Author name: Prasanna

NCERT Solutions for Class 10 English

The Thief’s Story NCERT Solutions for Class 10 English Footprints Without Feet Chapter 2

The Thief’s Story NCERT Text Book Questions and Answers

The Thief’s Story Read and Find out

Question 1.
Who does ‘I’ refer to in this story?
Answer:
‘I’ is Hari Singh, the thief

Question 2.
What is he ‘a fairly successful hand’ at?
Answer:
He is “a fairly successful hand” at stealing things from the houses, without being caught.

Question 3.
What does he get from Anil in return for his work?
Answer:
He gets his food from Anil.

Question 4.
How does the thief think Anil will react to the theft?
Answer:
The thief thinks that Anil will be sad at the loss of trust.

Question 5.
What does he say about the different reactions of people when they are robbed?
Answer:
He had studied all kinds of people who had been robbed off by him. The greedy men showed fear, the rich men showed anger, the poor men showed acceptance.

Question 6.
Does Anil realise that he has been robbed?
Answer:
Anil realises that he has been robbed because the next morning he gives the same wet notes to Hari Singh.

The Thief’s Story Think About It

Question 1.
What are Hari Singh’s reactions to the prospect of receiving an education? Do they change over time?
Answer:
Hari Singh is very intelligent. He knows that his ability to read and write would give him an extra edge. He would also become a reputed person. Even when he leaves Anil’s house, he gives a lot of importance to his education. This love for education brings him back to Anil’s house.

Question 2.
Why does not Anil hand the thief over to the police? Do you think most people would have done so? In what ways is Anil different from such employers?
Answer:
Anil does not hand over the thief to the police. Most of the people would have given the thief to the police so as to get rid of a thief and to safeguard their household goods. Anil is different from such employers. He knows about the theft, yet he does not want to tell Hari Singh about it. He realises his own mistake of not giving regular salary to Hari Singh. He gives some of the wet notes to Hari Singh. Thus, he gives him a chance to improve his ways of living.

The Thief’s Story Extra Questions and Answers

The Thief’s Story Short Answer Questions

Question 1.
How did the thief (Hari Singh) realise that Anil knew that his money had been stolen?
Answer:
The thief realised that Anil knew he had stolen his money because he found some of the notes still wet, as if they were taken out in the rain. He gave a fifty-rupee-note to Hari Singh the next morning, and he promised to give him more money, though he did not have any contract for giving any money.

Question  2.
How did Hari Singh know that Anil had forgiven him?
Answer:
Hari Singh realised that Anil knew about the theft because he found some of the notes still wet. He gave him a fifty-rupee-note and did not mention anything about the theft. This made him feel that Anil had forgiven him.

Question 3.
Who is ‘I’ in this story? Why did he change his name every month?
Answer:
‘I’ in this story is a 15 year old boy who is an experienced and successful thief. He changes his name every month to hide his real identity from his new employer and the police.

Question 4.
Why, according to Hari Singh, is it easier to rob a greedy man than a careless person like Anil?
Answer:
Hari Singh has correlated theft with the sense of satisfaction, a thief gets pleasure when a person comes to know that he has been robbed. Hari Singh says that a greedy man can afford to be robbed too whereas a careless man at times may never come to know that he has lost something or he has been robbed. This carelessness, on the part of a person robbed, deprives a thief of the pleasure which he gets out of theft.

Question 5.
What was the thief s immediate reaction when he stole Anil’s money?
Answer:
Hari Singh stole six hundred rupees and crawled out of the room. When he was on the road, he started running. He kept the notes in his waist held there by the string of his pyjama. He felt as if he was an oil rich Arab for a week or two.

Question 6.
What made the thief come back to Anil?
Answer:
Hari Singh came back to Anil because Anil trusted him. He did not want to miss the chance of being educated. Education could certainly make him a better man. He was fed up with the life of a thief, i.e. stealing and being caught and beaten.

Question 7.
What was Anil’s job? What did he usually do with the money he earned?
Answer:
Anil was a writer. He used to write articles for magazines. He was a spendthrift and used to spend money on his friends. He did not bother to save money for his future.

Question 8.
What does the thief say about the reactions of different types of people when they were robbed? How did he think Anil would react when he discovered the theft?
Answer:
The thief had robbed all kinds of people. According to him, the greedy men were scared of being robbed. The rich men showed anger. The poor men accepted their fate after being robbed. He thought that Anil would show only a touch of sadness. He would not be sad for the loss of money, but for the loss of trust.

Question 9.
What made him a successful thief?
Answer:
He always changed his name after stealing. He even managed to change the place. He tried his best to appear pleasing and innocent so the employers never suspected him to be a thief.

Question 10.
Why was he about to be dismissed? What made Anil reinstate him?
Answer:
He cooked very terrible meal which infuriated Anil. He gave the food to the stray dog and asked him to be off. But he got his job back by flattering Anil who was a simple and large-hearted man.

Question 11.
What made Hari Singh follow Anil after watching the wrestling match?
Answer:
Hari Singh knew by his experience that Anil was an easy-going and simple man who could trust even a stranger. He decided to rob him as it was quite easy. Therefore, he followed Anil to win his confidence and get a job there.

Question 12.
Why did Hari not make friends?
Answer:
Hari Singh was a thief. He did not believe in making friends as they were more trouble than help. He did not stay at one place for a long time so he could not make friends.

Question 13.
Where and how did Anil meet Hari Singh?
Answer:
Anil met Hari Singh when he was watching a wrestling match. Hari Singh flattered him by saying that Anil looked like a wrestler himself.

Question 14.
How do you know that Hari Singh lied about his cooking abilities?
Answer:
He lied about cooking because the meal that he cooked was terrible and Anil could not eat it. He gave it to a stray dog.

Question 15.
Why did Hari Singh feel that writing books was a queer way to make a living?
Answer:
Hari Singh was not an educated person, so he could not understand what Anil wrote. He was surprised to know that people paid him for writing books.

Question 16.
Why did Anil forgive Hari Singh?
Answer:
Anil was a large-hearted man. He knew that Hari Singh was a thief. But he forgave him because he wanted to give him another chance.

The Thief’s Story Long Answer Questions

Question 1.
“He was the most trusting person I had ever met,’ remarked Hari Singh. Hari Singh took undue advantage of Anil’s trust. Do you think trusting a servant blindly, like Anil, is wise or do we need to be careful?
Answer:
Hari Singh is justified in saying that Anil was the most trusting person he had ever met. But he took undue advantage of his trust. He was a thief and could not be expected to be honest with Anil. Anil had a blind faith in human nature. He employed him just out of sympathy and compassion for him. He trusted him and ignored his misdeed. He handed over all the financial transactions without verification.

He was so sympathetic towards Hari Singh that he did not ask him to leave the job when he was unable to cook. He trusted a stranger and gave him every chance to improve. When Hari Singh stole money and came back, Anil knew his act but said nothing. He knew he was guilty but rather gave him a fifty rupee note. I think such a blind faith in a stranger is not prudent, one should be kind but not careless.

Question 2.
Hari Singh decided to return the stolen money to Anil. It shows that everyone has some inner conscience which they do not put in practice. Do you agree? Was it the awakening of his conscience that made him return the money?
Answer:
Hari Singh’s conscience pricked him. He had a guilty conscience. He didn’t want to hurt him. Hari stole money because of his compulsive habit, but now he wanted to reform himself. He wanted to become a reputed member of the society. He vowed never to repeat the mistake again. It shows that everyone has inner conscience. It becomes dormant when we do not put them to practice or our circumstances don’t allow them to be put to practice. Yes, it was the awakening of Hari Singh’s conscience that made him return the stolen money.

Question 3.
Love is the basic human attribute that can transform evil into goodness. How did this attribute of Anil changed Hari Singh?
Answer:
Love and sympathy are positive qualities. If we have love and sympathy for a person, that person will try to win our trust and confidence. He will curb his baser instincts and try to prove worthy of our confidence in him. It was the love of Anil that transformed Hari Singh. He treated him kindly, reposed his faith in him and Hari Singh became an honest man.

Hari Singh was tempted once. He ran away with money. But when he recalled the faith, love, compassion and kindness of Anil, his heart changed. He decided to come back and return the stolen money. Anil knew that Hari Singh had stolen money. He could have handed him over to the police but he showed sympathy and kindness. This transformed Hari Singh. He gave up stealing and decided to become a good person.

Question 4.
Give a brief character Sketch of Hari Singh highlighting the positive aspects of his life.
Answer:
Hari Singh, a boy of 15, was an experienced and successful thief. He was successful because of his cleverness and intelligence. He planned everything meticulously before choosing his victims. He went to places where he would meet an unsuspecting victim. He would then win his confidence to get a job. After sometime he used to run away after stealing money from there.

Then-he used to change his name to be fool the police and his former employers. He was a liar. He got a job as a cook, though he could not cook well. He was a greedy boy. He was cruel enough to rob a simple and trusting man like Anil. He was able to steal six hundred rupees from his house. But, there is transformation in the end of the story, when he decides to come back to Anil and keep his trust alive. This shows that there is goodness concealed even in the worst of men.

Question 5.
If you had been Anil, what would you have done with Hari Singh? Do you think thieves can be transformed through love and compassion?
Answer:
I would have also forgiven Hari Singh. Hari Singh was no doubt a thief, but by coming back and returning the money, he had proved that he wanted to lead a respectable life. He was trying to change his habits. Secondly, even his master was really guilty of inviting his temptation by being careless. Therefore, the question of punishing him did not arise. A man should always be given a chance to improve.

That is why there are rehabilitation centres in prisons too. Nobody wants to become a criminal. Everyone is a victim of circumstances. In my opinion if one is given a chance and good environment, one can be transformed. Love, sympathy and right opportunity can transform the thieves too. Everyone wants to lead a life full of respect and dignity.

Question 6.
Do you think people like Anil and Hari Singh are found only in fiction, or, are there such people in real life? Do you think presence of such people can free the society from day-to-day crime?
Answer:
People like Anil and Hari Singh are the real characters. There are hundreds of thieves like Hari Singh who master the art of stealing from a very young age and win the trust and confidence of their employers. Then they rob them of their wealth and leave cities one after the other. In the same way, people like Anil are also real who are very generous and have faith even in the strangers.

I agree that if there are people like Anil who have a positive approach to life, there will be less crime in our society. He transformed a thief by his love, sympathy and compassion for him. If he had handed him over to the police, Hari Singh would have become a hardcore criminal and a threat to society.

Question 7.
Do you think it a significant detail in the story that Anil is a struggling writer? Does this explain his behaviour in any way?
Answer:
Anil is a struggling writer; therefore, he is not getting regular work. He writes articles for magazines now and then to be able to earn his living. He believed in ‘today’ without bothering for ‘tomorrow’. His compassionate nature made him believe even the strangers. He became tool in transforming a thief into a useful member of the society. That makes him have trust in others, as he does not have much to lose. He also understands the problems of other people, who are not earning well.

Question 8.
Have you met anyone like Hari Singh? Can you think and imagine the circumstances that can turn a fifteen year old boy into a thief?
Answer:
I have never met anyone like Hari Singh. It is the miserable circumstances which compel a fifteen year old boy to be a thief. When either the parents are dead or are not in a position to take a good care of their children, the children have to live on their own. In order to earn their livelihood, they steal things and sell. In the beginning, these innocent children request people to help them, but when nobody helps them, they start stealing as a revenge from their own parents and society. Empathy and trust can help them in changing their lives.

Question 9.
Give a brief character sketch of Anil highlighting his qualities.
Answer:
Anil was a young man of 25 years. He was a tall, lean and thin fellow. He was an easy-going, kind and simple man. He was a writer and wrote books as well as contributed to magazines. His income was not regular. He did not give any importance to materialism. He was an extravagant man, who would spend money lavishly on his friends.

He was sympathetic towards Hari Singh and did not throw him out of his house, when he could not cook well. He trusted a stranger and gave him the keys. He finally became a saint by giving Hari Singh a chance to improve. He did not say anything to Hari Singh on knowing about his guilt, rather gave him a fifty rupee note with a promise to give him regularly.

Women Change the World Class 7 Questions and Answers Provided helps you to answer complex Questions too easily. You can use them while preparing for board exams and all of them are given by subject experts. Reading NCERT Solutions for Class 7 Social Science Civics Chapter 5 Women Change the World familiarizes you with the kind of questions appearing in the board exams. Students are advised to read these solutions on a regular basis to score well.

Women Change the World Class 7 Questions and Answers Civics Chapter 5

Make your learning experience enjoyable by preparing from the quick links available on this page. Use the Class 7 SST Civics Chapter 5 NCERT Solutions and get to know different concepts involved. All the Solutions are covered as per the latest syllabus guidelines. Knowing the NCERT Class 7 Civics Chapter 5 Questions and Answers helps students to attempt the exam with confidence.

Class 7 Civics Chapter 5 NCERT Textbook Questions and Answers

Question 1.
How do you think stereotypes, about what women can or cannot do, affect women’s right to equality?

Answer:
Right to equality provides equal opportunity to everyone irrespective of caste, religion, colour, region as well as sex. When a man thinks as per his perception that she can do or not do this, it is called stereotype. It has been labelled that certain jobs such as teaching, nursing, cooking women can do better while they cannot get success in getting higher education and in engineering, fighting, driving etc. These stereotypes about women’s incapability of doing certain jobs badly affect women’s right to equality.

Question 2.
List one reason why learning the alphabet was so important to women like Rashsundrai Devi, Ramabai and Rokeya.

Answer:
Learning the alphabet was so important to women like Rashsundari Devi, Ramabai and Rokeya because only after learning them, they could become able to write stories, letters and autobiographies which described their own experiences of inequality.

Question 3.
“Poor girls drop out of school because they are not interested in getting an education.” Re­read the last paragraph on page 62 and explain why this statement is not true.

Answer:
This statement is not true that poor girls drop out of school because they are not interested in getting an education because of various reasons:

• There are no proper schools. Sometimes schools are on long distance;
• There is dearth of teachers;
• No proper facility of transportation;
• Poverty is also an important cause for not getting education or leaving the school etc.

Question 4.
Can you describe two methods of struggle that the women’s movement used to raise issues? If you had to organize a struggle against stereotypes, about what women can or cannot do, what method would you employ from the ones that you have read about? Why would you choose this particular method?

Answer:
Various methods are used in Women’s Movement to raise issues such as Campaigning, Raising Awareness, Protesting, Showing solidarity etc. The two methods are:

• Campaigning: Campaigning is one of the important ways to lead the movement. It is a kind of protest. These campaigns have also led to new laws being passed. A law was passed in 2006 against domestic violence on the women.
• Raising Awareness: An important part of the women’s movements’ work is to raise public awareness on women’s rights issues. Their messages have been spread through street plays, songs and public meetings.

Campaigning and raising awareness played vital role in Women’s Movement. Through these means women can make access upto the mass. In the process of campaigning and raising awareness we have to go door to door for spreading the awareness. And in such a way a field is prepared for a big demonstration. Campaigning and raising awareness demand a long time for struggle, but they affect at large scale.

Hope the data shared above regarding the NCERT Class 7 Social Science Civics Chapter 5 Women Change the World PDF has aided in your exam preparation. If you ever need any assistance you can always reach us and our team will guide you at the soonest possibility.

NCERT Solutions for Class 8 English

Jalebis NCERT Solutions for Class 8 English It So Happened Chapter 8

Jalebis NCERT Text Book Questions and Answers

Jalebis Comprehension check – I

Question 1.
Why didn’t he pay the school fees on the day he brought money to school?
Answer:
He didn’t pay the school fees on the day he brought money to school because the teacher who collected the fees, Master Ghulam Mohammed, was on leave. So the fees would be collected the next day.

Question 2.
i. What were the coins ‘saying’to him?
Answer:
The coins were ‘saying’ to him to spend the fees money and buy jalebis with them.

ii. Do you think they were misguiding him?
Answer:
Yes, they were clearly misguiding him because it wasn’t the coins talking but his mind.

Question 3.
Why didn’t he take the coins ’advice? Give two or three reasons.
Answer:
He didn’t take the coins’ advice because he was from a well-to-do family that met all his needs. Also, he knew that if he spent his fees money, his teacher Master Ghulam Mohammad would punish him. He was also an honest boy who obeyed his elders.

Question 4.
i. What did the oldest coin tell him?
Answer:
The oldest coin told him to buy the jalebis with the fees money, and then use the scholarship money to pay the fees.

ii. Did he follow his advice? If not, why not?
Answer:
No, he didn’t follow his advice because he was a promising student who had even secured a scholarship of four rupees. He enjoyed considerable prestige at his school as he belonged to a well-to-do family. He had never been beaten by his teachers.

Question 5.
He reached home with the coins in his pocket. What happened then?
Answer:
When he reached home with the coins in his pocket, they kept trying to pursue him to spend the money on the jalebis. When he was having his lunch, they began to shriek. This is when he went to the market to buy jalebis.

Jalebis Comprehension check – II

Question 1.
i. Why didn’t he eat all the jalebis he had bought?
Answer:
He didn’t eat all the jalebis he had bought because he had eaten one too many. His stomach could take no more of them, and that is when he stopped eating them.

ii. What did he do with the remaining jalebis?
Answer:
He distributed the remaining jalebis among the neighbourhood children.

Question 2.
“The fear was killing me. ” What was the fear?
Answer:
The fear of his family discovering that he had spent the fees money on jalebis was killing him. He was scared that since he was unable to digest them, they would sooner or later make him ill. Then, his family would call a doctor and he would tell what he had done to his parents.

Question 3.
“Children s stomachs are like digestion machines. ” What do you understand by that? Do you agree?
Answer:
This means that children can digest almost anything edible. This is because their internal systems work well.
This statement is partially true because children eat with their heart instead of head, and so, their stomachs are conditioned to digest almost all types of food.

Question 4.
How did he plan to pay the fees the next day?
Answer:
He planned to pay the fees the next day with the previous month’s scholarship money.

Question 5.
When it is time to pay the fees, what does he do? How is he disobeying the elders by doing so?
Answer:
When it is time to pay the fees, the boy tucks his bag under his arm, and keeps walking till he reaches the railway station. Over there, he crosses the railway tracks, which his elders had told him never to do. Also, his elders had told him never to spend his fees money on sweets, but he disobeys them on both accounts.

Jalebis Comprehension check – III

Question 1.
What was the consequence of buying jalebis with the fees money?
Answer:
The consequence of buy mg jalebis with the fees money was that the boy was full of remorse and regret. He did not go to school for two days and spent that time at the railway station all alone.

Question 2.
His prayer to God is like a lawyer’s defence of a bad case. Does he argue his case well? What are the points he makes?
Answer:
Yes, he argues his case very well. He says to God that he has always been a very religious boy and has memorized the entire Quraan. He says that he could recite entire ayat-al-kursi for Him. He wants nothing more than the four rupees that he spent on jalebis. Admitting his mistake, he pleads to God to put four rupees in his bag.

He promises to God that if he ever ate sweets with his fees money again, then he would willingly accept a thief’s punishment. He says that his parents pay a lot of money to the chaprasi, and he was after all the nephew of a big officer, and deserved money on that account. He wanted nothing more than four rupees from God’s immense treasury.

Question 3.
He offers to play a game with Allah Miyan. What is the game?
Answer:
The game that he offers to play with Allah Miyan is that he would run up to the signal and He would secretly place four rupees under the big rock. Then he would touch the signal and come back. He would pick up the rock, and discover the money under the rock.

Question 4.
Did he get four rupees by playing the game? What did he get to see under the rock?
Answer:
No, he did not get four rupees by playing the game. When he lifted the rock, he saw a big hairy worm get up, and wriggle towards him.

Question 5.
If God had granted his wish that day, what harm would it have caused him in later life?
Answer:
If God had granted his wish that day, he would have depended on God for the rest of his life for everything. He would have stopped working hard to get what he needed. He wouldn’t have been able to get past any obstacles in life, as he would have prayed and prayed to God to do everything for him. And he would have struck bargains with God to make his wishes come true. Probably, he would have ended up an over-religious, superstitious and complacent individual.

Jalebis Exercise Question and Answer

Work in small groups.

Encourage the students to work in small groups to complete the given exercises.

Question 1.
Select and read sentences that show
That the boy is tempted to eat jalebis:
Answer:
“Those fresh, hot jalebis coming out of the kadhai in the shop over there, they’re not coming out for nothing. Jalebis are meant to be eaten and only those with money in their pocket can eat them, And money isn’t for nothing. Money is meant to be spent and only they spend it, who like jalebis.”
“Tell me honestly now, don’t you feel like eating those hot, hot jalebis
“But then, these jalebis are no common sort of jalebis either. They’re crisp, fresh and full of sweet syrup.”
That he is feeling guilty:
“With every breath came a burp, and with every burp, the danger of bringing out a jalebi or two — the fear was killing me.”
“.. .if the doctor, after feeling my pulse, had declared, Munna has devoured a mound of jalebis, I would simply die.”
“I sat under it and wondered whether there could possibly be a more unfortunate child than me in this world!”
“Now for the crime of eating a few jalebis, for the first time in my life I was absent from school, and crouching in the shade of a tree in a deserted comer of the railway station.
Sitting there under the tree, at first I felt like crying.”
That he is justifying a wrong deed:
“So all right, I admit I made a mistake. I didn’t eat them all by myself, though I fed them to a whole lot of children too, but yes, it was a mistake.”
“If I’d known the scholarship money would be given next month, I would neither have eaten them nor fed them to the others.”

Question 2.
Discuss the following points.
Encourage the students to use their creativity and formulate their own answers.

(i) Is the boy intelligent? If so, what is the evidence for it?
Answer:
Yes, the boy is intelligent. He receives a scholarship, and is loved and appreciated by his teachers. He is a promising student, and had never been caned until that point. Besides, he explains his temptation to buy jalebis by making us believe that it was the coins that tempted him, and the mistake wasn’t his at all.

(ii) Does his outlook on the jalebis episode change after class VIII? Does he see that episode in a new light?
Answer:
Yes, his outlook on the jalebis episode changes after Class 8. He realizes that if God had given him what he wanted back then, he would never have worked hard to achieve anything in life.

(iii) Why are coins made to talk in the story? What purpose does it serve?
Answer:
The coins are made to talk to show us how children imagine being tempted. They may not understand that the source of all temptation is their head. So, they put this blame on something outside them.

NCERT Solutions for Class 8 English

Bepin Choudhury’s Lapse of Memory NCERT Solutions for Class 8 English Honeydew Chapter 4

Bepin Choudhury’s Lapse of Memory NCERT Text Book Questions and Answers

Bepin Choudhury’s Lapse of Memory Comprehension check-I

Question 1.
Why did the man stare at Bepin Babu in disbelief?
Answer:
The man stared at Bepin Babu in disbelief because Bepin Babu failed to recognize him even though he had spent a considerable amount of time with him in Ranchi in the year 1958.

Question 2.
Where did Bepin Babu say he went in October ‘58?
Answer:
Bepin Babu says that he went to his friend’s house in Kanpur in October 1958.

Question 3.
Mention any three (or more) things that Parimal Ghose knew about Bepin Babu.
Answer:
Parimal Ghose knew that Bepin Babu had no children, and that his wife had died ten years ago. He also knew that his brother had died insane, and that is the reason he did not want to visit the mental hospital in Ranchi in 1958.

Bepin Choudhury’s Lapse of Memory Comprehension check-II

Question 1.
Why did Bepin Babu worry about what Parimal Ghose had said?
Answer:
Bepin Babu worried about what Parimal Ghose had said because he seemed to know so much about him and this made him very uncomfortable. This made Bepin Babu doubt himself.

Question 2.
How did he try to decide who was right—his memory or Parirrtal Ghose?
Answer:
Bepin decided to call his friend, Dinesh Mukerji to decide who was right—his memory or Parimal Ghose.

Question 3.
Why did Bepin Babu hesitate to visit Mr Mukerji? Why did he finally decide to phone him?
Answer:
Bepin Babu hesitated to visit Mr Mukerji because he would have mocked him for his lapse of memory. He would think that Bepin Babu was going mad. Moreover, he did not want to be at the receiving end of Dinesh’s sarcastic remarks. He finally decided to phone him because his mind was occupied with the thoughts of what Parimal had told him. He did not want to make a fool of himself by talking to Dinesh directly. So, he decided it was better to call him.

Question 4.
What did Mr Mukerji say? Did it comfort Bepin Babu, or add to his worries?
Answer:
Mr Mukerji said that he had gone out of town twice in the year 1958: once in February to Krishnanagar to attend his nephew’s wedding, and the second time to Ranchi with Bepin Babu himself. It added to Bepin Babu’s worries.

Bepin Choudhury’s Lapse of Memory Comprehension check-III

Question 1.
Who was Chunilal? What did he want from Bepin Babu?
Answer:
Chunilal was one of Bepin Babu’s friends who had been out of job. He’d been having a rough time lately and had come to Bepin Babu to see him about a job.

Question 2.
Why was Dr Chanda puzzled? What was unusual about Bepin Babu s loss of memory?
Answer:
Dr Chandra was puzzled because he had never come across a case as strange and bizzare as that of Bepin Babu. The unusual thing about Bepin Babu’s loss of memory was that Bepin Babu remembered everything except the one week that he had spent at Ranchi.

Bepin Choudhury’s Lapse of Memory Comprehension check-IV

Question 1.
Had Bepin Babu really lost his memory and forgotten all about a trip to Ranchi?
Answer:
No, Bepin Babu had not really lost his memory and forgotten all about a trip to Ranchi. It was Chunilal who made him believe so with his prank.

Question 2.
Why do you think Chunilal did what he did? Chunilal says he has no money; what is it that he does have?
Answer:
Chunilal was hurt that Bepin Babu had been ignoring him, and did not help him in his time of need. Chunilal says that even though he has no money, he does have imagination.

Bepin Choudhury’s Lapse of Memory Working with the text

Question 1.
The author describes Bepin Babu as a serious and hardworking man. What evidence can you find in the story to support this?
Answer:
Bepin Babu is a serious and hardworking man. He had worked with his firm for twenty-five years, and had never shirked responsibilities. He was always working when he was at his desk. He had a reputation for being a tireless, conscientious worker.

Question 2.
Why did Bepin Babu change his mind about meeting Chunilal? What was the result of this meeting?
Answer:
Bepin Babu changed his mind about meeting Chunilal because he thought that Chuni would know something about the ’58 trip to Ranchi. He decided to ask him about it. The meeting left Bepin Babu even more perplexed as Chunilal also confirmed that he had indeed gone to Ranchi in ’58. In fact, it was Chunilal who had helped him get train tickets.

Question 3.
Bepin Babu lost consciousness at Hudroo Falls. What do you think was the reason for this?
Answer:
I believe that Bepin Babu lost consciousness at Hudroo Falls because he fell down there in a state of confusion.

Question 4.
How do you think Bepin Babu reacted when he found out that Chunilal had tricked him?
(Encourage the students to use their creativity and formulate creative answers.)
Answer:
Sample answer: Initially, Bepin Babu must have been very angry at Chunilal when he found out that he had been tricked by him. But soon, he must have felt embarrassed about his behaviour and the whole situation. Later, he might have admired Chunilal’s imagination.

Bepin Choudhury’s Lapse of Memory Working with language

Question 1.
Fill in the blanks below using ‘had to 7 ‘have to 7 ‘has to ’
Solved

1. I have cut my hair every month.
2. We had to go for swimming lessons last year.
3. She had to tell the principal the truth.
4. They have to take the baby to the doctor.
5. We have to complain to the police about the noise.
6. Romit has to finish his homework before he could come out to play.
7. I had to repair my cycle yesterday.

Question 2.
Here are a few idioms that you will find in the story. Look for them in the dictionary in the following way.
First, arrange them in the order in which you would find them in a dictionary.
(Clue: An idiom is usually listed under the first noun, verb, adjective or adverb in it. Ignore articles or prepositions in the idiom).
To help you, we have put in bold the word under which you must look for the idiom in the dictionary.)
i. at/from close quarters (close: adjective)
ii. break into a smile (break: verb; look under ‘break into something)
iii. carry on (carry: verb)
iv. have a clean record (you may find related meanings under both these words)
v. beat about the bush (verb)
Now refer to your dictionary and find out what they mean.
i. a situation of being very or uncomfortably close to someone or something
ii. burst into a smile
iii. to continue to do something
iv. to have a clean reputation
v. discuss a matter without coming to the point

Question 3.
Compare the sentences in the two columns, especially the verb forms. Answer the following questions about each pair of sentences.
i. Which column tells us that Bepin Babu is still working at the same place?
ii. Which column suggests that Chunilal is now waiting for a reply from the publisher?
iii. Which column suggests that the person still remembers the movie he saw?
iv. Which column suggests that the experience of visiting Ranchi is still fresh in the speaker ’s mind?
Answer:
i. Bepin Babu has worked here since 2003.
ii. Chunilal wrote to a publisher last week.
iii. I have seen this movie already.
iv. I have visited Ranchi once before.

Question 4.
Given below are jumbled sentences. Working in groups, rearrange the words in each sentence to form correct sentences.
You will find that each sentence contains an idiomatic expression that you have come across in the lesson. Underline the idiom and write down its meaning. Then use your dictionary to check the meaning.

i. Stop/and tell me/beating about/what you Want/the bush
Stop beating about the bush and tell me what you want.
Meaning: talking about irrelevant matters

ii. don’t pay/Ifyou/ attention/you might/the wrong train/to the announcement/board
If you don’t pay attention to the announcement, you might board the wrong train. Meaning: to be attentive to something

iii. The villager s/tried/the crime/on the young woman/to pin
The villagers tried to pin the crime on the young woman.
Meaning: to try to implicate falsely

iv. Bepin Babu/orders to/telling people/under/loved/doctor ’s/eat early/that he was
Bepin Babu loved telling people that he was under doctor’s orders to eat early.
Meaning: under doctor’s instructions

v. the students/The teacher/his eyebrows/when/said that/all their lessons/raised/they had revised
The teacher raised his eyebrows when the students said that they had revised all their lessons.
Meaning: showed surprise or annoyance

Bepin Choudhury’s Lapse of Memory Speaking and writing
(Encourage the students to use their creativity and formulate individual answers.)

Question 1.
What do you think happened after Bepin Babu came to know the truth? Was he angry with this friendfor playing such a trick on him? Or do you think he decided to help a friend in need? Sample answer:
Answer:
I believe that after reading Chunilal’s letter, Bepin Babu must have felt very angry at him for making him go through so much. But after thinking deeply about this, he must have felt very guilty and embarrassed. He must have tried to justify Chunilal’s actions in his head, and would have thought ways of helping his friend out. He would have called Chunilal, and apologized after all this.

Question 2.
Imagine you are Bepin Choudhury. You have received Chunilal’s letter and feel ashamed that you did not bother to help an old friend down on his luck. Now you want to do something for him. Write a letter to Chunilal promising to help him soon.
Or
A prank is a childish trick. Do you remember any incident when someone played a prank on you or your friends? Describe the prank in a paragraph.

NCERT Solutions for Class 8 English

The Open Window NCERT Solutions for Class 8 English It So Happened Chapter 7

The Open Window NCERT Text Book Questions and Answers

The Open Window Comprehension check – I

Question 1.
Why had Framton Nuttel come to the “rural retreat”?
Answer:
Framton Nuttel came to the “rural retreat” to cure his nerves. He was a bundle of nerves, and needed some rest and fresh air.

Question 2.
Why had his sister given him letters of introduction to people living there?
Answer:
His sister used to live there four years ago, and knew some people. She told him to meet people there instead of moping so that he felt at ease. This is why she gave him letters of introduction to people living there.

Question 3.
What had happened in the Sappleton family as narrated by the niece?
Answer:
The niece told Framton Nuttel that three years back, her aunt’s husband along with her two ‘ young brothers went off for their day’s shooting, but they never came back. She said that in crossing the moor to their favourite shooting ground they were engulfed in a dangerous bog. Their bodies were never recovered, as well as that of their little brown spaniel that had gone with them.

The Open Window Comprehension check – II

Question 1.
What did Mrs Sappleton say about the open window?
Answer:
Mrs Sappleton apologized to Nuttel for the open window, and told him that her husband and brothers would be home directly from shooting. She said that they always came in this way.

Question 2.
The horror on the girl s face made Framton swing around in his seat. What did he see?
Answer:
Framton turned and saw that in the deepening twilight three figures were walking across the lawn towards the window. They all carried guns under their arms, and one of them was carrying a white coat over his shoulders. A tired brown spaniel was following them. As they approached towards the house, one of them began to sing: “I say, Bertie, why do you bound?”

The Open Window Comprehension check – III

Question 1.
Why did Framton rush out wildly?
Answer:
Framton rushed out wildly because he thought that he had seen the ghosts of Mrs Sappleton’s husband and two brothers. He was already nervous, and this shot up his anxiety levels. This is why he left Mrs Sappleton’s place as fast as he could.

Question 2.
What was the girl’s explanation for his lightening exit?
Answer:
The girl tells her aunt that Framton was terrified of dogs because one time he was hunted into a cemetery somewhere on the banks of the Ganges by a pack of dogs. She said that he had to spend the night in a newly dug grave with the scary dogs snarling and grinning and foaming just above him. This is why, she claimed, Framton left at lightning speed.

The Open Window Exercise Question and Answer
Discuss in small groups.

Encourage the students to use their creativity and formulate their own answers.

Question 1.
Is this a mystery story? Give a reason for your answer.
Answer:
Yes, this is a mystery story because it is only at the end that we discover the truth. We as readers are as gullible as Framton himself. We believe and invest in the story of the niece as much as he does. We feel sympathetic towards Mrs Sappleton when we see her telling Frampton about her husband’s shooting excursion.

We are equally engulfed in the mystery behind what happened to the three men and why their bodies were never discovered. It is only at the end that we realize that the men are not ghosts and that the niece has made up the story.

Question 2.
You are familiar with the ‘irony’of the situation in a story. Which situation in ‘The Open Window ’are good examples of the use of irony?
Answer:
The story is full of irony. Irony is when we expect something, but its opposite happens. For instance, we know that Frampton has come to the neighbourhood to treat his nerves. However, we are certain that he would leave the place even more anxious than he was when he came. This is so because of the effect that the niece’s story has on him.

Similarly, it is ironic that the three men arrive home while Framton is still there. They could have easily arrived after he had left, and the niece’s story would not have had any effect on him. Another example of irony in the story is that Mrs Sappleton also talks about the open window to Framton, and inadvertently supports her niece’s story.

Question 3.
Which phrases/sentences in the text do you find difficult to understand? Select a few and guess the meaning of each. Rewrite a simple paraphrase of each.

1. Phrase/Sentence: Framton Nuttel endeavoured to say something which should duly flatter the niece of the moment without unduly discounting the aunt that was to come.
Paraphrase: Framton Nuttel tried to have a pleasant conversation with the niece without disregarding the aunt who he was going to meet soon.

2. Phrase/Sentence: … engulfed in a treacherous piece of bog.
Paraphrase: … stuck terribly in the marshes that were full of danger.

3. Phrase/Sentence: Here the child’s voice lost its self-possessed note and became falteringly human.
Paraphrase: At this point, the child’s voice was no longer composed, and sounded a little disturbed and overwhelmed.

4. Phrase/Sentence: She rattled on cheerfully …
Paraphrase: She continued to chat happily …

5. Phrase/Sentence: announced Framton, who laboured under the tolerably widespread delusion that total strangers and chance acquaintances are hungry for the least detail of one’s ailments and infirmities, their cause and cure.
Paraphrase: said Frampton, who was under the impression that complete strangers and chance acquaintances are dying to know the smallest details about our health and illnesses, their symptoms and cures.

6. Phrase/Sentence: Romance at short notice was her specialty.
Paraphrase: She had the gift of recounting stories at the drop of a hat.