CHAPTER-

THETHI
RDLEVEL

Ques
tion1:
Whatdoest
het
hir
dlevel
ref
ert
o?Whati
sthes
igni
fi
canceoft
het
hir
dlevel
?
(
2001;2004,Del
hi)

Answer:Thethir
dleveli
samedi um ofes
capethroughwhichmanyear nstobeawayfrom
l
ife’
sharshreali
ti
es.Modem l
if
eisdevoidofpeaceandtr
anqui l
i
tysomani nhi
squestt
o
seeksol
acees capestoaplacewher ehi
saimistoseekt
her eal
izat
ionofhi
sdreamsand
unful
fi
ll
edwi s
hesofhissubconsci
ousmind.

Ques
tion2:
Whatconvi
ncedCharl
eythathehadr
eachedt
het
hir
dlevel
atGr
andCent
ral
St
ati
onandnotthesecondl
evel
?(2010Del
hi)

Answer:Thegeneral
layoutofthethir
dlevelwasdiff
erentfrom t
hatofthes econdlevel
.I
t
hadcompar ati
vel
ysmal lerr
ooms,
fewert i
cketwindowsandl essertr
aingates.The
i
nfor¬mationboot
hint hecentr
ewasmadeofwoodandl ookedold.Theplacewi t
hits
bras
ss pit
toonsdi
dnotl ookver
ybright.
SoCharleywasconvi nceditwasnott hesecond
l
evel.

Quest
ion3:
HowdoesChar
ley,
thenar
rat
ordes
cri
bet
het
hir
dlevel
atGr
andCent
ral
Stat
ion?
(
2013Delhi
)

Answer:
Charl
eysaysthattheroomsonthethir
dlevelweresmallert
hanthatofthesecond
l
evel.
Therewerefewerti
cketwindowsandtraingatesandtheinfor
mati
onboot hinthe
cent
rewaswoodandol dlooking.
Therewereopen-flamegasl
ightsandbrassspit
toonson
thef
loor
.Ever
yoneatthest at
ionwasdres
sedinnineteent
hcenturydres
ses.

Ques
tion4:
Howdi
dChar
leymakes
uret
hathewasnoti
nthepr
esentt
ime?(
2002Del
hi)

Answer :
Tomakes urethathewasnotint hepresentti
me, Charl
eydidareali
tycheck.He
l
ookedatt henews paperswhichwereons al
eataki oskandfoundacopyoft he
newspaper‘TheWor ld’
,whichcarr
iedt
hemai nstoryonPr esi
dentClevel
and.Thenhe
confi
rmedf r
om t
hePubl i
cLibraryf
il
esthatthenews paperhehads eenwasdat ed11t
h
June,1894.

Ques
tion5:
Howdi
dChar
leyof
tengetl
ostont
heGr
andCent
ral
Stat
ion?(
201
0Del
hi)

Answer
:TheGr
andCent ralStati
onwasgr owingli
keat r
eepushingoutendl
esscorr
idors
,
door
waysandstai
rsl
iker oots.
Ithadintri
cat
eandt angl
edpathways .
Thenetworkof
pass
ageswassocomplicatedt hati
nsteadofreachi
nghisdes
tinati
on,onedi
dtendt o
moveupanddownt olookf orentri
esandexits
.So,Charl
eyof
tengotl os
tonthi
sstati
on.

Ques
tion6:
Whydi
dChar
leys
uspectt
hatSam hadgonet
oGal
esbur
g?(
201
1Out
sideDel
hi)
Answer:
WhenSam dis
appearedallofasuddenandnooneknewabouthi swhereabouts
,
Charl
eysus
pectedhehadgonetoGal es
burgasSam wasacityboyandlikedGales
burg
ver
ymuch.ThenCharl
eyfoundanenvel opemai
ledtoSam byhi
sgrandfatherf
rom hi
s
homeinGales
burgandsoitconf
ir
medt hatSam wasindeedi
nGalesbur
g.

Questi
on7:
HowdoesChar
leydes
cri
beGal
esbur
gasi
tus
edt
obei
n1894?(
201
3Compt
t.
Outs
ideDel
hi)

Answer:
Charl
eydes cri
besGalesburgasaquiet
,si
mpleandpeacefulplacewit
hbigol
d
fr
amehous es,
hugel awnsandt remendoust
rees.
Thes ummereveni
ngswer erat
herl
ong
andpeoplesatoutont hei
rlawnsinapeacefulworl
d,mensmokingcigarsandwomen
wavingpalm-l
eaffans.

Questi
on8:
Whatdi
dChar
leyl
ear
naboutSam f
rom t
hes
tampandcoi
nst
ore?(
201
2
Outs
ideDel
hi)

Answer:
From t
hest
ampandcoi nstor
eChar l
eygetstoknowthatSam hadboughtol
d
st
ylecur
rencywort
heighthundreddol
lar
s.Thismoneywassuffi
cientt
osethi
m upina
l
it
tl
ehay,feedandgrai
nbusines
sinGalesburg.

Questi
on9:
Howdi
dSam r
eachGal
esbur
g?Whatdi
dheadvi
seChar
leyt
odo?(
201
2
Outs
ideDel
hi)

Answer :
Sam wasfas ci
natedbyChar l
ey’sdescri
ptionofGal
esburg.Hewass oburdenedby
thetensi
onsands t
r essofmodem lif
et hathethoughtofescapi
ngt othepeaceful
wor l
dof
Galesburg.
Hisadvicet oChar
leyisthat,he(Charley)andhi
swife,Loui
sashouldcomeover
toGalesburgthr
ought hemedi um ofthe‘thi
rdlevel’
.

Ques
tion1
0:Whydi
dthebooki
ngcl
erkr
efus
etoacceptt
hemoney?(
201
0Del
hi)

Ans wer:
Thebookingclerkrefusestoacceptthemoneybecaus ethenot esCharleyhad
givenhim wer
eofol dstyle.Hedidnotpayi nthecurr
encynotesthatwer ei
ncircul
ati
oni
n
1894.Sothecl
erks t
aredathi m andtoldhim,“Thatain’
tmoney,Mister
”. Hethought
Char l
eywastryi
ngt ocheathi m andeventhreatenedtogethi
m arrested.

Ques
tion1
1.Whydi
dChar
leyr
ushbackf
rom t
het
hir
dlevel
?(201
2Out
sideDel
hi)

Answer :
WhenChar l
eytookoutthemodem currencytopayfort
hetwot i
cket
sto
Gales
bur g,theti
cketcl
erkaccusedhi
m oftryi
ngt ocheathi
m.Hethreat
enedtohand
Charl
eyovert othepoli
ce. Char
leywasfr
ightenedandhedecidedtorushbackf
rom t
he
thi
rdlevel,
lesthewasar rest
edandputintopris
on.

Quest
ion1
2.HowdidCharleyr
eachthethi
rdl
evelofGrandCent
ral
?Howwasi
tdi
ff
erent
f
rom t
heotherl
evel
s?(2009Delhi
;201
2Comptt.Delhi
)

Ans
wer
:Oneni
ghtChar
leywor
kedt
il
ll
ateatt
heof
fi
ce.
Thenhewasi
nahur
ryt
ogetback
tohisapar
tment .Sohedeci dedt otaket hes ubwayf r
om Gr andCent ral
.Hewentdownt he
stepsandcamet ot hef i
rstlevel
.Thenhewal keddownt othes econdlevelf
rom wher ethe
suburbantr
ainsleft.Heduckedi ntoanar cheddoor waythatheadedt othesubway. Then
hegotlost
.Knowi ngt hathewasgoi ngwr onghecont i
nuedt owal kdownwar d.Thet unnel
turnedasharpleftandt hent akingas hortflightofstai
rshecameoutont hethirdlevelat
theGrandCentral Stati
on. Herehes awmanyunus ualthi
ngs .Therewereveryfewt icket
windowsandt r
aingat esthatwer eol d-l
ooki ngandmadeofwood. Di
m gasl
ight
sf l
ickered
andmenwor eder byhat sandf our-buttons ui t
s.I
twasar atherstrangeworldofs i
debur ns,
beardsandfancymous t
aches .

Quest
ion13:
Doyouthi
nkt
hatt
het
hir
dlevel
wasamedi
um ofes
capef
orChar
ley?Why?
(
2005;2008Del
hi)

Ans wer:
Thefears,anxiet
iesandinsecuri
ti
esoft hemodem wor l
daretakingat ollonman’s
mind. Hefeel
shelplessandfrus
tratedands eekstemporaryr espi
tefr
om life’
shars h
reali
ti
es.Charl
eytoowasunabl et ocopeupwi thhisfastpacedands tres
s full
if
es ohis
fl
ighttothethir
dlevel wasundoubtedlyamedi um ofescapef orhim.I
tisnot hi
ngbuta
creati
onofChar l
ey’sownmi nd.Hewant stoes capefr
om t hemoder nwor ld’
sinsecuri
ty,
fear,worri
esands tres
sands oseeksanexi t
,amedi um t
ogetawayi ntot hewor l
dof
dreamsandf ancies.

Quest
ion1
4:WhatmadeChar
leybel
i
evet
hatt
hewasact
ual
l
yst
andi
ngatt
het
hir
dlevel
?
(
2010Comptt.
Delhi
)

Ans wer:Oneni ghtChar l

eywor kedlateatt heoffi
ce. Hewasi nahur r
yt ogettohis
apar t
ment .Sohedeci dedtot aket hes ubwayf r
om Gr andCent ral
.Heduckedi ntoan
archeddoor wayandt henhegotl ost.Hewal keddownt hes t
epst othes econdlevel
,
turnedleftandkeptonwal king. Hecameoutont het hir
dl evelattheGr andCent ral
Stati
on. Thiswasadi fferent,oldandr omant icwor l
d. Sohewasconvi ncedt hathewas
actuall
ys tandingatt hethirdlevel .
Ther ewer efewert i
cketwi ndowst her ewhichwer e
madeofwoodandwer eold-l
ooki ng.Ther ewer eopenf l
amegas l
i
ght s
.Hes awpeopl ewi t
h
beards ,
s i
debur nsandf ancymous t
aches .Thenhecaughtagl imps eofanol dlocomotive
andal sos awan1 894issueof‘ TheWor ld’news paper .PerhapsChar l
eyisunderpr ess
ur eto
escapef rom thehar s
hwor l
dofr eali
ti
es .Hewoul dliket oes capet othepeacef ulworl
dof
1894.

Quest
ion1
5:Whatkindofpeopl
edi
dChar
ley‘
See’
att
het
hir
dlevel
?(201
1Out
sideDel
hi,
201
0Compt t
.Out
sideDelhi
)

Answer:Havingworkedlateatt heofficeCharleydeci dedt otakeatrai

nbackhome. Sohe
camet oGrandCent r
alStati
onandf rom thesecondl evel hegotlostwhil
educkingintoan
archeddoorwayandf oundhi ms el
finsideatunnel .Thistunneltookhimtoanotherl i
ghtof
stai
rsandhef oundhimselfonthet hirdlevel
oft hes tati
on. Ascomparedtothes econd
l
evel,t
het hi
rdlevel
hads mallerrooms ,fewerticketwi ndowsandt rai
ngat es
.Everyone
ther
ewasdr essedi
n‘ ei
ght een-ni
nety-s
omet hi
ng’.Charl
eycameacr ossmenandwomen
wear i
ng1 9thcenturydr esses.Mens portedfancymous taches, beardsandsi
deburns.Ti
ny
l
apels,four-buttonsuits
, derbyhatsandpocketgol dwat chesseemedt obeinvogue.
Womenwer ewear ingfancycuts leeves, l
ongs ki
rt
sandhi gh-buttonedshoes
. Charl
eywas
confusedt os eepeoples porti
ngold-fashionedclothesandhai rstyl
esatthethir
dlevel
.

Ques
tion16:
HowdoesChar
leymakehi
sdes
cri
pti
onoft
het
hir
dlevel
ver
yreal
i
sti
c?(
201
3
Comptt.
Delhi
)

Answer :
Tomakehi sdescri
ptionofthethi
r dlevel veryreal i
sti
c,Charleydescri
besi t
smi nut
e
detail
s,vi
vidl
ycomparingittot hes
econdl evel oftheGr andCent ralst
ati
on.Hes ayst he
roomsher eweresmaller
.Ther ewerefewert icketwi ndowsandt r
aingates,andt he
i
nformat i
onboothwaswoodenandol d-l
ooking. Healsogi vesadet ail
eddescripti
onabout
thepeoplehes awatthet hi
rdlevelandtheirdr es s
es .
Hes aysthepeopl eworeni neteenth
centurydresses
;manymenhadbear ds,si
debur nsandf ancymous t
aches.Heal s
obuys
ti
cketstoGalesbur
g,Il
li
noisthusmakingt her eaderbel ievet hathewasact uall
yatt he
thi
rdlevel.

Ques
tion1
7:Whati
sbei
ngi
nfer
redf
rom Sam’
slet
tert
oChar
ley?(
2003Del
hi)

Ans wer :
Sam’ slettertoChar leyisdated1 8thJ uly, 1894. I
tiswr i
ttenfrom Gal esburg,Il
li
noi
s.
I
nr espons etoChar ley’sclai
m ofhavi ngvisi
tedt het hirdlevel,Sam whoi sequallyinsecur
e
wishest heent ireepi s
odei strue,ashet oobel ievesi nt heexi st
enceoft het hir
dl evel.
There
ares omei nferencesmadebyt heletter
.Thei nt r
oduct orypar toftheletterconf i
rms
Char l
ey’sbeliefint heexi st
enceoft hethirdlevel .Italsos ugges tst
hatthos ewhof indthe
thi
rdl evelcant ravel acrosstoGal esburgandenj oyt hefes t
ivit
ies,s
ongs ,mus icand
peacef ulwor l
doft he1 890s.Sotheaut horus esSam’ sletterasauni quecombi nat i
onof
thereal andf ant asywor ld.