his father lived in a small village of Blenheim, near a river. During the battle, the homes of several innocent people, including his father’s were burnt to the ground and they were forced to migrate in search of shelter. The young Kaspar along with his parents, fled to a different place, but could not find a home because of the impending war. They had to roam from place to place seeking for shelter.

(iv) The two countries that fought each other were Austria and France. England and Netherlands formed a coalition with Austria whereas , France was aided by the Bravaria. The English alliance defeated the Franco- Bravarian army. The old man gives credit of the victory to the brave English Duke of Malbro and Prince Eugene, who led the war and brought glory to the nation.

(v) The refrain in the poem is-
‘But t’was a famous victory’

This line is the epitomy of irony. The refrain questions the readers about the validity and the purposes of war. The poet successfully conveys his message that it is futile and should be avoided. The wars which are fought over a trivial dispute cause the loss of thousands and thousands of soldiers. They lead to devastation of life and property on a large scale. Thus, this poem, by Robert Southey, is an anti-war poem highlighting the casualties caused by wars and their after affects.

Kaspar was a farmer. This is understood when he says- “And often when I go to plough”. The poet is ‘Robert Southey’.

Question 2.
Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow :
‘ It was a summer evening,
Old Kaspar’s work was done,
And he before is cottage door
Was sitting in the sun,
And by him sported on the green
His little grandchild Wilhelmine.
She saw her brother Peterkin
Roll something large and round,
Which he beside the rivulet
In playing there had found;
He came to ask what he had found,
That was so large, and smooth, and round.

(i) What time was it and what was ‘Old Kaspar’ doing?
(ii) Who was beside him and what was she doing? What did she see her brother doing?
(iii) What was her brother’s name? Where did he find the object? Why did he bring it along?
(iv) What did Wilhelmina refer as ‘wicked’? Was she justified in her perception? Give reason?
(v) Who were responsible for the victory of Blenheim which in portrait question is noised by Peter kin? What is the moral of the poem?
Answer:
(i) It was an evening in summer. ‘Old Kaspar’, an elderly farmer, after finishing his work was sitting in the sun, watching his grandchildren play in the lush green field outside the cottage.

(ii) His granddaughter, Wilhelmine, was beside him and playing in the greenery outside the cottage. She saw her brother rolling a large and round object.

(iii) His name was Peterkin. Peterkin found the object while playing near the river. Out of curiosity, he brings the object to his grandfather, wanting to know about it.

(iv) Though quite young, Wilhenmine could not reconcile herself to the idea of praising the Duke of Marlborough and Prince Eugene, for the battle they had won because, several lives were lost and a lot of destruction was done to achieve it. It was surely a ‘wicked thing.’

Yes, she is completely justified in her perception because, it is a fact that, the Kings and Princes take away the praise and prizes, while the common man suffers the complete brunt leading to grief and devastation.

(v) The Duke of Marlborough and Prince Eugene, who represented Britain, fought bravely and defeated the French, bringing laurels to their nation.

When Kaspar says that everyone praised the Duke for having won the war, Peterkin questions the relevance of the war. He targeted on the purpose and utility of the ‘famous victory’, to which Old Kaspar gives up saying that he had no clue to that except that it was a ‘famous victory’.

Question 3.
Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow:
Old Kaspar took it from the boy,
Who stood expectant by?
And then the old man shook his head,
And, with a natural sigh,
“T is some poor fellow’s skull,’ said he,
‘Who fell in the great victory ?
‘I find them in the garden,
For there’s many here about;
And often when I go to plough,
The ploughshare turns them out!
For many thousand men,’ said he
‘Were slain in that great victory.’

(i) Why did the boy stand in anticipation?
(ii) What response and information does he get from Old Kaspar?
(iii) Where does the old man find similar things and why?
(iv) Give the meaning of (a) expectant (b) ploughshare
(v) What was probably the profession of Kaspar? Which lines show this? Name the poet
Answer:
(i) Being a child, Peterkin was quite curious about the strange object he had found, so he was expecting some thrilling revelation from his grandfather regarding it.

(ii) Kaspar shook his head with a sigh and explained to Peterkin that it was the skull of a poor fellow which refers to an unfortunate soldier, who had died in the war, namely, the Battle of Blenheim.

(iii) The old man found many such objects in the garden as well as in his field where he went ploughing. During the Battle of Blenheim, thousands of soldiers died whose carcasses lay scattered in the field. According to Kaspar, they were the soldiers who sacrificed themselves to win victory for their people.

(iv) (a) expectant-to know (b) ploughshare-the main cutting of a plough, behind the coulter.

(v) Kaspar was a farmer. This is understood from when he says— “And often when I go to plough, The ploughshare, turns then out\” The poet is ‘Rober Southey’.

Question 4.
Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow:
‘Now tell us what ’twas all about,’
Young peterkin, he cries; .
And little wilhelmine looks up
With wonder-waiting eyes;
‘Now tell us about the war,
And what they fought each other for.’
‘It was the English,’ Kaspar cried,
‘Who put the French to rout? .
But what they fought each other for,
I could not well make out;
But everybody said,’guoth he,
‘That ‘twos a famous victory.

(i) What demand is put up by the little boy? What is the subject of discussion?
(ii) What is meant by ‘wonder-waiting’ eyes? Name the Figure of Speech.
(iii) What answer does Kaspar give to satisfy the expectation of the grandchildren? Was the information complete?
(iv) Why does he call it a ‘famous victory’? What does it reflect about him?
(v) Give the background on which the poem ‘After Blenheim’ is set.
Answer:
(i) The little children get anxious to know more about the war. The war which was referred as a ‘Great Victory’ by old Kaspar, creates thrill and excitement in their minds. So, young Peterkin demands to know what the war was about. The subject of discussion is, the cause of the war in which many people were killed.

(ii) ‘Wonder-Waiting’ eyes mean, eyes gleaming in anticipation. Little Wilhelmine was listening to the conversation between her brother and grandfather and so, she too was enthralled to know more about it like Peterkin, which made her watch them with curious eyes. The figure of speech is ‘alliteration.’

(iii) On the basis of his knowledge, Kaspar tells the kids that it was the ‘British who defeated the French army.’ But he is unable to satisfy Peterkin because he did not know the cause of the war.

(iv) Old Kaspar had no idea for the reason behind the war. He just believed What the others said – that it was a ‘famous victory’. It shows that he was one of the common men who are completely ignorant of the cause and purpose of the war, and simply follow the conventional myth that victory in war is always something td be proud of.

(v) The poem refers to the 1704 war of Spanish succession, in which a coalition of forces including, The English, defeated the Franco-Bavarian army on the land of Blenheim, a small village in southern Germany.

Question 5.
Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow:
My father lived at Blenheim then,
Yon little steam hard by;
They burnt his dwelling to the ground,
And he was forced to fly;
So with his wife and child he fled,
Nor had he where to rest his head.

‘With fire and sword the country round
Was wasted far and wide,
And many a chiding mother then,
And new-born baby died;
But things like that, you know, must be
At every famous victory.
Answer:
(i) Kaspar’s father lived in the German village of Blenheim, situated on the left bank of the Danube River in Bavaria in Germany.
The enemy burnt his house and he was forced to escape with his family with no place to take shelter.

(ii) ‘Wasted far and widef refers to the destruction and havoc caused by the war of Blenheim. Thousands of people were killed or rendered homeless. Houses were burnt down.

(iii) ‘A childing mother’ is referred to ‘pregnant ladies’. Many expecting mothers died with babies in their wombs, which signifies the cruelty of war which does not differentiate between guilty or innocent. Wars are, thus, a catastrophe for both, the present and the future generations.

(iv) No, it was a part of a great and famous war. This is evident from Kaspar’s words – “But things like that, you know, must be, At every famous victory.’

(v) The people, in the poem, had to pay a heavy price for the ‘great victory’. The whole countryside was wasted with fire and sword. The houses were burned down and people became homeless. Many pregnant ladies and new-born babies were killed. Many soldiers were killed whose bodies lay rotting in the sun. There was death and destruction everywhere.

Question 6.
Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow:
‘They say it was a shocking sight
After the field was won;
For many thousand bodies here lay rotting in the sun;
But things like that, you know, must be
After a famous victory.
‘Great praise the Duke of Marlbro’s won
And our good Prince Eugene.’
‘Why, ‘twos a very wicked thing!’
Said little Wilhelmine.
‘Nay……… nay ……… my little girl,’ quoth he,
‘It was a famous victory.
‘And everybody praised the Duke
Who this great fight did win. ’
‘But what good came of it at last?’
Quoth little Peterkin.
‘Why that I cannot tell,’said he, ‘
‘But’t was a famous victory.’

(i) Who are ‘They’ mentioned here? Why was it ‘a shocking sight’, though the war was won?
(ii) Who was praised and why?
(iii) What objection is raised by Wilhelmine? Is her objection justified?
(iv) Why does Old Kaspar repeat that it was a famous victory? What does it highlight about his character?
(v) What message does the poet, Robert Southey, convey through his poem?
Answer:
(i) ‘The/ refers to the people who witnessed the war or narrated the events to Kaspar.

Though the war was won, the sight was shocking as thousands of dead bodies of soldiers Lay rotting in the field, which shows the undignified aspects of war. The poem has a universal appeal. It is an anti-war poem. It disapproves the destruction to the life and property caused by war. Common man and innocent children suffer while the aristocrats win the acclaim. Trivial disputes lead to the death of thousands of people. Thus, the poem highlights that wars are futile and should be strictly avoided.

(ii) Duke of Marlborough and Prince Evgene were praised for being great War heroes who brought victory to their country.

(iii) When Kaspar says that the Duke and Prince were praised for bringing victory to their country, little Wilhelmine is shocked and objects.

‘Why, ‘twus a very wicked thing? She is unable to reconcile with the fact that they could be appreciated for being the leaders of a war which brought immense destruction and took away so many lives.

Her objection is truly justified as people participating in a war and killing others for no solid reason, commit a heinous crime towards humanity.

(iv) In the poem, Kaspar stands for the old school of people who believed undoubtedly, whatever was told to them by their elders. He had heard people referring to the war as a ‘famous’ or ‘great’ victory. He too has come to believe it and rejects the doubts of his grand children who question him about how could such a destructive war be a ‘great victor/. Thus, the poet wishes to emphasize through repetition of the line that it was a great victory. This tells that Kaspar belongs to the group of those people who have positive notions about war and who feel proud at the victory achieved during war, ignoring the harm caused by it.

(v) The message conveyed by Robert Southey in this poem is that, ordinary people, like Kaspar themselves, fall victim to the havoc caused by war and glorify war instead of poising its validity. But through the grand children, the poet presents new ideas which are based on analytical thinking and questioning. The poet has conveyed an anti-war message. It is a protest against the heroic ideals of war.

Treasure Trove Poems and Short Stories Workbook Answers

A Horse and Two Goats Summary by RK Narayan

A Horse and Two Goats Summary About the Author

R.K. Narayan (10 October 1906 – 13 May 2001), holds his place among the best known and most widely read Indian novelists who wrote in English. Most of his stories are set in the fictional territory of Malgudi. His first novel ‘Swami and Friends’, was published in 1935. Besides novels, he wrote short stories, travelogues, condensed versions of Indian epics in English, and his memoir. He received numerous awards and adulations during his life time. These include the ‘Sahitya Akademi Award’ in 1958, the Padma Bhushan in 1964, and Padma Vibhushan in 2000. He was also nominated to the Rajya Sabha in 1989. His other important works include ‘Malgudi Days’, ‘The English Teacher’, etc.

A Horse and Two Goats Summary

In, ‘A Horse & Two Goats’, Muni is a poor resident of Kritam, one of the thousands of unobtrusive villages situated in India. There are around thirty houses in the village but only one, the Big House, is built of bricks. The others are made of mud with bamboo thatch. The village has neither running water nor electricity. Muni was once a proud owner of a large flock of sheep and goats, but with time he lost most of the things and now he is the owner of just two scrawny goats. He and his wife have grown quite old now, without any offspring to depend on. They are forced to live in poverty and with insensitive remarks from fellow villagers.

Muni has to run through his credit at all shops in the village. So when he asks his wife to cook drumsticks in a sauce, she asks him to get the ingredients from the shop failing to which she sends him away telling him to fast till the evening. He hopes that she will earn enough money somewhere for an evening meal. Muni then takes his goats to their usual place, a grass spot near the highway. Here Muni sits all day in the shade of the life-sized statue – a horse, rearing next to a fierce warrior – and Muni watches his goats and occasional passing vehicles.

As Muni waits for the time to return home, a yellow station wagon comes down the road and pulls over. A well dressed American in Khaki steps out and asks Muni about the nearest gas station. He looks at the statue and instantly gets attracted to it. Muni takes him for a policeman or soldier. The two begin to converse – two people talking to each other in separate languages, neither understanding the other.

The American is a New York based businessman. He lights a cigarette and offers one to Muni also, then presents his business card which Muni thinks is a warrant and gives a long explanation to prove himself innocent. The American thinks that Muni is the owner of the statue and being highly fascinated with it, shows his desire to buy it. Muni understands that something is being discussed about the statue, so he carries on to explain the myths behind it.

Finally, the American shoves one hundred rupees into Muni’s hand confirming the deal, leaving Muni to wrongly think that he has purchased the goats. He rushes home to give the money to his wife while the American stops a truck, with some help, removes the horse from the pedestal and drives away with his purchase. On the other hand, Muni’s wife does not believe in Muni’s story about how he got such a big amount and her doubts grew even more when the goats return home following Muni.

A Horse and Two Goats Summary Word Meanings:

1. Flourish : Thrive, to grow well
2. Revenue : Tax
3. Sprawled : To spread unevenly
4. Hooped : Bound in a circular manner
5. Grandiose : Impressive
6. Gargoyles : Strangely carved animal
7. Balustrade : Railing
8. Sallied : Set out1 depart
9. Snapped : Broken
10. Miller : One who works in a mill
11. Tethered : Fastened, tied
12. Craving : Longing
13. Imp : A small devil
14. Eloped : Ran away secretly
15. Itinerant : Travelling from place to place
16. Impelled : Urged, forced
17. Mumbled : Muttered
18. Sneered : Smile with dislike
19. Parapet : Alow wall
20. Unobtrusively : Discreetly, unnoticeably
21. Scoundrel : A disreputable person
22. Recoup : To get back
23. Accosted : To approach and speak angrily
24. Cronies : Close friends
25. Lounging : Relaxing
26. Lorded over : Showed power or authority
27. Gawky : Awkward and clumsy
28. Shearing : Cutting hair or wool
29. Elated : Very happy and excited
30. Pestilence : A contagious epidemic disease
31. Scraggy : Being lean and long
32. Progeny : Children, offspring
33. Spurn : To refuse to accept
34. Downcast : Sad and unconfident
35. Meandered : Curved
36. Pedestal : The base of a column or other tall object
37. Reared : Nourished, raised

A Horse and Two Goats Summary Questions and Answers

Question 1.
Compare the relationship between Muni and his wife and relationship between the American and the wife.
Answer:
We can comprehend a lot of outstanding differences in the two relationships. When Muni was rich, he had enough right to decide and control most of the things in his family. He also lorded over his wife. He had even thrashed her a few times. However, when he loses everything and becomes a poor man, he also loses his rights in the family. He has to obey what his wife orders him. They love each other but poverty makes them emotionless. The relationship of the American and his wife seems to be better than Muni’s relationship, because their financial condition is better than that of Muni.

Ruth, the wife of the American, seems to be a good and understanding wife. As the man expresses, he desire to visit India, the very next day his wife calls the travel agent and tells him to fix the tour. Ruth knows how to make her husband comfortable and free in making most of the decisions. The American is confident of his ability to convince her and also agrees to let his wife have freedom to take her own decisions. Thus, in comparison, these differenced appear because of their financial condition and tradition in marriage.

Question 2.
Examine how cross cultural differences bring out humour in the story, ‘A Horse and Two Goats’.
Answer:
R.K. Narayan in this story has wonderfully depicted how cultural and linguistic difference between two men can create a humorous situation. Muni is a common Tamil villager in India, who only knows two words in English, ‘Yes’ or ‘No’. He accidently encounters a ‘red-faced’ American whose station wagon stops near Muni, due to lack of gas.

As he was wearing khaki dress, Muni mistakes the man for a policeman who he thinks has come to arrest him for a murder committed recently. Muni wants to escape but is afraid that the man may shoot him. Muni went on to give his introduction in Tamil language which obviously the man did not understand. When the man offered him a cigarette, he was surprised and blows off the lighter the man lighted for him.

When the man gave his card, he shrank away considering it as an arrest warrant. He tries to tell the American that he had no knowledge about the murder and would definitely hand over the culprit if he happens to catch him. He assured him that he must be from the other village. The foreigner understands nothing but just nods his head.

The fun comes as the readers get to know the characters’ concerns while they, themselves utterly fail to understand anything about each other. This makes the conversation humorous and interesting? Again when Muni talks about punishing the thieves, the foreigner thought that Muni was talking about chopping woods with an axe.

The man then pointed to the clay horse and wished to know about it. He found it a masterpiece and showed interest in buying it and carrying it home. He guessed that Muni was the owner as he was sitting under it. Muni, due to misunderstanding, started his story of how the horse would come to life and carry away the good people after the Kali Yuga ends and the world gets destroyed.

When the man offered Muni a hundred rupee note for the horse, Muni feels amused to think that he was asking . for the change. Muni patting the goats makes him feel that he wanted to buy his goats which comes to him as a long awaited offer. Muni took the money and went away and the man went off with the horse by taking help from a passerby.

The fun continues when Muni’s wife accuses him of theft. Muni’s explanation that he had sold the goats to the red-faced man goes in vain as the goats return back, making his wife all the more suspicious.

A Horse and Two Goats Summary Extract Based Questions

Question 1.
Answer the following questions with reference to R.K. Narayan’s short story entitled ‘A Horse and Two Goats’:
The foreigner followed his flock and decided that it would be a sound policy to show an interest in the old man’s pets. He went up casually to them and stroked their backs with every show of courteous attention. Now the truth dawned on Muni. His dream of a lifetime was about to be realised.
(i) What did Muni often dream of ?
(ii) How was the foreigner dressed? Why did Muni feel the urge to run when he first laid eyes on him? What stopped him from doing so?
(iii) Muni assumed that a recent incident had brought this visitor to his village. Give details of this incident
(iv) What was the visitor actually interested in? What did he offer Muni soon after they met? Why did the offer surprise Muni?
(v) Which part of the story do you find most amusing? Give reasons for your answer.
Answer:
(i) Muni had often dreamt of selling his goats some day and with that money, he wanted to open a small shop with a thatched roof, spreading a gunny sack on the ground with fried nuts, coloured sweets and green coconut displayed on it. Sitting there he would watch towards the hills and quench the thirst of famished highway wayfarers.

(ii) The red-faced foreigner wore khaki clothes making him look like a policeman or a soldier.Muni felt the urge to run away when he first laid eyes on him because he thought that the man was a police officer but could not understand why he was after Muni. He does not run firstly, because he was unable to put his limbs into action readily due to old age, and secondly, for the fear of being chased and shot on running.

(iii) Few weeks ago, a body had been found mutilated and thrown away under a tamarind tree at the border between the villages of Kritan and Kuppam. This caused a lot of talks. So Muni assumed that the man was a policeman who had come to enquire about the murder or may be to arrest him.

(iv) The visitor was actually interested in the stone horse statue. He offered hundred rupees for the horse as he thought that the statue belonged to Muni as he was sitting with it.When the man offered a hundred rupee note, the old man got confused and thought maybe he is asking for change and laughed at the idea of someone asking ‘him’ for a change of a thousand or ten thousand rupee note.

(v) According to me, the most amusing part of the story ‘A Horse and Two Goats’ is towards the end where Muni mistakenly thinks that the foreigner is offering him money for his two goats, though it is actually for the clay horse statue on the pedestal. As the language problem between the two men persists, they never really understand each other. But most wonderfully, Muni convinces himself that he was finally able to understand the matter. In addition to this, the foreigner misleads Muni by showing interest in his pet goats as an act of courtesy.

Question 2.
Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow.
‘‘But its size did not prevent its giving itself the grandiose name Kritam.”
(i) What is ‘Kritam’? What is the meaning of this name? What is the irony about it?
(ii) Describe the village’Kritam’.
(iii) What was Muni’s daily routine?
(iv) What did Muni eat for breakfast and lunch?
(v) What is known about the drumstick tree?
Answer:
(i) Kritam was one of the numerous villages in India where the protagonist of the story lived. The word ‘Kritam’ in tamil means ‘coronet’ or ‘crown’.The irony about it is that, the name of the village is contrary to it. Though it meant a crown but in reality it was one of the insignificant villages dotting the map of India, may be the tiniest of all.

(ii) Kritam is one of the smallest of India’s seven hundred thousand villages. There are only thirty houses in the village, most of them with simple thatched huts. The only sophisticated residence in the village is the ‘Big House’, a brick arid cement building from whose well the local villagers get their water. It was painted bright yellow and blue with beautiful carvings of Gods and Gargoyles on its boundary. The other houses were distributed in four streets and Muni the protagonist’s house, was the last house in the fourth street.

(iii) Every morning, Muni use to drive his goats to the highway on the outskirts of the village and let them graze as he sat on the pedestal of a clay statue of a horse. He collected faggots and dry sticks and carried them home for fuel at sunset.

(iv) In the morning, Muni’s wife cooked him millet flour cooked in boiling water with salt. For lunch his wife packed some millet cooked into a little ball to be eaten with raw onion.

(v) The drumstick tree grew in front of his hut from which he sometimes shook down drumsticks to eat. There was no particular owner of the tree but he considered it his as he lived in its shadow. He also tied his goats to the trunk of the tree.

Question 3.
Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow.
“More likely you are seventy,” he said to Muni. “You also forget that you mentioned a birthday five weeks ago when you wanted castor oil for your holy bath.”
(i) Who is the person talking to Muni? Why does he have to discuss Muni’s age?
(ii) Is Muni finally able to enjoy a meal of drumstick in sauce? What is the reaction of his wife?
(iii) What shows that Muni knew his wife well ?
(iv) Why did Muni prefer to take his goats to the Highway?
(v) Describe the horse statue. What was the legend behind it?
Answer:
(i) The shopkeeper to whom Muni has gone to buy certain ingredients for the drumstick sauce on credit is talking to Muni. Muni has no money to pay for the items, but tries to convince the shopkeeper to give him on credit by engaging him in conversation and laughing at his jokes. Muni tells him that he will return back the money when his daughter sends him money on his fiftieth birthday. But the shop owner does not believe him as firstly, he has no daughter and secondly, he looked at least seventy while he said he was fifty and he had already mentioned his birthday five weeks ago.

(ii) No, Muni is unable to secure the ingredients for the sauce and tells his wife to sell the drumsticks.His wife told him that there is nothing to eat so he will have to fast till the evening. She ordered him to take his flock of goats for grazing and not to return before sunset.

(iii) Muni’s wife was furious when he came back empty handed. She ordered him to go out empty stomach and not to return before sun set. But Muni knew that if he obeyed her she would somehow manage to get some food for him in the evening, provided that he does not argue with her and anger her further. According to him, her moods always became better by the evening.

(iv) Muni preferred to take his goats to the highway so that he could watch the highway and see the lorries and ‘ buses pass through to the hills, which gave him a sense of belonging to the larger world. He could sit on a pedestal at the base of a clay statue of the horse and also crouch under its belly for shade.

(v) It was a purely white, life-size horse made of baked and burnt clay. There was a pure brocade of red and black lace on its back. Its head was raised in the pose of forelegs prancing in the air with its tail in a loop shape. Beside the horse stood a majestic warrior with scythe like mustachios, bulging eyes and curved nose. The warrior wore a multicoloured sash made of same brocade around his waist. Muni’s grandfather had told him that the horse in the statue was a reference to the mythical horse Kalki, who according-to a tamil legend, will come to life when the world ends and trample all bad men.

Question 4.
Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow.
“Muni felt he should get up and run away, and cursed his age. He could not readily put his limbs into action.”
(i) Why does Muni wish to run away and from whom?
(ii) Why does he give up the idea of running away?
(iii) What does the foreigner tell about himself?
(iv) What makes the foreigner think that he was keeping Muni from his chopping work? What does he say
about his own chopping skills?
(v) Why does Muni shrink away from the card presented by the foreigner ? What explanation does he offer?
Answer:
(i) While Muni is sitting on the pedestal, a yellow station wagon coming down the highway, runs out of gas and comes to a stop on the road in front of the statue and a red faced foreigner approaches Muni, enquiring him about a nearby gas station. Muni, unable to understand his language, mistakes him for a police officer because he is dressed in khaki. He believes that the man had come to investigate about a dead body that was found near Kritam few weeks before. So to avoid any sort of trouble, he wishes to run away.

(ii) Firstly, because he was old enough and could not manage to run. Secondly, he thought that if he ran the man could chase or shoot him easily. And more importantly because the man offered him a cigarette to smoke, something he had always wanted to do but couldn’t afford one.

(iii) The foreigner tells Muni that he was a businessman dealing with coffee and how he and his wife Ruth, decided to travel to India on vacation after a power failure in the Empire State Building forced him to work four hours without air conditioning on a hot summer day. This incident makes him take a break from his work and travel to India to know how people live here. His wife had stayed in Srinagar and he is travelling alone.

(iv) In his own language Muni was telling the foreigner how the villagers lost their cattle, either they are killed by jackals or cheetahs or stolen by someone from the other village. And once the thief is caught after when the priest at the temple sees his face in the camphor flame, he is minced like meat. The foreigner takes his gesture for chopping and believes he his delaying him in his work and he offers to chop for him as he enjoyed it, and on Sundays he did nothing but chopped wood for fireplace.

(v) Muni shrunk away from the card because he thought that the foreigners in khaki was a policeman and he was presenting a warrant to arrest him. A dead body was discovered under a tamarind tree at the border between Kritam and Kuppam, a few weeks before, which had to lot of gossip and suspicions. Thus, Muni explains, swearing on God, that he had no idea of the case and the murderer will not escape, as God is watching everything. He says that the people of the other village could go to any extent.

Question 5.
Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow.
“Tell me, will you accepta hundred rupees or not for the horse? I’d love to take the whiskered soldier also but no space
for him thisyear.”
(1) What made the foreigner believe that Muni was the owner of the horse?
(ii) How does the ‘state of mutual mystification’ complete?
(iii) How was Munis dream of a lifetime about to be realized?
(iv) How does the foreigner manage to carry away the statue?
(v) How did Muni’s wife react to “the fortune for the day”? How did Muni treat the goats who came back home?
Ans.
(i) The foreigner believed that Muni was the owner of the horse by the way he sat on its pedestal in a similar manner as the other souvenir sellers in India.

(ii) Finally, when the foreigner hands over a hundred rupee note to Muni, he first thinks he is asking for a change and suggests that he should go to the village money lender. But when the foreigner stoops down to pet his goats, he mistakenly believes that the man is inclined to buy his goats. Elated, Muni accepts the money and leaves the goats behind for himThe American too is happy that he has been successful in buying the horse. This ends their mutual mystification.

(iii) When Muni understoods that the foreigner wanted to buy his goats, he felt extremely happy because he had reared them up in the hope of selling them someday and with the money he wished to open a small shop beside the highway and sell fried nuts, coloured sweets, and green coconut for the thirsty passerby. This was his ‘dream of a lifetime’ which he could see getting realised soon.

(iv) After Muni is gone with the money, the foreigner believes that he is gone to fetch some help and begins to wait. When a truck came downhill, he took help of a couple of men to detach the horse from its pedestal and place it in his station wagon. He paid them five rupees each and also purchased some gas for his truck and drove away.

(v) Muni’s wife suspects him of stealing the money, and says she will go to her parent’s home because she does not want to be there when the police apprehends him. At the moment, the two goats return making his wife more suspicious about Muni. When Muni saw the goats that had followed him home without his knowledge, he cursed them and shouted at them asking where their new owner was and that they should know that they belonged to him and why did they come back.

Treasure Trove Poems and Short Stories Workbook Answers

Hearts and Hands Summary by O. Henry

Hearts and Hands Summary About the Author

O. Henry (11 September 1862 – 5 June 1910), was born under the name of, William Sydney Porter. During his early age he was imprisoned with a charge of embezzlement of bank funds. There he started writing to support his daughter and when he emerged from the prison, W. S. Porter had become O. Henry. This American short story writer has a good collection of stories which are well-known throughout the world for their clever word play and surprise endings. His first book was, ‘Cabbages and Kings’ (1904). His other famous works being, ‘The Four Million’ (1906), ‘The Trimmed Lamp’ (1907), ‘Heart of the West’ (1907), ‘Voice of the City’ and ‘Whirligigs’ (1910) etc.

Hearts and Hands Summary

‘Hearts and Hands’, like many of O. Henry’s short stories, have an unexpected twist. It is a story about two acquaintances who coincidentally, meet on a train. A woman, Miss Fairchild, spots an old friend Mr. Easton on a train B. & M. Express in Denver.

Miss Fairchild, an elegantly dressed woman, was travelling with all rich comforts. When Mr. Easton, a handsome young man with a bold look, entered the coach with a grumpy, strong and roughly dressed man. They sat down on the seat facing the lady. Miss Fairchild blushed on seeing Mr. Easton, she started talking about their old friendship but is suddenly surprised to discover that her friend was handcuffed to the other man seated beside him.

The other man, comprehending the situation, comes up with an explanation. He tells that Easton is a Marshal and is taking him to the prison at Leavenworth as he had been charged with seven years of imprisonment for counterfeiting. As the conversation advances, the lady feels amazed to know that Mr. Easton has discarded his life in Washington to become a Marshal in the West. Though she continues to chat but is little uneasy with the handcuffs. Sensing her discomfort, the other man again interrupts and tells her that she need not worry, smart Marshal like Easton, handcuffed themselves to their prisoners to stop them from escaping.

Suddenly making an excuse of smoking, the man requests Mr. Easton to take him to the smoking room. Then we get to know the special twist of the story from the two passengers who were eves dropping to their chats. One of them remarks on Mr. Easton’s appearance, saying he is too young to be a marshal, while the other corrects him saying that, it’s Easton who is the counterfeiter while the other one is the Marshal because Marshal’s never handcuff a man with their right hand.

Hearts and Hands Word Meantngs:

1. influx : The arrival of a large number of people
2. Elegant : Graceful and attractive
3. Countenance : A person’s expression
4. Ruffled : irritated
5. Glum-faced : Sad or depressed
6. Aisle : A passage between sections of seats
7. Tingeing : Giving small amount of colour to
8. Bewildered : Confused
9. Forestalled : Stopped, prevented
10. Counterfeiting : Forgery
11. Irrelevantly : Unimportantly

Hearts and Hands Questions and Answers

Question 1.
Comment on the character of Miss Fairchild in the story, ‘Hearts and Hands’.
Answer:
Miss Fairchild is one of the central characters in the short story, ‘Hearts and Hands’, written by O. Henry. She is an elegant woman with a glass of style and manner. She has a fascination for travelling which is marked by all the luxurious comforts she is surrounded by. She is wearing gloves.She has a full, sweet and deliberate voice which is highlighted when she converses with Mr. Easton. She has a bright countenance with a tender pink colour on her cheeks, especially when she smiles.

She becomes interested in talking to Mr. Easton and she gets too blinded by her feelings that she couldn’t see past them and allowed herself to be lied to. So she discusses of her happy past with Mr. Easton, in Washington, but gets horrified to see the handcuffs. Thus, Miss Fairchild is described as a beautiful, amicable lady, with certain shortcomings, like any other normal human being.

Question 2.
Justify the appropriateness of the little ‘Hearts & Hands’.
Answer:
In O. Henry’s story Hearts and Hands’, the title speaks about the compassionate heart of the Marshal, who saved Mr. Easton from the humiliation of being identified as a convict in front of an old friend. The story is set on a train to Denver. An elegantly attired woman named Miss Fairchild is seated on the train when two men arrive and take their seats facing her. It quickly becomes apparent that the woman knows one of them. She speaks to this man, Mr. Easton, and then she is rather surprised to discover that he is handcuffed to the man seated beside him.

Evidently, the man with Easton senses the embarrassment of both of them and tells that heaven worth Mr. Easton is a Marshal and he himself is a convict who is being convicted to seven years of imprisonment in heaven worth prison for counterfeiting. The young woman continues to chat with her acquaintance, but also continues to stare at the handcuffs. To make her comfortable, the other man tells her not to worry because all Marshals handcuff themselves to their prisoners to keep them from getting away.

He then requests that he should be taken to the smoker car as he badly needs to smoke. The two other passengers, who were sitting nearby, listening to the conversation between Miss Fairchild and Mr. Easton, finally makes it clear to the readers that Mr. Easton is not the Marshal, but the other is, as no Marshal would handcuff any convict to his own right hand.

Thus, we see that the glum – faced man handled the situation very appropriately. He referred Mr. Easton, the prisoner, as the Marshal while himself as the prisoner, not caring about his reputation in front of the people in the coach. Miss Fairchild believed Easton to be a ‘Dashing Western Hero’. Thus, Marshal had a big and generous ‘Heart’. The word ‘Hands’ in the little most ? probably refers to the handcuffs tied to the hands of both the men, which led to the Marshal speaking the lie and then the placement of the handcuff on their ‘Hands’, reveals the truth about their identity.

Hearts and Hands Extract Based Questions

Question 1.
Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow.
“Well, Mr. Easton, if you will make me speak first, l suppose I must.”
(i) Who is the speaker? How is the speaker described just before the extract?
(ii) Which train is Miss Fairchild travelling in? Who is Mr. Easton whom she is talking to ?
(iii) How does Mr. Easton look? Describe his companion.
(iv) Who are referred as the ‘linked couple’? Where do they get seated? What is the reaction of the co-passenger?
(v) Why did the colour of Miss Fairchild fade away and what made it come back?
Answer:
(i) The speaker is a young woman named Miss Fairchild. She has been described as an attractive, young lady, elegantly dressed, travelling with all the luxuries and seemed to be an experienced traveller.

(ii) Miss Fairchild was travelling on the eastbound B. & M. Express.Mr. Easton, whom she is talking to, was a new passenger on the train and they two were old acquaintances.

(iii) Mr. Easton was a young handsome man with bold appearance and mannerism. The man accompanying him was a young, upset looking, grim faced, roughly dressed strong-built man.

(iv) The ‘linked couple’ is referred to the two young men who boarded the train at Denver. They are linked because they are handcuffed to each other. They got seated on the seat facing the young lady.At first the lady glanced them indifferently but as soon as she recognized one of them as her old friend, a lovely smile glowed on her face and made her cheeks blush.

(v) When Miss Fairchild held out her hand towards Mr. Easton, he shook it with his left hand and told that his right hand was busy. She was bewildered to see his hand bound at the wrist with a handcuff tied to the left hand of his companion. This faded the glow from her cheeks. But when the ‘glum faced’ man told her that Mr. Easton was a Marshal and was taking him to the prison, she relaxed, and the colour brightened her cheeks again.

Question 2.
Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow.
“I can’t deny a petition for tobacco,” he said lightly. “It’s the one friend of the unfortunate.”
(i) What does the girl tell about her experience with the West?
(ii) What favour does the other man ask from Miss Fairchild?
(iii) What explanation does Easton give when Miss Fairchild exclaims to know that he had shifted to the West on the post of a Marshal?
(iv) Who makes a petition for tobacco? Why?
(v) How do the handcuffs reveal the true identity of Mr. Easton?
Answer:
(i) The girl said that she loved the West. She spent the summers, with her mother, in Denver. Her mother returned back due to her father’s ill-health. But she could live happily in the West as the air here was comfortable to her.

(ii) The other man-requests Miss Fairchild to ask her friend Mr. Easton, who was suppose to be the Marshal, to speak a word in his favour so that he may get a relaxation in his punishment, otherwise it was seven years prison for counterfeiting.

(iii) Mr. Easton tells her that he had to make money because money has power which makes one feel respected and can make one fly and soar high. He also says that he had to compete with the crowd and settle himself among the high class society in Washington.

(iv) The ‘glum-faced’ man who was the actual Marshal, makes a petition for tobacco. Though Miss Fairchild carries on flirting with Mr. Easton but seemed to be uneasy with the handcuffs, the man senses it and to save Mr. Easton from embarrassment, requests him for tobacco and they leave for the smoker car.

(v) After Mr. Easton and the other man leave, two eavesdropping fellow passengers converse, in which the first passenger told as being a Marshal at such a young age, was amazing. Then the other man corrected him that the man, ‘Mr. Easton’, was not the Marshal but the other man was, because a Marshal never handcuffed a convict with his right hand, it is always the left hand. Thus, the handcuffs revealed the truth about Mr. Easton.

Treasure Trove Poems and Short Stories Workbook Answers

A Face in the Dark Summary by Ruskin Bond

A Face in the Dark Summary About the Author

Ruskin Bond (19 May 1934 – Present), is a famous Indian author of British descent. He is an icon among Indian writers. His wide array of short stories, novels, essays, poems, travelogues and articles in newspapers and magazines have inspired many aspiring writers. He has presented a variety in his writing, ranging from ‘ghost stories’ to ‘odes to nature’ to ‘love stories’. He wrote his first novel, ‘The Room on the Roof’, at the age of seventeen. His other very famous novel being ‘The Blue Umbrella’. In 1992 he received the Sahitya Akademi award for his short stories collection, ‘Our Trees Still Grow in Dehra’. He was awarded the Padma Shri in 1999 for his contributions to Children’s Literature and Padma Bhushan in 2014. He now lives with his adopted family, near Mussoorie.

A Face in the Dark Summary

In the story, Mr. Oliver, the protagonist, is an Anglo Indian teacher in the English Public School at Shimla, which is three miles distance from the Shimla Bazaar. The school is often referred as ‘Eton of the East’, because its name is synonymous with quality elite education. Mr. Oliver is a rational and mentally strong person. He does not easily give away to nervousness and imagination. He usually goes out after school to the Shimla market and returns back in the evening.

One day while, Mr. Oliver was returning from Shimla, it got quite late and he decides to take a short cut through the pine forests. Carrying his torch he moves on briskly. Suddenly he comes across a weeping boy who was sitting with his hands covering his face. As per his duty as a teacher, he asked the child the reason for crying. Getting closer, he repeats the question. The boy lifted his face and the teacher fills with horror to find that the boy had no features, no eyes, no mouth. Terror-stricken, Mr. Oliver runs towards his school. On the way he encounters a watchman swinging a lantern.

On seeing him running, the watchman asks him what the reason was. Mr. Oliver tells him that he saw a boy with no face. The watchman then asks him if the boy looked like his and he raises his lantern to his face. To Mr. Oliver’s horror, the watchman too had no face, no eyes, no ears and no features. That moment the wind blew and the lamp went out. The story ends with a sense of ambiguity, leaving the readers to think whether it were actually ghosts or some prank played upon the teacher by his students.

A Face in the Dark Summary Word Meanings :

1. Outskirts : Border of a city or town
2. Eerie : Strange and mysterious
3. Strolled : To walk slowly and relaxingly
4. Imaginative : Having the ability to think of new and interesting ideas
5. Fitfully : Not regular or steady
6. Flickering : To burn or glow unsteadily
7. Miscreant : A person who does something illegal or morally wrong
8. Convulsively : . Fitfully; causing the entire body to shake
9. Distinctly : Noticeably
10. Scrambled : Moved with urgency or panic
11. Stumbled : To trip in walking or running
12. Gasping : Breathing with difficulty

A Face in the Dark Summary Questions and Answers

Question 1.
What according to you would have happened to Mr. Oliver after his encounter with the faceless boy and the Watchman?
Answer:
The writer leaves the readers in an ambiguity as to what might have happened to Mr. Oliver after he encounters with the faceless watchman and the lamp blows out. One assumption could be that he must have fainted after the horrible scenes he had seen. In the morning, he would have reached back to his school and told everyone about his experience. There are chances that many would have considered it his imagination. On the second- thought, Mr. Oliver, being a daring man with a strong heart, may have not fainted and would have started running towards his school and reached there somehow.

Question 2.
Describe the encounter of Mr. Oliver with the ‘Faces in the Dark’. What is your opinion?
Answer:
Mr. Oliver, the protagonist of the story the ‘Face in the Dark’, is a teacher in a public school in Shimla. He seems to be a daring and adventurous person who is not scared to pass through the pine forest in the dark of the night while returning from Shimla Bazaar. That particular night, as usual, he takes the path across the pine forests. Though it grew quite dark he had his torch and he made his way to his school.

When he saw a boy sitting and crying, he thought that he was one of the students of his school and reminded him about the rule that the boys were not supposed to come out at this time. Then he saw that the boy was sobbing and his anger changed into concern. He wanted to know the reason for his crying. But as soon as the boy lifted his face, Mr. Oliver was aghast ‘ looking at his face. He had no eyes, no ears, no mouth, and no features at all. The torch fell from his trembling ‘ hands.

Furthering his way to his residence, he saw a watchman with a lantern and he shares his experience with him. Listening about the boy’s face, the watchman lifts his lantern up to his face and asks if the boy’s face was like his, revealing his face in the light which was exactly the same, no eyes, no mouth, nothing. Suddenly, with a gush of wind, the lantern blew off and Mr. Oliver rushed towards his apartment. As per my opinion/the existence of supernatural cannot be denied from the face of the earth. There are instances present around us for which there is no logical explanation. So, what happened with Mr. Oliver could have been real and not merely his imagination.

A Face in the Dark Summary Extract Based Questions

Question 1.
Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow.
“Life magazine, in a feature on India, had once called it the ‘Eton of the East’.”
(i) What is referred as ‘it’ in the above lines? Why has it been called as the ‘Eton of the East’?
(ii) Where was the school located? Who was the protagonist? Name the author.
(iii) What was Mr. Oliver’s usual evening routine?
(iv) Give the meaning of-
(a) Eerie
(b) Strolled
(c) Fitfully
(v) What type of man was Mr. Oliver? Give reason for your answer.
Answer:
(i) The school in Shimla in which the protagonist taught is referred as ‘it’. Eton College is one of the most esteemed, expensive and reputable English boarding school in Eton, Berkshire in U.K. This school has been called as the ‘Eton of the East’ because it had been run on English Public School lines and the boys of the school belonged to wealthy Indian families. They wore blazers, caps and ties.

(ii) The school was located on the outskirts of the hill station of Shimla. The protagonist, Mr. Oliver, was an Anglo – Indian teacher in the same school. The author is Ruskin Bond.

(iii) Mr. Oliver usually walked down to the Shimla Bazaar which had cinemas and restaurants in the evening and returned after dark taking a short cut through the pine forest.

(iv) (a) Strange and mysterious.
(b) To walk slowly and relaxingly
(c) Unsteadily

(v) Mr. Oliver was a bold man, he was not imaginative. This is proved from the fact that he dared to take the forest path in the dark where the pine trees made sad eerie sounds during strong winds while most of the people preferred the main grad.

Question 2.
Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow.
“What are you doing out here, boy? asked Mr. Oliver.”
(i) Who is the boy Mr. Oliver is talking to? What was the boy doing?
(ii) How was the boy crying? Why did Mr. Oliver talk to him sharply?
(iii) Why does the author say “if you could call it a face”?
(iv) What was the reaction of Mr. Oliver when he saw the boy’s face?
(v) Describe the uncanny climax of the story.
Answer:
(i) One night when Mr. Oliver was returning back to school, he saw a boy sitting alone on a rock in the forest. When Mr, Oliver came closer to the boy, it appeared to him that the boy was crying.

(ii) The boy’s head was down and he held his face in his hands. His body was shaking due to his strange, soundless weeping.
Mr. Oliver thought he was a miscreant i.e., a person who has done some mischief, and boys were not supposed to be out after dark. As a teacher he had the right to scold the boy.

(iii) The author says, ‘if you could call it a face’ because, when the boy looked up at the teacher, his face had no eyes, ears, nose or mouth. It was a round smooth head with a school cap on top of it.

(iv) As soon as Mr. Oliver saw the boy’s face, he got horrified. His hands started trembling and his torch fell down. He immediately turned around and with full of panic he started running blindly towards the school, calling for help.

(v) On seeing the faceless boys, Mr. Oliver darted towards the school fearfully. On the way he met a watchman carrying a lantern. When the watchman enquired about his condition, Mr. Oliver narrated him the encounter with the faceless boy weeping in the forest. To this the watchman lifted the lamp close to his face. Mr. Oliver finds out that the watchman too does not have any eyes, ears, nose or mouth. The story ends when the wind blows the lamp out leaving the readers keen to know what happened with Mr. Oliver.

Treasure Trove Poems and Short Stories Workbook Answers

An Angel in Disguise Summary by T.S. Arthur

An Angel in Disguise Summary About the Author

T.S. Arthur (6 June 1809-6 March 1885), was a popular 19th century American author. He had a distinguished writing career during which he wrote more than 150 novels. His work was basically moralistic in nature. His most famous work is his essay, ‘The Nights in a Bar-Room and What I Saw There’ (1854). He was a strong proponent of temperance.

An Angel in Disguise Summary

‘An Angel in disguise’ is an emotional story which highlights the theme of love and kindness. It takes place in a small village. A pauper woman dies at the threshold of her house due to excessive alcoholism. Her three children are left orphaned. The lady was despised by the villagers and so had no family or friend. But after her death, pity replaced anger. The villagers take up a collection and put together a modest funeral. As for the children, farmer Jones adopts John, a stout 12 year old boy, because he would help him in fieldwork.

The second born child, 10 year old Kate, a bright and active girl, was taken by Mrs. Ellis, who has looking for a bound girl. Then there was Maggie, the youngest and paralyzed one. She had fallen from the window and seriously injured her spine. She was bedridden so no one wanted to take her. They think of sending her to the poorhouse.

Mr. Joe Thompson, who worked as a wheelwright, takes pity on her. He likes children, though he is childless. His heart melts when the helpless child pleads with him. He knew his strict wife will be angry still he carries her home. He tells her that he would take her to the poorhouse the next day, somehow he manages to keep her despite of her hard hearted attitude.

Mr. Thompson requests his wife to think of Maggie’s dead mother, her loneliness, helplessness and sufferings in her life. Mrs. Thompson tried to hide her hostility while communicating with Maggie. But gradually the feeling of love and compassion emerged in her heart. She became kinder with the sweet sick girl. Maggie becomes a speck of happiness in the life of childless Thompson couple. She is a little girl with a pure, clear and light soul. They never discuss to take her to the poorhouse again. She turns out to be an angel in disguise for them.

An Angel in Disguise Summary Word Meanings:

1 Intemperance : Excessive drinking
2. Wretched : Very unhappy
3. Threshold : Door
4. Despised : Disliked
5. Scoffed at : Scorned, shown contempt
6. Denounced : Criticized harshly and publicly
7. Tumble-down : Collapsed
8. Interment : Burial
9. Stout : Brave and strong
10. Wan : Looking sick or pale
11. Soiled : Unclean, dirty
12. Hovel : A small, poorly built and often dirty house
13. Pauper : Poor
14. Ere : Before
15. Wheelwright : A maker and repairer of wheels
16. Vague : Unclear
17. Penetrated : To pass into or through
18. Brat An ill-mannered annoying child
19. Countenance : A person’s expression
20. Indignation : Anger
21. Irrepressible : Uncontrolled
22. Unwonted : Unwanted

An Angel in Disguise Summary Question and Answer

Question 1.
How did the fate of the three children change in the story, ‘An Angel in Disguise’?
Answer:
A poor woman, who is hated throughout her life by all the village people, dies in a drunken state on the threshold of her own house. Her three miserable children witness the death of their mother. The villagers take pity on her sudden death and the orphaned children, she has left behind. Suddenly, their world has changed. The villagers collect to decide on their fate.

12 years old John, is old enough to work. Farmer Jones adopts him because John would be helpful in field work. Mrs. Ellis begrudgingly adopts Kate, who is still a few years too young to go to work in a factory. Mrs. Ellis complains about the burden involved in taking responsibility of an undisciplined orphan. But no one comes up to adopt Maggie, the youngest child, as she is bedridden due to an injury which she suffered by falling down from the window and hurting her back. The villagers talk about taking her to the poorhouse.

Question 2.
How does Maggie prove to be an Angel in Disguise and for whom? 8
Answer:
Maggie, is the youngest child of a woman who died of intoxication, leaving her three young children in a wretched and miserable condition, on the mercy of others. Maggie is crippled and bed ridden after she fell and hurt her spine severely, two years back. Her other two siblings, John and Kate, are adopted by the former Jones and Mrs. Ellis respectively. But none is ready to take the liability of helpless Maggie. Some villagers assume that she will have to be taken to the poorhouse as she has no one to look after and care for her.

Mr. Joe Thompson, who is a wheelwright, takes pity on Maggie and takes her to his home. She is an embodiment of innocence, and purity. But he knows it would be very difficult to convince is wife. He draws on the Bible in order to appeal to Jane’s compassion. Seen as a burden at the first glance, Maggie turns out to be a blessing in the Thompson-home. Initially, he states the fact that he plans on taking her to the poor house possibly the next day, she agrees somehow but after spending a day and night with the small child, Mrs. Thompson’s heart grew with every moment tending to the small orphan girl. Not having a child of her own or any interests or things to take care of, lead her to become less compassionate.

Caring for the child gives her a sense of purpose and meaning in her otherwise dull housewife’s life. Thus, the little girl not only changed her attitude towards them but also brought light and joy into their home. She becomes extra careful for Maggie and gives up the idea of sending her to poorhouse. She accepts her as her child and carries her in her heart as well as arms. From a rude, ill-tempered and selfish lady, Mrs. Thompson becomes a living and compassionate person. Thompson household is filled with boundless joy which they had never experienced before. Thus Maggie, becomes an Angel in disguise’ for the Thompsons.

An Angel in Disguise Summary Extract Based Questions

Question 1.
Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow.
“What is to be done with the children?”
That was the chief question now.
(i) Who are these ‘children’? Why is something to be done with them?
(ii) Whaf effect does Maggie’s condition have on the villagers?
(iii) Describe the three children? Who among them was the most wretched? Why? What decision is taken for
the children?
(iv) According to the villagers, what type of place was the poorhouse? How will it be for Maggie?
(v) What melted Farmer Joe’s heart and what did he do?
Answer:
(i) The children are the innocent orphaned children of a pauper woman who died due to intoxication. The three children are left with no guardian and they cannot fend for themselves. In spite of the hatred they had for the woman, they gather at her cottage, arrange for her funeral and now discuss about the fate of the children.

(ii) The villagers looked at Maggie with pitying glances and troubled thought. Mother brought her old dirty clothes and dressed her in clean attire. They were touched by the gloomy eyes and calm face of the little girl but none was ready to take a sick bedridden girl to their home.

(iii) The eldest boy John, is 12 years and old enough to work. Farmer Jones adopts the boy because he will be of good use in fieldwork.
Kate is a bright and active girl who is begrudgingly adopted by Mrs. Ellis as she is too young to work. The most wretched among them was Maggie, the youngest child who is crippled for life due to a spine injury that happened two years back. She is bedridden. Unable to decide what to do about Maggie, the villagers assume she will have to be taken to the poorhouse.

(iv) As per the villagers, the poor house was a sad place for a sick and helpless child but as far as Maggie was concerned, it would be a blessing because there she would be kept clean, have healthy food, and be doctored, something which she lacked in the past.

(v) After John and Kate were taken away, Maggie was left all alone. Joe sympathies with her and the blacksmith’s wife suggests him to take her to the poorhouse. After thinking for a while Joe entered the hovel, where Maggie was sitting upright after some painful effort, but terrorized due to her loneliness. She urged Mr. Thomson not to leave her there all alone.

Question 2.
Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow.
“A bond had already corded itself around them both, and love was springing into life.”
(i) Who are the ‘both’ referred in the above lines? What type of a bond corded between them and when?
(ii) Does he expect to be warmly welcomed by his wife? What happens when he reaches home?
(iii) What explanation does Joe give to his wife for his action?
(iv) What instructions were given to the speaker by the listener? How does Mrs. Joe behave in Joe’s absence and presence?
(v) How does Maggie emerge as an ‘Angel in Disguise’ for the Thompson couple?
Answer:
(i) One of them is the poor crippled orphan girl Maggie and the other is Mr. Joe Thompson, a wheelwright. After Maggie’s mother’s funeral, the villagers return to their daily work. Maggie’s siblings are taken away and she is left alone in her bed in the hovel. Joe, who still lingers there, feels pity when the child pleads with him in fear. He decides to take her home. As he wraps the child in bedclothes and carries her in his arms some tender feeling of affection enters deep into his heart.

(ii) Joe’s wife Jane Thompson is a stern lady with ‘vinegar’ temperament. She is irritated and displeased at the arrival of the girl. She calms down only when Joe tactfully convinces her that he would carry the girl to the poorhouse the next day.

(iii) Joe told his wife that women’s heart are sometimes so hard that every woman at the funeral turned away from the sick helpless child and walked off, discarding her in the old hut, presuming to be sent to a poorhouse. And as she could not go there on her own, Joe carried her to his house till the formalities at the poorhouse were completed.

(iv) Earlier Joe had instructed his wife to be kind to Maggie while looking to her, keeping in mind the death of her mother, her grief, pain and lonliness, that will always be a part of her life. Joe observes secretly that Jane had developed a soft comer for the little girl. In his absence she spent time with her, tending her softly and compassionately. But when Joe came, she portrayed a veil of coldness and indifference. This gives, Joe a sort of relaxation and thinks not to interfere in the bond that was developing between the two.

(v) Being childless and not having any interests or things to take care of, had made Mrs. Jane less compassionate. Caring for the orphaned girl gave a sense of purpose and meaning to her otherwise dull housewife life. Thus, her attitude towards life and the little girl changed. Her heart melts. This little girl brings light and joy in the life of the Thompson’s. Maggie becomes honey to Jane’s soul whom she carries in her arms like a precious burden.

Treasure Trove Poems and Short Stories Workbook Answers

The Little Match Girl Summary by Hans Christian Andersen

The Little Match Girl Summary About the Author

Hans Christian Anderson (2nd April, 1805 – 4th August, 1875), was a Danish writer, who enjoyed fame as a novelist, dramatist and poet, but fairy tales are his greatest contribution to world literature. Many of his stories include, ‘The Ugly Duckling’ and ‘The Princess and the Pea’, remain classics of the genre. His stories have been adapted for stage and screen, including a popular animated version of ‘The Little Mermaid’. He suffered a serious injury after falling from bed. His last publication, a collection of stories, appeased the same year. Signs of Liver Cancer started showing up and finally he died in Copenhagen.

The Little Match Girl Summary

‘The Little Match Girl’ is a sad story about a miserable young girl. The story begins on a rough cold winter evening, the wind was swirling, the sky was darkening and the snow was coming down. It was the last evening before New Year and it seems that the people were preparing to spend a nice evening in their homes with a lavish celebratiori. In this chill and darkness, a poor little girl strolled, who was bareheaded and bare feet. She was wearing her mother’s slippers but they were bigger than her size, so while crossing the road in a hurry, she lost one of them and the other one was stolen by a boy. Her feet were red and frozen due to the cold.

This little girl is out in the streets to sell matches as ordered by her strict father. She could not manage to sell any since morning but could not return home, firstly, because her father would beat her and secondly, her poor home could not provide her any shelter from the cold winds. She was lured by the appetizing smells of food, spreading from a house.

The low temperature made it impossible for her to carry on further so she curled herself up in a corner between two buildings and tucked her feet underneath herself. To keep herself warm she decided to light up one match. The lightning of the match carries her into a world of imagination. She imagines a large iron stove and tries to feel the warmth coming from it. But suddenly it disappears with the match.

The little girl’s next vision, which she sees on lighting the next match, is of a beautiful stuffed goose dinner. Suddenly, the goose hopped out from the dish with the knife and fork still in its breast and reached upto the little girl. But again the match goes out and the scene disappears.

In the next vision she finds herself sitting under the most beautifully decorated Christmas tree. Then the girl sees the falling star and thinks to herself that someone is dying because once her grandmother had told that a falling star meant that someone was going to heaven. She finally visualizes her beloved grandmother and continues to light matches, one after the other, to keep her in sight. The next day, she was found dead and frozen with a smiling face. Everyone talked about her attempts to keep herself warm but no one knew that she died a peaceful death while having happy visions and about her joining her beloved grandmother in heaven.

The Little Match Girl Summary Word Meanings:

1. Hitherto : Until now
2. Scuffled away : Moved quickly with short steps
3. Dreadfully : Very bad or unpleasant
4. Urchin : A usually poor and dirty child
5. Farthing : A former British coin with a value equal to one quarter of a penny
6. Gleaming : Shining
7. Cowered : Moved back or crouched especially for shelter
8. Venture : To risk
9. Numbed : Without sensation
10. Burnished : Polished
11. Porcelain : A hard, white substance made by baking clay, used for making utensils
12. Reeled : Whirled, moved round and round
13. Trail : A path through a forest, field
14. Lustre : Gleam, shine

The Little Match Girl Summary Question and Answer

Question 1.
How is the setting in the story, the cold and darkness, symbolic of the girl’s isolation and sadness?
Answer:
The weather was extremely cold and it was completely dark. It was the last evening of the year, the snow was falling heavily and everything seemed to be freezing. The sly was covered with dark clouds. It was a chilling environment, and it seemed that the people preferred to stay indoors due to shivering cold. The atmosphere was ‘ gloomy and somewhat scary.

‘The little match girl, as the author calls her, is barefoot and bear headed. She is out in the chilling cold selling matches. She belonged to a very poor family. She couldn’t go back to her house because her father would scold her for being unsuccessful in selling the matches. Her house too could not protect her against the cold for they had nothing but the roof above them with holes stuffed with straws and rags. She chose to freeze in the cold rather than return back home. This shows that the cold gloomy weather truly symbolised her sad, miserable life.

Question 2.
Throw a light on the visions of the little girl in the story’, ‘A Little Match Girl.’
Answer:
‘The Little Match Girl’ by Hans Christian Anderson, is a story about a small girl no older than eleven, sent out to sell matches, which was earlier considered as a form of begging. It is the dead of winter and she has little to keep herself warm. Her ill-fitting shoes had been taken from her and with the fear of going home only to be beaten for her unsuccessful sales, she curls up in the cold. As she is struggling to keep warm all she can contemplate is the thought of lighting one small match. As she does so, she is filled with feelings of warmth and safety. She sees a vision of a large iron stove. Hallucinations are one of the symptoms of severe hypothermia, which indicates that the girl is slowly drifting away. But as the match stick burns off, the stove disappears and comes into consciousness.

The second vision describes a magical New Years Eve feast. A goose dancing with knife and fork in its breast. This vision shows how hungry the small girl truly is, and if she doesn’t freeze she will surely starve. The third vision of the night, is a magnificent Christmas tree. It is brightly lit and beautifully decorated. The story describes bright coloured pictures looking down on her. As the colours and lights rise, and the tree disappears, the stars become visible, and it seems as though the lights from the tree have become the stars. The little girl then sees a star fall and claims that someone was dying, as her old grandmother had told.

The small girl drew another match and there her loving grandmother stood before her in the dark of the night with kind looks. The girl knew that if the match were to run out her grandmother would disappear just like all her other wonderful visions, so she struck the rest of the match sticks on the wall. The little girl pleads with her grandmother to take her back to heaven.

This shows that how truly close the little match girl is freezing to death and so the grandmother carries her in her arms with brightness and joy away from cold and hunger.The next morning the people found her frozen to death, matches in hand and a smile on her face. None is aware of the beautiful visions of the little girl and the splendor she has entered in.

The Little Match Girl Summary Extract Based Questions

Question 1.
Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow.
(i) Who is ‘she’? Describe her condition? Why were the slippers not good for her?
(ii) How was the weather? What day was it? Identify the author of the story.
(iii) Why was the girl ‘the picture of misery’?
(iv) Why does the author say ’she did not think of her appearance now?
(v) Why didn’t the little girl go home? What did she do instead?
Answer:
(i) ‘She’ is the poor little girl.
She was in a miserable state because she was out in the cold selling matches bareheaded and barefoot.
The slippers were not good for her because they had been her mother’s, so obviously they were much bigger in size. Also she had lost them while running across the street in order to escape from the carriages. One was lost and the other was stolen by a boy.

(ii) It was an extremely cold day and the snow was falling. It was getting dark.
It was New Year7s Eve. The author of the story is Hans Christian Anderson.

(iii) The poor girl lost her slippers, the only warmth she had. Her feet were red and frozen because the temperature was very low. In her old apron she carried many matches to sell but couldn’t manage to sell any. The hunger and cold increased minute by minute making her shiver.

(iv) The little girl was in a miserable state. She was moving around the streets in extreme weather, without any footwear or anything to cover her head. She was shivering. The snowflakes fell on her long golden hair which curled beautifully about her neck but she little cared for her looks and appearance. Her only concern was to sell the matchboxes somehow.

(v) The poor little girl did not dare to go home, firstly, because her father would surely beat her for being unable to sell any matches and earn a single penny. Secondly, at home too there was no respite from cold as they had nothing but the roof above them and the wind easily passed through the cracks. Instead, she huddled down in a heap in a corner between two houses and tucked her little legs up under her.

Question 2.
Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow.
“If only she dared pull just one small match from the packet, strike it on the wall and warm her fingers.”
(i) Why did she think to pull one small match from the packet? How did it feel when it was lighted? Why was it a strange light?
(ii) What vision does she see the second time she lit the match?
(iii) To whom does the little girl say ‘oh, take me with you’? What kind of relation does she share with the
listener? What had this person told the little girl?
(iv) When did she see a star falling? What truth came to her on seeing it?
(v) Did the grandmother too vanish like the other visions, leaving her alone? What good luck did the New Year bring for the little girl?
Answer:
(i) Though the girl huddled herself in a corner still she felt colder and colder. Her hands were almost numb with cold so she thought to pull one small match and light it. The match burnt with a splutter, giving out warmth. Its bright flame seemed like a tiny candle.

The light seemed strange and wonderful because the bright warm flame made the little maiden feel that she was sitting before a large iron stove with burnished brass knobs and brass ornaments. The fire burnt blissfully and warmed the girl comfortably which made her stretch out her legs to warm them too.

(ii) When she lit the second match the wall on which the light fell, became transparent like a veil, so that she could see inside the room. A snow-white table cloth was spread on the table, upon it lay splendid porcelain containing steaming roasted goose stuffed with prunes and apples. It was more captivating to watch the goose hop down from the dish, and waddle across the floor towards the girl, with knife and fork in its breast. Suddenly the match went off and the vision cleared. Only the thick, cold, damp wall was left behind.

(iii) The little girl says these words to her Grandmother whom she sees in the luster of the glowing match. Her grandmother was the only person who had loved her and was no more. She looked very gentle, kind and affectionate. She had told the little girl that when a star falls, a soul ascends to God.

(iv) When the girl struck the match for the third time, she found herself sitting under the most magnificent Christmas tree. It was much larger and more beautiful than the one which she had seen through the glass door in the rich merchant’s house. Numerous lights illuminated the green branches of the tree along with the gaily coloured balls.

As soon as she reached out for them, the match went out and the numerous candles on the Christmas tree ascended towards the sky turning into bright stars. One of them fell down leaving behind a trail of light. This made the girl believe that someone was dying. Her grandmother had told her that ‘whenever a star falls, a soul goes up to God.’

(v) The girl struck all the rest of the matches to keep her grandmother with her. The old lady took the little girl in her arms and carried her up towards heaven, away from cold, hunger or fear. The next morning, i.e., the New Year morning, the people found the little girl frozen to death. Though they sympathized with her but they were unaware of the beautiful things she had seen and the spender in which, she had entered with her grandmother. Thus, the New Year had brought heavenly joy and gladness for her.