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Treasure Trove Poems and Short Stories Workbook Answers

Treasure Trove Short Stories Workbook Answers A Horse and Two Goats

A Horse and Two Goats Questions and Answers Extract Based

Read the extract and answer the following questions:

1. His fortunes had declined gradually; unnoticed. From a flock offorty which he drove into a pen at night, his stock had now come down to the two goats, which were tethered to the trunk of a drumstick tree which grew in front of his hut and from which occasionally Muni could shake down drumsticks. This morning he got six. he carried them in with a sense of triumph. Although no one could say precisely who owned the tree, it was his because he lived in its shadow.

Question 1.
Which village has been referred to here? What is the meaning of that village? Give the picture of that village.
OR
Describe the village that has been referred in this passage. Where is it located and what does it mean?
Answer:
There are seven hundred thousand villages in India. The village referred here is ‘Kritam’ that hardly finds a place on the map and is supposed to be the tiniest one which is indicated by a microscopic dot on the survey map of the district Tamil Nadu. But the size has nothing to do with its meaning. Kritam in Tamil means “coronet” or “crown” on the brow of this subcontinent. The village has less than thirty houses among which only one is built with brick and cement.

Question 2.
What is the difference between the ‘big house’ and the other houses in the village ‘Kritam’?
Answer:
The village Kritam is a small village that consisted of less than thirty houses out of which only one is built with brick and cement. It is painted in bright yellow and blue all over with marvelous carvings of Gods and gargoyles on its pillars. This is a big house. The other houses are distributed in four streets that are made up of bamboo thatch, straw, mud and other material.

Question 3.
What was Muni’s daily routine? How many cattle did he have in his prosperous days?
Answer:
Muni lived in an extremely small village of Tamil Nadu named Kritam. His house was last in the fourth street beyond which there were stretched fields. He had once a flock of forty sheep and goats in his prosperous days and he used to set out daily morning for grazing them to the highway a couple of miles away. There was a clay statue of a horse where he would sit on its pedestal while his cattle grazed around. He had a crook at the end of a bamboo pole and snapped foliage from the avenue trees to feed his flock. He collected the bundle of sticks and carried them home for the fuel.

Question 4.
How did Muni’s wife carry out her daily household chores? What did she give Muni for breakfast?
Answer:
Muni’s wife was a homely woman. Her work included preparing meals for her husband and herself and doing various kinds of works at the big house to run her home. In the morning, she lit the domestic fire, boiled water in a mud pot, put some millet flour in it, added salt and then gave it to Muni as the first nourishment for the day. She handed him the packed lunch when he started out and it was the same millet cooked into a little ball which he used to eat with raw onion at midday.

Question 5.
Which lines show that Muni and his wife were leading a life of extreme poverty?
OR
What was the economic condition of Muni’s family?
Answer:
Muni and his wife were living a miserable life where they had only a handful of millet to satisfy their appetite both the times of the day. His stock of cattle had also come down from forty to two goats. There was a drumstick tree in front of his house from which he could shake down drumsticks occasionally. He was tired of eating the boiled leaves of the tree with salt, so on a particular day when he got six drumsticks; he showed his desire to cook them in sauce. But his wife displayed her inability as they had nothing at home to prepare the sauce for the drumsticks.

2. “You have only Jour teeth in your jaw, but your craving is for big things. All right, get the stufffor the sauce, and I will prepare it for you. After all, next year you may not be alive to ask for anything. But first get me all the stuff, including a measure of rice or millet, and I will satisfy your unholy craving. Our store is empty today. Dhall, chilly, curry leaves, mustard, coriander, gingelley oil, and one large potato. Go out and get all this.”

Question 1.
Why was Muni’s wife angry with him? What did she ask him to bring?
OR
What was Muni craving for and why?
Answer:
Muni was tired of eating boiled drumstick leaves, so he had a craving to chew the drumstick out of sauce. At this his wife got angry and rebuked him by saying,” You have only four teeth in your jaw, but your craving is for big things”. Therefore she asked him to bring all the ingredients like dhall, chilly, curry leaves, mustard, coriander, gingelley oil and one large potato required for making the sauce as their store was empty. She agreed as she was doubtful whether he would be alive for the following year to ask for anything.

Question 2.
Comment on the appraisal of humor of shop man by Muni. What was Muni’s purpose behind doing this?
Answer:
On being asked by his wife to bring the stuff for preparing sauce, Muni went to the shop in the third street. He was impatient but the shopkeeper paid no attention on him. Muni kept clearing his throat, coughing and sneezing until the shop man had to ask him, “What ails you? You will fly off that seat into the gutter if you sneeze so hard, young man”. Muni laughed in order to please him at being called “young man”. This made the shopkeeper happy and he liked his sense of humor.

By doing so, Muni wanted him to give one or two items of food on the promise of later repayment. Whenever the shopkeeper was in good mood, he gave but when he lost his temper, he refused him and barked at him for daring to ask for credit.

Question 3.
How did Muni try to attract the shopkeeper’s attention?
Answer:
Muni walked off to the shop in the third street from his house. He sat patiently on an upturned packing case below the platform of the shop. When the shop man didn’t pay heed, Muni cleared his throat, coughed and sneezed until the shop man could not tolerate anymore and asked his problem. Muni laughed in order to please him when he called him ‘Young man’. This completely won the shop man over and he liked his sense of humor to be appreciated.

Question 4.
How did Muni try to befool the shopkeeper? Did he succeed?
Answer:
Muni owed rupees five and a quarter to the shopkeeper. The shopkeeper asked for it when Muni again approached him for getting some food items on debt. At this Muni replied that he would pay off the debt on the first of the next month when his daughter would send him the money on his birthday. As the shopkeeper was very well aware of his tact, he asked him his age and caught him red handed saying that he had already celebrated his birthday five weeks ago. Muni did not succeed as the shopkeeper denied giving him anything.

Question 5.
On what basis Muni used to calculate his age?
Answer:
Muni was not sure of his age so he told the shopkeeper his age ‘fifty’. He always calculated his age from the time of great famine when he was as tall as the parapet around the village well because he was not educated at all due to his low caste. Only the Brahmins were allowed to study. But the accuracy of such things could not be relied upon due to many famines occurring those days.

3. Only on the outskirts did he lift his head and look up. He urged and bullied the goats until they meandered along to the foot of the horse statue on the edge of the village. He sat on its pedestal for the rest of the day. The advantage of this was that he could watch the highway and see the lorries and buses pass through to the hills, and it gave him a sense of belonging to a larger world.

Question 1.
How did Muni’s wife show her annoyance over Muni’s failure of getting the ingredients for preparing sauce?
Answer:
When Muni returned empty handed from the shop and asked his wife to sell the drumsticks, his wife became annoyed and refused to give him anything whole day. She told him to fast till evening. She further asked him to take, the goats and be off for grazing them immediately. She even cried, “Don’t come back before the sun is down”.

Question 2.
What trait of her character was Muni aware of?
OR
What impression of his wife’s character do you get from Muni’s words?
Answer:
Muni and his wife were leading a life of poverty. When Muni returned home without anything to cook, his wife became angry and she asked him to move out of the house. But Muni knew that if he obeyed her, she would anyhow arrange something for food in the evening. So it was better not to argue with her at that very moment. Her temper was undependable in the morning but subsided by the evening. She would surely go out and work, grind corn in the Big House, sweep or scrub somewhere and earn enough to buy foodstuff and keep dinner ready for him in the evening.

Question 3.
Which words show that he was worried about his wife?
Answer:
Muni was uncertain about his age. The shopkeeper had told him that he was seventy and then he realized that at seventy, one only waited to be summoned by God. And when he was dead, he thought that what his wife would do. They both had lived in each other’s company since they were children. He had been told that when they got married, he was only ten years old and she was eight. They didn’t have any children otherwise a large progeny would have taken care of them in the old age.

Question 4.
Which was his usual place for grazing his goats?
Answer:
Muni used to take his goats for grazing on the outskirts of the town. He bullied the goats until they meandered along to the foot of the horse’s statue on the edge of the village. Muni sat on its pedestal for the whole day whereas the goats would graze. The benefit of sitting there was that he could watch the highway and see the lorries and buses that passed through to the hills. Seeing

Question 4.
Muni was in a fix when the American talked to him in a language unknown to him. Elucidate.
Answer:
Muni was totally uneducated and he didn’t know the English language except the two words, “Yes, No”. He couldn’t understand what the foreigner was speaking. When he was exhausted with the only English words he was well versed in, he started speaking in Tamil and gave him his introduction. The foreigner also looked in the direction indicated by the Muni’s fingers as he also didn’t knew a single word in Tamil. He gazed at the two goats and the rocks for a while and gave a puzzled expression.

Question 5.
How did Muni react when the stranger offered cigarette to him?
Answer:
When the foreigner offered him a cigarette, Muni received it with a surprise as no one had offered him smoke for years now. He had always liked to smoke a cigarette. Only once the shopkeeper had given him one on credit and he remembered how good it had tasted. The foreigner flicked the lighter and offered it to Muni. Muni was so confused and didn’t knew what to do, so he blew on it and put it out. The foreigner was also puzzled at this but presented the lighter again and lit Muni’s cigarette himself. Muni drew a deep puff and started coughing. It was racking but extremely pleasant.

5. “I am sure you know when this horse was made’’, said the red man and smiled ingratiatingly. Muni reached to the relaxed atmosphere by smiling himself, and pleaded, “Please go away, sir, I know nothing. I promise we will hold him for you if we see any bad character around, and we will bury him up to his neck in a coconut pit if he tries to escape; but our village has always had a clean record. Must definitely be the other village. ”

Question 1.
What was the first thing that occupied Muni’s mind on seeing the American’s card?
OR
What did Muni interpret when he saw the card in American’s hand?
Answer:
After offering him the cigarette, the American said that he had come from New York and took out a wallet from his pocket and presented it to Muni. Already Muni had the impression that he was either a soldier or policeman and was scared of him and this card solidified his fear. Above all he was wearing khaki. He moved away from the card thinking it to be the warrant to arrest him as he might have never seen the card. His mind warned him of khaki. He believed in accepting whatever was offered but never got caught.

Question 2.
In what possible way Muni tried to ward off the trouble?
Answer:
Muni became afraid of seeing the card in the foreigner’s hand. He wanted to run away but then he remembered his age as told by the shopkeeper and thought that it would be better to surrender rather than to get caught. And then an idea struck his mind that he could ward off the trouble by talk. So he started talking in Tamil in a simple manner. He swore before him that he had seen nothing and knew nothing of the case.

If the murder had been committed, the convict wouldn’t be able to escape. According to him, the God was watching everything and pleaded the foreigner not to ask him anything. He also added that a body had been found mutilated and thrown under a tree between Kritam and Kuppam a few weeks ago.

Question 3.
How did Muni try to prove himself innocent? What promise did he make to the foreigner?
OR
What explanation did he give to the foreigner to prove himself innocent?
Answer:
Muni requested the American not to ask him anything as he was unaware of any murder or such incident. He then assured him of catching the convict if they found him and bury him up to his neck in a coconut pit if he tried to escape. He then remarked that their village had a clean record and that must be done by some other village.

Question 4.
The American seemed to be bit annoyed by Muni’s conversation. How can you guess?
Answer:
Among all the conversation in their own respective languages which was totally not understood by each other, Muni and the stranger continued to talk. But then the American realized that there was something wrong and he asked him earnestly, “Please, please I will speak slowly, please try to understand me.” He asked Muni if he couldn’t understand a simple English word where everyone seemed to know some English. He told that he had gotten with English everywhere in the country, but he didn’t speak. Further he made a taunt that if Muni had any religious or spiritual scruples against English speech.

Question 5.
How did the American make plan for India on the pretext of visiting other civilizations?
OR
How did American make plan for India visit and what did he tell Muni?
OR
Which difficulties were faced by the American while working in the Empire State Building?
Answer:
The red-faced man was somewhat irritated after a long series of conversation as he was not feeling satisfied with Muni’s answers. Therefore he tried his best to explain him everything very clearly. He uttered each syllable very carefully and with deliberation. He told him that last August they had the hottest summer in History and he worked in shirt-sleeves in his office on the fortieth floor of the Empire State Building. Once he was stuck also for four hours as there was a power failure and there was no elevator or air conditioning. Meanwhile in the train, he kept on thinking and on reaching home he told about his plan to visit India in the coming winter. He wanted to look at other civilizations.

6. Perhaps he guessed by the way he sat on its pedestal; like other souvenir sellers in this country presiding over their wares. Muni followed the man’s eyes and pointing fingers and dimly understood the subject matter and, feeling relieved that the theme of the mutilated body had been abandoned at least for the time being, said again, enthusiastically, “I was this high when my grandfather told me about this horse and the warrior, and my grandfather was this high when he himself…’

Question 1.
What did Muni explain the American on being distracted from his continued explanation?
Answer:
The American was telling Muni how he made the plans to visit India with his wife to see the new civilizations. At this Muni began to tell, “When I was this high”, and no one knew what he was going to explain when the American interrupted him. Muni forgot what he had started to say and began to talk about his cattle. He remarked that they too loose their cattle sometimes. They were carried by Jackals and Cheetahs and sometimes were being stolen and then they came to know who had done it. Their temple priest could see the face of the thief in the camphor flame and when caught was chopped. The last word he explained through gestures.

Question 2.
Which gestures made by Muni excited the American and how did they remind him of his hobby?
Answer:
The gestures made by Muni were that of chopping the thief who had stolen their cattle. The American watched his hands keenly and guessed he was talking about the chopping of wood. He enquired about his axe and asked to give it to him as he also like chopping wood. He revealed that it was his hobby and he enjoyed that work. He told Muni that on Sundays he did nothing except chopping wood he got along the backwater, near his house.

Question 3.
What made Muni understand that the American was referring to the horse statue?
Answer:
Muni was trying hard to get away from the place and as soon as he turned to go back, the foreigner seized his shoulder and desperately asked him if there was no one who could translate for him. He then looked at the deserted road in the hot afternoon. Pointing towards the statue, he asked Muni if it belonged to him and why didn’t he sell it to him. Then only Muni realized that he was referring to the statue.

Question 4.
How did the American conclude that the horse statue belong to Muni?
Answer:
The American interrupted Muni when the latter was telling about his childhood days and the story of that horse and the warrior. He showed his interest in buying the statue and offered him a good price. He had concluded without any doubt that the horse clay statue belonged to Muni. He might have guessed by the way Muni was sitting on its pedestal as the other souvenir sellers in the country preside over their wares.

Question 5.
At what point did Muni was relieved from the theme of crime he was expecting the American was talking about?
Answer:
The American was least interested in any of the Muni’s talks. He only had a keen interest in buying the horse. Interrupting Muni, he indicated towards the horse and following his eyes and pointing fingers Muni ultimately understood the subject matter and felt relieved that the theme of the mutilated body had been abandoned at least for that particular time and the American had diverted his course of conversation to the horse statue.

7. “I could give a sales talk for this better than anyone else…. This is a marvellous combination of yellow and indigo, though faded now…. How do you people of this country achieve these flaming colours ?”Muni, now assured that the subject was still the horse and not the dead body, said, “This is our guardian, it means death to our adversaries. At the end of Kali Yuga, this world and all other worlds will be destroyed, and the Redeemer will come in the shape of a horse called ‘Kalki’; this horse will come to life and gallop and trample down all bad men. ”

Question 1.
What reason did Muni put forth for not going to school?
Answer:
Muni told the American that he had never been to school because in the earlier days, they had to go out to work in the fields since morning till night, from sowing to harvest time. During Pongal time, they had to cut the harvest and his father allowed them to play out with others at the tank. That was the reason for not knowing the Parangi language. Besides, only Brahmins went to school being the upper caste.

Question 2.
Comment on the few words of appreciation spoken by American for the statue.
Answer:
Muni smoked another cigarette offered by the foreigner with much ease and decided to stay back if he kept on giving him more to smoke. The American now stood up on the pedestal of the statue in the manner as if a demonstrative lecturer did. He ran his fingers along the carved decorations around the horse’s neck and appreciated it at length. He explained Muni that he could give a sales talk for the statue better than anyone else. He praised the vibrant colours of the statue although they were faded now.

Question 3.
What assurance did the foreigner give Muni with regard to horse? What did he tell him about its accommodation?
Answer:
The foreigner assured Muni that the horse statue would find the best accommodation in U.S.A. He further told him that he would shift the book case that he had, to some other place although he loved books very much and was the member of five book clubs. The bonus volumes were mounted up in a pile in his living room which was as high as the horse. But he would remove them all to which his wife might object but he would convince her.

Question 4.
A pinch of humor has been introduced in between all the misunder-standings when the American talked about his coffee business. What were they?
Answer:
Muni asked a question from the foreigner in such a tone that was easily understood by him. The American replied that he was not a millionaire instead he had a modest business of coffee. Amidst all the confusions, Muni caught the word “coffee”. He suggested him to drive to another town where he could get “kapi”. There they had the Friday market where many ‘Kapi-otels’ were opened. The word ‘kapi’ uttered by Muni in his uneducated accent creates a humor in the story.

Question 5.
Finally realizing that too much time was wasted in conversation, how did the American introduce the topic of money?
Answer:
The visitor was now too much tired of all the conversation and finally asked Muni whether he would accept hundred rupees for the statue or not. Muni also wished to take the whiskered soldier but he had no space that year. For carrying the statue the American said that he would have to cancel his air ticket and take a boat home. His wife Ruth could go by air if she wanted but he would go with the horse and keep it in his own cabin all the way.

8. In answer to these questions the red man dashed his hand into his pocket and brought forth his wallet in order to take immediate advantage of the bearish trend in the market. He flourished a hundred-rupee currency note and said, “Well, this is what I meant. ” The old man now realized that some financial element was entering their talk. He peered closely at the currency note, the like of which he had never seen in his life; he knew the five and ten by their colours although always in other people’s hands, while his own earning at any time was in coppers and nickels.

Question 1.
How did the foreigner make plan to carry away the horse statue?
Answer:
The foreigner told Muni that he would have to cancel his air ticket and take a boat home to carry the horse statue and imagined himself voyaging across the seas hugging his horse. He planned to pad it with straw to prevent it from any breakage. He asked Muni for help to keep the horse in his station wagon after he pushed the seat back. He thought of lifting the horse from its pedestal after picking out the cement joints.

Question 2.
Why did Muni feel oblige when the American talked to him and how did he explain it to him?
Answer:
When the topic of money was introduced and the foreigner displayed his plans of carrying the statue to Muni, the guessing game of the words and language seemed to come to an end. Muni asked him if he had many children. He said this because the American appeared good to him as he stayed with an old man and talked to him when nobody showed interest in him. It was evident from Muni’s answer that whole day; he had none to talk except if somebody stopped by to ask for a piece of tobacco.

Question 3.
Again what misunderstanding took place when the American gave him a hundred rupee currency?
Answer:
When the American showed a hundred rupee currency note to Muni, he realized that some sort of financial element had been taking place in their conversation. The old man had never seen that currency in his life. He knew the five and ten by their colours in other people’s hands. He thought that the American was flourishing the note for a change and he gave the reference of village headman who was also a moneylender. This again added to humour in the story.

Question 4.
What did Muni tell about the village headman?
OR
How did Muni describe the village headman?
Answer:
When the misunderstanding with reference to hundred rupee note aroused in the mind of Muni, he directed the foreigner towards the village headman. He told the American that the headman was a moneylender and he could change a lakh of rupees in gold sovereigns. The headman had no idea that everybody in the village knew this. If one dug the floor of his puja room he could see the horad. He only disguised in rags just to mislead the public.

Question 5.
What was Muni’s lifetime dream and how was it going to be fulfilled?
Answer:
The American followed Muni’s look when he talked of his goats and thought that it was a policy to show interest towards the old man’s pets. He went and stroked their backs showing courtesy. The old man realized that the American was making an offer for the goats and his dream was about to be fulfilled. He had reared them up in the hope of selling them one day at a good price and with that money opening a small shop on that very spot. He dreamt of putting a thatched roof, spread a gunny sack on the ground and display on it fried nuts, coloured sweets and green coconuts for the thirsty and weary wayfarers on the highway.

9. Muni hurried homeward with the cash securely tucked away at his waist in his dhoti, he shut the street door and stole up softly to his wife as she squatted before the lit oven wondering if by a miracle food would drop from the sky. Muni displayed his fortune for the day. She snatched the notes from him, counted them by the glow of the fire, and cried, “One hundred rupees! How did you come by it ? Have you been stealing ?”

Question 1.
What joke did Muni crack about his only treasure, the two goats to the American?
Answer:
The old man was sure in his mind that the American was interested in buying his goats and when he put a hundred rupee note currency on Muni’s palm, he felt extreme joy and asked if he was carrying them at the station wagon. The old man then explained him that it was the goats’ first ride in a motor car and he should carry them off only after he (Muni) was out of sight otherwise they would never follow him but only Muni even if he was travelling on the path to Yama Loka. Saying this, Muni laughed at his own joke.

Question 2.
Who helped the American to detach the horse statue and how?
Answer:
After taking money, Muni left the place and the American thought he had gone to fetch some help. He waited for some time at the place and when he saw a truck coming downhill, he stopped it and asked for the help. A couple of men helped in detaching the statue from its pedestal and placed it in his station wagon. The American gave them five rupees each and for further payment they siphoned off gas from the truck to start his engine.

Question 3.
What explanation did Muni give to his wife about the money?
Answer:
Muni was extremely happy by selling his goats for hundred rupees to a foreigner. He had never expected such a deal. After getting money and leaving his goats grazing at the same place, he rushed towards his home excitedly. His wife was sitting before the lit oven expecting some miracle food to be dropped from the sky. He displayed his fortune to her and told that he had sold his goats to a red-faced man who was absolutely crazy about them. The American gave him all that money and carried them off his motor car.

Question 4.
What was Muni’s wife’s reaction when he showed her a hundred rupee note?
Answer:
Muni excitedly rushed home with cash tucked carefully at his waist in his dhoti. On reaching home, he displayed the money to his wife who snatched it and thought that he might have stolen them from somewhere. When he was telling the story of selling the goats, they heard the bleating outside. His wife saw them and declared that if the police came to arrest him she would go away to her parents.

Question 5.
What did Muni get irritated on seeing his goats back? How did he react?
Answer:
Muni was in the opinion that he had sold his goats to the American for he was crazy for his goats and offered him hundred rupees for them. But when they heard bleating outside and his wife opened the door, she found the goats.When Muni saw them at his doorstep, he muttered a great curse and seized one of the goats by its ears and shouted,” Where is that man? Don’t you know you are his? Why did you come back?” The goat wriggled in his grip. He did the same thing with the other goat.

A Horse and Two Goats Questions and Answers

Question 1.
Describe the conversation between Muni and the shopkeeper.
Answer:
On being asked by his wife to bring the ingredients to prepare the sauce, Muni went to the shop in the third street. He was impatient but the shopkeeper paid no attention to him. Muni kept clearing his throat, coughing and sneezing until the shop man had to ask him, “What ails you ? You will fly off that seat into the gutter if you sneeze so hard, young man”. Muni laughed in order to please him and also at being called “young man”. This made the shopkeeper happy and he liked his sense of humor.

The shopkeeper asked for five rupees and a quarter which Muni owed to him. At this Muni replied that he would pay off the debt on the first of the next month when his daughter would send him the money on his birthday. As the shopkeeper was very well aware of his tact, he asked him his age and caught him red-handed saying that he had already celebrated his birthday five weeks ago. Muni did not succeed in his attempt, as the shopkeeper denied to give him anything.

Question 2.
Why was Muni scared to see the red-faced foreigner ?
Answer:
While Muni was watching his goats grazing on the outskirts of the town Kritam, a red-faced man got down from his motor vehicle and approached towards Muni. He was wearing khaki clothes and from his appearance he seemed to be a policeman or a soldier. Muni thought that if he ran, the foreigner would either chase or shoot him as the dogs chase only those who run. He couldn’t understand why that man was after him. Meanwhile the foreigner cried “Marvelous” ! Looking at the horse statue with his eyes fixed on it, Muni was frozen with fear and tried to edge away. Suddenly, the other man joined his palms together and with a smiling face said, “Namaste ! How do you do ?”

Question 3.
Trace the circumstances in which Muni gets ready to part with his goats.
Answer:
During a series of great misunderstanding between their conversation, the American followed Muni’s gaze when he talked of his goats and thought that it was a policy to show interest towards the old man’s pets. He went and stroked their backs showing courtesy. Old man thought that the American was making an offer for the goats and his dream of lifetime was about to be fulfilled. He had reared them up in the hope of selling them one day at a good price and with that money opening a small shop on that very spot. He dreamt of putting a thatched roof, spreading a gunny sack on the ground and display on it, fried nuts, coloured sweets and green coconuts for the thirsty and weary wayfarers on the highway. Thus, he made a deal with the American without realizing the veracity.

Question 4.
Depict the life of Muni and his wife at the beginning of the story, ‘A Horse and Two Goats’ ?
Answer:
Muni and his wife lived in ‘Kritam’, a tiny village in India. The name means, “coronet or crown’” in Tamil. The village had less than thirty houses, only one of them built with cement and brick. Painted in yellow and blue with gorgeous carvings, it was known as Big House. Muni’s mud-house was thatched with bamboo, and straw. Muni had forty sheep in his good days, but it dwindled down to two. All day he would graze his animals, sitting on the pedestal of a horse statue.

Muni’s wife would cook the meagre supply of millet and salt, for breakfast and lunch. Occasionally, he would have, drumsticks, but mostly they did not have the ingredients to make a sauce for them. At times, he would humour the local shopkeeper and buy things on credit, which he may never repay. Although, the lady of the house would scold him, somehow she conjured up some food for the evening out of the money she made by working in the Big House or somewhere else. Muni looked seventy and his only worry was what his wife would do once he was gone.

Question 5.
Describe the horse statue. What is the significance of it in the story ?
Answer:
The village boast of a life size horse statue, ‘moulded out of clay, baked, burnt and brightly colored’. It was a dynamic one, as though in motion, with its head held proudly, prancing its forelegs in the air and flourishing its tail in a loop. Beside the horse, there was the figure of a warrior with curved moustache, bulging eyes and sharp nose. Initially, the horse had been pure white and had a colourful brocade cover on its back, but with time it became a shadow of its former self.

The statue was big enough for Muni to creep under its belly for shade. When the foreigner came to visit the village, he was enamoured by the statue and wanted to buy it. Muni, who hardly knew English could not understand the man. When the man gave him money, Muni thought it was for his goats. The man took away the horse to America, and Muni was happy to get the money. Thus, the horse stands testimony to the misunderstanding which language can cause. Also, it shows how foreigners appreciate local art and how the locals pay no attention to such works.

Question 6.
The way of life and language of Muni and the red-faced man differed and due to this their conversation creates a lot of humour. Elaborate.
Answer:
There is a huge cultural difference between Muni and the foreigner. Muni is a poor villager in an obscure place in India while the red-faced man is an American who has come to see the local culture of India. He speaks English but Muni knows only Tamil and his knowledge of English is limited to two words- ‘Yes’ and ‘No’.

Right from the initial greetings, this difference in culture and language makes the interactions of the two hilarious. The lack of connection through language results in verbal and situational humour. Just seeing the khakhi clad man, sent shivers of fear through the old man. He felt that the red-faced man was a police and when he offered his card, he thought that it was a warrant.

He immediately denied any knowledge about the village murder and tried to deviate the conversation to theft in the village. He talked about his childhood, the other man talked about his holiday plans. He talked about buying the horse, Muni talked about selling off his goats. The misunderstandings were from both the sides and the confusion rising out of them is simply hilarious.

Cross culture differences leading to humor can also be seen at the ending of the story. Muni thought that he had sold his goats and made a profit. The traveler thought that he had purchased the statue at market price. Humor is enhanced by the fact that Muni understood the significance of the statue, and yet could not understand that he had payed a crucial role in the transaction.

The red-faced traveler imagined the statue “in his living room,” but failed to understand how it was a landmark for the locals. In the resolution to this misunderstanding, cultural differences in the form of language prevented either one from understanding the other. Yet, both got what they wanted. Muni got the money he so coveted. The foreigner got the statue he desired. Thus, in a way, the lack of cultural understanding manages to provide an ending that brought contentment for both.

Treasure Trove Poems and Short Stories Workbook Answers

Treasure Trove Poems Workbook Answers After Blenheim

After Blenheim Questions and Answers

Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow :

1. It was a summer evening,
Old Kaspar’s work was done,
And he before his cottage door
Was sitting in the sun,
And by him sported on the green
His little grandchild Wilhelmine.

Question 1.
Who is the speaker? Where was the old man sitting? What mood was he in?
Answer:
The speaker is an old man named Kaspar. The old man was sitting before his cottage. It’s evening and his work was already done, and he was sitting in the sun. This suggests that he was in a relaxed mood.

Question 2.
Who were two grandchildren of Old Kaspar? What do you think of them?
Answer:
Peterkin and Wilhelmine were the two grandchildren of Old Kaspar. They were curious and intelligent kids with a lot of questions in their minds. They were quite sensitive to their surroundings and were always eager to know about things that they saw.

Question 3.
What is he telling about?
Answer:
He starts by telling his two grandchildren about the mystery of the skull, one of them has found. As he further explains, it is linked to a battle that was fought many years ago. Historically, this battle is known as the Battle of Blenheim.

Question 4.
What tells you about the serene atmosphere at Old Kaspar’s home?
Answer:
At Old Kaspar’s home, as the opening lines suggest, there are only three people. One of them is Old Kaspar himself, while the other two are his two grandchildren. The atmosphere prevailing there indicates a kind of aloofness from larger social surroundings. The greenness of vegetation spread before and around the old man’s cottage further adds to the serenity and calm there.

Question 5.
What kind of situation is presented here?
Answer:
The situation presented here does not directly remind us of the war that took place many years ago. It’s a cottage where an old farmer, feeling relaxed after completing his work for the day, is affectionately involved in a conversation with his two grandchildren. As their conversation proceeds, the readers get to know that the place where they are sitting may have been the battleground for a war years ago.

2. Old Kaspar took it from the boy,
Who stood expectant by;
And then the old man shook his head,
And, with a natural sigh –
“Tis some poor fellow’s skull,” said he,
“Whofell in the great victory.
“Ifind 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. ”

Question 1.
Where was the skull found? Why does the speaker say that the skull was of some poor fellow?
Answer:
The skull was found by Old Kaspar’s grandson, Peterkin, while playing in front of the cottage. The word ‘poor’ used by the speaker here means ‘unfortunate’ or ‘miserable’. He feels that this must be the skull of someone who lost his life in the battle and his corpse was left there to decay. Thus, he was unfortunate because he could not get what he deserved, for giving away his life in the war.

Question 2.
How common were the skulls there? At which place many of them could be found?
Answer:
It has been suggested here that the place where Old Kaspar’s cottage is situated must have the ground where the Battle of Blenheim was fought many years ago. That is why such skulls of soldiers who had died in the battle could be found there frequently. As Old Kaspar says, he finds many of them in the garden, when he ploughs.

Question 3.
Who does the phrase ‘poor fellow’ refer to in this stanza? Why do you think the poet has used the word ‘expectant’ for ‘the boy’?
Answer:
The phrase poor fellow’ refers to a soldier killed in war.

The poet has used the word ‘expectant’ for the boy as it suggests that he is expecting an answer from the old man to his question regarding the identity of the object he has discovered.

Question 4.
What made the old man shake his head and sigh?
Answer:
The old man’s little grandson Peterkin brought a human skull. On seeing it, he did not look surprised. Instead, he felt pity and remorse while knowing already that there were many more skulls lying there. What Peterkin had come with was just one of the many human skulls that belonged to men who had died years ago in the Battle of Blenheim. The tragic thing was that the dead had been left rotting there for so many years

Question 5.
What was told by the old man?
Answer:
The old man was not astonished when he saw his grandson holding a human skull in his hand. He already knew that there could be many such skulls there, because the place where his cottage was located had been a battleground many years ago. He referred to it as the skull of some poor fellow by which he actually meant that it belonged to an unfortunate, wretched soldier.

Question 6.
What is the irony used in the last two lines here?
Answer:
While he said that the skull belonged to ‘some poor fellow’, he further adds that he ‘fell in the great victory’. These two phrases seem to be contradictory in their connotations. In any victory that is usually regarded as ‘great’, anyone who gives away his life is considered to be a martyr and is said to have sacrificed his life for his motherland. However, the soldier whose skull was discovered by Kaspar’s grandson was referred to by him as a ‘poor fellow’ because he felt pity for the soldier. Thus, the perception of war as ‘the great victory’ becomes questionable.

3. “Now tell us what ’twas all about,”
Young Peterkin, he cries;
And little Wilhelmine looks up
With wonder-waiting eyes;
“Now tell us all about the war,
And what they fought each otherfor. ”
“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, ” quoth he,
“That ’twas a famous victory.

Question 1.
What had Kaspar told about the battle of Blenheim before in the extract?
Answer:
Earlier, Kaspar had told his grandchildren that many thousand men were killed in that great war. He stated this, in order to explain why Peterkin found a skull there. This implied that the skull belonged to one of those who had died in the battle.

Question 2.
Why is the word ‘cries’ used by the poet in the first line?
Answer:
The word ‘cries’ used here suggests the extent to which young Peterkin was eager to know about the battle. He did not know at that time, that the description of war to be given by his grandfather would be rather saddening and scary.

Question 3.
What is meant by ‘wonder-waiting eyes’? Where is the alliteration used here? Why did Wilhelmine look up with such eyes?
Answer:
This phrase signifies the unmistakable curiosity reflected by the eyes of Wilhelmine eager to get some amazing answer to her question. The figure of speech used here is alliteration as the consonant ‘w’ has been used here twice. If we read the preceding line, we can find reference to Wilhelmine. This is another word starting with ‘w’. Like other children of her age, little Wilhelmine is curious to know something wonderful about different things she hears from her elders. That is why she looks up with such eyes.

Question 4.
What was the curiosity in young Peterkin’s mind?
Answer:
Like his little sister Wilhelmine, young Peterkin is small kid fired with the curiosity to know about different things. He was eager to hear something amazing and exciting about the war. He thought his grandfather knew a lot of interesting things about it. In this extract, when his grandfather refers to ‘the great victory’, he feels he cannot remain quiet. He was just curious to know what the ‘famous victory’ was all about.

Question 5.
What did Kaspar tell about the ‘famous victory’? In what sense was it famous?
Answer:
The ‘famous victory’ talked about by Kaspar was the victory of British- Austrian forces over their French opponents. Kaspar told about its destructive features resulting in a large number of casualties and massive destruction of property. Nevertheless, he felt like any common mam or woman that the victory was famous. Historically, the consequence of the battle established the superiority of the British and dealt a blow to the ambitions of the French emperor Louis XIV.

Question 6.
What did the people say about the war?
Answer:
The war at the core of this poem was a real historical event forming a part of people’s memory. Despite its horrifying consequences, the war was usually remembered as a ‘famous victory’ for the winning side. In the poem, Old Kaspar expresses the perception of common folks of his time who were subdued in their opinion about the negative consequences of the war.

Question 7.
What could old Kaspar not make out?
Answer:
Kaspar was aware of the great quantum of destruction and damage done by the battle. He knew that it had left his own family and surroundings in shambles. Despite that, he could not be too articulate regarding the negative impact of the battle probably because he did not bear the brunt directly and it was not a first-hand experience for him. Thus, it was easier for him to uncritically accept the prevailing trends in public opinion that regarded it as a ‘famous victory’. But when he finds the two kids questioning him on the merits of the battle, he found himself in a state of dilemma, and was exposed in his inability to justify his opinion with discerning precision.

4. “My father lived at Blenheim then,
Yon little stream 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.
“Withfire and sword the country round
Was wasted far and wide,
And many a childing mother then,
And new-born baby died;
But things like that, you know, must be
At every famous victory.

Question 1.
Whose father lived at Blenheim when the war broke out? What does the word ‘then’ mean here?
OR
Who burnt ‘his dwelling’ to the ground?
Answer:
Kaspar’s father lived at Blenheim when the war broke out. The word ‘then’ mean signifies the time when the war took place. The adjective ‘his’ has been used here for the father of Kaspar whose dwelling was burnt by the soldiers of the combined British-Austrian army.

Question 2.
How was the great victory a personal tragedy for the Kaspar family?
Answer:
The great victory left behind a trail of destruction and doom for all who were affected by it. For the Kaspar family, as the speaker says, it proved to be extremely disastrous. His house was burnt and his father was forced to flee with his wife and child.

Question 3.
What were the results of the great victory?
Answer:
The great victory was scripted by the combined forces of Britain and Austria. In the Battle of Blenheim, the combined forces defeated the forces of France and some of its German and Italian allies. But thousands of people died. It was a horrible scene with blood-covered bodies lying rotting in the sun everywhere. Many were forced to leave their dwellings, mothers separated from their children. A great destruction had been caused far and wide.

Question 4.
What is most tragic about the war hinted here?
Answer:
The most tragic aspect of war suggested here is its impact on the civilian population. From the description given by Old Kaspar, it’s evident that they suffered its consequences most severely. The battle, whose winners were hailed as heroes and were immortalized in popular legends, laid waste to the entire country where it was fought.

Question 5.
What does the use of ‘fire’ and ‘sword’ suggest here?
Answer:
‘Fire’ and ‘sword’ suggest the destruction, horror and ruin brought about by the war that there was a havoc all over the country. Houses were ruined, a lot people died, death, blood and misery, a sorrowful condition of once calm and happy place. The fire and sword or the arson and murder created terrible disturbance all over the land.

Question 6.
How was the country affected by the war?
Answer:
The country was ruined by the forces. People deserted their homes and were forced to wander about trying to find safe shelters. The impact of war was so disastrous that many civilians, including innocent women and children, lost their lives. After the war, thousands of corpses were lying everywhere.

Question 7.
What do the last two lines suggest about Kaspar’s perception of the so-called ‘famous victory’?
Answer:
These lines only suggest that like a common man, he feels that death and destruction are only natural if a war leads to a victory regarded as a famous one. In other words, he accepts them as natural things, instead of denouncing or criticising ‘war’ for causing them.

Question 8.
What is the rhyme scheme followed in the poem?
Answer:
In the last couplet of 10 out 11 stanzas, two lines rhyme. In the first four lines, the rhyme scheme is ‘abcb’. Thus, the overall rhyme scheme for each stanza is ‘abcbdd’. In the 10th stanza, however, last words in the second and fourth lines respectively (‘won’ and ‘Wilhelmine’) do not rhyme. Thus, we can say that the rhyme scheme is not regular except for the last two lines of each stanza.

5. “Great praise the Duke of Marlbro’ 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 wfiat good came of it at last?”
Quoth little Peterkin.
“Why that I cannot tell, ” said he,
“But ’twas a famous victory. ”

Question 1.
What does Kaspar’s answer to his grandson’s question suggest?
Answer:
It suggests that either he does not actually know why the war should be glorified. That probably brings him closer to the way any victory on the battlefield is seen by common people.

Question 2.
Bring out the irony inherent in the speaker’s utterance.
Answer:
The speaker occasionally refers to the enormous quantum of destruction caused by the war. He also categorically talks about the death of thousands of people on the battlefield. Nevertheless, he keeps uttering that the war was a ‘famous victory’.

Question 3.
How did Wilhelmine react to the old man’s description of the war?
Answer:
Wilhelmine was a sensitive and intelligent child. She knew what the war was all about and what it brought in its aftermath. Moreover, when her grandfather told her about the destruction and death that followed the war, she was convinced that it was something bad. She therefore reacted by saying that it was a wicked thing, when her grandfather praised the Duke and the prince for the ‘famous victory’

Question 4.
What do you think of the old man’s point of view?
Answer:
The old man’s point of view in this poem represents an uncritical mass perception of history. Occasionally, it touches upon the actual consequences of the war it describes, but it is not suggested anywhere that denounces the leaders of the winning side who must have been responsible for all the destruction.

Question 5.
Comment upon the contrasted viewpoints in the poem.
Answer:
Old Kaspar, who is the speaker in this poem, describes the horrible consequences of the war fought there. He even tells his grandchildren how his own family was affected and forced to migrate elsewhere in the aftermath of ‘that’ war. This is reinforced by the opinion of his little granddaughter who refers to war as something ‘wicked’. Despite all this, the speaker admires Duke Marlbro and Prince Eugene who led the winning side in the war. Moreover, he frequently refers to the war as ‘a famous victory’.

Question 6.
Why and how did the speaker try to justify the war?
Answer:
The speaker’s interpretation of the battle was wholly based on how it was perceived by common folks during his time. There are no doubt traces of genuineness and authenticity in his description of its consequences. But at the end, it was regarded by everyone as a ‘famous victory’. Kaspar himself had doubts about it, but he lacked the spirit to reject it. He therefore was almost forced by his own ignorance to completely depart from how the result of the battle was seen by common people. He justified his stand by praising the Duke and the Prince, and repeatedly calling the battle a ‘famous victory’.

Question 7.
Do you agree with the justification of war? Why/Why not?
Answer:
The way the war is justified is not agreeable on any count. As we learn from the speaker’s description, a war is always disastrous as it results in the killing of thousands of people and enormous damage to property or assets owned by common people. It does not matter which side wins and which one gets defeated in it. What is really significant is the extent to which it disturbs the life of common people. From that standpoint, glorification of war heroes cannot really justify its negative side. That is why the justification of war is not acceptable.

Question 8.
In the context of the poem, what special significance do the adjectives ‘young’ and ‘little’ have?
Answer:
These adjectives have been used here for the two grandchildren of Kaspar, the speaker or narrator. Though they are not mature enough to clearly understand the inherent contradiction underlying Kaspar’s reference to the battle, they are still able to question and counter it. This suggests the difference between how the generation of Kaspar thinks of it, and the way the future will look upon it. While Kaspar’s opinion is that of a generation dying out and becoming obsolete, the questions posed by his grandchildren show a new wave of curiosity that will not accept it uncritically as the former does.

Treasure Trove Poems and Short Stories Workbook Answers

Treasure Trove Short Stories Workbook Answers Hearts and Hands

Hearts and Hands Questions and Answers Extract Based

Read the extract and answer the following questions:

1. At Denver there was an influx of passengers into the coaches on the eastbound B. & M. Express. In one coach there sat a very pretty young woman dressed in elegant taste and surrounded by all the luxurious comforts of an experienced traveller. Among the newcomers were two young men; one of handsome presence with a bold, frank countenance and manner; the other a ruffled, glum-faced person, heavily built and roughly dressed. The two were handcuffed together.

Question 1.
Describe the opening scene of the story.
Answer:
There was a crowd of passengers into the coaches on the eastbound B. & M. Express. In one coach there was a pretty looking young woman who was sitting, reflecting all kinds of elegance and delicacy. The two newcomers were two young men, one among them was handsome with bold looks and the other was ruffled, glum-faced who was heavily built and roughly dressed. The two were handcuffed together. The coach was fully crowded and the two men could find only one vacant seat in front of the young lady.

Question 2.
Who was the pretty young lady? Describe her.
Answer:
The pretty young lady was Miss Fairchild who was seated in one of the coaches on the train to Denver. She was elegantly dressed and surrounded by all the luxurious comforts which described her as an experienced traveler. She had a lovely smile and from her appearance she seemed to be rich who had a passion for travelling. She was acquainted with one of the two passengers who arrived in the same coach in which she was sitting. She threw a lovely smile to him which made her cheeks slightly pink.

Question 3.
‘Here the linked couple seated themselves’. How was the two couple linked? What do you understand by this?
Answer:
There was too much crowd on the Eastbound B. & M. Express in one coach, a pretty young stylish woman was sitting. The two young men, who were handcuffed together, entered the coach. One of them was fair and handsome and other was rough and strongly built. They were linked together as they couldn’t be separated from each other. The handcuff had tied them. It means that one of them must be a criminal and the other a policeman

Question 4.
Why did the young lady in the coach say, “Don’t you ever recog¬nize old friends when you meet them in the West?”
Answer:
The two new comers got the vacant seat opposite the attractive young woman in the whole coach. She threw a glance on them from a distance and with a lovely smile greeted them. She held out her little gray gloved hand perhaps in order to handshake with one of the two newcomers who seemed to be her acquaintance. When she didn’t receive any kind of positive response from the other side, she made this remark.

Question 5.
Why did the looks of the young lady suddenly changed?
Answer:
Initially when the two men entered her coach, she seemed to be totally uninterested but soon with a lovely smile she looked at them. She took the initiative to talk to him one of the two was her very well known by her. The younger man was roused at her voice and tried to come out of slight embarrassment of the handcuffs which suddenly clouded him.

2. “You’ll excuse me for speaking miss, but, I see you’re acquainted with the marshall here. If you’ll ask him to speak a word for me when we get to the pen he’ll do it, and it’ll make things easier for me there. He’s taking me to Leavenworth prison. It’s seven years for counterfeiting. ” “Oh!” said the girl, with a deep breath and returning colour. “So that is what you are doing out here ? A marshal!”

Question 1.
What explanation was given by the other man to the young woman about Mr. Easton?
Answer:
When the other man saw that young lady was acquainted with the handsome man with him and seeing him handcuffed, he sensed Easton’s embarrassment. On the other hand, the pretty woman was in a state of bewilderment, so he called Easton as marshal who was taking him to the Leavenworth prison for seven years of imprisonment in the case of counterfeiting.

Question 2.
What reason was given by Mr. Easton for not going to Washington?
Answer:
Mr. Easton told the woman that he wanted to do something. Money, according to him had wings and to live in Washington, lot of money is required. He saw the opportunities in the West as well. Miss Fairchild was surprised to know that Easton has preferred life in West to become marshal over life in Washington.

Question 3.
Why did Miss Fairchild call Mr. Easton ‘Dashing Western Hero’?
Answer:
In the course of conversation, the ruffled man told Miss Fairchild that he was being taken to Leavenworth prison for seven years of imprisonment in the case of counterfeiting. As the conversation continued, the woman was surprised to learn that Easton had given up the life in Washington to become a Marshal in West. She was impressed with this and called ‘Dashing Western Hero’ who ride and shoot and face all kinds of dangers.

Question 4.
“My butterfly days are over”, what kind of irony is there?
Answer:
There is a verbal irony here as Mr. Easton was not talking of his good days with Miss Fairchild. Rather he was talking about being locked up and not being free like a butterfly. His freedom had been snatched away because of his wrong act. But Miss Fairchild thought that he was talking about his social days and as he had taken up a job of responsibility, he won’t be able to move as freely as he was earlier.

Question 5.
Why were Miss Fairchild’s eyes rested upon the glittering handcuffs and what did the other man explain her?
Answer:
Miss Fairchild encountered Mr. Easton, one of her old acquaintances in the same coach on the train to Denver in which she was traveling. She spoke to him but was surprised to see him handcuffed with the other man. The other man guessed her embarrassment and gave her an explanation. She then continued to chat with him but her eyes were still on handcuffs. The other mem told her that she should not worry as all the marshals handcuffed themselves to their prisoners.

3. “I love the West,” said the girl irrelevantly. Her eyes were shining softly. She looked away out the car window. She begain to speak truly and simply without the gloss of style and manner : ‘‘Mamma and I spent the summer in Denver. She went home a week ago because father was slightly ill. I could live and be happy in the West. I think the air here agrees with me. Money isn’t everything. But people always misunderstand things and remain stupid”

Question 1.
How did Miss Fairchild support the life of West?
Answer:
Miss Fairchild loved the life at West, when she was telling this, her eyes were shining softly. She looked out of the car window. She began to speak honestly and plainly. She and her mumma had spent the summer in Denver. She had gone back to home as her father was ill. The young lady could live and be happy in the West. The atmosphere there suited her. She supported the view of Easton as the money was not everything.

Question 2.
How did glum faced man take excuse to go away from that coach?
Answer:
After some conversation, the glum-faced man wished to have a drink as he had not even smoked all through the day. He further added that they had talked too much; he now wanted to go to the smoker. He was dying for a pipe. To this Easton replied that he couldn’t deny a petition for tobacco.

Question 3.
What reason did the other man give for his going for a smoke and why did he do so?
Answer:
Miss Fairchild kept on talking to Mr. Easton but her constant attention was towards the handcuffs. In order to ease the tense situation, the glum-faced man asked Easton to take him to the smoker’s room as he was half dead for a pipe. In addition, he was also worried that Easton might reveal something about himself that should not be told to the young woman. So he intervened and requested him to be taken to the smoker room.

Question 4.
Which remark made by one of the two passengers sitting nearby creates suspicion in our mind?
OR
How do we come to know that Mr. Easton was the real convict?
Answer:
When Miss Fairchild was talking to the two men, two other passengers in the same coach were listening to them and keenly observing everything. One of them remarked that Mr. Easton appeared to be too young to hold the position of a Marshal. This arise doubt in reader’s mind and when the other one exclaimed saying that Easton couldn’t be the Marshal as no officer would handcuff his own right hand with the criminal’s left hand, the truth is revealed.

Question 5.
The final twist in the story may not be expected by the readers. What is it?
Answer:
There is a series of conflict in O Henry’s story “Heart and Hands”. Miss Fairchild when saw Mr. Easton on the train, she recognizes him immediately. Easton was handcuffed to the other rough looking man. He didn’t want Miss Fairchild to notice him. But when she was sure that Easton acknowledged her, she asked him if it was their custom not to recognize the old friends in the West.

The other man understood the situation and came to protect him from it. He told the young lady that Easton was the Marshal who was taking him to Leavenworth prison for seven years imprisonment for counterfeiting. But the actual twist comes in the end when the two other co passengers who had overheard the conversation noticed that a marshal would never handcuff a criminal to his right hand.

Hearts and Hands Questions and Answers

Question 1.
The main theme of the story is kindness. Elucidate.
Answer:
Kindness plays an important role in the story. The glum-faced, rough¬looking, real Marshall is a kind man who saves Mr. Easton as well as Miss Fairchild from some embarrassment with no ulterior motives. He does not stand to gain anything out of this and yet wants to help. He makes sure Miss Fairchild comes to believe that Mr. Easton is the Marshall so that she does not get a shock seeing the handcuffs on him.

Later, when Miss Fairchild seems to be hinting at being interested in Mr. Easton, he decides that the lie has gone too far, and cuts it short. He saves Miss Fair child from any further embarrassment and future heartbreak by taking the other man under the pretext of wanting to smoke. In doing so, he removes Mr. Easton from her presence, so that the truth would not come out and break her illusions. His another intention is to save the young woman and the man from embarrassment.

Question 2.
Attempt a character sketch of Miss Fairchild.
Answer:
Miss Fairchild is a rich woman who has class and style. In the train, she looks and speaks how a noble class person should be. She has a full, sweet, and deliberate voice that shows that she expects to be heard. Her sweet manners also reveal she has feelings for Mr. Easton. At first, she is disinterested but soon her countenance brightens and a tender pink tinges her round cheeks on recognizing Mr. Easton. Miss Fairchild is an interesting character with many different personality traits.

She seems to be smart, and rich. She comes from the east coast, and is adventurous enough to take a train out to Colorado during these violent western times. Like all young women of her times and status, she has marriage in mind and expresses it to the young man indirectly, “I love the West, the air agrees with me here.”

She wants to convey that she is romantically interested in Mr. Easton and does not mind staying with him in the West. Her girlish romantic heart is happy to see the young man as a hero in the garb of a Marshall. That she is gullible, is revealed in her instantly trusting the words of the Marshall. She becomes a victim of mistaken identity and is not shrewd enough to understand that a Marshall never ties himself to the criminal by his right hand.

Question 3.
Explain the significance of ‘hands’ and ‘hearts’ in the story.
Answer:
At the beginning of the story, we see two people, Mr. Easton and a glum-faced man hand-cuffed together. It is the handcuffing that points at the ‘Hands’ part of the title. In fact, the way that the hands are handcuffed reveals the true identities of the two men. Miss Fairchild is misled by the unnamed man about the identity of Mr. Easton as he wants to save Mr. Easton from an embarrassing situation by pretending that he is not her friend, is a convict and is being taken by him to the prison. It is an observation by a passenger in the coach that reveals a Marshal will not handcuff his own right hand with that of a convict.

It is the ‘hearts’ part of the title that unravels the theme of the story. It is because of having a compassionate heart that the Marshall tells a lie to Miss Fairchild. In spite of the rough looks, he has a golden heart. He lies to save the young man and the girl from embarrass-ment and humiliation. He does not want to expose Mr. Easton as a convict in front of an old friend. He tells Miss Fairchild that Mr. Easton is the Marshall and he is the convict who is being taken to the prison. He wants the young woman to retain her romantic illusion. At least she will think of the young man as a daring hero, instead of having to think of him as a fraudster and counterfeiter of notes.

Question 4.
Attempt a character sketch of Mr. Easton.
Answer:
Mr. Easton is described as a handsome young man with a bold and frank countenance and manner. He is preoccupied with some thoughts, and does not notice Miss Fairchild at first. When he recognises her, he is embarrassed but is quick to cover up. We are utterly shocked to know at the end, that he is a criminal and is being taken to prison by the Marshall. The lady is unaware of this fact and is led to believe otherwise. The real Marshall covers up the situation to save both the young people from embarrassment.

Mr. Easton is an opportunist. He doesn’t exactly lie but plays along with the Marshall. All his words have double meaning. He does not confess that he is accused of counterfeiting and has to serve seven years in prison. Instead, he says, “money has a way of taking wings unto itself’, and he requires money to keep step with the well-to-do in Washington. ‘The opening in West’, he mentions, is actually counterfeiting but the lady takes it as the job of the Marshall. Thus, he cleverly lays out an explanation as to why he has moved to the West and why he won’t be able to see her in the future. He even picks up on the hint from the Marshall when he asks to go to the smoke room quickly.

Question 5.
How are the two men a foil to each other ?
Answer:
Both the men are opposite to each other in appearance, behaviour and character. Mr. Easton is dressed like a gentleman having good breeding and manners. The other person handcuffed to him is glum-faced, roughly dressed and heavily-built. Easton is a criminal while the other one is a Marshall. Easton is suave in manners and is quick to cover up his crime and save his face in front of Fairchild. The other man, on the other hand, takes up the crime on himself to save the lady from embarrassment and shock.

One can say, that Easton is a wolf in sheep’s coat, whereas the real Marshall is gentle and caring, beneath the rough exterior. The ‘heart’ part of the title is dedicated to the Marshall because of the kindness he showed. The ‘hand’ part is about Mr. Easton, the hand that counterfeits money; the hand that is handcuffed and is on his way to prison.

Question 6.
‘Appearances are deceptive’, goes the saying. How is it applicable in the story ?
Answer:
The story, ‘Hearts and Hands’ has two main male characters. The men enter into the train handcuffed to each other. One is a young-looking man, well- dressed like a gentleman. He has a bold, frank countenance and manner. The other man is described as “ruffled, glum-faced, heavily built and roughly dressed”. At one glance, one would take the handsome man as the Marshall and the other one as a criminal.

When the real Marshall takes the blame on himself and says that he is on his way to Leavenworth prison for counterfeiting, Miss Fairchild believes it completely, as she cannot connect the man she is acquainted with as a criminal; but she can equate the other one as a criminal due to his rough exterior and abrupt behaviour and manner of talking.

That a criminal is lurking inside the elegant attire and suave manners of Mr. Easton, is unbelievable. That a heart of gold is hidden inside the rugged, unpolished exterior of the shrewd-eyed Mar shall is also unbelievable. The gentleman turns out to be a criminal and the uncultured, unpolished ruffian turns out to be a police officer. One cannot definitely go by appearance!

Treasure Trove Poems and Short Stories Workbook Answers

Treasure Trove Short Stories Workbook Answers A Face in the Dark

A Face in the Dark Questions and Answers Extract Based

Read the extract and answer the following questions:

1. When there was a strong wind, the pine trees made sad, eerie sounds that kept most people to the main road. But Mr. Oliver was not a nervous or imaginative man. He carried a torch, and its gleam—the batteries were running down—moved fitfully down the narrow forest path. When its flickering light fell in the figure of a boy, who was sitting alone on a rock, Mr. Oliver stopped. Boys were not supposed to be out after dark.

Question 1.
What picture of the school is projected here?
Answer:
The school was situated on the outskirts of the hill station of Shimla. The school had its established reputation from before Kipling’s time. It had been run on English public school lines. The boys of the school belonged to wealthy Indian families. They wore blazers, caps and ties. The Life Magazine had once called the school ‘Eton of the East’.

Question 2.
Why the school in which Mr. Oliver was a teacher, called the ‘Eton of the East’?
Answer:
Eton school is said to run on the British pattern. It begins with the standard of teaching. There is no nonsense there. There are weekly assessments of the boys and the results are public. If there is any drop in the result, the teacher is summoned. The school activities are having unrelenting competition.

The school in Shimla in which Mr. Oliver was a teacher ran on the same principles. The boys were disciplined and followed the rules and regulations of the school. It was a prestigious school and thus called the ‘Eton of the East’.

Question 3.
Who was Mr. Oliver and what was his daily routine?
Answer:
Mr. Oliver was an Anglo-Indian teacher who had been teaching in a school situated on the outskirts of the hill station of Shimla for several years. The Shimla Bazaar was about three miles from the school. It had restaurants, cinemas, etc. Mr. Oliver, a bachelor, used to stroll into the town in the evening and returned after dark taking a short cut through the pine forest.

Question 4.
How can you say that Mr. Oliver was a brave man?
OR
Was Mr. Oliver was a strong or a fearful man?
Answer:
Shimla, a very high hill station has many pine forests. People in those days avoided the route through these forests as when there were strong wind; sad eerie sounds which were frightening enough to raise anyone’s goose bumps. But Mr. Oliver was not that sort of person. He was not a nervous or imaginative man. He usually carried a torch and its beam moved fitfully down the forest path. Even when he saw a boy’s figure in that lonely place, he didn’t got scared. Rather he asked him the reason for being alone and weeping.

Question 5.
What did Mr. Oliver see when he was returning back while passing through the pine forest?
Answer:
Mr. Oliver was on his usual walk in the evening. While returning back from Shimla Bazaar through the narrow path of the pine forest, he came across an unusual sight. He saw a figure on the rock. He usually carried a torch with him always and as soon as the flickering light of his torch fell upon the figure, he found it to be a boy and stopped. It was a strange sight as the boys were not supposed to be out after dark.

2. “I saw something—somethin horrible—a boy weeping in the forest—and he
had no face!”
“Noface, Sahib?”
“No eyes, nose, mouth—nothing!”
“Do you mean it was like this, Sahib?” asked the watchman, and raised the
lamp to his own face. The watchman had no eyes, no ears, no features at
all—not even an eyebrow! And that’s when the wind blew the lamp out.

Question 1.
Why was Mr. Oliver surprised to see the boy?
Answer:
On his usual walk, when Mr. Oliver saw a boy sitting alone on a rock, he was surprised to see him as the boys of the school were not supposed to be out after dark. And as the place was near to school, he could imagine no one else outsider there. He questioned him strongly that what he was doing there and when he got no reply, he moved closer so that he could recognize the boy.

Question 2.
Why was the boy called a miscreant?
Answer:
The place where Mr. Oliver saw the boy in the woods was not far away from the school in which he was teaching. Therefore he thought that the boy must be from that school and the students of the school were supposed to be much disciplined and to abide by the rules. Finding him at that time of hour made him think that the boy might have done some mischief and that was why he was hiding there.

Question 3.
Why did Mr. Oliver move closer to the boy who was sitting alone on the rock in the forest?
Answer:
Mr. Oliver encountered a figure while coming back to school one night. He was surprised and felt uneasy to see it. When the light of his torch fell on the figure, it came out to be a boy. He stopped there and asked him sharply what he was doing there. Getting no response, he moved closer to him and sensed something wrong. The boy appeared to be crying with his face in his hands and his body was moving violently.

Question 4.
How did he show his concern for the boy? Did the boy reply affirmatively?
Answer:
Mr. Oliver became angry on seeing the boy alone in the forest at night. He asked him strongly the reason for being there but the boy didn’t answer. He moved closer to him thinking that he must have done wrong and for that reason he had run away from the school. But then he realized that the boy was sobbing and soon his anger gave way to concern. He again asked him why he was crying but the boy neither replied nor looked up. His body was shivering due to silent sobbing. He told him not to be there alone at that hour and asked what the trouble was.

Question 5.
Which horrible sight frightened Mr. Oliver?
Answer:
As Mr. Oliver approached the boy, he discovered that the boy was sobbing holding his face in his hands. His body was shaking. It was a strange, soundless weeping. Initially, Mr. Oliver got angry but when he heard him crying his anger diverted into concern. He suggested the boy that he shouldn’t be there at that time and asked the problem. When the boy looked up, the light from Mr. Oliver’s torch fell upon the boy’s face which had no eyes, ears, nose or mouth. This sight frightened him so much that he ran away from the place without pausing for a second.

A Face in the Dark Questions and Answers

Question 1.
What do you know about Mr. Oliver and the school he worked in?
Answer:
Mr. Oliver, the protagonist of the story, ‘A Face in the Dark’, was an Anglo Indian teacher who worked in one of the prestigious schools in Simla. He had been teaching in the school for several years. He was a bachelor. It had been his habit to go to Simla Bazaar, which was three miles away from the school. There he might watch movies or dine in a restaurant, and return after dark, taking a short cut through the pine forest. He was not a nervous person, nor given to too much of imagination, so he was not scared of walking through the forest which would make an eerie sound when strong winds blew.

The school he worked was known as the ‘Eton of the East’. It had been run on English public school lines. Most of the boys studying there were from wealthy Indian families, and wore blazers, caps and ties. Run on typical English pattern, the school had featured in Life Magazine and was considered as a status symbol.

Question 2.
What bizarre incident took place one day when Mr. Oliver was coming back from Simla Bazaar ?
Answer:
Mr. Oliver was returning after spending some time in Simla Bazaar. He took the pine forest route. It was a lonely path, dark and eerie. In the flickering light of the torch, he saw the figure of a boy, sitting alone on a rock. The boy was crying. It was a strange soundless weeping which made the teacher, rather uneasy. He held his head in his hands and his body shook convulsively. The concerned teacher insisted that the boy should look up and tell him his trouble. To his utter shock, when the boy looked up, he realised, he had no eyes, tears, nose or mouth.

It was just a smooth head, with a school cap on top of it. Immediately, he turned and ran towards the school. He encountered the watchman and told him about the boy without features. The watchman held the lantern to his face and asked whether the face was like his. He also did not have any features. Even Mr. Oliver, with his rational outlook had a fit of terror at the confrontation of what might have been supernatural.

Question 3.
On what two planes can you evaluate the incidents in the story ?
Answer:
The story can be evaluated at two levels : either as a weird supernatural experience or on a rational ground. Dark, lonely path through a pine grove, the eerie sound made by the wind, the reservations the locals had in using the short cut, all create an illusion of the supernatural. A boy sitting on a rock with his head down, his face covered with his hands, his body shaking hi soundless sobs, the flickering torchlight revealing a face without eyes, ears, nose or mouth; enough to make any man shake with fear. That was exactly what the school master went through on that bizarre night. On the top of it, he encountered another being of the same strange face in the form of a watchman, carrying a lantern. It is a perfect setting for a ghost story.

On the other hand, Mr. Oliver is described as a man, who was not easily given to nervousness or imagination. Perhaps, the lonely walk in the stormy night, might have led him to imagine something supernatural like a ghostly figure. A boy’s school cap lying on a rock or a mask someone left behind, might have created an illusion in the flickering light of his torch. The same fear might have made him imagine the watchman too as being faceless.

The story ends with a sense of ambiguity, leaving the ending open. The reader has to decide whether they were ghosts, whether they were optical illusions or whether the whole thing was a prank played upon the teacher by some mischievous students.

Treasure Trove Poems and Short Stories Workbook Answers

Treasure Trove Short Stories Workbook Answers An Angel in Disguise

An Angel in Disguise Questions and Answers Extract Based

Read the extract and answer the following questions:

1. Neighbors went hastily to the old tumble-down hut, in which she had secured little more than a place of shelter from summer heats and winter cold: some with grave-clothes for a decent interment of the body; and some with food for the half-starving children, three in number. Of these, John, the oldest, a boy of twelve, was a stout lad, able to earn his living with any farmer. Kate, between ten and eleven, was bright, active girl, out of whom something clever might be made, if in good hands; but poor little Maggie, the youngest, was hopelessly diseased.

Question 1.
What could be the possible reason for woman’s death?
Answer:
The woman was discovered dead at the threshold of her own door in the presence of her three children. She was in a drunken state, her body lay cold and still among her miserable children. Looking at her house and children’s condition, we can guess that she was a big alcoholic.

Question 2.
People hated the woman; still they turned up on her death. Give reason.
Answer:
It is truly said that why we do not rejoice at our birth and lament on death because we are the person concerned. Howsoever one maybe hostile towards someone but death changes and touches the inner self of the person. Same thing happened here; the dead woman was despised, mocked and condemned by almost every member of the village. But when she died, everybody gathered around her house. They were more worried about her wretched children more than herself and so in spite of pitying her, they were angry with her.

Question 3.
How did everyone try to help the children in their own way?
Answer:
Compassion is the desire to ease other’s sufferings and help the less fortunate. Neighbors went quickly to the old tumble-down hut as soon as they heard the news of poor woman’s death. It was only sufficient enough to secure the family from summer heat or winter cold. They came with grave clothes for the decent burial of the body and some came with food for the half starving children.

Question 4.
How many children did the dead woman leave behind?
Answer:
There were three children in all who were orphaned after the mother’s death. They were nearly half starving. Of these, John, was the oldest boy of twelve years. He was a stout lad who was able to earn his living with any farmer. The second child named Kate was between ten and eleven. She was bright and active girl. She could turn out to be very useful if in good hands. The youngest among them was the poor little Maggie who was hopelessly diseased.

Question 5.
How was the youngest child Maggie got disabled? What was her prospective future?
Answer:
Maggie was the dead woman’s third child. Two years ago, she had fallen from a window and injured her spine for which she was bed-ridden. Since then she had not been able to leave her bed except when lifted in the arms of her mother. She was crippled for life and nobody wanted to take her home as she would turn out to be burden for anyone. Her innocent looks attracted everyone but no one was ready to take her. It was decide that she should be sent to the poorhouse.

2. “Take her to the poorhouse”, said a rough man, of whom the question “What’s to be done with Maggie?” was asked. “Nobody’s going to be bothered with her. ”
“The podrhouse is a sad place for a sick and helpless child”, answered one.
“For your child or mine”, said the other, lightly speaking; “but for tis brat is will prove a blessed change, she will be kept clean, have healthy food, and be doctored, which is more than can be said of her past condition. ”

Question 1.
What was finally decided for the children?
Answer:
After the mother’s death, the chief question which arose was “What is to be done with the children?” The dead mother would be buried soon and she would be free from all the care or concern of the villagers, but humanity was something that could not leave the children to starve. After considering the matter and having discussed with his wife, farmer Jones decided to take John with him. Mrs. Ellis who was looking out for a bound girl did charity on her part by making choice of Katy, although she was too young to be useful for her. Only Maggie was left.

Question 2.
Why no one was ready to take Maggie home when her elder brother and sister’s fate had already been decided?
Answer:
Maggie was suffering from a hopeless disease in which she could not , get up on her own feet. She was completely dependent on other’s mercy. Her spine was damaged and therefore she was confined to bed for the rest of her life. After her mother’s death, she was left all alone in the house. Nobody wanted to deal with her disability as she could be of no use for anybody except a burden though all had pitied her condition.

Question 3.
What did the neighborhood women bring for Maggie? But the humanity did not arise for a poor sick child. Comment.
Answer:
The fate of the elder two children was decided in the hands of farmer Jones and Mrs. Ellis but no one said that I’ll take Maggie. People were giving pity glances on her pale and thin structure and ideas were exchanged on her account. The women helped to remove her soiled and ragged clothes, dressed her in clean attire. Somber the gloomy eyes and patient face of Maggie touched every heart but nobody was ready to open it for her. Nobody wanted a bedridden child.

Question 4.
What suggestions were given by the people for little Maggie?
Answer:
There were as many suggestions as there were people. The first suggestion came from a rough man Who suggested her to be taking to the poor house. Nobody was concerned for her as she seemed to be burden. Another one remarked that the poor house was a sad place for a sick and helpless child. To this another one responded that it might be a sad place for “Your child or mine”. But for poor Maggie, it would be a blessing as she would be kept clean, have healthy food, would be doctored and taken care very well.

Question 5.
What was the scene of the burial day?
Answer:
The day following the day of death was decided as the day of burial. A few neighbors were present at the miserable place but nobody followed the dead cart to the grave. Farmer Jones took John in his wagon after the coffin was taken out and drove away feelings contented that he had fulfilled his duty. Mrs. Ellis also hurriedly asked Kate to bid her sister goodbye and drew the tearful children apart. Both the sisters gave a sobbing farewell to each other. Others went out hurriedly glancing at Maggie and some refrained from a look. The only bedridden child was left unconcerned.

3. “What have you there?” sharply questioned Mrs. Thompson. Joe felt the child start and shrink against him. He did not reply, except by a look that was pleading and cautionary, that said, “Wait a moment for Explanations, and be gentle”, and passing in, carried Maggie to the small chamber on the first floor, and laid her on a bed. Then, stepping back, he shut the door, and stood face to face with his vinegar-tempered wife in the passage-way outside.

Question 1.
Who said, “Then take her to the poorhouse: she’ll have to go there?” Why did Joe Thompson go to Maggie’s hovel again?
Answer:
The above words are said by the blacksmith’s wife who was hastening off with the rest of the villagers after the burial of the children’s mother. John was immediately taken away by farmer Jones and Mrs. Ellis took away Kate. Maggie was almost alone in the hovel. Blacksmith’s wife replied this to Mr. Joe Thompson’s when he called it a cruel thing to leave Maggie like that. She also left the place hurriedly leaving Joe behind. He was puzzled for a while and then went inside again to have a look on her and perhaps with a decision in his mind.

Question 2.
How did poor Maggie’s catchy words “don’t leave me here all alone!” moved Mr. Thompson?
Answer:
When everybody left the place after the burial, Mr. Thompson seemed to be worried about the little girl. He asked blacksmith’s wife who suggested him to take her to the poorhouse. Joe stood there for some time confused. He went into the hovel again and saw Maggie had raised her into an upright position with painful effort and was sitting on her bed. Her eyes were on the door out of which all had departed. A terror had covered her pale face. It aroused a feeling of sympathy in Mr. Thompson and when she cried “don’t leave me here alone!” Mr. Thompson felt guilty leaving the child as she was.

Question 3.
Which brave action full of pity was undertaken by Mr. Thompson?
Answer:
Mr. Thompson was rough from outside but he had a heart which was tender in some places. He liked to have children come to his shop. When he heard the poor Maggie pleading not to leave her alone, he stopped down over her and told her that she would not be left alone. A little show of compassion and courtesy defines the humanity. He wrapped her with the gentleness of a woman in clean bedclothes brought by the neighbors, held her in his strong arms and took her home.

Question 4.
What type of woman Mrs. Jones was? What doubts did Mr. Jones have about her?
Answer:
Mrs. Jones, wife of Joe Thompson was childless and not a woman of saintly temper, or much given to self-denial for others’ good whereas Mr. Joe Thompson had well-grounded doubts about the manner he would be greeted by his wife on reaching home with the crippled child. He had a fear that she would not get along with her and knew that she would not welcome Maggie and it proved to be true when he was confronted by her.

Question 5.
Describe Mrs. Thompson’s reactions on seeing Maggie in her husband’s arms? Where did Mr. Thompson lay her?
Answer:
Joe’s wife was childless, so she had no feelings. She was ill tempered and it had become her usual nature. She had lost the purpose of living. When she saw Mr. Thompson carrying a piece of precious burden in his arms from the window, she sharply questioned him about the child. Her tone was full of anger and astonishment and her face was in flame when she asked. “You haven’t brought home that sick brat”.
Her tone scared little Maggie and she started shrinking in Thompson’s arms. He did not reply but carried Maggie to the small chamber on the first floor and laid her on a bed.

4. Mrs. Thompson did not reply, but presently turned towards the little chamber where her husband had deposited Maggie; and, pushing open the door, went quietly in. Joe did not follow; he saw that, her state had changed, and felt that it would be best to leave her alone with the child. So he went to his shop, which stood near the house, and worked until dusky evening released him from labor. A light shining through the little chamber windows was the first object that attracted Joe’s attention on turning towards the house : it was a good omen.

Question 1.
How did Mr. Thompson manage to touch the soft nerve of his wife?
Answer:
Mrs. Thompson was full of anger and astonishment when she saw Maggie in her husband’s arms. Mr. Thompson noticed this and said, ‘I think women’s hearts are sometimes very hard’. Usually he got out of her sight in such situations or kept silent to avoid further arguments but this time he faced an entirely different person and encountered countenance and well determined eyes. To his counter, she replied that men’s hearts are harder than women’s. By this only, he came to know that he had been successful in touching the strings of her heart.

Question 2.
Why did Mrs. Thompson enquire about the two other children of the dead woman?
Answer:
Mrs. Thompson who was a bitter lady got angry when she saw Maggie in her husband’s arms. She knew that Maggie had one brother and sister too. She was keen to know that where they would have been when Maggie was brought there and why didn’t she was sent along with them. She wanted her to go to the poorhouse.

Question 3.
On the pretext of Bible, how did Mr. Thompson presented his views before his wife?
Answer:
Mrs. Thompson asked her husband to go at once to the poorhouse for getting permit to send Maggie to the poorhouse when she brought the child home. Then he gave the reference of Bible in which much is written about children. And the Savior rebuked and punished the disciples who would not receive them, but took them in his arms and blessed them and even the smallest of help to the children would be considered. Kindness goes in a circle and comes back in one way or the other. Hearing this, a soft feeling crept into her heart.

Question 4.
Why did Mr. Thompson avoid the chamber where Maggie was kept when he returned back home?
OR
Why did Mr. Thompson felt it better to leave Mrs. Thompson alone with the child in the chamber?
Answer:
Mr. Thompson was not sure whether his wife’s temperament would be normal by evening or not. The first thing that caught his attention after reaching home was the light shining through the little chamber. He paused to look in and was satisfied to see the view. His wife was sitting by the bed in the chamber where Maggie lay and was talking to her. But entering the house, he did not go immediately to the little chamber. His heavy footsteps were heard by his wife who hurriedly came out of the chamber where she was with Maggie. Joe thought it best, not to discuss about the child or show any concern for the child.

Question 5.
What did Mr. Thompson notice when he returned back in the evening from his work? Why was he relieved?
OR
What expressions did Mr. Thompson find on the little girl’s face after he returned home?
Answer:
When Mr. Thompson retxirned back home he observed the light shining in the chamber in which Maggie was kept. He considered it a good omen. It was dark enough outside to screen him from the observation. Maggie was lying on the bed with her head little raised on the pillow. His wife was sitting beside her and talking to her. The light fell upon Maggie’s face and Thompson could see that her eyes were fixed upon his wife. Every now and then few words came as if in answers from her lips. There was sadness and tenderness in her expression but no pain or bitterness. This sight lifted the heavy weight from his heart.

5. “Is it good?” asked Mrs. Thompson, seeing with what a keen relish the food was taken. The child paused with the cup in her hand, and answered with a look of gratitude that awoke to new life old human feelings which had been slumbering in her heart for half a score of years.
“We’ll keep her a day or two longer; she is so weak and helpless”, said Mrs. Joe Thompson, in answer to her husband’s remark, at breakfast-time on the next morning, that he must step down and see the Guardians of the Poor about Maggie.

Question 1.
What were Mr. Thompson’s feelings when he saw the child carefully for the first time?
Answer:
After having his dinner, Mr. Thompson washed from his hands and face the dust and soil of work, left the kitchen and went to the little chamber. He found a pair of large bright eyes looking at him from the snowy bed. The looks were tender, grateful and pleading. This gave him extreme joy, his heartbeats became faster. Joe Thompson sat down and for the first time examined the child carefully under the lamp light. The tender face was attractive and full of childish sweetness on which suffering had not been able to leave its marks. It strengthened his sympathy towards Maggie.

Question 2.
What was the subject of discussion between Maggie and Mr. Thompson?
Answer:
On the first day, after returning from his work, Joe Thompson encountered the girl’s childish face for the first time. He sat down beside her and taking her soft little hand, confirmed her name Maggie. She affirmed in a trembled voice. He asked about her sickness and her treatment then about the pain. The girls replied that till now she had some problems and pain also but now as she was in the soft bed it felt good and comfortable. She was satisfied and grateful to Mr. Thompson.

Question 3.
Mrs. Thompson pretended to be indifferent to the child. Was she actually?
Answer:
At first Mrs. Thompson was against taking care of Maggie and insisted her husband to send her to the poorhouse immediately. Thompson reminded her of the Bible and explained her that it was a small thing for them to keep that poor motherless child for a single night. The voice was very strong but simultaneously there was moisture in his eyes. Mrs. Thompson did not answer but a soft feeling crept into her heart.

She spent the whole day with her and at night she made an effort to be indifferent to Maggie in front of her husband. She kept silent on that theme and gave the child a toasted slice of bread which was softened with milk and butter added with a cup of tea. This showed that the chords of her heart were struck with sympathy for the child.

Question 4.
How was the behavior of Mrs. Joe Thompson transformed completely?
OR
What change has been noticed in Mrs. Thompson’s behaviour with regard to Maggie?
Answer:
Earlier Mrs. Thompson was adamant for sending the poor child to the poorhouse. But with the passage of time the harshness of her behaviour
converted into softness and her heart began to melt towards little Maggie. The tenderness, innocence, patience, gratitude, nature and purity of the child moved her a lot and she asked her husband to keep her for one or two day more before sending to the poorhouse on the pretext of her weakness and helplessness. Finally she gave up the idea of sending her to poorhouse and accepted her whole heartedly.

Question 5.
What change did the little child bring in Thompson house? What kind of life were they leading?
Answer:
The sick and helpless child brought light and happiness to Thompson’s house. She was a blessing for them, for a long period of time it had been dark, cold and miserable because Mrs. Thompson had no one to take care or love. That was why she became sore, irritable and ill-tempered and self- afflicting woman. Now the sweetness of that sick child who was also thirsty for getting someone’s love was honey to her soul as she carried her in her heart as well as arms. As for Joe, there was not a single man in the whole neighborhood who drank as precious wine as he. Maggie came as an angel in disguise and Med its dreary chambers with love.

An Angel in Disguise Questions and Answers

Question 1.
What is the tragedy of the life of the children ?
Answer:
The tragedy in the life of the children in ‘An Angel in Disguise’ is beyond imagination. Their poor mother died in front of her three frightened children, John, Kate and Maggie. They were nearly half starving. Of these, John, was the oldest boy of twelve years. He was a stout lad who was able to earn his living with any farmer. The second child named Kate was between ten and eleven. She was a bright and active girl.

She could turn out to be very useful, if in good hands. The youngest among them was poor little Maggie who was hopelessly diseased. Two years ago, she had fallen from a window and injured her spine for which she was bedridden. Since then she had not been able to leave her bed except when lifted in the arms of her mother. She was crippled for life and nobody wanted to take her home as she would turn out to be a burden for anyone. Her innocent looks attracted everyone but no one was ready to take her. It was decide that she should be sent to the poorhouse.

Question 2.
What was the reaction of Mrs. Thompson when the handicapped child was brought to her home ?
Answer:
Joe’s wife Mrs. Thompson was childless, so she had no feelings. She was ill-tempered and that had become her usual nature. She had lost the purpose of living. When she saw Mr. Thompson carrying a piece of precious burden in his arms from the window, she sharply questioned him about the child. Her tone was full of anger and astonishment and her face was in flame when she asked. “You haven’t brought home that sick brat”. Her tone scared little Maggie and she started shrinking in Thompson’s arms. He did not reply but carried Maggie to the small chamber on the first floor and laid her on a bed.

Question 3.
Comment on the title ‘An Angel in Disguise’.
Answer:
‘An Angel in Disguise’ is the most appropriate title for the story. Maggie, the youngest of three children brings joy and happiness in the lives of a childless couple, Mr. and Mrs. Thompson. She proves to be an angel for them. Mrs. Thompson’s attitude and behaviour show a drastic change. From a rude, ill-tempered and self-afflicting woman, Mrs. Thompson is now a loving and caring figure. The sick and helpless child brings light and happiness to Thompson’s house. She is a blessing for them.

For a long period of time it has been dark, cold and miserable because Mrs. Thompson had no one to take care off or to love. That is why she became sore, irritable and an ill-tempered and self-afflicting woman. Now the sweetness of that sick child who was thirsty for love is honey to her soul as she carries her in her heart as well as arms. Maggie comes as an angel in disguise and fills their dreary chambers with love.

Treasure Trove Poems and Short Stories Workbook Answers

Treasure Trove Short Stories Workbook Answers The Little Match Girl

The Little Match Girl Questions and Answers Extract Based

Read the extract and answer the following questions:

1. She had been wearing slippers, it is true, when she left home, but what good were they ? They had been her mother’s, so you can imagine how big they were. The little girl had lost them as she ran across the street to escape from two carriages that were being driven terribly fast. One slipper could not be found, and a boy had run off with the other, saying that it would come in very handy as a cradle some day when he had children of his own.

Question 1.
What type of weather has been described in this extract?
Answer:
The weather was extremely cold and it was completely dark. As it was the last evening of the year, the snow was falling heavily and everything seemed to be freezing. The sky was covered with dark clouds. There was chill in the atmosphere and shivering cold had restricted people to move out of their homes. Only few people were seen on the roads. It was gloomy and fearful atmosphere.

Question 2.
In what condition was the little child moving in the streets?
Answer:
The little child was moving in the streets through the biting wind and driving snow. The snowfall of the last day of the year was excessively heavy and as the evening approached, it became almost dark as compared to the other evenings. From her appearance, it seemed as if she belonged to a very poor family otherwise no one would have dared to come out of their house in such a harsh weather.

Question 3.
How could you make out that the girl belonged to a poor family?
Answer:
The little girl was out of her house without enough warm clothes to protect her from chilly winter evening. She had nothing to cover her head or her feet. She had lost her slippers also and so she had to walk on her naked feet which ultimately became red and blue with cold.

Question 4.
Why was the poor child walking barefoot and bareheaded in the streets in such harsh weather?
Answer:
The little girl was among the few people who were seen on the roads in the biting cold weather. There must be some genuine reason for which she was out in the streets and it was clear from seeing her tattered clothes. She was wearing an old apron in which she carried several packages of matches. She held a box of them in her hand for selling but no one had bought any box from her since morning. As she did not get a single cent, she did not dare to go back home.

Question 5.
What has happened to her slippers? Why were they of no use for her?
Answer:
The poor little girl was walking in the streets barefoot. It was obvious that when she had left her house in the morning, she might be wearing them but they were not too much of use for her as they were her mother’s and too big for her. Also she had lost one while crossing the road where two carriages had rattled by speedily. She had not been able to find the slipper and other was taken away by one boy who told that he would use it as a cradle in future for his children. And so she walked on her naked feet.

2. Lights were shining in every window, and there was a glorious smell of roast goose in the street, for this was New Year’s Eve, and she could not think of anything else.She huddled down in a heap in a corner formed by two houses, one of which projected further out into the street than the other, but though she tucked her little legs up under her she felt colder and colder. She did not dare to go home, for she had sold no matches and earned not a single penny.

Question 1.
How has the atmosphere been set up in the given passage?
Answer:
The passage presents the picture of the miserable child. She is walking very slowly on the road due to extreme cold and hunger. She had beautiful long hair which hung in pretty curls over her neck and were covered with snowflakes. It was getting dark so the houses were lit up. In all the windows of the houses the light was shining and wonderful smell of roast goose was coming put as it was New Year’s Eve. The poor little creature was perishing with cold and in the picture of misery.

Question 2.
Why did writer say that ‘she did not think of her appearance now’?
Answer:
The little girl crept along the streets, shivering and hungry with a hope of selling at least few packs of matchsticks But nobody had bought any from her. She was presented as the picture of misery. She kept on trying despite the extremely cold weather. The snowflakes fell on her long golden hair which curled so prettily about her neck but she did not think of her appearance now. The only thing that captured her mind was to sell the matchboxes anyhow.

Question 3.
What did the little girl do to keep herself warm? Did it help her?
Answer:
On the New Year’s Eve, a few days after Christmas when everyone was in festive mood and cuddled in their houses, the miserable child was on the streets. When she could not stand the cold any more, she found a place in a corner formed by two houses, one of which projected further out into the street than the other. She tucked her little legs up under her to feel warm but it did no good and still she felt colder and colder.

Question 4.
Why could the little girl not go home in spite of extremely bad weather?
Answer:
The little poor child was out in the streets barefoot and bareheaded to sell the match boxes which she carried in her old apron. She had been trying to sell those boxes since morning but didn’t succeed till evening. In spite of the harsh weather she could not go home because of the fear of her father’s beating. She knew that as she had not sold a single match box as a result of which she had not earned a single cent, her father would surely scold and beat her. So she found a corner formed by two houses and sat down there drawing up her little feet under her.

Question 5.
Apart from her father’s wrath, she did not want to go home. Why?
OR
What was the other reason for which she did not want to go home?
Ans.
The poor child was out from her house since very morning to sell out the matchboxes. Although evening had approached and it became dark early due to chilling weather and snowfall, she did not dare to go home because she was not able to sell even a single matchbox. She feared her father’s wrath so found it better to spend time there in the street. So she sought shelter in a corner formed by two houses, one of which was projected farther out into the street than the other. But there was other reason too for which she didn’t want to go home as it was not comfortable there. In the name of house, they had a roof through which the wind passes and the cracks had been stuffed with straw and rags.

3. She pulled one out-scr-r-ratch!—how it spluttered and burnt! It had a warm, bright Jlame like a tiny candle when she held her hand over it—but what a strange light! It seemed to the little girl as if she were sitting in front of a great iron stove with polished brass knobs and brass ornaments. The fire burnt so beautifully and gave out such a lovely warmth. Oh, how wonderful that was!

Question 1.
What did the poor child do to warm herself up?
Answer:
Extraordinary chill had created numbness in the hands of the little girl. Although she had the whole bundle of matchboxes in her hand, still she thought that how much warmth she could get from them. She then thought of lighting a single match by rubbing it against the wall she was sitting near, to warm up her hands. She drew one matchstick from the box and burnt it. It gave a strange and wonderful light. For her it was like as if a drowning man has caught hold of a straw. It seemed to her that she was sitting in front of an iron stove and felt comfortable.

Question 2.
Was the method used by the child to keep her warm successful?
Ans.
The girl was literally shivering with cold. Her feet had turned blue and red due to chill and above all she had nothing to wear in her feet. Her head was also not covered. Her clothes were old and not warm. In such situation she even found a corner formed by two houses more comfortable. She sat there and an idea struck her mind that if she lights a match she would get warmth.

As soon as she rubbed it against the wall, a bright flame shone with a spluttered sound, it had a warm and bright flame like a tiny candle when she held her hand over it. It was so comfortable that she stretched out her feet to warm them too. Thought it did not give her as warmth as was required in that weather still she had peace in her mind or one can say a kind of illusion that she was getting warmth.

Question 3.
What do you think she was lighting only one matchstick from the box?
Answer:The girl belonged to a poor family. She had nothing to wear and she was dying from cold and hunger. She had been sent out of the house in the morning only to sell the matchboxes so that she could earn some money for her father. She dared not to disobey her father due to his rude and cruel nature. She knew that if she would return home without earning a cent he would beat her. So she decided to spend time in the street only but because it was too cold and unbearable for the little girl, she thought of getting warmth by lighting matchsticks. On the other hand she knew her father’s nature so she took out only one matchstick out of the box and lit it knowing that how much one little match might warm her.

Question 4.
What was the first vision which she saw after lighting the matchstick?
Answer:
When the girl struck one small match from the packet, it spluttered and burnt. And it was so amazing that she felt like sitting in front of a great iron stove with shining brass knobs and a brass cover. The fire burnt so beautifully and gave out lovely warmth. It appeared Wonderful to the child. But soon the flame went out, the stove vanished and she was left with only the remains of burnt match in her hand.

Question 5.
What is the symbolism in the passage?
Answer:
There are lots of instances where symbolism has been used in the story. They are used to impart more than the literal meaning of the word. Here in this passage too, the iron stove is the symbolic of the little girl’s longing for warmth as she was dying with cold, she was expecting warmth from somewhere. She found a place in the corner between the two houses, and hid her feet under it but it was of no use. So she lit up a match and in the light of the flame and then she visualizes a stove. It is also the symbolic of warm feelings of love and care which her grandmother used to give her.

4. She struck another match on the wall. Once more there was light, and in the glow stood her old grandmother, oh, so bright and shining, and looking so gentle, kind and loving. “Granny!” cried the little girl. “Oh, take me with you! I know you will disappear when the match is burnt out; you will vanish like the warm stove, the lovely roast goose and the great glorious Christmas tree!”

Question 1.
What different images did the poor child see on the wall?
Answer:
The little girl was almost dying with cold and hunger. Therefore she burnt a matchstick to get rid of that chill but it soon went out. Thus she struck another match against the wall and when the light fell upon it, it became thin like a veil. Through it she could see into a room. She saw a table covered with a snow white cloth and on it there was a shining dinner service. The roast goose stuffed with prunes and apples was steaming. Then only the matchstick went out. She lighted another matchstick and found herself sitting under the most beautiful Christmas tree with thousands of candles burning on its branches. By this time again the match went out. But the Christmas lights were still there which mounted higher and higher.

Question 2.
Were the images real or merely her imagination?
Answer:
The girl was so innocent that she was unaware of the clever worldly ways. It was her age of playing with the toys but she was being forced to engage in household chores. The only thing that she knew was her father’s rude nature and so she thought of sitting on the road only. Besides, her house was not so cozy so she thought of remaining out. As her hands were almost dead with cold in the biting chill, the poor child burnt a matchstick to keep herself warm, which soon went out. Again she lighted a matchstick and when the light fell upon the wall, she saw various beautiful images. As we know that there was nothing actually, it’s clear that all those images were her mind’s creativity. Whatever she used to imagine, came alive in those images. In fact they were illusions.

Question 3.
Which was the last picture that she saw on the wall and which she did not want to vanish?
Answer:
When the little girl lit a matchstick against the wall, she saw beautiful images formed on the wall which were her mind’s productivity only. The final image which she saw was someone dying. And that was her grandmother, the only person who had loved her and was now dead. She got immense affection from her that she did not want to lose her again. She wanted her company forever as she found solace in her grandmother’s lap. That is why she did not want her grandmother’s picture to vanish from her eyesight.

Question 4.
Can you guess the reason why she wanted to keep the picture alive?
Answer:
Grandmother was the only person in poor child’s life who loved her a lot. Her father was an ill-natured person who scolded and beated her for petty things. And from the story we can guess that there was no other member in her family except these two. The grandmother who used to love her more than anyone was now dead. And when she saw her image, she became so relaxed and felt joy that she did not want to part with her again. Because she knew that as soon as the match went out, the picture would also vanish. So she kept on lighting the matchsticks.

Question 5.
What kind of relationship did the little girl share with her grand¬mother?
Answer:
From the above passage it is clear that the little girl was all alone in the vast world. She only had one person in her life who gave her immense love and that too was not alive. It was none other than her grandmother. She was dead but the child remembered her fondly. She recalled all her views and stories told by her. The memory of her grandmother and her affection gave her warmth for some time and enabled her to bear all the suffering.

5. But in the cold dawn, in the corner formed by the two houses, sat the little girl with rosy cheeks and smiling lips, dead-frozen to death on the last evening of the old year. The dawn of the new year rose on the huddled figure of the girl. She was still holding the matches, and half a packet had been burnt.
“She was evidently trying to warm herself’, people said.

Question 1.
What is the theme of this passage?
Answer:
The theme of this passage projects the happiness of the child which she experienced throughout the series of troubles. The world in which she lived had lost touch with humanity. No one had shown sympathy towards the child who had been out in the bitter weather for selling matches. But when she saw the image dr rather illusion of her grandmother, she became enormously happy and in order to keep her alive, burnt the whole bundle of matches, forgetting the fear of her father.

Question 2.
Where did the grandmother take the child along with her?
Answer:
When the child saw her grandmother, she pleaded to take her away. She struck the whole bundle of matches to keep her grandmother with her forever; the bright glow of the matches reflected the image of grandmother clearly and more effectively. The light was brighter than the daylight. She had never seen such beauty and grandeur of her grandmother. The grandmother took the little girl in her arms and both of them flew in brightness and joy above the earth.

Question 3.
What has happened finally?
Answer:
The child was so fed up of her life that when she saw her grandmother in her illusions, she asked her to take along so that she could also led a peaceful life. The child of her age didn’t know that death was the ultimate truth. As she was told by her grandmother that when a star fell down, a soul went up to the God, she also wanted to join her in heaven. Finally the grandmother took the little girl into her arms and both of them flew in brightness and joy above the earth, very, very high and up there was neither cold, nor hunger, nor fear. They were now safe in the hands of God.

Question 4.
What were the people’s reactions on seeing the poor child’s stiff body?
Answer:
On the last evening of the year, leaning against the wall, the little girl was sitting in the corner with red cheeks and smiling mouth, frozen to death. The New Year’s sun witnessed a pathetic figure. Her body was stiff and cold, she held the matches out of which one bundle was almost burned.

The people, who were unconcerned till now, started making different guesses for the burnt out matches beside her. They said that she might want to warm herself up. They could never been able to imagine what beautiful things she had seen and how cheerfully she had gone with her grandmother in the New Year.

Question 5.
What is the significance of matches in the story?
Answer:
Matches are minor things but sometimes even minor things can get biggest happiness of life. To sell the matches and to get money for her father, the child was out in the streets during the festive time in chilly winter evening. By lighting the matches, she tried to keep herself warm. Then in the light of matches only she was able to visualize different images which were the yield of her mind. Matches are the symbolic of faith and hope, warmth and love.

The Little Match Girl Questions and Answers

Question 1.
How does the writer create sympathy for the little girl in the story ?
Answer:
The title invites our attention to the young age of the girl and the fact that she has to suffer so much from her misfortune, evokes unlimited sympathy for her. Secondly, the writer draws our attention to the bitter cold and darkness of the night and the sight of a delicate and helpless child exposed to its bitterness on the last evening of the year chokes our throat with pain.

Thirdly, how unequipped the girl is, to face the terrible cold is emphasised by describing her pathetic condition. She is walking in the street barehead and barefoot. The oversized slippers which she is wearing belonged to her mother, and one of which she loses while escaping from a speeding carriage. The other is taken away by a boy. Such is the callousness with which the world treats a poor, hapless child.

Further, we are told that her feet are fed and blue due to walking long distance, trying to sell matchsticks which nobody buys. “She crept along, shivering and hungry, the picture of misery, poor little thing.” This very description definitely creates an empathy for the lovely little child with golden hair.

Question 2.
What are the four visions seen by the girl and what do they signify?
Answer:
Huddled in the corner of two houses, the little girl lights a match for warmth. She sees the vision of a great iron stove with polished brass knobs and brass ornaments. She stretches her feet to feel its lovely warmth, but alas ! The warmth vanishes leaving her cold.

Next, the girl strikes another match, and she sees the mouthwatering vision of a dinner table spread with a white cloth, with a steaming roast goose in the centre, stuffed with prunes and apples. Her hunder makes her imagine the goose hopping towards her but this also vanishes.
Thirdly, she sees the vision of a Christmas tree, with a thousand candles lighting up its green branches and gaily coloured balls. When she stretches her hands to touch them,they rise higher and higher to become bright stars.

Finally, she sees the beautiful vision of her grandmother smiling lovingly at her. She implores her granny to take her along with her. Little does she know that she is imploring for her death.The four visions symbolise the wishes of every child in this world, for warmth, for food, for the cheer of sitting under a Christmas tree decorated with candles and other baubles, and most importantly, for love and kindness. The child does not get these in this world; so she longs to go to the other world.

Question 3.
What are your feelings after reading the story ?
Answer:
In one sentence, if I can summarise my feelings, I will simply say, the story makes me cry. It touches the depth of my heart. In fact, it still haunts me in my lonely hours; before falling asleep or when I see small, sweet children. It makes me angry with myself and the callous world around me that is so insensitive about our fellow creatures.

One New Year eve, when the well-to-do are getting ready for their cosy dinner, a little match girl walks in the cold, dark night trying to sell matches. Nobody buys them, no one notices the hungry, shivering girl, her feet red and blue after walking barefoot. She cannot go back to her house as there also, no love, warmth or food awaits her. She is scared of her father who may beat her for not bringing any money home. So, she sits in the corner made by two houses from which the glow of fire and smell of roast goose tempts her taste buds.

Everywhere around her, there is festivity; but not for her. Her simple wishes are manifested each time she lights a matchstick. Her wish for warmth, for food, for beautiful things of life, for love and for protection-she achieves all these, but in dreams. She begs the vision of her grandmother to take her with her and her ultimate wish is fulfilled. She rises in all her glory to the world of God, where no misery will touch her, where no hunger or chill winds will trouble her.

The vision of the frozen child with rosy cheeks and a happy smile, sitting huddled inthe corner, never leaves our memory. However, we also feel happy that she leaves this world with blissful smile after fulfilling her long cherished wishes, in those last moments just before she is lifted by her grandmother to be near God.