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Divya Basnal
R. B. K. School (RBK), Mira Road
1st to 10th Commerce

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India s Heroes I. (i) Mrs. Baruah is a teacher, teaching the students of Class Eight. Her full name is Mrs. Reeta Baruah. She exclaims wonderful when, in response to her question about the number of students who have completed their assignment, all the forty students raise their hand in affirmation. (ii) Mrs. Baruah gave an assignment to the st udents of Class Eight to write what they would like to be when they grew up. There were forty students in the class. The entire forty students raised their hands in affirmation when Mrs. Baruah asked them if they had completed their assignment. (iii) According to the author, the students fidgeted and shifted in their seats before Mrs. Baruah entered. This shows their eagerness to speak in front of the [ir classmates. Their eagerness indicated that they had completed their assignment and were interested in sharing it with their classmates. (iv) Ajit Basu was the first speaker. He spoke about his desire of becoming the best cricketer in the world. Sachin Tendulkar was his idol. (v) The next two speakers were Gayatri Chhabra and Sanjay Damle. Gayatri wanted to become a social worker, whereas Sanjay Damle wanted to become a pilot. (vi) Mrs. Baruah was an accomplished teacher, who had a student-centred approach of teaching. (a) She gave the students an assignment, with which they could relate themselves, i.e., to write what they would like to be when they grew up. Consequently, all the students brought their completed assignments. II. (i) He refers to Kabeer. Kabeer seems to be a hard working and intelligent student. Though he was shy at making speeches before the entire class, he put in extra efforts to complete his assignment. He not only wrote something different from his classmates but also presented it with such confidence that he drew everybody s attention and evoked the emotions of both his classmates and his teacher. (ii) No, he was not confident when he stood up to speak before the entire class. This is evident from the fact that his hands shook slightly and beads of perspiration appeared on his forehead, both being signs of nervousness. (iii) The other children spoke about becoming social workers, pilots, movie stars, sportsmen and politicians. The speaker, unlike his classmates who spoke about the famous and successful personalities, spoke about the unsung heroes of India who laid down their lives to save the lives of their fellow countrymen, during the 2008 terrorist attacks on Mumbai. (iv) Major Sandeep Unnikrishnan joined NSG (NATIONAL SECURITY GUARD) in January 2007. Before joining the NSG, he served two tenures with his battalion in counter-insurgency and counter- terrorist operations. (v) When the speaker spoke about the life of Major Unnikrishnan, there was complete silence in the class and everybody listened attentively. This was because the students were listening about the extraordinary sacrifice of a brave heart, who laid down his life, fighting the terrorists. It was different from the accounts of people about whom they had listened from their other classmates. III. (i) Vishnu Zende was an announcer with the Mumbai railways for ten years. When he heard a loud explosion at one end of the railway platform and saw bloodstains on the clothes of some people, he guessed that something was wrong. (ii) Vishnu Zende s act of staying in his position, in the face of danger speaks volumes of his courage, his selfless devotion to his duty and his presence of mind in the face of calamity. Vishnu Zende s announcements from the public address system at the railway plaform helped hundred of passengers to move out of the platform from a different exit and thus saved their lives. (iii) The scene outside the classroom was noisy with the chirping of the birds, honking of cars and the younger childen enjoying their recess. No, the students were not affected by it. They remained unconcerned with what was happening outside and focussed their attention on Kabeer s speech. (iv) The next hero Kabeer spoke about was Karambir Singh Kang, the General Manager of the Taj Hotel, Mumbai. He helped in evacuating the guests and his staff from the hotel. He continued his duty even on being informed that his own wife and children had died of suffocation in the same hotel. (v) This hero lost his wife and his children, as they died of suffocation on being trapped in a room in the Taj Hotel, which was attacked by the terrorists. Despite suffering an irreparable loss of losing his entire family, Karambir Singh Kang did not give up his duty and continued to evacuate the guests safely from the hotel. (vi) Kabeer mentioned Karambir Kang s loyalty and devotion to his duty. He attributed these qualities to him because even after suffering an irreparable loss of losing his entire family, he did not quit his job and remained at the Taj hotel and helped to restore the heritage structure of the hotel. IV. (i) Hemant Karkare was the Chief of the Anti-Terrorism Squad. He pursued the terrorists in a jeep, without caring for his own life. (ii) Hemant Karkare s companions included DIG Ashok Kamte and Vijay Salaskar. The three lost their lives, when they were gunned down by terrorists, whom they were pursuing in a jeep. (iii) Hemant Karkare and his two comrades DIG Ashok Kamte and Vijay Salaskar, were true patriots, who considered their duty before self and sacrificed their lives while fighting the terrorists. (iv) The speaker had goose bumps on his arms whereas the students in his class became emotional. Their teacher, Mrs. Baruah became so emotional that tears welled up in her eyes. (v) Kabeer next spoke about Mohammed Taufeeq Sheikh, popularly known as Chottu Chaiwala, who ran a tea stall outside CST station, Mumbai. He helped to transport the victims of the terrorist attack to the nearby St. George Hospital and thus, saved their lives. V. (i) Sandra Samuel was an Indian nanny to two-year-old Moshe Holtzberg, who neither belonged to her nationality nor her religion. She saved Moshe s life during the 2008 terrorist attacks in Mumbai, in which Moshe s parents were killed. (ii) The action of the caretakers of the Kabristans in refusing to allow the dead terrorists to be buried there tells us that they were above all social barriers. They proved by their action that man s supreme duty is to love and respect other human beings and that no religion is above humanity. (iii) According to Kabeer, the only true religion in the world is love and respect for all human beings. From his speech, Kabeer comes out to be a person, who not only values courage, fearlessness, selflessness and caring for other but also practices it. (iv) The whole class was touched by Kabeer s speech. It stirred up their emotions and tears welled up in their eyes. Mrs. Baruah was on the verge of crying but she hid her tears from her students by dabbing her eyes with a handkerchief to wipe her tears. (v) Mrs. Baruah felt proud to see her students cherish the virtues of peace, tolerance, sense of duty and selflessness. She was of the opinion that her students would act as pillars to uphold the virtues of peace, tolerance and selflessness in an India that would one day be terror free and lead the world. Hunge r I. (i) Rizwan was an educated young man, who was in search of a job. He was standing in a crowded market place, to look out for a person, whom he could interview for a newspaper. [Corrigendum: Please read Q.I(i) of the extract as Who was Rizwan? Where was he standing and why?] (ii) As Rizwan stood in the crowded market place, he thought that although there was unemployment, yet people were eating and drinking and buying expensive articles. (iii) Kasim, a rag-seller was walking in Rizwan s direction. He was carrying a load of old clothes to be sold to the intended buyers, who included poor labourers. (iv) Rizwan stopped the man to take his interview for the Kihaan newspaper. He did not exchange any greetings with the man because he did not consider it necessary to show respect to a poor, rag-seller. This shows that Rizwan lacked politeness and manners. Further, he had double standards because he greeted people in his office. (v) Rizwan neither greets the man nor asks him anything to build a rapport with him before starting the interview. [Corrigendum: Please read Q.I(v) of the extract as How did Rizwan treat the man walking in his direction in the market?] II. (i) Rizwan is the speaker in these lines. He is addressing a poor, rag-seller, Kasim. He is doing so because he is interviewing him for the Kihaan newspaper. (ii) Chacha gets angry when Rizwan asks him where he lives because he does not have a permanent home and lives wherever he gets a place, like in front of a shop or under a bridge. (iii) The story only mentions Chacha s father and his son. His father was an old man, who used to work as labourer and did not earn decent wages for a living. His son was a four-year old boy, who used to play around in the village, chase dogs and would take up his father s profession of rag-selling, on attaining the age of five. (iv) The government was apparently helping the poor farmers by giving land to them and providing education to their children. Chacha considered the policies of government as futile and false promises to solicit votes. He felt so because he was a poor labourer and his father, grandfather and great grandfather were poor labourers, who did not get any benefit from the government policies to alleviate their poverty. (v) A tout is a person who persuades somebody on behalf of another person or organisation to buy something or take a particular action. The first speaker says that he is a journalist by profession III. (i) Rizwan, the interviewer and Kasim, the interviewee are the speakers in these lines. They are present in a crowded market place. (ii) Shah refers to ruler of Iran, Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi. Rizwan, the interviewer asked Kasim, a poor rag-seller (the interviewee), if he knew who was the Shah, to which he replied in negative. (iii) The second speaker, i.e., Kasim says that his father had told him that his father (Kasim s grandfather) died of hunger or cold. (iv) The answer given by the second speaker reveals that during the Shah s reign, there was widespread poverty. The labourers could hardly earn enough to make both ends meet and therefore, many used to die of hunger and starvation.(v) The second speaker s son was a child of four years, who used to play around in village, chasing dogs. The speaker wanted him to join his profession of rag-selling, on attaining the age of five. IV. (i) Rizwan wanted to tell the rag-seller that the government was helping the poor farmers and that he could take loan from the bank, to set up his business and lead a better life. (ii) No, Rizwan was not sent by the government because he was interviewing Kasim on behalf of the Kihaan newspaper, where Rizwan had joined that day only. (iii) Kasim said that he did not want a better job because he was satisfied with his lot and he had no faith in the promises made by the government for the welfare of the poor. (iv) The similar things, which happened with Kasim earlier included the promises made by the government to improve the lot of the poor and the government s total apathy towards their poor condition later on. (v) Kasim used to spend his nights in front of a shop or under a bridge. He used to do so because he had no home or shelter to spend the nights. (vi) Kasim said that he could not meet Rizwan the next day in the market place because he was going to his village. He then told Rizwan that it was time for him to start his work and carrying his goods, went away hurriedly from there. V. (i) The rag-seller simply walked away because he did not want to waste any more time in discussing the shallow political propaganda of the government. (ii) Rizwan felt helpless when Kasim, the rag-seller, whom he was interviewing, went away without giving his address, for he (Kasim) was a homeless, poor man. (iii) Rizwan would be considered for a job in the Kihaan newspaper on the condition that he would contribute a few articles and submit interviews with five people along with their names and addresses for the newspaper. (iv) The task of interviewing people for the newspaper was made difficult for Rizwan by the lack of a permanent address of the poor rag-seller, whom he had interviewed. The condition for Rizwan being given a job in the newspaper stipulated that he had to give the interviews of five people with their names and addresses. (v) Rizwan s father had died two years ago and his mother was ill. His two younger brothers had dropped out of school due to financial problems. He was the eldest boy in the family, and he did not have a permanent job. If he did not get a job, his family would have to starve. VI. (i) Rizwan was thinking of his unending problems at home which included the sickness of his mother and his two younger brothers dropping out of school because of financial constraints. He was feeling dejected because he could not get the address of the person he had interviewed and the interview had to be submitted in the newspaper only with the name and the address of the interviewee. (ii) At his office, Rizwan greeted everyone, although he had joined the office that day only. But he did not greet Kasim when he met him at the market place. He straight away started asking him questions for the interview. It shows that Rizwan followed double standards and did not think it important to show any respect to Kasim, a rag-seller. Besides, he lacked the experience of a reporter. (iii) Before submitting the interview at the newspaper office, Rizwan wrote his own name and address on Kasim s interview. He did so because the condition laid by the newspaper for Rizwan to be considered for the job of a journalist, stipulated that the interview must have the name and address of the interviewee. (iv) When Rizwan came out of the newspaper office, he had the satisfaction that he had submitted one interview for the newspaper and consequently, would have the work for at least the next day. He was worried about finding the names and addresses of the people to be interviewed the next day so that the possibility of getting a job would continue to exist for him. (v) Rizwanted wanted to reach home as quickly as possible because he was extremely tired and hungry. (vi) The socio-economic inequality is brought out in the story by the following: (a) There were customers in the market, who were purchasing expensive items and enjoying themselves, eating and drinking. In contrast to them was Rizwan, an educated, jobless young man. He did not have money in his pocket even to satiate his hunger. His two younger brothers had dropped out of school because of financial constraints. (b) There was Kasim, a rag-seller, who represented the havenots. He lived in the city and used to sell rags to those who could not afford to buy new clothes. Kasim did not have any home and slept wherever he got a place. He told Rizwan that his father, grandfather and great grandfather worked hard as labourers but could not earn enough to make both ends My Lost Dollar I. (i) Todd is a Major in the army and the narrator s friend, who had borrowed a dollar from the narrator a year ago. Todd and the narrator seem to be close friends because they meet each other frequently and the issue of the borrowed dollar does not make any difference in their trust and friendship for each other. (ii) Todd borrowed a dollar from the narrator to pay his taxi fare because he did not have any change with him. One year had passed since he borrowed the dollar from the narrator. (iii) Todd has failed to return the loan because of forgetfulness. This tells us that Todd is a careless and forgetful man. (iv) (a) It means that the narrator s friend s act of borrowing a dollar and then forgetting to pay it back would not make any difference to their friendship. (b) The narrator means to say that if somebody borrows something from him, he will remember it throughout his life. (v) The human memory is strong in the case of lenders, whereas it diminishes with time in the case of the borrowers. For example, the narrator not only remembers that he had lent a dollar to his friend, Todd, but also the exact date on which he had lent the dollar. But, the borrower, i.e., the narrator s friend, Todd not only forgets of having borrowed a dollar, he does not even get any hint from a number of indirect references made by the narrator about debts. (vi) No, the narrator does not seem to have any hope of being paid back the dollar his friend has borrowed. This is because a year has already passed since his friend has borrowed the dollar. He seems to have totally forgotten about it because a number of indirect references given by the narrator about debts does not have any effect in reviving his friend s memory. II. (i) Todd was away for three weeks to Hamilton, Bermuda. He wrote to the narrator about the extreme temperature conditions in Bermuda, the temperature reaching nearly 100 F. (ii) The narrator went to the railway station to receive Todd because he felt that his friend, Todd might feel happy to see him waiting for him on the station after being away for three weeks. This shows that the narrator values friendship and does things that make his friend happy. (iii) Todd and the narrator were close friends. They liked each other s company and therefore, met practically every day at the club and remained in touch with each other. There existed trust and mutual understanding between the two. The small issues of one dollar did not affect their friendship in anyway. (iv) The University Club of Montreal, where Todd and the narrator used to meet practically every day is referred to. The narrator suggested that they should take a taxi because that might remind his friend of the dollar he had borrowed from him a year ago for paying his taxi fare. (v) The narrator and his friend, Todd talked about the latter s trip to Bermuda. Then, they talked about the currency used in Bermuda and whether it is at par with the American Dollar. During the conversation, the thought of the dollar borrowed by Todd was at the back of the narrator s mind. III. (i) Major Todd s trip to Bermuda is being referred to in the extract. It lasted for three weeks. Todd said that he had practically forgotten everything about his trip. (ii) The extract tells us that Todd is a forgetful and careless man for he forgets the dollar he had borrowed from his friend as well as practically everything about his trip to Bermuda, just after returning from the trip. (iii) (a) It means that the narrator does not have any negative feelings for his friend, Todd despite Todd having forgotten to pay back the dollar he had borrowed from the him a year ago. (b) It means behaviour or attitude. The narrator says that no change occurs in his behaviour with his friend Todd who had borrowed a dollar from him a year ago and has forgotten to pay him back. (iv) The narrator s borrowers have forgotten to pay back the money they had borrowed from him. The narrator s attitude towards his borrowers does not undergo any change on account of their not having paid back the borrowed money. (v) The practice of lending and borrowing referred to in the extract points to the painful fact that the lenders remember the money they have lent, whereas the borrowers forget about it. IV. (i) In the first sentence of the extract, them refers to the people to whom the narrator owes some money and has forgotten to pay back. By the phrase on this side of the grave the narrator wants to say that while he is alive, he may not pay back the money he has borrowed from some people. (ii) The narrator s act of writing down names in the alphabetic order suggests that he is serious about repaying the money he has borrowed. That is why, he even asks his creditors to speak out and tell him if he owes them any money. (iii) The narrator feels that it is not necessary to pay back the money lent over a bridge table or for drinking soda water. The narrator feels so because these are friendly exchanges among friends. (iv) The narrator wants to start a Back to Honesty Movement, which calls for repayment of all the money borrowed in times of need. This plan of the narrator reveals that he is meek and eccentric for instead of asking his friend straightaway to pay back the borrowed dollar, he thinks of starting such a highsounding project. (v) The title of the story My Lost Dollar is quite appropriate because: (a) the entire story revolves around a particular dollar that the narrator had lent to his friend, Todd. Todd has completely forgotten to pay back and the narrator considers it as lost forever. (b) the observations that the narrator makes in the story like he himself must have borrowed money from some people and would have forgotten to pay back and difference in memory between the lenders and the borrowers and starting a Back to Honesty Movement, are a reflection on the practice of lending and borrowing based on the one dollar that he had lent to his friend, Todd. Kabuliwala I. (i) The father in the extract is the narrator and the daughter is the narrator s daughter, Mini. It can be concluded from the daughter s questions that she is a talkative girl, always bursting with questions. (ii) The two fathers in the story are the narrator and Rahamat, the Kabuliwala. The narrator is an author by profession, whereas Rahamat is a pedlar, who brings seasonal goods from his country, Afghanistan and sells them in India. (iii) The most important traits of the daughter s character are that she is talkative and always questioning. Her father says that her daughter has not wasted a single moment of her life remaining silent. (iv) The father had started writing the seventeenth chapter of his novel, the moment his daughter, Mini, entered the room. The father shows that he is patient with his daughter by listening to her volley of questions without saying anything and later joining her prattle and having a lively talk with her. (v) The main theme of the story, The Kabuliwala is human relationships that exist on different levels the relationship between a father and his daughter, represented by the narrator and his daughter, Mini; the relationship between the Kabuliwala and Mini, a representation of the Kabuliwala s relationship with his own daughter, who is far away from him; and Mini s relationship with her mother, who is quite protective of her daughter. II. (i) The narrator is the speaker here. He was startled to see Mini laughing and talking with the Kabuliwala because initially she was scared of the Kabuliwala. She had the unknown fear that the Kabuliwala carried several living children like herself in his bag. (ii) The Kabuliwala was a pedlar, who used to bring dry fruits and other goods from his country, Afghanistan and sell them in India. Kabuliwala was a tall, shabbily dressed Afghan, who used to wear a turban on his head and carry a bag over his shoulder and a few boxes of dry grapes in his hand. (iii) The first meeting between Mini and the Kabuliwala happened when she called him to her house. But when the Kabuliwala came, she got frightened and ran inside. She came only when her father called her out. She stood nervously, pressing her father s body and looking suspiciously at the Kabuliwala and his bag. When the Kabuliwala offered her some raisins and apricots from his bag, she refused to take them and clung closer to her father with a redoubled suspicion. (iv) Mini overcame her fear of Kabuliwala when her father called her from inside the house to meet the Kabuliwala. Mini s fear of Kabuliwala carrying several children like her in his bag subsided, when the Kabuliwala took out some dry fruits from his bag and offered them to her. (v) The narrator paid half-a-rupee coin to the Kabuliwala for the almonds and raisins he gave to Mini as gifts. The Kabuliwala gave the money to Mini. (vi) When Kabuliwala gave the money paid by Mini s father to Mini, Mini s mother got annoyed that her daughter had accepted the money from a stranger. Mini s father rescued Mini from her mother s wrath by taking her out for a walk. III. (i) Mini s mother s fear that the world was full of thieves, bandits, drunkards, malaria and cockroaches, waiting for an opportunity to harm her family, is referred to in the extract. (ii) The lady is not able to overcome the fear because she has been hearing about instances of child abduction, theft and robbery and is too concerned about the welfare of her family. (iii) She is full of suspicion about the Kabuliwala because she has heard tales of child abduction and robbery prevalent in Afghanistan, the country to which the Kabuliwala belonged. Since, the Kabuliwala was a huge and tall man; she feared that he could kidnap her daughter, Mini. (iv) She was annoyed at her daughter s act of accepting things from a stranger, i.e., the Kabuliwala. She had the fear that the Kabuliwala was trying to befriend her daughter by giving her gifts, with the intention of kidnaping her. (v) The pointed questions that the lady asked the narrator included were there no instances of child abduction, was not slave trade in practice in Afghanistan and was it impossible for a giant like Kabuliwala to kidnap a little child. (vi) The narrator had to agree to the doubts of his wife because her doubts were not impossible. No, he did not succeed in allaying her wife s fear. IV. (i) The dishonest man was the narrator s neighbour, who had bought a Rampuri shawl from the Kabuliwala on credit. Rahamat was hurling abuses at him because when he asked for his payment for the shawl, the man denied having bought the shawl. (ii) The usual exchange refers to Mini s questioning Kabuliwala about the contents in his bag. (iii) When Mini asked Kabuliwala if he was going to his inlaws house, he replied that he was going there only. (iv) The Kabuliwala was charged with murderous assault. He was sentenced to eight years of imprisonment for his crime. (v) It was the end of the winter season. The weather was freezing cold and almost unbearable, especially in the morning hours, with little warmth after sunrise. V. (i) The narrator s house is being referred to in the extract. The noise and bustle pervading the house is because of the narrator s daughter s wedding. (ii) There was lot of hustle and bustle in the house because of the narrator s daughter s wedding. The visitors were continuously walking in and out. A tent was being put up in the courtyard of the house and the ringing of the chandeliers being put in the verandah filled the air. The wedding music was being played in the house since dawn and there was festivity in the house and no end to the noise. (iii) Rahamat s physical features had changed in the eight years he had been in prison. He no longer had his long hair or his old vigour. The usual bag he carried on his shoulder was also missing. (iv) The narrator could not recognise him first because his looks had changed from what it used to be eight years ago. He did not have his long hair, his old vigour and the bag on his shoulder. The narrator recognised him from his smile. (v) Rahamat had come from jail after being released from there. The narrator was little annoyed with the Kabuliwala and asked him to come some other day. He did not like his visit to the house because it was the auspicious day of his daughter s wedding. (vi) Rahamat was little hurt by the indifferent attitude of the narrator and was stunned on hearing that he would not be able to meet Mini, as she was getting married that day. VI. (i) The impression of the hand of Kabuliwala s daughter on a piece of paper, created with burnt charcoal was the memorabilia of his daughter . Kabuliwala carried it with himself as a mark of love and remembrance from his daughter, which provided comfort and happiness to his lonely heart. (ii) The merchandise that the Kabuliwala sold on the streets of Kolkata included dry fruits like almonds, raisins and apricots and woollen clothes like shawls. (iii) The Kabuliwala requested the speaker to hand over the grapes and raisins, which he has brought for Mini, to her. The speaker accepted the Kabuliwala s request because he realised a father s longing for his daughter and that the Kabuliwala saw a reflection of his own daughter in Mini. (iv) The Kabuliwala was shocked when Mini finally appeared before him because his little chirping, five-year-old Mini has grown up into young, beautiful girl and was dressed up like a bride. (v) On seeing Mini, it dawned on the Kabuliwala that his own little daughter at home, away in Afghanistan, must have grown up like Mini. She would not be the same girl, whom he had left behind, eight years ago and would have to know her all over again. (vi) The narrator helped the Kabuliwala by cutting down on the wedding expenses of his daughter and giving him the money so that he could go back to his own country and meet his daughter. (vii) Both the narrator and the Kabuliwala are doting fathers to their daughters. Both of them also suffer the pangs of separation from their daughters: the Kabuliwala got separated from his daughter when he was imprisoned eight years ago, whereas the narrator was about to be separated from his daughter because of her getting married. The Tiger in the Tunnel I. (i) Tembu is the twelve year old son of Baldeo, a khalasi at a small wayside signal stop. Tembu is lying in a corner of a hut near the station, with his father. He suddenly woke up in the night and wondered if his father, who used to go every night on his night duty at the railway signal, had left for the duty as it was a dark and cold night. (ii) Tembu s father was working as a watchman at a small wayside railway signal. His nightly errand was to signal whether or not the tunnel was clear of obstruction for the train to pass and to see that the lamp was burning. The author has described the night as calm and still by portraying it as dark, moonless, chilly, having the deathly, stillness of the surrounding jungle which was occasionally broken by the shrill cry of the cicada, the hollow hammering of a woodpecker or the grunt of a wild boar. (iii) It means that there was complete silence on a chilly, dark night with the only sounds heard occasionally being that of a cicada, a woodpecker or the grunt of a wild boar. And these occasional sounds were engulfed by the silence of the forest. (iv) The station was said to be in name only because it was a small shack where mail trains stopped only for a few seconds before entering the tunnel. (v) Most of the trains slowed down near the station because there was a sharp curve before the cutting which led to the tunnel and to wait for the signal to make sure if it was free of all obstructions. II. (i) Baldeo s duties included to check whether the lamp was burning; and using his hand-worked signal to signal whether or not the tunnel was clear of obstruction for the train to pass through. (ii) The station, a small shack, which served as a wayside signal stop, was three miles away from human habitation. It was surrounded by dense jungle with hills overhanging the main line of the railway. A deep cutting in the forest led to a tunnel through which mail train passed. There was darkness and complete silence in the jungle with the only sounds heard being those of a barking deer, grunting boar, hammering woodpecker and that of dense undergrowth. (iii) The darkness of the night heightened the eeriness of the station with the black tunnel entrance looming up menacingly. (iv) Tembu normally used to sleep in his home, in a small tribal village on the outskirts of the forest, about three miles from the station, where his father worked as a night watchman. (v) Baldeo s financial condition was quite poor as his income from the small rice fields was not enough to provide for his family. He considered himself lucky to get the job of a khalasi at the signal stop because that supplemented his meagre income from his land in the village. III. (i) Before leaving for duty, Baldeo lit his lamp and closed the door of his hut, where his son lay fast asleep. (ii) Baldeo thought whether the lamp on the signal post would still be alighted. The path leading to his work place, i.e., the station, was marked by dense jungle and hills which overhung the main line of the railway. If he had his way, Baldeo would go back to his hut and feel the warm comfort there instead of working out in a chilling, dark night. (iii) The rock walls towering high above the rails reminded Baldeo of the wild animals that he might encounter on the way. He had heard that the tiger frequented the tunnel and was a maneater. The other animals mentioned included panthers, which Baldeo had never seen but had occasionally heard their sawing when they called their mates. (iv) Baldeo had a small axe, whose head was made of pure steel, was thin but ringing time like a bell. Though it looked fragile, it was deadly when put to use. Baldeo could cut down a tree using his axe in just three or four swift strokes. Baldeo was emotionally attached to his axe because it belonged to his forefathers and its axe-head had been made by his father over a charcoal fire. That is why he carried the axe wherever he went and did not part with it in return for a good amount of money. (v) Baldeo had excellent skill in using his axe. He could cut down a tree with just three or four swift strokes using his axe, as neatly as if it had been sawn. He was proud of it because of the skill he had acquired in killing wild animals with it. IV. (i) A cutting refers to a narrow open passage that is dug through high ground for a railway tunnel or a road. It means that in the darkness the black entrance to the tunnel appeared threateningly. (ii) Just five minutes before the arrival of the mail train, the signal light was out and Baldeo would have to rush back to his hut if the oil in the signal lamp had finished. (iii) The signal light was out and the mail train was due in five minutes and within five minutes Baldeo had to lit the lamp and check the tunnel of any obstruction. Baldeo hauled the lamp down by its chain, checked the oil in the lamp and finding a little oil still remaining, lit the lamp and put it back into position. In order to ensure that the line was clear, Baldeo took his own lamp in his hand walked down the tunnel and by swinging his lamp, which cast shadows on the wall made sure that there was no obstruction in the line. (iv) Baldeo was out in the dark, chilling night at the railway signal. He walked from his hut to the station, lighted the signal lamp and checked the tunnel of any obstruction. Since the train was late, he huddled up in a corner and dozed off in the biting cold. (v) Baldeo was indeed a responsible employee. He would not shirk his duty even in the dead of night, extreme cold and amidst prowling wild animals. Every night, he used to leave the warmth of his bed to proceed toward the station, lit the signal lamp and walking down the tunnel check for any obstruction in the line. Baldeo was a caring father. He took up the job of a watchman, unmindful of having to stay away from home and family, just to supplement his meagre income from land. When he heard the roar of a tiger, his first thought was whether the tiger was moving towards his hut, where his son was sleeping unprotected. V. (i) The absence of usual jungle noises and the thump and rattle of small stones made by the forward march of the tiger, indicated that it had entered the cutting. (ii) Baldeo s main worry was whether the tiger was moving towards his hut, where his son, Tembu was fast asleep, unprotected. It is said that he did not have to wonder for long because he could see the tiger moving towards him. (iii) The tiger s eyes have been described as shining green in the light from the signal lamp. Baldeo thought that flight would be useless because the tiger would be faster and sure-footed than him and would soon pounce upon him. (iv) As the tiger moved towards Baldeo, he stood with his back to the signal post, motionless, staring at the tiger with courage and without being intimidated. (v) Baldeo did not lose his calm and courage on seeing the tiger moving towards him. Although he was aware that flight would be useless, he decided not to be an easy prey to the tiger. He stood there motionless, waiting for his prey. As the tiger pounced on him, he hit it with his axe, wounded it and almost served its leg. Unfortunately, his axe got struck in the tiger s shoulder; the tiger tore his body and put to an end the life of valiant Baldeo. VI. (i) Baldeo was standing at the station with his back to the signal. The tiger had become fearless because it had become used to the ways of men, for he had been preying on them for years. (ii) The tiger attacked Baldeo with its right paw. But Baldeo, who was prepared to defend himself, made an agile leap and avoided the tiger s paw. He hit his axe on the tiger s shoulder. The tiger roared and tried to come closer to Baldeo. This time Baldeo hit the tiger on the shoulder and almost severed its leg. But unfortunately, the axe got struck in the tiger s bone and Baldeo became weaponless. The tiger, now furious with pain sprang on Baldeo, tore his body and killed him. (iii) The overland mail entered the cutting with its engine puffing and climbing steadily. As it advanced through the trees, the glow of its furnace could be seen with the showers of sparks falling like Diwali lights over the forest. The tiger was in agony because of his wounded leg and did not notice the faint rumble on the earth caused by the moving train. The overland mail entered the tunnel and the tiger saw it but found himself trapped in the narrow cutting with no space to run for safety. (iv) The title of the story is quite apt because the entire story revolves around one incident in which a tiger appears in the tunnel through which the train used to pass and the deadly encounter between the ferocious maneater and the night watchman at the traffic signal. VII. (i) The wounded tiger failed to notice the train entering the cutting and was trapped in the tunnel. The train passed through the tunnel and the tiger was cut into half by the engine and its major portion got struck in the train s cowcatcher. (ii) Baldeo s body was lying at the cutting. Baldeo s son, Tembu sat beside the body guarding it from wild animals. The relief watchman arrived early at the dawn. (iii) Baldeo s family remained grief-stricken for two whole days. However, despite the great tragedy of losing his father and the only earning member, Baldeo s son, Tembu took over his father s responsibility on himself and assumed the job of a watchman at the signal stop. (iv) Tembu took up his father s responsibility with the confidence that his father s axe and blessings are with him. He was no longer afraid of anything because his father had killed the most fearsome enemy the maneater tiger. (v) For the answer, please refer to the Extract V, (v). Princess September I. (i) The king said that he would cut off the queen s head after the birth of their twelfth daughter. The king s decision to cut off the queen s head was strange because he was extremely fond of his queen. The queen felt uneasy on hearing the king s decision to cut off her head because she knew that the king would be unhappy after doing so. (ii) The king and queen had nine daughters. They were named after the months of the year, because they were nine and the days of the week were not sufficient to name then. The king s daughters were first named after the four seasons, then the days of the week and finally months in a year. (iii) Princess September had a very sweet and charming nature, whereas her elder sisters had embittered characters. The difference in their nature was because Princess September, being the youngest, had just one name, September, whereas her elder sisters names had been changed often, with the change in number of their siblings. The elder sisters of Princess September out of jealousy offered to buy her a green and yellow parrot to replace her singing nightingale. (iv) (a) The King s liking for the parrot s greeting, God Save the King shows that he loved flattery. (b) The King s act of giving presents on his birthday shows that he did not value the feelings or sentiments of those who used to gift him presents on other occasions as he used to give those presents to others on his birthday. (v) Although the king was fond of the queen, yet he decided to have her head cut off. This shows that he was not emotionally attached to her. The queen was finally saved when she gave birth to sons only and named them after the letters of the alphabet. II. (i) The parrots could only say God Save the King and Pretty Polly in seven oriental languages whereas the nightingale could sing beautifully. The nightingale is shown to be an artist by depicting her as having good manners befitting an artist like bowing before the audience and being appreciated. (ii) The king did not mind hearing the phrase God Save the King often but was tired of hearing the parrots repeating the phrase Pretty Polly . (iii) Princess September s parrot died in its golden cage. She was full of grief on finding that her parrot had died and burst into tears. She kept on crying and went to bed, without any supper. (iv) The queen was annoyed at Princess September s act of bursting into tears at the loss of her parrot. She considered it as sheer nonsense and sent Princess September to bed, without supper. This shows her to be an uncaring and unaffectionate mother. (v) The maids of Honour wanted to go to a party. So they put Princess September to bed as quickly as possible and went away leaving her by herself. (vi) The beautiful song sung by the nightingale pulled Princess September out of her gloom. III. (i) The little bird sang about the lake in the king s garden, the reflection of the willow trees in the still water and the goldfish that seemed to glide in and out of the branches of the willow tree reflected in the water. (ii) The nightingale s song gave comfort to the mourning Princess. She stopped crying, forgot her grief and that she had not taken her supper. (iii) The bird gave the Princess a bow as a part of its artistic good manners. It tells us that the bird has the temperament of an artist. (iv) The little bird offered to take the place of the Princess parrot because of her charming nature and to provide comfort to her in her grief. (v) The Princess was delighted to hear the nightingale s offer and clapper her hands in joy. (vi) Princess September and the bird became good friends. The princess used to take good care of the bird, whereas the bird used to sing beautiful songs to her as and when she desired. And as a true friend, the bird did not mind her putting him in a cage, whereas Princess September granted the bird freedom realising that a true bird cannot sing in confinement. IV. (i) They refer to the eight parrots that belonged to the eight princesses. They used to say God Save the King and Pretty Polly in seven oriental languages. (ii) The Princesses made this remark when the king said that he was tired of hearing their parrots say Pretty Polly. (iii) The king had a poor opinion of his councilors. According to him, his councilors said the same thing in seven different ways but without conveying any meaning. It tells us that the king had his own fixed principles and did not readily take the ideas of his councilors. (iv) The Princesses characters were naturally embittered because of having to change their names often with the change in number of their sisters. (v) The Princesses first offered to buy a lovely green and yellow parrot to replace the nightingale, in order to avenge themselves on Princess September. But when she declined the offer, they persuaded her to put the nightingale in a cage. V. (i) The little bird had gone to visit his father-in-law. He returned so late because he attended the party hosted by his father-in-law. (ii) When the bird did not come in time the Princess thought whether the bird was in any trouble or it had he been ensnared by hawks or men or whether he had forgotten her and taken fancy to somebody else. (iii) The Princess finally decided to put the bird in the cage because she was concerned for his safety and did not want to lose him as she had lost her parrot. (iv) The bird questioned the Princess as to why she has put him in the cage. But when she answered that it was for his safety, the bird did not mind her putting him in the cage as long as she would let him out in the morning. (v) Princess September reasoned that to protect him from her mother s prowling cats she had put him in the cage. The bird said that he did not like living in the cage. But when the Princess told him that it was for his safety, the bird seemed satisfied with her reason because he thought that she would let her go out in the morning. VI. (i) No, the Princess was not aware of what was good for the bird. She acted on the advice of her sisters and her own concern for the safety of the bird, without realising the bird s need for freedom. (ii) The bird said that he could not sing without seeing the trees, the lake and the green rice growing in the fields, since these beauties of nature inspired him to sing. (iii) In order to satisfy the bird s wish, Princess September took the bird out in the open air to have him look at the trees, the lake and the green rice fields. No, it did not help the bird to sing because he longed for freedom and not just a glance at nature s beauty. (iv) The other Princesses told Princess September to remain firm in her act of putting the bird in the cage because it was for his good and safety only and that he would get used to the cage in a day. They further said that if he was obstinate, he would die and she would get rid of him. (v) When the Princess woke up, she saw the nightingale lying at the bottom of the cage, on his side, with his eyes closed and looking as if it were dead. (vi) On seeing the bird lying like a dead one, Princess September opened the door and lifted the bird with her hand out of the cage. She felt little relieved on finding that the bird was still alive. She told the bird that she had put him in the cage for his safety only but if that is harmful for him, she would let him out of the cage to be happy in his own way. (vii) Princess September s act of freeing the bird gave a new lease of life to him. He flew away but kept his promise and continued to visit Princess September, eating out of her hand and singing beautiful songs to her. Princess September kept the window of her room open all the time for the bird to come and go. This allowed sunlight and fresh air to enter her room. Consequently, she got nature s nourishment and grew up to be extremely beautiful and married the King of Cambodia. JOURNEY BY NIGHT -Norah Burke Read the extracts given below and answer the questions that follow: Ref. I. He ran for these things. They used fuel recklessly to get the water hot soon. They laid steaming cloths on the child s belly. But after a bit, Sher Singh s mother said, He must be carried into hospital at Kalaghat . 1. Whom does he refer to? What things did he run for? Ans: He refers to the protagonist of the story, twelve year old Sher Singh, who was a child of the jungle. He ran for the sticks in order to be able to start the fire, the dung, the water and even tore up the rag. 2. Who is the child referred to in the extract? What ailment was he suffering from? What was the mother s reaction to the illness? Why? Ans: The child referred to in the extract is Sher Singh s younger brother Kunwar, who lay in a hut with a pain in his stomach that was getting worse. The mother did not react to the illness. She did not smile nor weep. This is because the mother had lived through the misery of seeing her children gradually move towards death. She had lost other children to cholera, influenza and jungle accidents. 3. Where was Kalaghat? How did Sher Singh hope to reach there? Ans: Kalaghat was at least fifty miles away from the village. Sher Singh hoped to reach there by getting through the jungle and crossing two rivers. He then hoped to get a lift in a bullock cart or perhaps even a broken-down truck for the last part of the journey. 4. How did Sher Singh react when his mother mentioned the word hospital ? Why? Ans: When Sher Singh s mother mentioned the word hospital , something took him by the throat. The reality of the situation struck him. He was certain that his brother was dying as, for the jungle people, the hospital was the place for the doomed. 5. What did the boy suggest he would do? How did his mother respond to his suggestion? What does this tell us about her? Ans: The boy said that he would run for his father, but his mother told him that it would be too late, as she knew that it would be days before Sher Singh found him. This tells us that she was practical enough to judge that it would result in a delay which would only make matters worse. It was her wise decision taken in the absence of her husband which saves the life of her son. Ref. II. But whenever there was an expedition into the jungle in search of big game, either to shoot or photograph them, they sent for this man, Bahadur the Brave. 1. Who was Bahadur the Brave? Why was he given this title? Ans: Sher Singh s father was known far and wide as Sher Singh Bahadur- the Brave, a famous shikari, with the title Bahadur added to his name like a medal because of all he had done and his varied deeds of courage. 2. Where did Bahadur live? What was his usual occupation? What else did he do? Ans: Sher Singh Bahadur lived in Laldwani village. His usual occupation involved grazing his animals and cultivating his bit of land. However, his simple life was occasionally marked by adventure. Whenever there was an expedition into the jungle in search of big game, either to shoot or photograph them, he was sent for as he was very well acquainted with the forests at the foot of the hills. 3. Why did members of expeditions want Bahadur the Brave to join them? Ans: Bahadur the Brave had a thorough knowledge of the jungle around the village. He was familiar with the sounds of animals and birds and really proved an asset on hunting or shooting missions. He could find tigers where there were no tigers at all. He could look at the grass and tell everything that had happened there. He could listen to chital calling and say a panther has just killed one of them, and they can still see him with his kill. This was why the members of expeditions wanted him to join them. 4. How did Bahadur get the scars on his body? Ans: Bahadur once saved one of his comrades from a tiger, by pulling him away from the animal. In doing so, the tiger had attacked him, the claws opening his flesh to the bone, leaving behind a scar that ran down his skull and back and shoulder. On another occasion, a snake had bitten him on his leg and he cut and burned out the wound. He had two fingers missing and his face marked. Once he had walked five miles through the jungle with his puggree (turban) bound round his stomach to stop the entrails from falling. The many scars on his body prove his courage and indomitable spirit. 5. Where was Bahadur away at the moment? What do his actions tell us about him and his attitude towards his family? Ans: Sher Bahadur was away in the jungle with a photographic expedition, with the men of the Laldwani village too, as beaters. Despite being scarred several times he willingly took up another expedition. This tells us that Bahadur was not dutiful as the head of the household. Most of the time he was away on hunting or shooting expeditions when his presence at home was more important. He was not available when his children needed him. He was negligent towards the needs of his family. Ref. III. Sher Singh, the son of his father, looked at his younger brother, and he saw death in his eyes. There are no men in the village, he said. I will take him. His mother must stay behind to mind the cattle and work the land without which they would all starve; and he and she both understood this without saying so. 1. How did Sher Singh s mother know about carrying loads? What did she do to make it easier for Sher Singh to carry his brother? Ans: Sher Singh s mother was a hill woman. She knew about carrying loads. Her own home was away in the high mountains above the foot-hills around Laldwani and she knew how to sling a load from a band round the forehead down the back, so that the shoulders and the strong muscles of a thick neck could take fabulous weights up the hill and down the dale all day without complaint. This is exactly how she made a sling for Sher Singh to carry his brother in, so that it would be easier for him. She took one of her two saris and she made a sling for Sher Singh to put around his forehead and down his back. 2. What was the mother feeling when Sher Singh got ready to carry his brother? What did she say to Sher Singh? What was the boy s response? Ans: The mother was in a state of despair when Sher Singh got ready to carry his brother. She was apprehensive about his ability to take Kunwar to the hospital all alone. She said to Sher Singh, He is too big for you. You will never get there. Sher Singh said nothing. He did not respond. He did not let his mother s apprehensions get the better of him. He was determined to save his brother under any circumstances. 3. What do you think about the financial condition of Sher Singh s family from the above extract? Give other examples from the story to support your answer. Ans: Sher Singh s family lived in extreme poverty. Their only source of income was rearing cattle and tilling the land, without which they would all starve. This is why the mother had to stay behind, while Sher Singh took Kunwar to the hospital. The fact that they lived in a mud and grass hut also proves that they lived a poor life. The sick child Kunwar lay upon a low string charpoy and the family lacked the facilities to get him well soon. 4. What does Sher Singh s decision to take his brother alone to the hospital tell us about the boy? Ans: Despite his mother s belief that he and his sick brother would not get to the hospital in time, Sher Singh silently set out to save his brother Kunwar who was suffering from a severe stomach ache and a raging fever. This decision tell us that Sher Singh was a responsible young boy. His willingness to help and his concern for his brother speak of his love for Kunwar. Sher Singh had already lost other siblings and he naturally did not want to lose Kunwar too. His love for Kunwar was selfless. He did not once think of the risk involved in walking through the jungle alone and that too in the night. He was courageous and had an iron will, determined to save his brother against all odds. Ref. IV. But this beautiful creature of mettalic scales, with poison in its teeth, wanted only to get away, as the boy himself did. It subsided and slid off into the matted grass. Sher Singh drew a breath. The snake-feeling left his legs and he was able to walk on. 1. What is this beautiful creature of metallic scales ? What was the creature doing on the jungle path? What did it do when Sher Singh stepped close to it? Ans: This beautiful creature of metallic scales is the cobra snake. The creature was sunning itself on the jungle path. As soon as Sher Singh stepped close to it, it swayed, watching him, its tongue playing in and out like a leech. This creature only wanted to get away, as the boy himself did. He therefore subsided and slid into the matted grass without harming the boy. 2. What was Sher Singh s reaction when his eyes fell on the creature? What did he do next? Ans: As soon as Sher Singh s eyes fell on the creature he stood frozen. He then very slowly backed away and the snake slid off into the matted grass. Sher Singh drew a breath. The snake- feeling left his legs and he was able to walk on. 3. Where was Sher Singh heading towards? What plan had he in mind to reach the place? Ans: Sher Singh was heading towards the hospital at Kalaghat. Sher Singh hoped that if he could get through the jungle and cross the two rivers that lay between him and his goal, he might get a lift in a bullock cart or perhaps even a broken-down truck for the last part of his journey. 4. What were the challenges in the jungle presented to the boy? Why did the beasts of prey pose more danger to the humans now than before? Ans: The primeval jungle, in which the struggle of vegetation and of life continued, presented a number of challenges to the boy. Luxuriant bamboos sprang fast from its nodules; impenetrable thorn thickets fought for air and undergrowth and scrub and grass. This made it difficult for the boy to pass through. Also, there were a number of animals that lived in this jungle. Monkeys, raucous peacocks, tiger, panther, bear and elephant. The beasts of prey posed more danger to humans and to domestic animals now than before because the deer were now so poached and decimated. 4 5. What made the boy quicken his steps on the journey? Ans: As the night fell, and the moon rose, Sher Singh could see bear tracks in the dust- the square front paw and the long back one, with the shaggy claws- which made him glance round uncomfortably. He was immediately reminded of the time when he had seen a man who had been mauled by a bear, all the face torn away. The thought of something as gruesome as that happening to him and his brother made him quicken his step. 6. When and where did Sher Singh decide to rest? Why? Ans: On a cliff above a river-bed, Sher Singh knew that he could go no further without rest. Sweat was running on his shaking flesh. He then got his burden against a tree and gently laid down Kunwar, pushing the band off his forehead and over his straining hair. He lay against this tree with his eye shut, recovering. Ref. V. It was then they heard the jostle and squeal of elephants. There is seldom need for elephants to travel silently in the jungle, and this herd was coming up the nullah perhaps to new feeding grounds. Sher Singh was glad he was outside the ravine and above them. 1. Where was Sher Singh and Kunwar when they heard the jostle and squeal of elephants? What happened just before they heard the squeal of elephants? Ans: SherSinghandKunwarwereoutsidetheravine,lyingonthecliffabove ariverbedwhen they heard the jostle and squeal of elephants. Just before they heard the jostle and squeal of elephants, Sher Singh had put down his brother against a tree as he was dead tired and could go no further. He lay against this tree with his eye shut, recovering. 2. Who was the leader of the herd of elephants? Why was he more aggressive now than he would have been at any other time? Ans: The leader of the herd of elephants was a great old Tusker with the dark oily flow of musth discharge on his cheeks, in which condition he might chase and kill men, where normally he would not bother. This is why he was more aggressive now than he would have been at any other time. 3. Why was Sher Singh chilled with fright a little later? Why couldn t he escape the situation? Ans: The tusker was playing his trunk to and fro to learn whatever the breeze could tell him and suddenly his trunk came round towards the boys. This was why Sher Singh chilled with fright . He could not escape the situation because with Kunwar to carry, he could neither climb nor run. If he shouted, it could not but bring the catastrophe upon them. 5 4. What was Sher Singh s next step immediately afterwards? Why? Ans: Immediately after the tusker and the rest of the herd has disappeared up the river bed without harming neither Sher Singh nor his brother, he breathed a prayer of thanks and made ready to move at once. Though initially he could not rise with the weight of his brother, as soon as he heard an elephant trumpet, he was on his feet loaded. He did not want to risk being harmed by the herd and wanted to reach the hospital without any delay. VI. Thank goodness there was a bridge at the second river, he thought, seeing it already as his spirit strove faster than his body. That bridge, made of what lay to hand, was a kutcha impermanent thing, but it was at least a bridge. 1. What had Sher Singh anticipated before he stepped into the first river? What difficulties did he face in crossing it? Ans: Sher Singh had often been to the first river by daylight and so he knew that at that time of the year, before the snow-water came flooding down like boiling green milk, he could easily ford it. When Sher Singh stepped into the river, he realized that it was colder than usual, there was an icy edge to it and in the middle it was deeper than it had been, too. The slime on the stones slowed down his pace as he had to feel for foot-hold and be sure not to fall. The water was almost waist deep. 2. Describe the bridge at the second river. How was it made? Ans: The bridge at the second river was a kutcha impermanent thing, made of what lay to hand, but it was at least a bridge. Rings of bamboo poles had been driven into the stony river-bed and tied round and filled with stones to make the piers of the bridge. Then more bamboos were laid from pillar and across, and laced with thick grass, and surfaced with river gravel. 3. How were Sher Singh s hopes shattered when he reached the second river? What had happened to the bridge? What state was the river in? Ans: When Sher Singh reached the second river his hopes were shattered as from bank to bank, the river was foamed. The bridge was not to be seen, though he looked for it. Only a fierce crest of water showed where it lay, submerged. A drowned goat and branches were caught against the bridge. Underneath boulders moved. He could hear the river grinding its teeth. A tree kept crashing against the drowned bridge which eventually moved like a monster, heeled over and broke, throwing up its bamboo ribs like a fan. The river was thus in a horrible state. 6 4. How did the breaking of the bridge make matters worse for the boy? Ans: The breaking of the bridge made the boy wonder how he would get himself and his sick brother across safely. There was no change that he would be able to swim across, even if he were alone. 5. How did Sher Singh cross the second river? In what way did he make sure that his brother was not harmed? Ans: Sher Singh had a good presence of mind and was also quite resourceful.The boy decided to find his way among the wreck of the bridge. He set his brother down and gave him some river water to drink. He then plaited some grass into a rope,despite the fact that the sharp blades of the grass cut his fingers. He tied this rope round his brother and himself so that they would keep together. He then entered the water just above the bridge. He moved forward despite all obstacles, including the split ends of bamboo, feeling in the darkness for things to hold onto. Though it was so cold that Sher Singh could hardly keep his hold or get his breath in the spray, he made sure to keep his brother s head above the water.The flood water deafened him, the timber banged and bruised him, but the boy went on. He was deafblinded-frozen-drowned yet finally they crossed the river, and soon reached a better road. VII. They were at the hospital. Sher Singh always felt shy in a house. He did not go in. But he had no money, so when morning came he went down to the rail yards to get work loading coal. 1. How did Sher Singh reach the hospital after crossing the river? Ans: After crossing the river Sher Singh stumbled on and kept walking. His knees bent and trembled. He then began to crawl. Soon he came across a better road where there were signs of civilization. People helped him into a bullock cart and then he managed to board a truck which dropped him at the hospital. 2. What work did Sher Singh do at the rail yards? How much did he earn? What did he do with the money? Ans: At the rail yards Sher Singh loaded coal. After working the whole day, he earned a few pence with which he bought some coarse atta (flour), mustard oil and chillies. With these limited ingredients, he would cook a meal between three stones. 7 3. Where did Sher Singh put up in the hospital? What feelings overcame him? Ans: Sher Singh found a place in the hospital compound where other relatives were camping. He was overcome with a feeling of anxiety that he was previously unable to feel because he had been labouring with all his strength. 4. How did the doctor address Sher Singh? Why? What reply did he give to the doctor? Ans: The doctor addressed Sher Singh as Sher Singh Bahadur. The boy, with a feeling of embarrassment and with tears rolling down his face , said that his father was not there but that he was Sher Singh. 5. What news did the doctor give to the boy? Ans: The doctor applauded Sher Singh s bravery and informed him that his brother would live, and that he could see him.. 6. What is the theme of the story Journey by Night ? Ans: Journey by Night is a story depicting the extraordinary power of human will. If we have the determination to do something, we can always find a way to do it. This story also deals with the theme of fraternal love and care. Sher Singh has a deep-rooted love for his brother. His willingness to help shows his concern for Kunwar. We learn from this story that life is a struggle, where we face new challenegs everyday. We must surmount these challenges and rise against all odds, just like Sher Singh did, in order to lead a truly frutful life. **************************************************** 8 info@rashirasayan.com Rashi987% Jyotibansal1980@yahoo.com

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