Chapter 4 – The Treasure Within here

The Treasure Within

Comprehension Check (Page 28)

Question 1:

What did Hafeez Contractor have nightmares about?

Answer:

Hafeez Contractor would often get continuous nightmares about appearing for a Mathematics
examination where he did not know anything.

Question 2:

What did the Principal say to him, which influenced him deeply?

Answer:

The Principal told Hafeez that his mother used to work extremely hard to bring him up and
paid all his fees on time, despite his father’s absence. Further, he also mentioned that Hafeez
was a good student. He could score good grades with a little effort towards his studies. He
motivated the young boy to rise to the occasion and study hard and also sideline his sports
activities for the time being.

Question 3:

“… that year I did not step out onto the field.” What was he busy doing that year?

Answer:

Being an active sportsman, Hafeez was the senior champion in school for many years and he
always loved playing games, especially cricket. But when his Principal influenced him to
study for his SSC dedicatedly, he gave up playing, and that year, he didn’t step out onto the
field. He only went for prayers and all he did was eat and study for the exams.

Question 4:

(i) What “distraction” did Hafeez Contractor create one day?

(ii) Would you have liked to participate in the “distraction” had you been with him?
Answer:

(i) Hafeez was always interested in playing funny pranks. One day, he created a distraction
by playing chor police for one full hour at school.

(ii) Yes, I would have loved to participate in such a “distraction”, as it is kind of a break from
the regular routine work.

Comprehension Check (Page 32)

Question 1:

Hafeez Contractor wanted to join the police force. Why didn’t he?

Answer:

Hafeez Contractor was interested in joining the police force, but his mother did not accept the
prospect. Instead, she told him to complete his graduation first. Soon after that, he joined
Jaihind College in Bombay.

Question 2:

In the architect’s office, Hafeez Contractor was advised to drop everything and join
architecture. Why?

Answer:

In the architect’s office, Hafeez Contractor saw somebody drawing a window detail which is
an advanced form of drawing. He told that person that the drawing was wrong and that the
window would not open as drawn. That person initially disagreed but soon realized that his
drawing was indeed wrong. When Hafeez’s cousin’s husband saw this, he was surprised and
asked him to draw a few specific things, such as to design a house, to which he complied. His
relative was impressed and immediately asked him to nurture Hafeez’s natural talent and join
architecture at the earliest.

Question 3:

(i) What was Mrs Gupta’s advice to Hafeez Contractor?

(ii) What made her advise him so?

Answer:
(i) Mrs Gupta was one of Hafeez’s school teachers in the second or third standard, who saw
his beautiful sketches in school and had advised him that he should grow up to become an
architect someday.

(ii) She would often tell him that he was useless in everything else except the beautiful
sketches that he drew. Due to this reason, she felt he should nurture his hidden talent and
grow up to become an architect.

Question 4:

How did he help fellow students who had lost a button?

Answer:

When his fellow students lost a button while playing or fighting, they would often come
running to him and he would help them by cutting a button from chalk by using an ordinary
blade.

Question 5:

Which rules did he break as a schoolboy?

Answer:

Hafeez broke many rules while studying at school. He used to copy during the examinations,
loiter around aimlessly, and play funny pranks and jokes on others. He would also get
involved in gang fights and plan strategies. He would often create distractions by playing
chor police games at school during study hours.

Question 6:

(i) What is Hafeez Contractor’s definition of mathematics?

(ii) How would you want to define mathematics? Do you like the subject?

Answer:

(i) According to Hafeez Contractor, Mathematics is a mix of putting design, construction,

psychology and sociology together and making a sketch by combining all these elements
together.
(ii) In my opinion, I would define Mathematics as an interesting subject for those who enjoy
solving arithmetical calculations and problems. But it turns out to be a nightmare for those
who don’t enjoy playing with numbers and calculations.

Exercise (Page 32)

Answer the following questions.

Question 1:

It is likely that someone who is original and intelligent does not do very well at school.
Should such a learner be called a failure? If not, why not?

Answer:

A learner who is original and intelligent, but does not do very well at school cannot be called
a failure in life. This is because every student has their own set of strengths and weaknesses.
From this conversation between Ms Bela Raja and Mr Hafeez Contractor, we learn that being
bright in academics is not enough to do well in life. People should try to nurture their natural
talent and polish it in order to stand out in a crowd. We observed that Hafeez was not so
bright academically, but he had a hidden talent and knew how to draw beautiful sketches of
different things such as forts, houses, etc. However, it is evident that an individual’s talent is
not always visible in their academic records. Hence, such people should be encouraged to
showcase their hidden talent and be appreciated for it, instead of considering them to be an
utter failure.

Question 2:

Who, in your view, is an ‘unusual’ learner?

Answer:

In my opinion, an unusual learner is one who is a genius in his/her own right. This means that
a person who is bright and intelligent and has a hidden talent or skill needs to polish it from
every angle.

Question 3:

What can schools do to draw out the best in unusual learners? Suggest whatever seems
reasonable to you.

Answer:
One of the best options for schools to draw out the best in unusual learners is to stop
comparing or categorizing every child on the basis of their academic performance. They
should stop measuring children by simply following mechanical methods of teaching. They
should appreciate the hidden talent or skill of the learners and encourage them to polish their
abilities in every aspect.

Princess September

Comprehension Check (Page 38)

Question 1:

How many daughters did the royal couple have?

Answer:

The royal couple of Siam had nine daughters who were named after the months of the year.

Question 2:

Why were they named after the months of the year?

Answer:

The princesses were named after the months of the year because the Queen of Siam found it
difficult to remember so many names. Hence, the King decided to name the princesses as per
the months of the calendar year.

Question 3:

The King had a peculiar habit. What was it? Why is it called peculiar?

Answer:

The King had a peculiar habit of giving gifts instead of receiving gifts on his birthday. In one
such year, on his birthday, he gave each of his daughters a green parrot in a golden cage.
As a matter of fact, people receive gifts instead of giving away gifts on their birthday. But the
King followed an opposite tradition, and due to this reason, his habit was peculiar.

Question 4:

(i) What was Princess September’s reaction to the loss of her parrot?

(ii) What was her mother’s reaction to it?

(iii) What do the reactions indicate about the nature and temperament of each?

Answer:

1. When Princess September locked her parrot in the golden cage gifted by her father, the poor bird
soon died. She burst into a flood of tears and wept continuously at the loss of her dear parrot. Even
her Maids of Honour couldn’t comfort her pain.
2. Her mother said that Princess September’s weeping was utter nonsense. In a heartless manner, she
asked the Maids of Honour to put the girl to sleep without any supper.
3. From the reaction, we understand that Princess September was a very sensitive and simple-hearted
girl. She was grief-stricken when her parrot died. On the contrary, the Queen mother appeared to
be unmoved by the death of the parrot and her daughter’s grief and she did nothing to console her
child. She seems to be an unsympathetic woman.

Question 5:

What pulled the Princess out of her gloom?

Answer:

The Princess was really upset and depressed over the sudden demise of her parrot and wept
continuously. While she lay in her bed crying, she saw a little bird hop into her room. She
wiped her tears and watched the little bird sing a beautiful song. This pulled the Princess out
of her gloom.

Question 6:

How did the Maids of Honour come to know that the Princess and the bird had become
intimate friends?

Answer:

The next morning when the Maids of Honour brought in the Princess’s breakfast, they
noticed her in a good mood. They saw the songbird eat rice out of the Princess’s hand and
bathe in her saucer. After that, the little bird sang a beautiful song, and the Princess
thoroughly enjoyed it. Seeing this, they were convinced that the two had become good
friends.
Question 7:

The new bird was full of new songs but the old parrots always repeated themselves. What did
they say?

Answer:

The little bird sang a different and new song every time. On the other hand, all the old parrots
were taught two phrases – ‘God save the King’ and ‘Pretty Polly’ in seven different Oriental
languages. They would say the same phrases repeatedly when asked.

Question 8:

What is the King’s opinion about his Councillors? Why did he form that opinion?

Answer:

The King saw the parrots say two phrases repeatedly – ‘God save the King’ and ‘Pretty Polly’
in seven different Oriental languages, and this reminded him about his Councillors who, too
repeated the same thing differently. This made the King have a low opinion of all his
Councillors, who blabbered about the same thing repeatedly.

Question 9:

(i) The eight Princesses made an offer to Princess September. What was it?

(ii) Why, in your view, did they do it?

Answer:

1. The eight Princesses were jealous of Princess September’s singing bird. Hence, they made an offer
to buy her a lovely green and yellow parrot by contributing from their pocket-money together.
2. The other Princesses made this offer to Princess September since they were not happy as everyone
praised her singing bird. Their parrots appeared sad and repeated the same phrases over and again.
Out of jealousy, they offered to contribute some money to their younger sister to buy a parrot
similar to theirs.

Question 10:

What did the sisters advise the Princess to do about her bird?

Answer:

The sisters were very jealous of Princess September’s singing bird. With an evil intention,
they advised her to keep the bird in a cage, otherwise, it would fly away forever.
Comprehension Check (Page 43)

Question 1:

In the following sentence elaborate the parts given in bold. Under the circumstances it
was a very unfortunate remark for the bird to make.

Answer:

Under the circumstances – After Princess September’s sisters advised her about the singing
bird, she was really worried about him. She feared that the little bird might forget her and
start liking someone else and that she might lose her little lovely pet.

A very unfortunate remark – When the little bird returned, he said that he would not have
come back that night at all as his father-in-law was giving a party and everyone wanted him
to stay. However, the bird returned as he felt that the Princess might be worried if he didn’t
return on time.

Question 2:

(i) What did Princess September do to ensure the safety of her pet?

(ii) How did the bird react to it?

Answer:

1. Princess September put the little bird in a cage to ensure the safety of her pet.
2. The bird didn’t like being trapped in a cage and felt like he was imprisoned. He felt that he had
lost his freedom and gradually stopped singing and eating.

Question 3:

Why did the bird refuse to be taken out in her cage?

Answer:

The bird said that he loves nature and he couldn’t stay happy and normal if he was kept in a
cage. He would not be able to enjoy the rice fields, the lake and the willow trees as they
would look quite different and dull when seen through the cage bars.

Question 4:

(i) What persuaded Princess September to give the bird his freedom again?

(ii) How did the bird react to it?

Answer:

1. Princess September felt very bad when she saw her little pet lie lifeless inside the cage as he had
stopped singing and eating too. This persuaded the Princess to let the little bird enjoy his freedom
in the open air. Otherwise, she feared that he would die in captivity.
2. The bird was filled with joy and happiness when the Princess freed him from the golden cage. He
opened his wings and flew right away into the blue in far lands and promised the Princess that he
would return and sing songs for her whenever she wanted.

Question 5:

Princess September kept her window open day and night.

(i) How did it help the bird?

(ii) How did it help the Princess herself?

Answer:

1. Princess September kept her window open day and night. This helped the little bird to come into
her room and leave whenever he wanted.
2. By keeping the window open day and night, it provided the Princess with fresh wind and natural
light. This contributed to her beauty as she was exposed to the beautiful benefits of nature.

Question 6:

The eight sisters kept their windows shut. How did it affect them?

Answer:

The eight sisters who kept their windows shut grew up to be extremely ugly and disagreeable.
They were later married off to the King’s Councillors with a pound of tea and a Siamese cat.

Exercise (Page 44)

Discuss the following questions in small groups. Write their answers later.

Question 1:

Are the sisters unkind and cruel? Find evidence in the text to support your idea.

Answer:

Yes, the eight sisters of the princess were unkind and cruel. They were jealous when they saw
that Princess September’s little pet could sing so beautifully, which their parrots couldn’t.
Therefore, they even offered their pocket-money to their young sister to buy her a green and
yellow parrot. They advised her to keep the little bird in a cage so that he could never leave
her. Princess September adhered to their advice and kept her little pet in a golden cage. They
convinced her to believe that if the bird tried to come out of the cage, she should not allow
him and that he would get used to staying inside it. Further, they also told her to be firm even
if he died in the cage due to its stubbornness. They even mocked her by saying that she
should never set the bird free as he would never return to sing sweet and melodious songs for
her.

Question 2:

Which, to you, is the most important idea in this story, and why?

1. importance of music
2. value of freedom
3. beauty of nature

Answer:

(ii) value of freedom – This is the most important idea of the entire story. It is known to all
that freedom is the birthright of every living creature, and nobody should be denied it.
Likewise, in the story, when the little bird is denied freedom, he loses his charm and always
remains sad in captivity. He stopped eating and singing too. This indicates that the beauty of
life lies in being free and not being in captivity. Hence, in a closed environment, any living
creature tends to lose its charm and creativity.

The Fight

Comprehension Check (Page 49)

Question 1:

In what way is the forest pool different from the one which Ranji knew in the Rajputana
desert?

Answer:

The forest pool was very clean, cold and inviting, whereas the one in the Rajputana desert
was known to be sticky and muddy, where buffaloes wallowed, and women washed clothes.
Question 2:

The other boy asked Ranji to ‘explain’ himself.

(i) What did he expect Ranji to say?

(ii) Was he, in your opinion, right or wrong to ask this question?

Answer:

1. The other boy expected Ranji to apologize to him for entering the forest pool without seeking his
permission. He wanted Ranji to leave the pool immediately.
2. He was wrong to expect and ask Ranji to leave the pool because the forest pool was open to
everyone, and he did not have a personal right to the property.

Question 3:

Between Ranji and the other boy, who is trying to start a quarrel? Give a reason for your
answer.

Answer:

The other boy actually started the quarrel between him and Ranji. This is evident from the
fact that when Ranji saw the other boy in the pool, he did not try to pick a fight or say a word
to him. It was the other boy who deliberately came to fight with Ranji, even when he tried to
be friendly with that boy. However, Ranji was taken aback by the hostile behaviour of that
boy, who strongly demanded that the pool belonged to him and that others needed to obtain
his permission to use it. Soon after saying all this, he started a fight with Ranji and referred to
himself as a ‘Warrior’, to which Ranji replied that he himself was a ‘Fighter’.

Question 4:

“Then we will have to continue the fight,” said the other.

(i) What made him say that?

(ii) Did the fight continue? If not, why not?

Answer:

1. When both Ranji and the other boy fought for a long while, Ranji refused to leave the pool, and
the fight continued. When that boy saw that Ranji did not accept defeat and was not listening to
his words, he said that the fight between them would continue the following day.
2. Apparently, the fight did not continue on the following day as both of them had a bitter experience
the previous day and were not willing to continue this fight any further. Although they thought
they would continue fighting, neither of them took the initiative or interest to pick a fight again.
When the other boy, named Suraj, saw that Ranji could dive into the water, he was amazed and
 asked him to teach him how to do it. Suraj promised that he would help Ranji to become a wrestler
if he taught him how to swim and dive into the water, just like him.

Comprehension Check (Page 53-54)

Question 1:

What is it that Ranji finds difficult to explain at home?

Answer:

When Ranji reached home, he found it difficult to explain the cuts and bruises that showed on
his face, leg and arms. It was difficult to conceal the fact that he had been in an unusually
violent fight with Suraj. Therefore, his mother insisted on him staying at home for the rest of
the day.

Question 2:

Ranji sees his adversary in the bazaar.

(i) What does he wish to do?

(ii) What does he actually do, and why?

Answer:

1. When Ranji saw his adversary in the bazaar, he tried to avoid him by turning away and looking
elsewhere. He was so angry at that boy that he felt like throwing the lemonade bottle at his enemy.
2. Ranji did not do anything. He just stood his ground and scowled at the passing adversary. He did
not want to pick unnecessary fights with the other boy in the market. Even that boy said nothing
either but scowled back with equal ferocity.

Question 3:

Ranji is not at all eager for a second fight. Why does he go back to the pool, then?

Answer:

Although Ranji was not at all eager for a second fight with the other boy, he left his home
unwillingly. He remembered that he had accepted the challenge and he had to defy his enemy
in order to gain respect. If he gave up, this meant that he had acknowledged his defeat to the
other boy.

Question 4:

Who was the better swimmer? How do you know it?

Answer:

Ranji was definitely a better swimmer. Suraj, the other boy, made fun of Ranji and asked if
he would be able to swim across the pool. Hearing this, Ranji dived straight into the water
and surfaced towards the other end of the pool quickly. Suraj was amazed at Ranji’s feat and
asked him how he did it so smoothly. He then asked Ranji to teach him how to dive and swim
underwater and said that in return, he would help Ranji to become a wrestler.

Question 5:

What surprises the warrior?

Answer:

When Ranji dived into the water perfectly, Suraj was amazed to see this. Ranji was able to
swim underwater as he circled Suraj and came up from behind him. This surprised Suraj, and
he admired Ranji’s swimming skills.

Question 6:

Now that they are at the pool, why don’t they continue the fight?

Answer:

Although both the boys were at the pool together, they were not fighting with each other.
Suraj, the warrior was taken by surprise when he saw Ranji’s skills like diving and swimming
underwater. He wanted to learn these skills from Ranji.

Question 7:

Ranji’s superiority over the other boy is obvious in the following:

physical strength, good diving, his being a fighter, sense of humour, swimming underwater,
making a good point, willingness to help.

Underline the relevant phrases.

Answer:

Good diving, sense of humour, swimming underwater, willingness to help.

Question 8:
What, according to you, makes the two adversaries turn into good friends in a matter of
minutes? Explain it as you have understood it.

Answer:

The two adversaries turned into good friends in a matter of minutes when they started
admiring each other’s skills and decided to learn those skills from each other. When the other
boy, Suraj, saw how well Ranji dived and swam underwater, he almost forgot about the fight
and asked Ranji to teach him these swimming skills. Suraj had a well-built physique, and
when he noticed that Ranji had a lean body structure, he said that he would help him to
become a good wrestler if Ranji taught him swimming skills, to which Ranji readily agreed.
Finally, the two claimants gave up their fight and became good friends.

Exercise (Page 54)

Discuss the following topics in small groups.

Question 1:

Is fighting the only way of resolving differences of opinion? What else can be done to reach a
mutually acceptable settlement?

Answer:

No, fighting is never the only way to resolve differences of opinion. Any differences between
two parties or people can be resolved in a coolheaded manner through discussion. Even if the
difference of opinion continues, a middleman should try to resolve the conflict between the
two parties peacefully.

Question 2:

Have you ever been in a serious fight only to realize that it was unnecessary and futile? Share
your experience/views with others frankly and honestly.

Answer:

Yes, it is in human nature to pick a fight on minor issues sometimes. However, such fights or
arguments can be resolved through discussion and respecting each other’s point of view.
Once both parties agree to resolve the conflict, they can do it peacefully without hurting each
other’s emotions and sentiments.

Question 3:
Why do some of us find it necessary to prove that we are better than others? Will you be
amused or annoyed to read the following sign at the back of the car in front of you?

“I may be going slow, but I am ahead of you.”

Answer:

It is common in human nature when one person tries to pull down another by exhibiting one’s
superiority over the other person. We should avoid ego clashes and misunderstandings from
creeping into our relationships with other people.

In my opinion, I would be amused to read the sign “I may be going slow, but I am ahead of
you.” and take it on a lighter note and laugh it off.

Jalebis

Comprehension Check (Page 65)

Question 1:

Why didn’t he pay the school fees on the day he brought money to school?

Answer:

The boy did not pay the school fees on the day he brought money to the school because his
teacher, Master Ghulam Mohammed, who collected the fees, was on leave that particular day
and so the fees would be collected the next day.

Question 2:

(i) What were the coins ‘saying’ to him?

(ii) Do you think they were misguiding him?

Answer:

1. The coins in the boy’s pocket were actually his inner self which was urging him to buy hot and
fresh jalebis.
2. Yes, the coins were misguiding him because the money was actually meant for paying school fees.
However, when he saw the hot, sweet and syrupy jalebis, the boy couldn’t resist the temptation to
buy and eat them.

Question 3:
Why didn’t he take the coins’ advice? Give two or three reasons.

Answer:

Initially, the boy didn’t take the coins’ advice because of the following reasons:

1. He was an honest boy.

2. He could not spend the money meant for school fees on buying jalebis.
3. He was fully aware of the consequences of not paying the fees on time, i.e., the teacher would
punish him by beating him with a cane.

Question 4:

(i) What did the oldest coin tell him?

(ii) Did he follow his advice? If not, why not?

Answer:

1. The oldest coin convinced him that they were telling him to buy jalebis for his own good. It also
said that he could also pay his fees the following day with his scholarship money. Hence, he
should not suppress his desire for jalebis or resist this temptation.
2. No, the boy did not follow the coins’ advice initially. He was an honest and promising student and
thought he couldn’t defame his reputed family by spending his school fees to buy jalebis.
Moreover, he was aware of the harsh punishment that the teacher would inflict upon him if the
school fees were not paid on time.

Question 5:

He reached home with the coins in his pocket. What happened then?

Answer:

Upon reaching home, the coins in his pocket kept persuading him. When he went inside to
have lunch, they began to shriek. Thoroughly fed up, he rushed out of the house barefoot and
ran towards the bazaar. Unable to suppress his temptation and totally terrified, he told the
halwai to weigh a whole rupee worth of jalebis quickly. The halwai opened up a whole
newspaper and heaped a pile of jalebis on it.

Comprehension Check (Page 68)

Question 1:

(i) Why didn’t he eat all the jalebis he had bought?

(ii) What did he do with the remaining jalebis?

Answer:
 1. He didn’t eat all the jalebis that he had bought because the quantity of jalebis was too much for
him to finish all on his own. After eating many pieces, he was completely full. He felt if anyone
pressed his stomach a little, jalebis would pop out of his ears and nostrils.
2. He distributed the remaining jalebis to the children who had assembled in the same gali where he
was relishing the jalebis. Initially, he bought a rupee’s worth of jalebis, but later, he bought jalebis
with the rest of the money that he had with himself.

Question 2:

“The fear was killing me.” What was the fear?

Answer:

After spending the school fees amount in buying jalebis and eating them, it made the boy
realise that he had committed a big mistake. He was in complete fear of getting caught and
thought that if his parents found out about his act, they would not spare him. With every
breath came a burp, and with every burp, the danger of bringing out a jalebi or two; this fear
was killing him.

Question 3:

“Children’s stomachs are like digestion machines.” What do you understand by that? Do you
agree?

Answer:

This means that children have an active digestive system as they perform physical activity
like walking and playing games every day. The boy had popped in so many jalebis and felt
his digestive system would digest it by morning.

Yes, I do agree with this statement, as children do have the capacity to digest a lot of things
even if they overeat sometimes.

Question 4:

How did he plan to pay the fees the next day?

Answer:

He planned to pay the fees the next day with his monthly scholarship that he would receive
on that day.

Question 5:
When it is time to pay the fees, what does he do? How is he disobeying the elders by doing
so?

Answer:

When it was time to pay the fees, the boy tucked his bag under his arm and left the school. He
simply followed his nose and walked on, hoping that some miracle would save him in that
situation. He was so engrossed in his thoughts that soon he reached the point where the
Kambelpur railway station began. The elders had warned him to never cross the railway
tracks or eat sweets with one’s fees money. Hence, he had a deep sense of regret and remorse
for disobeying their words.

Comprehension Check (Page 72)

Question 1:

What was the consequence of buying jalebis with the fees money?

Answer:

The ultimate consequence of buying jalebis with the fees money was that for the first time in
his life, the boy had to stay absent from his school. He knew that he had disobeyed his
parents for the first time and felt sorry for spending the fees money to fulfil his craving.

Question 2:

His prayer to God is like a lawyer’s defence of a bad case. Does he argue his case well? What
are the points he makes?

Answer:

The boy tried very hard to please God with his requests and recited verses from the entire
namaz. He said that he even knew the last ten surahs of the Quran by heart. He could also
recite the entire ayat-al-kursi for the Almighty right away. He deeply regretted his act of
eating jalebis with the school fees money. He admitted that he had made a grave mistake. He
added that he wouldn’t have spent the fees money on jalebis if he had been aware of the delay
in the scholarship that month. He also mentioned that he knew that there was no shortage of
anything in God’s treasury. Even the chaprasi at his place took a whole lot of money to his
home every month. Furthermore, he stated that he was the nephew of a big officer and,
therefore, pleaded to God to give him just four rupees. Having said all this, he prayed
earnestly to Allah Miyan and argued his case like a lawyer in front of Him.
Question 3:

He offers to play a game with Allah Miyan. What is the game?

Answer:

The game was that he would go up to the signal, touch it and return. In the meantime, God
should secretly put four rupees under a big rock. Once he lifts it, he should be able to find the
four rupees underneath the rock.

Question 4:

Did he get four rupees by playing the game? What did he get to see under the rock?

Answer:

No, the boy didn’t get four rupees by playing the game with God. However, when he lifted
the rock, he found a big hairy worm curling and twisting that wriggled towards him.

Question 5:

If God had granted his wish that day, what harm would it have caused him in later life?

Answer:

If God had granted his wish that day, he would have never learnt a lesson from his mistake.
He felt he would have continued doing wrong and bad deeds and that God would always save
him upon persuasion.

Exercise (Page 72)

Work in small groups.

Question 1:

Select and read sentences that show

1. that the boy is tempted to eat jalebis

2. that he is feeling guilty
3. that he is justifying a wrong deed

Answer:

That the boy is tempted to eat jalebis

1. Jalebis are meant to be eaten, and those with money in their pocket can eat them.
2. But then, these jalebis are no common sort of jalebis either. They’re crisp, fresh and full of
syrup.

3. My mouth watered.

4. Thoroughly fed up, I rushed out of the house bare foot and ran towards the bazaar.

That he is feeling guilty

1. My head started to spin.

2. When the recess bell rang I tucked my bag under my arm and left the school.
3. Now for the crime of eating a few jalebis, for the first time in my life I was absent from school.
4. Sitting there under the tree, at first I felt like crying.

That he is justifying a wrong deed

1. I didn’t eat them all by myself, though I fed them to a whole lot of children too.
2. ‘Allah Miyan! I’m a very good boy. I have memorised the entire namaaz. I even know the last ten
surats of the Quran by heart.

Question 2:

Discuss the following points.

1. Is the boy intelligent? If so, what is the evidence of it?

2. Does his outlook on the jalebis episode change after class VIII? Does he see that episode in a new
light?
3. Why are coins made to ‘talk’ in this story? What purpose does it serve?

Answer:

1. The boy is definitely intelligent. The first evidence is that he was a promising student who had
won a scholarship at school. He knew the difference between what is right and what is wrong. He
had never been absent from school and listened to his elders always. Besides, he also puts valid
points of his case before God, just like a defence lawyer.
2. Yes, certainly, his outlook changed after class VIII. He kept wondering what harm it could have
caused anyone if God had sent him four rupees the other day. He later realised that everything
comes with a price. This means that if God provides all that man asks, then man will be living in
nests like birds and would have never learnt the art of making jalebis too.
3. The coins are made to ‘talk’ in this story and indicate the greedy inner self of the boy. Although he
was an honest and virtuous boy, he couldn’t resist his temptation to eat jalebis with the school fees
money. His inner greed pushed him to buy the jalebis and devour them, thus projecting that the
coins in his pocket urged him to indulge in the sweet.

This is Jody’s Fawn

Comprehension Check (Page 89)

Question 1:

What had happened to Jody’s father?

Answer:

Jody’s father was bitten by a rattlesnake.

Question 2:

How did the doe save Penny’s life?

Answer:

When Jody’s father, Penny, was bitten by a rattlesnake, he quickly killed a doe and used its
heart and liver to draw out the poison as a home remedy to save his life.

Question 3:

Why does Jody want to bring the fawn home?

Answer:

Jody is interested in bringing home the fawn because its mother was killed so that its organs –
heart and liver – could be used to save his father’s life. However, when the fawn became an
orphan, Jody felt guilty and did not want to leave the fawn alone and let it die from
starvation. He wondered if he could bring the fawn to his home and offer some food to eat.

Question 4:

How does Jody know that the fawn is a male?

Answer:

Jody’s father, Penny, had once told him that a male fawn has spots in a sequential line. This
knowledge taught Jody how to distinguish between a male and a female fawn.

Comprehension Check (Page 90)

Question 1:

Jody didn’t want Mill-wheel with him for two reasons. What were they?
Answer:

Jody was unwilling to have Mill-wheel with him for two reasons. Firstly, if the fawn was
dead or could not be found, he did not want Mill-wheel to see his disappointment. Secondly,
if the fawn was alive, the meeting would be so lovely and secret that he could not endure
sharing it with anyone.

Question 2:

Why was Mill-wheel afraid to leave Jody alone?

Answer:

Jody was not so familiar with the forest route. So Mill-wheel was afraid to leave Jody alone
as he felt the young boy might get lost in the woods or might even get bitten by a rattlesnake
like Penny.

Comprehension Check (Page 93)

Question 1:

How did Jody bring the fawn back home?

Answer:

Jody tries his best not to scare the fawn away. First, he stroked its neck slowly and wrapped
his hands around it. He then picked up the little fawn and walked through the thick bushes of
the forest. He tried to protect its face from the sharp vines. When Jody became tired, he
stopped by on his way home and took some rest. Suddenly he remembered his father once
said that a fawn follows if it had first been carried. He gently put the fawn down for some
time and it initially refused to follow. Jody took it to his arms and put it down and gradually
noticed that it had started to follow him. When they finally reached home, the fawn was
unable to climb the stairs. Seeing this, Jody picked up the little deer in his arms and took it
inside his house.

Question 2:

Jody was filled with emotion after he found the fawn. Can you find at least three words or
phrases which show how he felt?

Answer:
Jody’s mind was filled with emotion when he saw the fawn. When he gently stroked the neck
of the little deer, the touch made him ‘delirious’. When Jody realised that the fawn looked up
to him, he was ‘light-headed with his joy’ and wanted to fondle, run and romp with it.
Finally, when he brought the little deer to his home, it seemed to Penny that ‘the boy’s eyes
were as bright as the fawn’s.’

Question 3:

How did the deer drink milk from the gourd?

Answer:

Jody poured milk into a small gourd and kept it in front of the fawn. It butted it suddenly,
smelling the milk, but could make nothing of the milk in the gourd. Jody saved it precariously
from spilling over the floor. Then the deer slowly started drinking milk from Jody’s hands
when he dipped his fingers in the milk and thrust them into the fawn’s soft wet mouth.

Question 4:

Why didn’t the fawn follow Jody up the steps as he had thought it would?

Answer:

As the fawn is a wild animal, it is not aware of how to climb the stairs in a house. Hence,
when it reached Jody’s home, it failed to follow him up the staircase or even drink the milk
offered in the gourd. It simply didn’t know how to react in such an unfamiliar situation.

Working with the text (Page 93)

Question 1:

Why did Penny Baxter allow Jody to go find the fawn and raise it?

Answer:

Penny Baxter allowed Jody to go find the fawn and raise it because he was feeling guilty
about taking away its mother, whose organs were used to cure his snake bite. He agreed to
Jody’s interest in bringing the fawn home as he did not want the little deer, who was
orphaned for no fault of its own, to die from starvation. Penny felt a sense of responsibility
towards the fawn when Jody requested him if they could raise the little deer.

Question 2:
What did Doc Wilson mean when he said, “Nothing in the world ever comes quite free”?

Answer:

Penny had killed the doe to save his own life. Therefore, he felt a moral responsibility to take
care of the fawn, which may otherwise die out of starvation. He felt it would be ungrateful to
leave the little deer all alone in the forest. Hence, when Jody asked to bring home the fawn,
he readily agreed to it. Hearing this, Doc Wilson said to Jody’s mother that both Jody and
Penny were right in their decision, i.e., ‘Nothing in the world comes quite free.’

Question 3:

How did Jody look after the fawn after he accepted the responsibility for doing this?

Answer:

Jody took very good care of the fawn when he accepted its responsibility. He would gently
stroke its neck slowly and wrap his hands around its soft neck. While taking it home, he
picked up the little fawn and walked through the thick bushes of the forest, shielding its face
from the sharp vines. When Jody became tired, he stopped by on his way home and took
some rest. He allowed the little deer to follow him and carried it up the staircase on reaching
home. When he offered it milk to drink from the gourd, the deer initially didn’t know how to
respond. However, the deer slowly started drinking milk from Jody’s hands when he dipped
his fingers in the milk and thrust them into the fawn’s soft wet mouth.

Question 4:

How does Jody’s mother react when she hears that he is going to bring the fawn home? Why
does she react in this way?

Answer:

Jody’s mother was astonished when she heard that Jody wanted to bring home the young
fawn. But when she came to know that the doe which saved Penny’s life was the little fawn’s
mother, she was left speechless. She gasped with surprise and held the coffee pot in mid-air.
She was not in favour of bringing a wild animal home. She told Jody that they had nothing
else to feed the fawn except milk, which he would need to sacrifice in order to feed the little
deer.
A Visit to Cambridge

Comprehension Check (Page 100)

Which is the right sentence?

Question 1:

“Cambridge was my metaphor for England.” To the writer,

(i) Cambridge was a reputed university in England.

(ii) England was famous for Cambridge.

(iii) Cambridge was the real England.

Answer:

(iii) Cambridge was the real England.

Question 2:

The writer phoned Stephen Hawking’s house

(i) from the nearest phone booth.

(ii) from outside a phone booth.

(iii) from inside a phone booth.

Answer:

(ii) from outside a phone booth.

Question 3:

Every time he spoke to the scientist, the writer felt guilty because

(i) he wasn’t sure what he wanted to ask.

(ii) he forced the scientist to use his voice synthesiser.

(iii) he was face to face with a legend.

Answer:

(ii) he forced the scientist to use his voice synthesiser.

Question 4:

“I felt a huge relief… in the possibilities of my body.” In the given context, the highlighted
words refer to

(ii) standing up, walking.

(iii) speaking, writing.

(i) shifting in the wheelchair, turning the wrist.

Answer:

(i) shifting in the wheelchair, turning the wrist.

Working with the text (Page 100-101)

Answer the following questions.

Question 1:

(i) Did the prospect of meeting Stephen Hawking make the writer nervous? If so, why?

(ii) Did he at the same time feel very excited? If so, why?

Answer:

(i) The writer was nervous at the prospect of meeting Stephen Hawking because Hawking
was a very renowned and brilliant astrophysicist despite being paralysed and differently
abled. He had authored one of the biggest best-sellers ever – A Brief History of
Time. Besides, he was a worthy successor to Sir Isaac Newton and succeeded to his Chair at
the Cambridge University.

(ii) Yes, the author – Firdaus Kanga was super excited to meet Stephen Hawking because he
wasn’t expecting that he would be getting an opportunity to have a face-to-face conversation
with such a great personality. He wondered that although Hawking was paralysed and
differently-abled, he had achieved great heights and was considered a worthy successor to Sir
Isaac Newton and succeeded his Chair at Cambridge University. This made Firdaus aware of
the innumerous possibilities before him, and he could reach out further than he ever thought
he could.

Question 2:

Guess the first question put to the scientist by the writer.

Answer:

The first question that the writer might have asked the scientist was if he felt relieved and
brave for accomplishing such great achievements in life despite being disabled.

Question 3:

Stephen Hawking said, “I’ve had no choice.” Does the writer think there was a choice? What
was it?

Answer:

Although Stephen Hawking stated that he had no choice but to remain confined to the
wheelchair. The writer felt that living creatively with the reality of his disintegrating body
was a choice for him. Firdaus strongly felt that Hawking could have easily sulked and
surrendered to life; rather, he chose to accomplish new heights despite being disabled.

Question 4:

“I could feel his anguish.” What could be the anguish?

Answer:

Stephen Hawking was a brilliant scientist who made brilliant contributions to science. His
mind was always receptive to new ideas, and he always wanted to express the different
thoughts in his mind. He was dependent on a voice synthesizer to express his thoughts
without any emotions. The writer could understand Hawking’s anguish for his helplessness
and felt that there were innumerous things which he wanted to express but was unable to do
so. His entire existence was dependent on a computer for expressing his thoughts and
emotions. He was full of anguish for this reason.

Question 5:

What endeared the scientist to the writer so that he said he was looking at one of the most
beautiful men in the world?
Answer:

The writer asked Stephen Hawking if he found it annoying to cause disturbance in his work.
Without a second thought, Hawking quickly responded with a yes. But he suddenly gave a
one-way smile, and this endeared the scientist to the writer. The writer instantly felt that he
was indeed looking at one of the most beautiful men in the world, who, although physically
disabled, has a beautiful soul. The body is nothing but an accessory.

Question 6:

Read aloud the description of ‘the beautiful’ man. Which is the most beautiful sentence in the
description?

Answer:

The most beautiful sentence in the description of ‘the beautiful’ man is – “Before you, like a
lantern whose walls are worn so thin you glimpse only the light inside, is the incandescence
of a man.”

The above sentence describes Hawking’s personality as his inner beauty or glow that’s so
beautiful and vibrant which renders his physical inability nothing but just an accessory.

Question 7:

(i) If ‘the lantern’ is the man, what would its ‘walls’ be?

(ii) What is housed within the thin walls?

(iii) What general conclusion does the writer draw from this comparison?

Answer:

(i) If ‘the lantern’ is the man, its ‘walls’ would refer to the structure of the human body.

(ii) The light of life is housed within the thin walls of the external structure.

(iii) The author implies that inside the human body, there is an eternal soul, which is the
incandescence of a man. The outer physical structure is nothing more than just an accessory.

Question 8:

What is the scientist’s message for the disabled?

Answer:
Stephen Hawking emphasized the fact that every person, irrespective of his capacity or
disability, should try to focus on enhancing or working towards what they are good at. He
further added that the disabled should not make unnecessary foolish efforts to imitate so-
called normal people. They should make the best utilization of the available resources and be
thankful to God for granting them the ability to achieve or accomplish any impossible task.

Question 9:

Why does the writer refer to the guitar incident? Which idea does it support?

Answer:

When Stephen Hawking mentioned to the author that the Olympics for the disabled was a
complete waste of time, this reminded the author about the years that he spent trying to play
the Spanish guitar which was considerably larger than him. One night, he loosened the guitar
strings without any regrets. The author could understand Hawking’s message for the disabled,
which mentions that one should try to concentrate on what they are good at rather than trying
to compare themselves or imitate the so-called normal people.

Question 10:

The writer expresses his great gratitude to Stephen Hawking. What is gratitude for?

Answer:

Stephen Hawking inspired the author to the extent that he was grateful to the scientist. He
saw how Hawking was brave enough to achieve such big things in life despite his disability.
The scientist was indeed an embodiment of his courageous self. This optimistic aspect of
Hawking inspired the author so much that he felt a deep sense of gratitude for the scientist
and showed him a new way of leading life without complaining about his disability all the
time.

Question 11:

Complete the following sentences taking their appropriate parts from both the boxes below.

(i) There was his assistant on the line …

(ii) You get fed up with people asking you to be brave, …

(iii) There he was, …

(iv) You look at his eyes which can speak, …

(v) It doesn’t do much good to know …

tapping at a little switch in his hand

and I told him

that there are people

as if you have a courage account

and they are saying something huge and urgent

trying to find the words on his computer.

I had come in a wheelchair from India.

on which you are too lazy to draw a cheque.

smiling with admiration to see you breathing still.

it is hard to tell what.

Answer:

(i) There was his assistant on the line and I told him I had come in a wheelchair from India.
(ii) You get fed up with people asking you to be brave, as if you have a courage account on
which you are too lazy to draw a cheque.

(iii) There he was, tapping at a little switch in his hand trying to find the words on his
computer.

(iv) You look at his eyes which can speak, and they are saying something huge and urgent –
it is hard to tell what.

(v) It doesn’t do much good to know that there are people smiling with admiration to see you
breathing still.