CHAPTER-4 Key Words 1.

accent had gone to London and the

: modulation of voice in speaking servants to the movie. He broke
2. espionage: spying 3. into the house one afternoon. He
Concocted: invented, made up 4. hoped to get fifteen thousand
infuriated: extremely angry 5. pounds worth of jewels from the
perplexed: confused A safe. The jewellery would enable
him to buy the books he wanted.
QUESTION OF TRUST– By
He put on his gloves. He took the
Victor Canning Revision Notes
key from its usual place. He
Introduction Horace Danby
pacified the pet dog by
collects rare books as his hobby,
addressing it with love. He
and he finances his hobby by
reached the safe, placed in the
breaking safes. This year,
drawing room behind a painting.
however, he is caught by a pretty
He was suffering from hay fever.
young lady claiming to be the wife
The smell of the flowers at the
of the house owner. She tricks
table made him sneeze. Just then,
him into opening the safe and
a young beautiful woman in red
handing her the jewels. Horace is
clothes entered the house. She
later arrested for the jewel
posed to be the mistress of the
robbery. Summary Horace Danby
house. She suggested him that he
was generally considered to be a
should see a doctor if he was
good and respectable citizen. He
serious about his work. His
was a fifty year old bachelor. He
sneezing had brought her down
lived with a housekeeper. He was
from the top of the house. She
an expert lock maker. However,
thanked her stars that she had
he was not completely honest. He
returned in time not expecting to
had been to prison, fifteen years
see a burglar in the house. To
ago for stealing jewels. He had no
avoid trouble, Horace started
desire to become honest. He was
conversing with her in a pleasant
careful lest he should run into
manner. He replied that he too
difficulties for his dishonesty.
had not expected to find her
Horace Danby hated prison. He
there. She got furious when he
was heartily fond of rare and
asked her to let him go. She
expensive books. He used to
threatened to get him arrested.
commit one theft a year on an
The thought of going to prison
average. The stolen money lasted
made Horace shudder. He
for the year. He chose the house
pledged that he would never
at Shotover Grange to commit his
repeat such kind of thing if he was
next burglary. He studied the
let off. The woman took a
design of the house carefully for a
cigarette from a silver box.
fortnight. He found that the family
Horace took off his gloves and
held his lighter towards her. She romantic writer. One day, he
promised to let him go if he did visited Ausable in the hope of
something for her. Horace readily finding some unusual happenings
consented to the proposal. The there. He was also a spy and dealt
woman said that she had come to in espionage and danger.
take her jewels as she had to However, he felt disappointed at
attend a party. She had forgotten Ausable’s sight. Ausable and
the numbers to open the safe. She Fowler spent the evening in a
requested Horace to open it. She French music hall. Fowler was
would get the safe repaired. feeling bored. Ausable informed
Horace broke the safe open and him that he would soon receive an
gave her the jewels. Then, he was important paper. The paper might
allowed to go. Horace’s affect the course of history. It had
fingerprints were found on the also made many men and women
safe. He was arrested for the risk their lives. He had got a
jewel robbery on the third day. telephone call making an
The house lady was an aged appointment in his room. Ausable
woman of sixty. He realised that switched on the light after closing
he was befooled by a lady who the door. There was a man with a
was also a thief. pistol standing half way across the
room. Fowler was thrilled. Ausable
was surprised to see Max (another
secret agent belonging to another
CHAPTER-3 THE MIDNIGHT agent’s organisation) in his room.
VISITOR– By Robert Arthur On being asked, Max informed
Revision Notes Introduction him that he had come there at an
Ausable, a secret agent, is odd hour to take from him the
expecting to get a very important prospective report about some
report. Another secret agent, Max, new missiles. Ausable sat in an
threatens him with a pistol, armchair in a serious and angry
demanding the report. This story mood. He started saying that it
tells how Ausable outwits Max by was the second time in a month
making up convincing stories. that somebody had got into his
Summary Ausable was a secret room through a balcony. Max had
agent in an organisation. He was no knowledge about the balcony.
a fat man with a strange accent. He reported that he had a pass
He was an American and could key. Ausable explained that the
speak German and French balcony belonged to the next
fluently. He lived in a small room apartment which used to be the
on the top floor of a French hotel living room. The balcony extended
in Paris. Fowler was a young and under his window. The
management had not still blocked balcony. Ausable assured Fowler
it off and intruders could get in that Max would never return.
from the apartment. Max asked
Fowler to sit down, rather than
stand stiffly for half an hour till the
report arrived. Ausable was at a CHAPTER-2 NELSON
loss to find how Max had learnt MANDELA : LONG WALK TO
about the incoming report. Just FREEDOM– By Nelson Rolihlahla
then, there was a knock at the
Mandela Revision Notes
door. Fowler jumped at it. Ausable
Introduction The chapter is an
concocted another story that the
extract from Mandela’s
police might have come to
autobiography ‘Long Walk to
provide him security for the
Freedom’. It provides us a glimpse
important paper. Ausable told Max
of the early life of Nelson
that the police would enter the
Mandela, his education, thirty
room any way and shoot if he did
years in prison and the pains he
not open the door. Max got
had suffered in his young age. It
unnerved. Max got infuriated and
also recounts his fight for the
started backing swiftly towards
freedom of his own people who
the window. He opened the
were tortured by the whites.
window with one hand behind. He
Summary The oath taking
wanted to escape through the
ceremony of Nelson Mandela, the
balcony. He informed Ausable that
first black President of South
he would wait on the balcony. He
Africa and his Oswaal CBSE
would shoot and take his chances
Chapterwise & Topicwise Revision
if Ausable did not send the police
Notes, ENGLISH LANG. & LIT.,
away. The knocking became
Class-X 11 colleagues took place
louder. Somebody called Ausable
on 10th May 1994. It was a
Oswaal CBSE Chapterwise &
historic occasion. Dignitaries and
Topicwise Revision Notes,
representatives of 140 countries
ENGLISH LANG. & LIT., Class-X 31
came to attend it. The ceremony
repeatedly. Max dropped to the
took place in the lovely sandstone
balcony, screamed loudly and
amphitheater, formed by the
died. A waiter entered the room
Union Buildings in Pretoria. First,
with a bottle and two glasses set
Mr. De Klerk, the 2nd Deputy
on a tray with the drink ordered
President and then Thabo Mbeki,
by Ausable. Fowler was perplexed.
the 1st Deputy President were
Ausable explained that he was
sworn in. Nelson Mandela took
waiting for the waiter and not for
oath as the President. He pledged
the police. Fowler was afraid lest
to obey and uphold the
Max should shoot them from the
Constitution and devote himself to the suffering and courage of
the well-being of the republic and thousands of patriots who
its people. Then President participated in the long struggles
Mandela addressed the guests. He but were not there to witness the
welcomed and thanked them for fruit of their achievement. It was a
having come to take possession reign of oppression and cruelty
with the people of his country for that created a deep wound in
a common victory of justice, African people. But deep
peace and human dignity. After oppression produced the Oliver
getting political freedom, his Tambos, the Walter Sisulus, the
government pledged to liberate Yusuf Dadoos. The Chief Luthulis,
people from the bondage of the Bram Fischers, the Robert
poverty, deprivation, suffering, Sobukwes, etc.— men of
gender and other discriminations. unparallel courage, wisdom and
He wished the sun of freedom to generosity. Mandela thinks South
shine on his country forever. After Africa’s real wealth is her people
the ceremony, the display of who are finer, truer than the
military force was carried out. purest diamonds. His comrades
Finally, the jets left off smoke taught him what courage meant.
trails of different colours, e.g., It is not the absence of fear but
black, red, green, blue and golden victory over it. No one is born to
colour of the new South African hate another on the basis of
flag. In the end, two National colour of skin or religion. If they
Anthems were sung by the whites can learn to hate, then why not
and the blacks. Later on, that day, learn to love which comes
Mandela reformed history. In the naturally. He believed in the
first decade of the 20th Century, a goodness of man that never dies.
few years after Anglo-Boer War Nelson Mandela was of the
before his birth, the white skinned opinion that every man has twin
patched up their differences and obligations, one towards his
erected a system of racial family and the other towards his
domination against the dark people and his country. In the
skinned people of South Africa. It reign of Apartheid, if one tried to
was the birth of Apartheid, the fulfill his duty towards his people,
harshest in human creation. Now, he was ripped off his family and
in the last decade of the 20th home. Mandela said that he was
century, the system has been born free. He had the freedom to
overturned forever, recognising run in the fields, swim in the
the rights of all people stream and ride on a bull.
irrespective of the colour of their Boyhood freedom was an illusion.
skin or religion. He remembered As a student he wanted transitory
freedom— freedom to stay out at always ready to eat his victim. A
night, to read books of his choice. Leopard has black spots on his
As a young man, he yearned for skin. He leaps on his prey and
basic honourable freedoms of eats it up. A bear can come to
achieving his potential, of earning, human colonies. He hugs up
of marrying and having a family. against a person and can put to
When he became a young man death. A crocodile always sheds
and joined the African National tears while eating its victim. A
Congress Party, he first wanted hyena will always look smiling. A
freedom only for himself and then chameleon always changes its
for all his people and his country. colours according to its
Both need to be liberated. The surrounding. T his is the strange
oppressor is a prisoner of hatred, world of some of the wild animals.
prejudice and narrow mindedness.
The oppressor and the oppressed,
both are robbed of their humanity.
CHAPTER-3 A TIGER IN THE
ZOO– By Leslie Norris Revision
Notes Introduction The poem
CHAPTER-4 HOW TO TELL gives a sharp contrast of a tiger.
WILD ANIMALS– By Carolyn The poem provides a contrast in
Wells Revision Notes Introduction the mood and environment of a
T his humorous poem suggests tiger, when he is in the zoo and
some dangerous ways to identify when he is in the forest, when it is
wild animals. The poetess gives a in its natural habitat and when it
beautiful description of the Asian is imprisoned. Summary ‘This
Lion and the Bengal Tiger. T hen poem contrasts a tiger in the zoo
she points out about the Leopard with the tiger in its natural
and the Bear. She describes the habitat. The poem moves from
Hyena for its smiling face and the the zoo to the jungle, and again
crocodiles for its tears. Then the back to the zoo. In the zoo, he has
poetess describes how the no freedom. He is kept in a
chameleon changes its colour. cemented cell behind the bars. He
Summary ‘How To Tell Animals’, is feels angry, frustrated and
a beautiful poem by Carolyn Wells helpless. This reminds him of his
about the strange habits and natural habitat, his hiding and
behaviour of some wild animals. sliding in the long grass near the
The poetess says that the Asian water hole and pouncing upon the
Lion is a large tawny beast with a fat deer, the way he terrorised the
fearful roar. A tiger has black villagers, displaying his sharp
stripes on his yellow skin and is teeth and claws. At night in the
zoo, he hears the sounds of
patrolling cars. The tiger in the
zoo appears helpless as a mere
showpiece and a source of
entertainment to people. The poet
wants to convey that it is cruel to
keep wild animals in small
enclosures of the zoo, away from
their natural habitat. They feel
angry, helpless and unhappy in
the cage. He pays no attention to
the visitors who come to watch
him. In the silence of the night, he
stares at the brilliant stars with
his bright

By art-
TCS
faculties