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Friday, October 18, 2019

October 18, 2019

A Horse and Two Goats By R.K. Narayan - Important Notes for Board Exam of Icse

A Horse and Two Goats

 

Important for Icse Board Exams And Summary From Evergreen Workbook

About The Author

R.K. Narayan was born in a working class South Indian family in Chennai 1906. Since his father, was a school headmaster, used to be frequently transferred from one place to another, R.K. Narayan spent most of his childhood under the loving care of his grandmother, Parvati. It was his grandmother who taught him arithmetic, mythology and Sanskrit. He also attended many different school in Chennai like Lutheran Mission School, Christian College High School, etc. He was interested in English literature since he was very young. His reading habit further developed when he moved to Mysore with his family and there his father's school library offered him gems of writing from others like Dickens, Thomas Hardy, Wodehouse, etc.

After getting married in 1933, Narayan become a reporter for a newspaper called 'The Justice' and in the meantime, he sent the manuscript of 'Swami and Friends' to his friend at Oxford who in turn showed it to Graham Greene. Green Card the book published. His second novel 'The Bachelor of Arts' was published in 1937. It was based on his experiences at college. This book was again published by Graham Greene who by now started counselling Narayan on how to write and what to write about to target the English speaking audience. In 1938, Narayan Road his third novel called 'The Dark Room' which dealt with the subject of emotional abuse within a marriage and it was warmly received, both by readers and critics. During the 1980s Narayan wrote prolifically. He is best known for his novels such as 'Mr Sampath (1949)', 'The Financial Expert (1952)', 'The Guide (1958)', for which he received the Sahitya Akademi Award in 1961, and 'The Man-eater of Malgudi (1961)', and the stories, 'Malgudi Days' (1982).

About The Story

The story 'A Horse and Two Goats' deals with the misunderstanding that takes place between an Indian named Muni and an American businessman. Muni, an old man, lives with his wife in poverty. The couple lives in a small south Indian village. Muni, an old man, lives with his wife in poverty. Muni has taken his goats to the usual spot which is few miles away. He is sitting around a statue of a horse made of weather- beaten clay. As Muni watches the trucks and buses, a yellow station wagon comes and stop there. A red-faced American man dressed in khaki clothing comes out and Muni about the nearest gas station in English.




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Friday, April 5, 2019

April 05, 2019

A Horse and Two Goats - by R. K. Narayan

Morning star workbook answer...

A Horse and Two Goats


Extract I

Of the seven hundred villages dotting the map of India……by the iron-hooped wheels of bullock carts.

1. What is meant by microscopic dot? What is said about Kritam in the extract?

Ans. Something very small.
Kritam was probably the tiniest of the seven hundred villages in India as it was a microscopic dot on the survey map.

2. It’s a wrong question.

3. Change the question. Give a brief description of the village Kritam.

Ans. It is ‘probably the tiniest’ of India’s seven hundred villages. It is a village that consists of ‘fewer than thirty houses, only one of them built from brick and cement.’ There are four streets in the village, with a shop for foodstuff and other items in the third street.

4. Give the meaning of Kritam in Tamil. Where did Muni live in the village?

Ans. Kritam in Tamil meant ‘ coronet’ or ‘crown’ on the brow of the Indian subcontinent. Muni lived in the last house in the fourth street in the village, beyond which stretched the fields.

5. How did the Big House differ from other houses?

Ans.The Big House, unlike other houses was built with brick and cement. It was painted yellow and blue all over with carvings of gods. The other houses were of bamboo thatch, straw, mud and other unspecified materials.

Extract II

In his prosperous days Muni had owned a flock…….dry sticks, bundled them, and carried them for fuel at sunset.

1. How did Muni care for his sheep and goats? Why did he carry a cook at the end of a bamboo pole?

Ans.He would take his sheep and goats everyday to the highway to graze around.
He carried a crook at the end of a bamboo pole to collect foliage from the avenue trees to feed his flock.

2. In his prosperous days how many sheep and goats did Muni have? What happened to most of them later?

Ans. In his prosperous days Muni had owned a flock of forty sheep and goats. Gradually, Muni’s fortunes declined and his flock of forty was reduced to only two goats.

3. What did Muni’s wife give him for breakfast and midday meal? What does it show about his economic condition?

Ans.Muni’s wife would give him salted millet flour in boiled water for breakfast. For midday meal, she would give him the same raw onion. This shows their poverty as they could not afford anything else.

4. Why did Muni tether his two goats to the trunks of the drumstick tree? What claim does he have over the tree?

Ans.This was done so that his two goats could graze only within a set radius and not wander off and get lost. Although no one could say precisely who owned the tree, the only claim Muni had was that he lived in its shadow.

5. Compare and contrast Muni’s prosperous days with his present living conditions.

Ans.He once lived a prosperous life and reared a flock of forty, but now he was left wit two goats. Muni wanted to enjoy life, but now he had lost his riches, he had no option but to remember his past with regret. He remembered the time when he smoked cigarette, chewed betel leaves and bhang in a hut in the coconut grove with the famous butcher from the town. Even today, he craved to chew the drumstick out of sauce but failed to obtain the food items prepare it, on credit from the shopkeeper.

Extract III

You have only four teeth in your jaw………..empty day.

1. What was Muni craving for? Why?

Ans. He was tired of eating drumstick leaves alone. He wanted to relish them with sauce for a change.

2. Why did his wife agree to supply him with what he was craving for? Under what condition would she oblige him?

Ans. His wife agreed thinking that next year, Muni might not be alive to ask for anything. She asked him to bring a few food items including a measure of rice or millet.

3. How did Muni attract the attention of the shopkeeper and win over his goodwill?

Ans. To attract the attention of the shopkeeper, Muni kept clearing his throat, coughing and sneezing. Muni responded appropriately at the shop man’s jokes. This helped him win the shop man over.

4. Change the question. How could Mini get some raw food items from the shop?

Ans. Muni would go and sit outside the shop. He would make polite sounds by cleaning his throat, coughing and sneezing until he caught the attention of the shop man. He would humour the shop man by appropriately responding to his jokes and then request the food items he needed.

5. Wrong question.

Extract IV

Muni felt impelled to rise and flee…….. whom do you expect to rob by then?

1. Change the question. Explain what has happened earlier because of which the shopkeeper is reluctant to give on credit.

Ans.Muni had been in the habit of coming to the shop, humouring the shop man and requesting for one or two items of food with the promise of repaying later. This time the shop man was not in good mood so he lost his temper at Muni for daring to ask for credit.

2.Finally, from where did Muni say that he would get money?

Ans.Muni said that his daughter would be sending him money soon for his fiftieth birthday.

3. According to Muni, how old was he? How did he calculate his age?

Ans.According to Muni, he was fifty year old. He calculated his age from the time of great famine.

4. What did the shop man say about Muni’s age? How could he guess that?

Ans.According to the shop man, Muni was seventy years old. Muni might be referring to himself as fifty years old since past few years.

5. What did Muni say just before he left the shop?

Ans.Muni had told the shop man that his daughter had sent word that she would be sending him money for his fiftieth birthday.

Extract V

He told his wife, “ That scoundrel……..it’ll do you good.

1. Who is referred to as scoundrel? Why was Muni annoyed with the scoundrel?

Ans.The shop man is referred to as scoundrel. Muni was annoyed because the shop man mocked at his habit of mentioning his birthday time and again to procure things on credit.

2. Why doesn’t Muni argue against what she says? How can you conclude that he trusts her as far as his welfare is concerned?

Ans.Muni did not argue because he knew that if he obeyed his wife she would somehow conjure up some food for him in the evening. Muni trusted her as far as his welfare was concerned. He knew by taking up occasional jobs in the big house, she would earn some money to keep dinner ready for him in the evening.

3. How would Muni’s wife get money to buy foodstuff?

Ans.She would go out and work-grind corn in the Big House, sweep or scrub somewhere, to earn enough money to buy foodstuff.

4. When Muni was passing through the village what was his and onlookers attitude to each other? Why?

Ans.When Muni was passing through the village, he avoided looking at anyone. He even ignored the call of his friends.

5. Change the question. What was Mini thinking as he led his goats to the highway?

Ans.Muni was worried about his wife as he was seventy years old and might die soon. He also was pondering about the absence of progeny.

Extract VI

Muni sat at the foot of the statue………feed long enough.

1. Describe the statue of the horse.

Ans.The statue was life-sized made of burnt brightly coloured clay. It stood with its head held high and its forelegs in the air.

2. How did the statue of the warrior look? How did the image makers depict him as a man of strength.

Ans.The warrior beside the statue is depicted as a man of strength through his description as a warrior with ‘scythe-like mustachios, bulging eyes, and aquiline nose.”

3. Why didn’t Muni, the villagers or the vandals notice the splendour of the statue of the horse?

Ans.Nobody from the village noticed its existence. Even Muni, who spent all his days at the foot of the statue, never bothered to look up.

4. Why didn’t Muni go back home early?

Ans.Muni didn’t go back home early because he wanted to give his wife time to cool off her temper and feel sympathetic enough to arrange some food for him.

5. Briefly give the difference between Muni and the visiting American.

Ans.Muni was an old man residing in the Kritam village. He once lived a prosperous life and reared a flock of forty, but now he was left with two goats. Muni wanted to enjoy life, but now he had lost his riches, he had no option but to remember his past with regret. He was a man who lived more in the past, than in the present.
The red faced man represents a typically wealthy American. He is polite and courteous as he offered Muni a cigarette and though he did not understand Muni, he listened to him attentively. He was a typical American tourist who wished to take back home the statue as a souvenir.

Extract VII

Today, while he observed……another car comes.

1. Describe the arrival of the red-faced foreigner.

Ans.The red faced foreigner entered the story in a strange yellow vehicle. He stopped it, got down and went around it, poked under the vehicle because his car ran out of gas.

2. What did the foreigner say looking at the clay horse?

Ans.He looked up at the clay horse and cried, “ Marvellous.”

3. State the feelings of Muni after meeting the foreigner. Why did he have such feelings?

Ans.As soon as Muni met the foreigner his first impulse was to run away but his age did not allow him. He assumed the foreigner to be a policeman or a soldier enquiring about the rumoured murder.

4. Looking at the clothes of the foreigner what did Muni think? How did the foreigner put him at ease?

Ans.The foreigner was wearing khaki clothes. it made Muni think that he was a policeman or a soldier. To put Muni at ease, the other man pressed his palms together, smiled, and said, “ Namaste!”

5. Having exhausted his English vocabulary, what did Muni say in Tamil?

Ans.Muni said that his name was Muni and the goats belonged to him. The village was full of slanderers who would claim what was not theirs.

Extract VIII

1. Who was the foreigner? What was his background?

Ans.The foreigner was a tourist in India. He was a rich American businessman who dealt in coffee.

2. What is referred to as the courtesies of the seasons? Why did Muni answer ‘Yes, no”?

Ans.The foreigner’s polite behaviour on meeting Muni for the first time. As a courtesy he offered Muni a cigarette. Muni, being a Tamil speaking man could not understand the foreigner, and used the only English words he knew, i.e., “yes,no.”

3. Change the question .State earlier experience of Muni of smoking a cigarette. When the foreigner flicked the light open and offered a light to Muni what were the latter’s feelings?

AnsMuni remembered the cigarette the shop man had given him on credit. He recalled how good it had tasted. When the foreigner flicked the light open Muni was confused about how to act so he blew on the light and put it out.

4. What were the consequences of smoking an American cigarette on Muni?

Ans.Muni started coughing. It pained him yet he felt it was extremely pleasant.

5. Describe Muni’s fears and anxieties when he was given the card by the visitor.

Ans.Muni feared that the business card was an arrest warrant and he moved back.

Extract IX

Out of this heritage……I know nothing.

1. What did Muni speak in a fearful tone in the extract?

Ans.A mutilated dead body had been found thrown under a tamarind tree at the border between Kritam and Kuppam a few weeks ago. Mini feared that the khaki-clad foreigner was a policeman enquiring about the murder. The man spoke to Muni and offered him a cigarette. Muni realised he could not run and spoke in a fearful tone to talk his way out of trouble.

2. The foreigner said, “ I am sure you know when this horse was made. “ When was the horse made?

Ans.The horse was made long before Muni was born i.e., it was made sometime when Muni’s grandfather’s grandfather was a young boy.

3. Explain why Muni spoke of a murder with the foreigner.

Ans.Muni mistook the foreigner’s khaki dress and thought the foreigner was a policeman who was investigating the case of a ’mutilated body thrown under a tamarind tree a few weeks before.”

4. State how the title of the story, ‘A Horse and Two Goats’ is relevant.

Ans.It is an apt title. Though the hero of the story is Muni who drives the story forward, the major part of the story is a dialogue between the American and Muni concerning the house statue. From the beginning of the story it is observed that Muni is left with two goats. It is only when the goats are being taken to graze near the highway, that Muni’s chance encounter with the American takes place. Muni who is sitting on the pedestal of the statue is assumed to be its owner by the American. Muni, on the other hand does not understand what the foreigner says. When the American gives Muni a hundred rupee note as the price for the statue, Muni gets confused. He assumes it to be the price of his two goats.

5. How is the clash of cultures brought about in the story?

Ans.On one hand, Muni is the representative of typical Indian native; who is poor, rural and uneducated. He doesn’t know English and is striving to make a living. On the other hand, we have the Amercan who knows no Tamil but expects Mini to understand English. He is wealthy, urban and educated and is only interested in a business deal with Muni.

Extract X

“ I never went to a school…….officers know it.

1. What has the foreigner just said about Tamil and Muni’s sales talk?

Ans.The foreigner said that Tamil to him ‘sounds wonderful’ and he got a kick out of every word Muni uttered. The foreigner assumed Muni to be engaging in sales talk and told him that he already appreciated the article and was ready for a better sales talk.

2. What is Pongal? What does Muni do on Pongal in his village?

Ans.Pongal is a four-day havest festival celebrated in Tamil Nadu. Duging Pongal Muni and father would cut the harvest. Muni would then go out and play with others at the tank.

3. State what Muni hints at the caste and class distinction between the rich and the poor in Kritam.

Ans.Muni had no formal education. He grew up as a member of a lower caste when only the Brahmins, the highest caste, could attend school. he has not travelled beyond his village and he likes to watch trucks and buses go by on highway a few miles away so that he can have ‘a sense of belonging to a larger world.’
He has some knowledge of the two major religious texts the Ramayana and the Mahabharata, which he has learned by acting in plays and by listening to preachers at the temple.

4. Wrong question. What is the Parangi language referred in the extract? Who are the people who know the language?

Ans.Parangi language reffered to in the extract is English. Learned people and officers in Muni’s country know Parangi language. But children in the foreigner’s country know it.

5. State briefly the position of women in villages as seen in the story, A Horse and Two Goats?

Ans.Child marriage was prevalent as in the case of Muni and his wife. Women were honoured as seen as nurturers but they needed a man to support them. Muni knew his wife would garner the raw materials and prepare his drumstick gravy. He was worried what would happen to her after his death.

Extract XI

“ Muni, now assured that the subject………and trample down all bad men.

1. Which dead body is referred to in the extract? Why was Muni afraid of the dead body earlier?

Ans.Muni mistook the foreigner’s khaki dress and thought the foreigner was a policeman who was investigating the case of a ’mutilated body thrown under a tamarind tree a few weeks before.”

2. What is Kali Yuga? What is said to happen in Kali Yuga?

Ans.Kali Yuga is the last of the four stages the world goes through as part of the cycle of the ages.
At the end of kali yuga, this world and all other worlds will be destroyed, and the Redeemer will come in the shape of a horse called kalki and save all good people while evil ones will perish.

3. Wrong question. How does the language barrier in the conversation between the American and Muni provide humour?

Ans.Their different languages do not let them understand each other. They converse, though in reality, they are both speaking on entirely unrelated subjects. The foreigner is concerned about the price of the statue, Muni when through gestures realises that he is being asked for the statue, rumbles on about its religious value, and how it has stood for generations. The foreigner, owing to the language barrier, assumes Muni as a salesman and offers him a hundred rupee note in exchange for the statue. Since Muni could not understand English, he assumes that the money offered is the exchange price for his goats.

4.Describe the living room in America of the foreigner as stated by him.

Ans.The living room of the foreigner has a large bookcase filled with volumes of books. There are books piled up too.

5. How would the horse be accommodated in the foreigner’s house?

Ans.The foreigner assures Muni that he would keep the statue with utmost care in his living room in his house in the USA.

Extract XII

Muni was still hovering…….trade is coffee.

1. Who speaks these words? In what context does he speak them?

Ans.The foreigner. Muni was reflecting on the end of the world and asked the foreigner if he had any idea when Kali Yuga would end.

2. What does Muni say about the coffee hotel in the locality? Why does he say about the coffee hotel?

Ans.Muni had heard from passers-by that there were ‘kapi-hotels’ opened at the Friday Markets in the next town along the highway. Muni only recognized the word ‘coffee’ in the foreigner’s conversation. He thought that the foreigner wanted to drink coffee.

3. What has Muni said about the end of the world?

Ans.At the end of the world the Redeemer would come on the horse statue which would grow bigger and be called Kalki. There would be floods in which Kalki would carry good people to safety and the evil would perish.

4. Explain what kind of businessman was the foreigner.

Ans.The foreigner claimed that he was a modest businessman dealing in coffee. However, he bragged about having the best home. He was a shrewd businessman-he realised he had bragged too much about his house. He took out a hundred rupee note and started bargaining over the price of the statue.

5. How does the foreigner plan to transport the horse to America?

Ans.The foreigner planned to cancel his air ticket and travel by ship with the horse in his cabin.

Extract XIII

1. Muni asked the red man, “ How many children do you have? The red man replied, “ I said a hundred. “ What was each one talking about? Explain the humour in this conversation.

Ans.Muni was asking the red man about his children, if any. The red man did not understand Muni. He assumed that Muni was the owner of the statue, so he offered him hundred rupees for it.
The humour here arises out of each ones inability to understand the other. They seemed to be conversing, but in reality, they are talking about entirely unrelated subjects.

2. Give two examples to show that Muni was curious about the red man.

Ans.Muni asks how many children does the man have.
He even asks how many of them are boys and how many girls.

3. Looking at the hundred rupees note, how did Muni react? What did he think was the purpose of giving him that money?

Ans.Muni peered closely at the hundred rupees note. He was amazed as he had never seen it before. Muni thought that the red man wanted him to exchange the note for change. Muni laughed at this idea.

4. How did Muni describe the village headman?

Ans.The village headman was a moneylender who disguised himself in rags just to mislead the public. According to Muni, in reality, the headman had so much money that he could even have changed a lakh of rupees in gold sovereigns.

5. Why did the red man show some interest in Muni’s goats? Briefly describe the intentions of Muni for rearing the goats. Why couldn’t his plan be carried out?

Ans.The foreigner showed interest in Muni’s goats merely out of courtesy. Muni had reared the goats in the hope of selling them some day and, with the profit, opening a small shop on that very spot.

Extract XIV

Muni hurried homeward…….carried them off in his motor car!

1. What food did Muni normally take? Explain why he is expecting miracle food at his occasion.

Ans.Muni would eat salted millet cooked into a little ball along with a raw onion. He was expecting a miracle food because he craved to chew drumsticks out of sauce the same morning. He knew that if he obeyed his wife she would somehow conjure food for him by evening.

2. How did Muni’s wife react when she saw the cash?

Ans.Muni’s wife was furious on seeing the hundred rupees note and accused Muni of stealing it.

3. As soon as Muni completed his speech what did Muni’s wife conclude from the scene?

Ans.Muni and his wife heard bleating outside. On opening the door, she saw the two goats and thus concluded Muni has stolen the money.

4. How can you conclude that Muni was annoyed by seeing the goats?

Ans.Muni’s annoyance was revealed when he questioned the goats, “Where is that man? Don’t you know you are his? Why did you come back?

5. How does the story end? What has appealed to you in the story?

The story ends with a misunderstanding between Muni and his wife. The latter accuses him of stealing since the goats follow Mini back home. R K Narayan is known for using ironic humour in his stories. It is in no way insulting but is enjoyable. It lets the readers laugh at the characters and their situation gently. There are various situations in the story which creates comic effect.
Muni craves to ‘chew the drumstick out of sauce’, to which his wife replies, “ You have only four teeth in your jaw, but your craving is for big things.”
When the shopkeeper doesn’t pay any attention to Muni sitting below the platform of the shop, Muni keeps coughing and sneezing to attract his attention.
In a humorous way, Muni’s poverty is commented upon when shopkeeper says to Muni, “ You also forget that you mentioned a birthday five weeks ago when you wanted Castor oil for your holy bath.

Thank You...

Please comment the next chapter answer which you want..

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Monday, April 1, 2019

April 01, 2019

2. The Cold Within - Evergreen workbook answer of The Cold Within by James Patrick Kinney...

Evergreen workbook answer of The Cold Within by James Patrick Kinney...

Context questions

Extract I

Questions and Answers...

1. Where were the six humans? Why were they there?

Ans. The six humans were trapped together by sheer chance. It was extremely cold and so to warm themselves, they were sitting around a fire. Due to the cold outside and the lack of logs of wood to burn, the fire was beginning to die. Each of them possessed a stick of wood that could help the fire keep burning and provide them with heat. If the fire had to die down, the cold was biting enough to kill them.

2. What did each of the humans possess? State its significance.

Ans. Each of the humans possessed a stick of wood that could keep the fire from getting extinguished. The night was cold and bitter and therefore the sticks of woods carried by each person held a lot of significance. The symbolic meaning of these sticks of wood represents the grudges and prejudices that each one carried within himself. The stick here was the chance that the six humans had at letting the fire burn and keep one another alive through their personal sacrifices.

3. What is the plot of the story in the poem 'The Cold Within'? Who is narrating it?

Ans. The poem 'The Cold Within' is a parable, that is, a story with a moral. It is a didactic poem. There are six humans sitting around a dying fire, each carrying a stick of wood. The weather outside is extremely cold and harsh due to which the fire is dying out. The narrator is assumed to be the poet who narrates the incident.

4. State the humans give away their sticks? Why?

Ans. No, the humans did not give away there sticks to help keep the fire burning in order to keep themselves warm. Each of them had ill feelings towards the other. Each of them was filled with prejudice, jealousy, racial discrimination and in humanity towards the other. They did not want to save the other person from dying and therefore selfishly did not give up on their sticks. As a result of their selfishness of holding on to their logs of wood, they all died due to the biting unbearable cold.

5. Explain the line "Six humans trapped by happenstance".

Ans. Happenstance, in general, refers to a chance or a coincidence. There are six people sitting around a fire each of them carrying a stick of wood. The poet here uses the word 'human' and not 'people' so that the readers could understand that they were all human beings at the start of the incidence.

Extract II

Questions and Answers:

1. What does the term "dying fire" mean? How many men does the poet refer to?

Ans. The term dying fire refers to the fire that is on the verge of getting extinguished. The weather outside is extremely cold and harsh and because of that and the lack of logs of wood, the fire is dying out. The poet in this context refers to six men who happened to be sitting around this dying fire.

2. What did the first man notice?

Ans. Among the six men sitting around the fire, the first man noticed a black (non white) person sitting across. During those days, racial discrimination was at its peak (discrimination on the basis of colour and race) between the white and the non white people. As a result of the inherent racial prejudice against the black man, the white man refrained from throwing in his log of wood into the burning fire.

3. Why did the first man hold back his stick?

Ans. The White man on seeing a black person sitting across him got a feeling full of hatred towards him. His heart was full of racial prejudice. Thus on, seeing the black sitting across him he did not put his stick in the fire since he thought that his stick would help a black person survive too, which the white man did not want.

4. What kind of prejudice did he have in his mind?

Ans. During those times, racial discrimination was at its peak. The white people would ill treat the black person, and in turn the blacks would hates whites. This discrimination was purely based on colour. Due to this discrimination, the white man sitting around the fire did not save the black man, and thereby refrained from throwing his stick into the fire.

5. Explain the phrase "held his back".

Ans. This line refers to the stick of wood that the first man selfishly and greedily held back. The White man had racial prejudice against the black. On seeing a black man sitting across him, he decided not to save the black man and therefore did not let go of his stick of wood, in order to keep the fire burning.

Extract III

Question and Answers...

1. Describe the environment in which the six humans were trapped.

Ans. The six humans happened to be sitting with a stick of wood each, trapped around the fire. The weather was very cold and bitter. The cold was harsh and made everyone shiver. The fire too was burning out and was dying due to the bitter cold and want of fire wood. Thus six men were trapped in a very uncomfortable and a hostile environment.

2. How could the six humans survive?

Ans. Since the weather was very harsh and cold, it made it difficult for the fire to keep burning. The fire which was providing them with heat was dying out. The only way through which the six men could survive was if the fire could be kept burning with the help of the logs the six people had with them. If everyone willingly and selflessly gave their sticks of wood, the sticks would continue to burn and all six of them would be able to survive.

3. What did the second man notice? What was his reaction?

Ans. The second man looked across to see a man who did not belong to his own religion. He suffered from intolerance and could not accept another person's religion, beliefs and ideals. On seeing this man with a different religion the second man held his stick of wood back and did not throw it in fire to help keep the fire burning.

4. Do you feel the man suffered from "cold within"? Explain.

Ans. Yes, the man suffered from the cold within. He could not accept anyone else's religion, thoughts and beliefs if it differed from his. He was against the religion of others.He did not want to save the man belonging to another religion and therefore refrained from giving away his stick of wood. The discrimination against the religion and intolerance towards other people represented the cold within the man.

5. What happened to him towards the end?

Ans. The man, due to his intolerance, held his stick back. He did not help keep the fire which was necessary for their survival. Since everyone had malice, greed and lacked humanity for the other person the fire got extinguished. This lead to the death of all the six humans, not because of the outside cold but due to the cold they had within their hearts. Their hearts were not filled with the warmth of love for the other person.

Extract IV

Question and Answers...

1. Who are the two humans mentioned above in extract?

Ans. The two humans mentioned in the above extract are a poor man in tattered clothes and a rich man sitting idly opposite him. They both were a part of a group of six humans sitting around a fire warming themselves.

2. Explain : "he gave his coat a hitch"?

Ans. This refers to the poor man in tattered and worn out clothes who tightened his coat. The symbolic meaning is that it is a sign of meanness that is shown by the poor man when he decides not to save the rich man that he sees sitting across. In state of jealousy, and having an attitude of envy towards the rich, he decided to hold his stick back and not save the rich man.

3. Why does the third man hold his stick back?

Ans. The third man is a poor man wearing tattered clothes. He sees a rich man sitting among the group of six people. Being filled with envy and jealousy, he decides to let the rich man die out of cold. He thinks that the rich just survive on the poor man's labour and therefore has a feeling of hatred towards the rich. Having this feeling of jealousy and spite, he holds his stick back and makes the rich experiences severe cold.

4. Explain "To warm the idle rich".

Ans. The poor man sitting in old rags sees a rich man sitting across. Idle rich means the riches which the rich thrive on given to them by the labour of the poor people. The poor get expolited by the rich, and in turn develop a feeling of jealousy towards them. The poor man in this feeling of jealousy wants the rich man to suffer and does not throw his stick into the fire.

5. Were the six humans aware of the consequences they were getting into?

Ans. There are six humans sitting around a dying fire, each carrying a stick of wood. The weather outside is extremely cold and harsh due to which the fire is dying out. In such circumstances, it is natural for any human being to have the rationale and the sensibility that they need to keep themselves warm, otherwise they would fall prey to the biting cold outside. The six people who sat around the fire also knew the consequences of their actions, but due to jealousy, spite, anger, a feeling of envy, racial prejudice, hatred inhumanity and selfishness did not throw in their respective pieces of wood, thereby letting the fire extinguished. They show us by their actions that the cold within is much more fatal than the biting cold outside.

Extract V

Question and Answers...

1. What was the rich man thinking all the while?

Ans. The rich man was lost in his own thoughts. While the fire was burning out, all that the rich man could think about was his wealth that he had earned throughout his life. He was a proud and greedy man, who even in an uncomfortable situation was thinking about his wealth. He had no intention of helping the poor man, by putting in his wood because he had a prejudiced mind against poor people, who he thought were lazy and ambitionless in life.

2. What does the rich man think of the poor?

Ans. The rich man thinks the poor to be lazy and having no ambition in life. He does not appreciate the life they lead since he thinks there is no worth in it. Since he has such ill feelings towards them he does not care for their sufferings and so, deprives the poor man the warmth of the fire.

3. Is the rich man justified according to you?

Ans. No, the rich man is not at all justified. He has no justified reason to hate the poor. His thoughts on the poor are mean and arrogant. He is a very proud wealthy man having no sympathy for the poor. The main reason as to why he hates the poor is because he has a prejudice against them, and because he's too self centred with his own money to look beyond himself and help the poor.

4. How did the black man think he would take his revenge?

Ans. Among the six people sitting, one of them was a white sitting around the dying fire. The black man felt really insulted and all his feelings of hatred and revenge came to his mind. He decided not to throw his stick into the fire and to let the fire die out. He did not want the white woman to get the heat, and in that would avenge the wrong the whites had been doing to the black people.Thus, the black man could take his revenge.

5. Explain: 'The black man's face bespoke revenge'. How did he take revenge?

Ans. The black man hated the white since the whites would ill treat the black people. As soon as the black man saw the white man sitting across him, a feeling of revenge and vengeance came to his mind. All he could think about was how to take revenge and avenge all the atrocities committed by the whites. His facial expressions mirrored his deepest hatred and revenge he wanted to take against the white people.

Extract VI

Question and Answers...

1. Describe the nature of the last man in the group?

Ans. The sixth man in the group had a very selfish nature. He could only see his own profit in every little things he would do. The only reason that stopped him from giving away his wood was because he did not see any of the other people giving their wood. He feels that if the others had done so, he too would have put in his log of wood. Since the others did not contribute in keeping the fire burning, the sixth man also did not throw in his log of wood to keep the fire burning. This shows a very selfish, immature attitude of stashing things for his own self.

2. What kind of vices have we seen till now?

Ans. We see the vice of hatred shown by the whites towards the black. The second man suffers from intolerance towards a person who does not belong to his religion. The third man shows a feeling of jealousy and envy towards the rich. The fourth one, being a rich and arrogant man shows the vice of greed, and refusal to help the poor man. The fifth man is a black man (non-white) shows the vice of revengue towards the white. The sixth man shows the vice of greed, selfishness and an attitude of stashing things for himself rather than helping others, as he couldn't see any profit to be earned out of it.

3. What happens towards the end?

Ans. Towards the end, we see that all the six humans dying due to cold. None of the men are willing to save the fire from extinguishing by sacrificing their logs of wood. Their ill feelings and vices of greed, selfishness, revengeful attitude and spite make them hold back their logs. Due to their cold feelings within, the fire got extinguished and they all died because of the harsh bitter cold.

4. Why were the logs of wood important?

Ans. The logs of wood were very important for the survival of the six humans. The six men were trapped in an exterme cold weather and happened to sit around a dying fire. The cold was very harsh and was phasing the fire out. It was only the stick of woods that could save the fire from dying. The logs of wood symbolically indicate the sins men carry with them through their lives, and have one chance at redemption and freeing themselves out of the sins by sacrificing something they have. The sins of the six men had outdone their good deeds, and hence they were rendered dead.

5. What do you mean by the cold within? How is it responsible for deaths?

Ans. The cold within means the lack of warmth within that is caused due to selfishness, arrogance and greed. The vices of hatred, revenge, spite, racial prejudices did not make them give up their sticks. Since they did not part with the sticks that was necessary for their survival, the fire died out. As they did not have anything to protect them from the cold, they died out of the bitter cold outside. Although the cold outside got the better of the six people and killed them, it was the feeling of hatred, anger, jealousy, revenge, spite, arrogance and selfishness within that actually killed the six humans. In fact, sadly, none of them had any love or compassion for other persons in their group.

Additional Queations

1. What message does the poet want to convey?

Ans. According to the poet, the prejudice of race, religion, colour is sinful. We must rise above all prejudices and be kind, compassionate, generous and helpful to all. We should not allow ourselves to be dictated by the cold within which is self destructive. Humanity is the biggest strength of all mankind. If one gives up the negative cold feelings from within, feelings of unity love, peace and harmony will be seen. The poem re-affirms the old conviction that an eye for an eye makes the world go blind. It is also ironic that the poet calls the six people humans, and towards the end everyone dies because of lack of humanity. It questions us whether we can actually call ourselves 'humans', if we cannot fulfil the basic requirement of being human, to the person next to us. The poet, through this didactic poem aims to create a world without any kind of prejudices and vices that eventually causes destruction of mankind. The poet only wishes one thing among all human beings and that is, an unconditional love for the person next to them. It is only unconditional love that can kill all the deadly cold within us.


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Friday, March 29, 2019

March 29, 2019

1.The Heart Of The Tree - EVERGREEN WORKBOOK ANSWERS

EVERGREEN ANSWER Of The Heart Of The Tree


PASSAGE ~ 1

    i) Who is described as a 'friend of sun and sky'?

Ans. A tree is described as a friend of sun and sky. Tree is a friend of congenial atmosphere. It reduces air temperature and even purifies air by trapping dust, pollen and smoke. It ensures free gentle breezes. Thus it is correctly described as 'a friend of sun and sky'.

   ii) Whom does a tree give shelter? How?

Ans. A tree gives shelter to birds. It provides them home to stay by allowing them to build their nest on it. Birds dwell on the trees and their sweet songs during dawn delight us, thus spreading the message of peace and harmony.

  iii) Which literary device has been used in the line, 'in hushed and happy twilight heard'?

Ans. The literacy device used here is the figure of speech, Alliteration. The initial sound of letter 'h' is repeated here in the words - 'hushed', 'happy', 'heard'. It is done for poetic effect.

  iv) Explain: 'The treble of heaven's harmony.'

Ans. Treble means a high pitched tone in music. Trees provide room for birds to dwell. They sing sweet songs during dawn which is very soothing. The high tone of the song of the bird is symbolic of heaven's harmony. It provides an atmosphere of calm and comfort, It gives the world a message of peace and harmony.

   v) Describe the things one plants along with planting a tree mentioned in the above stanza.

Ans. The poet  mentions the enormous things one plants while he plants a tree. Trees provide abundant benefits. They purify the air, combat with the climatic change, give us food, shelter from the warm weather and give us gentle rains. They beautify the environment and turn the place into a heaven on earth. They give shelter to the birds who in return sing sweet songs for us. Such soothing atmosphere created with the planting of trees spreads a message of peace and harmony to the entire world. Thus trees, are beneficial to benefit us with such priceless resources.

PASSAGE ~ 2

    i) How has the poet described a tree in this stanza?

Ans. The poet has described a tree as a symbol of glory. Trees are the source of many useful means. They provide cool shade for summer and tender rains in all seasons. They are reproduced by merely planting a seed and bud which in turn blooms in coming times. They please the environment with its grace. It serves as a living legacy for the next generation.

  ii) Which line has been repeated? Why?

Ans. The line repeated in the poem is 'What does he plant who plant?' Each stanza opens up with the same line which is an interrogative form. This is repeated to lay emphasis on the importance and value of planting trees. One who plants a tree plants enormous things along with it. The answer is provided by the poet itself in the subsequent sentences.

 iii) Which social and ecological benefits of tree plantation does the poet refer to here?

Ans. The poet refers here to various benefits of tree plantation. Trees give us food, shelter and fresh air. They both purify and beautify the environment we live in. Without any discrimination trees are beneficial to all the beings in the surrounding. They reduce air pollution by purifying the air. They act as a home for birds whose sweet humming brightens our lives.

 iv) In what way is a tree, 'The harvest of coming age'?

Ans. The outcome of tree plantation is bountiful. They reward the environment with all the necessary resources. Trees tend to live very long, some lasting for several thousand years. So the benefits we derive from trees, extend as long as the tree lives. It spreads its branches far and wide and reaches our future generation to harvest their benefits as well.

  v) What else gets planted on the earth besides seed and bud?

Ans. The Tree planter actually plants seed and bud. These two things are the basic means to reproduce a tree.
But the result of the plantation brings about abundant resources without which we cannot exist. With a foresight we realize that planting a seed and bud is in actual, planting a joyful and healthy future. The tree planter plants glorious plains. He plants the heritage of the forest. Thus he plants tremendous joy for the generations yet to be born on earth.

PASSAGE ~ 3

   i) Explain 'his blessings on the neighbourhood'.

Ans. Trees are a form of blessings to us from nature. It holds our joy and very existence on earth. The benefits derived from trees are a necessity for all the living beings. Once who nurtures a tree does good to himself and all those in his surrounding. Tree plantation brings about a sense of unity in the neighbourhood. They give us a new identity and encourage civic good.

  ii) Tree planter does civic good. How?

Ans. Civic good is doing for the environment or society we live in. A Tree planter not just ensures good for himself but for the society as a whole. Social benefits of civic nature with plantation include, ensured health and well being, community development and pollution control. Tree plantation is a very thoughtful act which directly or indirectly benefits the whole society.

iii) Do you agree with the poet that a nation's growth depends upon the wealth of trees? Why/Why not? 

Ans. Yes, I agree with the poet that the nation's wealth depends upon the wealth of its trees. There are various economic benefits of afforestation. Trees make a massive contribution to our livelihood, economic development and to the Gross National Income. The resources derived from trees help to produce commodities which in terms of money mean a lot. Trees are ageless and the benefits received from them are in abundance. They create economic opportunities, increase property value and business traffic. Hence, they promote national growth of a country.
iv) Which value does one inculcate with tree plantation? Who holds the growth of the land?
Ans. Tree planting includes the values of love and loyalty among the people in the society. When one benefits the others unconditionally, they develop a sense of care and honesty within themselves. The growth of our land is in our own hands. Being responsible citizens of our nation we must acknowledge the necessity of making our environment clean and green with the help of trees. Turning our land to the utmost cultivable level, will lead to the country's growth and development.
  v) Is the poem 'The Heart of the Tree' relevant to our times? How?
Ans. Yes. This poem is absolutely relevant to our times. Though the poem was written long ago when ecological imbalance was not a major concern, it has a universal application. Especially during current times, where we are facing deforestation. Trees help to make the land fertile with which we get good crops. Agriculture being our national occupation, trees forms a vital part as they prevent land erosion. They help to maintain the ecological balance. Thus we should preserve our trees and plants with great care.

Anybody want summary or line wise explaination then comment down below
Additional Question 
  i) Write a critical appreciation of the poem 'The Heart Of The Tree'.
Ans. The title of the poem, 'The Heart Of The Tree' is appropriate and suggestive of feelings. The focus of the poet is intact on the tree throughout the poem. The poet describes the Heart Of The Tree which is kind, generous and bountiful. It is impartial and selfless in showering its blessings on everyone. It showers the quality of loving and caring on all beings unconditionally.


The poem has a universal application, although it was written many years ago, when there was not much concern for the environment. It has a significant message for our generation. Today, deforestation has led to many drastic problems. It is very important to realize the never ending need of trees, who provide us resources, essential for our existence.

Please comment the whatever notes you want as you comment it as it help me to understand the need of yours...


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