Lesson N. 8                                               The Gulistan of Sa'di                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   (Sheikh Sa'di)

Sheikh sa'di was a great storyteller. He speaks to all nations and is perpetually modern, said Emerson. He thought of the Gulistan as one of the bibles of the world, for he found in it the universality of moral law. The Gulistan translated in Latin and English, become love for the people. It is interesting to note that English scholars used Sa'di's translated parables in their divine books till it was discovered to be an English translation of a Latin version of Persian origin. Edwin Arnold has aptly described Gulistan in culinary terms as " an intellectual pilaf, a literary curry; a kebab of a versatile genius". The readers are sure to enjoy these parables as food for thought.

                                                                      I

Once a king and a Persian slave were sailing in the same boat. The slave had never been at sea, and never experienced any calamity. After some-time the boat was hit by a storm and started tossing. It was very inconvenient for the passengers. All remained quite except the slave who is fear of being drowned began to cry and tremble, and created inconvenience for the others. The others tried to pacify him by kindness and affection but he didn't hear anybody. When the uneasiness lasted longer the king also became displeased.

In that boat there happened to be a sergeant, who said."With your permission, may I quieten him."

"It will be a great favour", the king said. The sergeant ordered the slave to be thrown into the water, so that he could have experienced the true danger of life. Two persons threw him in the sea and when he was about to be drowned they pulled him back to the boat, and he clung the stern with both of his hands. Then ha sat down and remained quite. This appeared strange to the king, who could not comprehend the wisdom in the action taken by the sergeant, and he asked for it. The sergeant replied:

"Before he had experienced the danger of being drowned, he knew not about the safety of the boat. A man does not realize the worth of safety from the misfortune until he has tasted it."

                                                                   II

It is related that while a deer was being roasted for Nushirvan, a king of Persia, famous for his justice, no salt could be found. A boy was sent to a village to bring some salt. The boy brought it and presented it to the king who asked whether he had paid for it. 

Lesson no. 7
                                               

                                        The Use of Force
                                                                                      

                                                                             (William Carlos Williams)

"Please come down as soon as you can, my daughter is very sick."
When I arrived, I was met by the mother, a big startled looking woman, very clean and apologetic who merely said,"Is this the doctor?" and let me in. She added. "You must excuse us, doctor, we have her in the kitchen where it is warm. It is very damp here sometimes."
The child was fully dressed and sitting on her father's lap near the kitchen table. He tried to get up, but I motioned for him not to bother. I could see that they were all very nervous, eyeing me up and down distrustfully. As often, in such cases, they weren't telling me more than they had to, it was up to me to tell them; that's why they were spending three dollars on me.
The child was fairly eating me up with her cold, steady eyes, and no expression on her face whatever. She did not move and seemed inwardly, quite; an unusually attractive little thing, and as strong as a heifer in appearance. But her face was flushed, she was breathing rapidly, and I realized that she had a high fever. She had magnificent blonde hair in profusion. One of those picture children often reproduced in advertising leaflets and the photogravure sections of the Sunday papers.
"She's had a fever for three days,"began the father, "and we don't know what it comes from. My wife has given her things, you know, like people do, but it doesn't do any good.
And there's been a lot of sickness around. So we tho't you'd better look her over and tell us what the matter is."
As doctors often do, I took a trial shot at it as a point of departure. "Has she had a sore throat?"
Both parents answered me together,"No .... No, she says her throat doesn't hurt her."
"Does your throat hurt you?" added the mother to the child. But the little girl's expression didn't change nor did she move her eyes from my face.
"Have you looked?"
"I tried to", said the mother, but I couldn't see.
"As it happens we had been having a number of cases of diphtheria in the school to which this child went during that month and we were all, quite apparently thinking of that, though no one had as yet spoken of the thing."
"Well,"I said," suppose we take a look at the throat first. I smiled in my best professional manner and asking for the child's first name I said, come on, Mathilda, open your mouth and let's take a look at your throat."
"Nothing doing."
"Aw, come on, "I coaxed,"just open your mouth wide and let me take a look."
"Look," I said opening both hands wide,"I haven;t anything in my hands. Just open up and let me see."
"Such a nice man, "put in the mother."Look how kind he is to you. Come on, do what he tells you to. He won't hurt you."
At that I ground my teeth in disgust. If only they wouldn't use the word "hurt"I might be able to get somewhere. But I did not allow mtself to be hurried or disturbed but speaking quietly and slowly I approached the child again.
As I moved my chair a little nearer, suddenly with one catlike movement, both her hands clawed instinctively for my eyes and she almost reached them too. In fact she knocked my glasses flying and they fell, though unbroken, several feet away from me on the kitchen floor.
Both the mother and father almost turned themselves inside out in embarrassment and apology. "You bad girl," said the mother,taking her and shaking her by one arm."Look what you've done. The nice man......"
"For Heaven's sake," I broke in."don't call me a nice man to her. I'm here to look at her throat on the chance that she might have diphtheria and possibly die of it."But that's nothing to her."Look here", I said to the child,"we're going to look at your throat. You're old enough to understand what I'm saying. Will you open it now by yourself or shall we have to open it for you?"
Not a move. Even her expression hadn't changed. Her breathes, however, were coming faster and faster. Then the battle began. I had to do it. I had to have a throat culture for her own protection. But first I told the parents that it was entirely up to them., I explained the danger but said that I would not insist on a throat examination so long as they would take the responsibility.
"If you don't do what the doctor says you'll have to go to the hospital", the mother admonished her severely.
"Put her in front of you on your lap", I ordered," and hold both her wrists".
But as soon as he did the child let out a scream."Don't you're hurting me. Let go off my hands. Let them go I tell you." Then she shirked terrifyingly, hysterically.
"Stop it! You're killing me!"
"Do you think she can stand it, doctor?" said the mother.
"You get out", said the husband to his wife. "Do you want her to die of diphteria?"
"Come on now, hold her", I said.
Then I grasped the child's head with my left hand and tried to get the wooden tongue depressor between her teeth. She fought,with clenched teeth, desperately!
But now I also had grown furious - at a child. I tried to hold myself down but I couldn't. I know how to expose a throat for inspection. And I did my best. When finally I got the wooden spatula behind the last teeth and just the point of it into the mouth cavity, she opened up for an instant but before I could see anything she came down again and gripped the wooden blade between her molars. She reduced it to splinters before I could get it out again.
"Aren't you ashamed", the mother yelled at her. "Aren't you ashamed to act like that in front of the doctor?"
"Get me a smooth- handled spoon of some sort", I told the mother,"We're going through with this." The child's mouth was already bleeding. Her tongue was cut and she was screaming in wild hysterical shrieks. Perhaps I should have desisted and come back in an hour or more. No doubt it would have been better. But I have seen, at least, two children lying dead in bed of neglect in such cases, and feeling that I must get a diagnosis now or never I went at it again. But the worst of it was that I too had got beyond reason. I could have torn the child apart in my own fury and enjoyed it. It was a pleasure to attack her. My face was burning with it.
In the final unreasoning assault I overpowered the child's neck and jaws. I forced the heavy silver spoon back of her teeth and down her throat till she gagged. And there it was - both tonsils covered with membrane . She had fought valiantly to keep me form knowing her secret. She had been hiding that sore throat for three days at least and lying to her parents in order to escape just such an outcome as this.
Now truly she was furious. She had been on the defensive before but now she attacked. Tried to get off her father's lap and fly at me while tears of defeat blinded her eyes.


                                     ************************************





                                                                 Exercises

Q 1. Choose the correct answer.

1. Who is 'I'in the story?

(a) the father  
(b) the doctor
(c) the mother
(d) the sick child


2. The parents were nervous because

(a) they did not want to tell the doctor anything.
(b) they did not know what to say.
(c) they wanted the doctor to tell them everything.
(d) the child did not tell anything.


3. The doctor was impressed

(a) by the beauty of the child.
(b) by the patience of the child.
(c) by the patience of the parents.
(d) by the picture of the child he had seen in Sunday's paper.


4. The doctor took a 'trial shot at it' means

(a) he made a wild guess to begin with
(b) he gave her a shot
(c) he took parents to talk
(d) he examined the girl carefully


5. The doctor feared that the child might be suffering from diphtheria.

(a) from the appearance of the child
(b) the parents told him so
(c) from the examination of the child
(d) he guessed because there had been such cases in a local school


6.The child did not respond to the doctor's instructions because


(a) she was afraid of the doctor
(b) she was a stubborn child
(c) her parents had tried to open the mouth
(d) she was angry


7. The doctor ground his teeth in anger because


(a) the child did not respond
(b) the mother told the girl,"He would not hurt you."
(c) the parents did not let him handle the child.
(d) the child had knocked his glasses.


8. The doctor had almost succeeded in opening the mouth of the girl but failed to see because


(a) the child resisted strongly.
(b) the parental love made the father to release her at the last moment.
(c) the rough handling hurt the child.
(d) the mother stopped him.



 Q 2. Mark the sentences true or false.


Answer:

1) True          2) False              3) True                 4) True                5) True                  6) True


7) True          8) True              9) True



Q 3. Answer the following questions.


1. What was the condition of the parents on the arrival of the doctor?

Ans. The parents were very nervous. They were looking at the doctor distrustfully.


2. What was the behavior of the child with the doctor?

Ans. It was very cold initially and she did not respond at all. Then she became aggressive and knocked his glasses down. She remained violent during her throat examination.


3. She had a fever for three days, hadn't she?

Ans. Yes, she had a fever for three days.


4. Did the girl change her expression when the doctor said,"Does your throat hurt you"?

Ans. She did not change her expression at all.


5.Why did the doctor call the sick girl by her first name?

Ans. The doctor wanted to get friendly with the girl in his professional manner.


6. Did the sick child promptly respond to the instruction of the doctor?

Ans. The sick girl did not respond promptly to the instruction of the doctor. She remained non-cooperative and stubborn.


7. Why did the parents rebuke her?

Ans. The parents rebuked her on knocking the doctor's glasses down.


8. What was the threat of the doctor to the child for not showing her throat?

Ans. The doctor threatened the child that if she did not open her mouth herself, they would open it themselves for her.


9. Why did she break the wooden blade?

Ans. She broke the wooden blade because the doctor had forcefully inserted this blade into her mouth to open it. She was frightened from the throat examination.


10. What was the condition of the tonsils of the sick girl?

Ans. Her tonsils were covered with membrane. It showed that she was suffering from diphtheria.





Q 4. Answer the following questions in 50-100 words.


1.How did the child look by appearance?

Ans. When the doctor had a glance of the child she was fully dressed. She was sitting on her father's lap near the kitchen table. The child had cold and steady eyes. She had expressionless face. She was motionless and seemed inwardly quite. She was an unusually attractive little girl but as strong as a heifer in appearance. Her face was flushed and she was breathing rapidly. She was in high fever. She had magnificent blonde hair, in profusion. She was like one of those picture children often reproduced in advertising leaflets and specific sections of the Sunday papers.


2. Why did the parents keep the sick child in the kitchen?

Ans. The parents had kept the sick child in the kitchen because it was warm there. The mother told the doctor that sometimes there was dampness in the atmosphere. Therefore they thought it better to keep the child away from damp air. She was suffering from fever. It is normally advised by the doctors that children should be protected against chill and cold when they get fever.There is always a chance of pneomonia or severe chest congestion. They also wanted to save her from epidemic.


3.How did the doctor succeed in examining her throat?

Ans. When the doctor found that the child was not willing to examined in a normal congenial manner he had to apply force for that. She had also reduced the wooden tongue depressor to pieces by gripping it when he was able to insert it in her mouth.
The doctor demanded a silver spoon, overpowered the child's neck and jaws and forced the heavy spoon back of her teeth and down her throat till she gagged. That was how he saw her tonsils covered with membrane.


4. Describe the feelings of the doctor in his struggle to diagnose the disease.

Ans. The doctor behaved in a professional manner smilingly but the girl was unwilling. When the mother told her that the doctor would not hurt her the doctor ground his teeth at that because it alarmed the child much more.
When the girl knocked his glasses he became irritated and threatened the child. He inserted the wooden spatula in her throat but she broke it into pieces. The doctor felt that he could tear the child apart  in his fury and enjoyed it. He felt pleasure to attack her. His face was burning with rage. Finally he succeeded in diagnosing the disease by the use of force.


5. Compare and contrast the conduct of a healthy child and a sick child.

Ans. It is said that  child is healthy when he takes active part in life. If a child is passive and does not respond or react to the voices or gestures we must consult a doctor. Parents should observe their children very minutely. If they are doing unusual things or behaving differently they should take them to the doctor. A sick child always remain dull and he do not take part in lively things whereas a healthy child always take part in games and other activities.



6. Under what circumstances the use of force can be justified?

Ans. Sometimes children betray their parents to get their unnecessary demands fulfilled. Mothers have more tender feelings towards kids. Normally they spoil the kids by giving them undue favour and shelter. If they feel that they do not pay heed to their instructions they should use force to save their children from becoming culprit.
Anything that a child say is not necessarily true. They should not be trusted blindly. Parents must be very keen about their activities. They should save their children from developing incurable habits in future. When love spoils, force improves.



Q 5. ANSWERS:


1. When I arrived I met my mother.
2. I motioned for him not to bother.
3. I moved my chair a little nearer.
4. She knocked my glasses flying and they fell.
5.I explained the danger.
6. They grew more and more crushing.
7.Then she shrieked terrifyingly.
8.Then I gasped the child's head with my left hand.
9. She opened up her mouth for an instant.
10. She reduced it to splinters before I could get it out again.


Q 6.  Punctuate the following lines.

does your throat hurt you added the mother to the child but the little girls expressions did not change nor did she move her eyes from my face.


Answer:


"Does your throat hurt you?" added the mother to the child. But the little girl's expressions didn't change nor did she move her eyes from my face.



Q 7. Use the following words in your sentences.

Words                                                 Sentences                    

Start                                               He started going to library.

Motion                                           I motioned him to stay there.

Trust                                              She did not trust him.

Magnificent                                    We saw a magnificent building in the village.

Leaflet                                           I receive different leaflets daily.



Q 8.
Answers:

1) to
2) up
3) at
4) of
5) in



Q 9. Use the following phrasal verbs in your own sentences.

Phrasal verbs                                                  Sentences

Sit on                                                          He has been sitting on my application for a month now.

Sit in                                                           I was allowed to sit in on an executive meeting.

Come from                                                  Where do you come from?

Come off                                                    That mark will not come off




Q 10. Answer the questions given at the end of the paragraph.

Then I grasped the child's head with my left hand and tried to get the wooden tongue depressor between her teeth. She fought,with clenched teeth, desperately!
But now I also had grown furious - at a child. I tried to hold myself down but I couldn't. I know how to expose a throat for inspection. And I did my best. When finally I got the wooden spatula behind the last teeth and just the point of it into the mouth cavity, she opened up for an instant but before I could see anything she came down again and gripped the wooden blade between her molars. She reduced it to splinters before I could get it out again.


1. Why did the doctor become furious?

Ans. The girl resisted violently against her throat examination. It was quite necessary so the doctor became furious to have a look at her tonsils.


2. What instrument did the doctor use to open her mouth?

Ans. He used the wooden spatula to open her mouth.


3. Why did she grip the wooden blade between her molars?

Ans. She gripped the wooden blade between her molars and reduced it to pieces because she was angry. She did not want her throat to be examined.


4. Write down the main idea of the paragraph.

Ans. The sick girl did not want her throat to be examined by the doctor. She was suffering a lot so it was necessary for the doctor to have a look at her throat. He used force to examine her and she reacted violently by breaking the wooden spatula.

Lesson No. 6
                                                         The Reward
                                                                                                         
                                                                                                    (Lord Dunsany)

Our talk at the Club one day was of opportunity and determination. Some said opportunity was required for success, and millions never had it ; others that only determination was needed.
And then Jorkens joined in , all for determination. "If a man was determined to get anything, and stuck to it long enough, he got it, " said Jorkens.
'Anything'? asked Terbut.
'Anything,' Jorkens replied,'so long as he sticks to it, and sticks to it hard enough and long enough. Anything whatever." Terbut disagreed.
 'Life is like a race.' Jorkens went on, 'in which they tire after a while and sit down, or get interested in something else instead. The man who keeps on wins the race.'
 "And suppose a man wanted to be skating champion of the Sahara, 'said Terbut,'and couldn't afford the money to get there.'
'He'd make the money,'said Jorkens.
'And he'd build a skating-rink in the Sahara and organize a competition there. He'd be skating champion all right, if he really gives all his time to it.'
'Could you tell us a case like that?' asked one of us.
'As a matter of fact, I can, 'said Jorkens,'a very similar case.'
'Let's hear it,'said Terbut.
'There was a young fellow,'said Jorkens,'to whom his parents probably used to say the very things that we have been saying now; and very likely he, as many young fellows do, may have wanted to prove them wrong. I don't know:  it was a long time ago. But, whatever his motive was, he hit on a most extraordinary ambition, and stuck to it. It was nothing less than to be appointed Court acrobat.'
'What ?' said Terbut.
'Acrobat,' Jorkens went on,'to the Court of the country in which he lived.'
'What kind of country was that,'said Terbut.
Never mind what country it was,' said Jorkens, 'And as a matter of fact its customs weren't so silly as you suppose. They had no post of Court acrobat, and never had had. But that didn't stop young Gorgios. That was his name, He was a good athlete when he came by his wild idea at about the age of sixteen, and had won the high jump and the hurdles and the hundred yards at his school.'
'Well, there was opportunity,' agreed Terbut,' if he was born a good athlete.'
'But wait a moment,'said Jorkens, 'You don't remain an athlete all your life,and he still had to get the post created.'
'How did he do that?' asked Terbut.
'Simply by sticking to it,' said Jorkens,' He went into politics. They all do in that country. But he went into them harder than anyone else, and never gave up his ambition. Of course he made speeches, and fine ones, on many other subjects; but all the while he stuck to his one idea. The years went by, and the day came when he had power enough to preach his ambition openly, and he told them how the glory of their country and of its ancient throne would be increased if the post of Court acrobat were created. He gave examples of other Courts and greater ones. Of course many opposed him: that is politics. Of course it took a long time: that is politics too. But as the years went by he wore down opposing arguments, till he had taught people what a lesson it would be to all the nations to have a young athlete at Court exhibition perfect physical fitness, and how such an example would strengthen their soldiers and enable them  finally to win the just rights of the nation in victorious battle against their accursed neighbors. And so the idea caught on; and to make a very long story short, the post of Court acrobat was duly created.'
'Both parents of Gorgios were by then long dead. By then, little remained to be done: he had only to stick for a few more days to that wild idea of his, and then, when the question arose of choosing an athlete to fill the newly-made post, whom could they choose but the man who had worked for it all those years?'               'So Gorgios was appointed acrobat to the Court, and learned so late in life, what always takes time, that his parents were right after all. It only remained then to inaugurate him. And that is where I came on the  scene, wandering about Europe as I used to do in those days when food used to be cheap and I was young and could easily walk long distances. I came to that  country and they were wonderfully friendly, and they let me see the great ceremony, which took place as soon after the creation of the post as Gorgios's uniform could be got ready. And very magnificent clothing it was, a tight-fitting suit of red velvet, all gay with gold buttons and shining with lines of gold lace that wound and twisted about it.The great throne-room had been turned into a kind of gymnasium, with the members of the Royal House seated along a raised platform at one end, and the principal officers standing beside and behind them.
Great curtains of red and gold were hung along the walls, and the high swings of acrobats hung down with gilded ropes from the ceiling, and a row of neat hurdles was arranged on the polished floor: like the ones over which Gorgios had won his race when at school. Lights glittered, a band in pale green and gold played softly, and it was indeed a splendid scene. I will not describe it to you, because everything there, the uniforms and the ladies' brilliant dresses, was utterly put in the shade by the moment when the doors opened with a flood of golden light, and the old man in his brilliant uniform appeared between them for the crowning of his life's work. His white hair and the red uniform of the Court acrobat showed each other off to perfection, and his thin figure worn with age was made all the more melancholy by the tight-fitting uniform. As though tired by his long patience and the work of a lifetime, he walked slowly in his pointed shoes and leaned on a gilded stick. He came to the hurdles that he remembered, over which once he had won so easy a victory. As he came to the first he looked up for a moment with a slightly sad expression towards the royal platform, as though he asked some question with his eyes. Whatever the question was it was at once understood: royal smiles were directed towards him, and gentle applause broke out from every hand, which he understood at once, and the old bent from moved on away from the hurdles. Once he raised a hand to touch the lowest of the swings that were hung from the ceiling. But again the applause broke out, assuring him that no actual activity was expected of him. And so; having made his bows, he was led to a seat, his life's ambition achieved, It must have taken him more than sixty years to do it, since first he came by that strange ambition of his. But he did it. Not many sticks to a thing for so long.'
And Jorkens uttered a quite sigh, so clearly mourning over some lost ambition that he himself had given up, that not even Terbut asked him what it was.




                                                  ***************************



                                                                 


                                                                   EXERCISES


1. Choose the correct answer.

1. Jorkens said that a man who wanted to succeed had to be

(a) an athlete
(b) a determined person
(c) a lucky
(d) a hardworking person


2.The man who keeps on wins

(a) the reward
(b) the race
(c) the shield
(d) the trophy


3. He'd be skating champion if he really have

(a) some money
(b) his passion
(c) all his time to it
(d) his energies


4. He hit on a most extraordinary ambition, to be appointed

(a) an inspector
(b) a magistrate
(c) a clerk
(d) a Court acrobat


5. At the age of sixteen he won the

(a) high jump
(b) the hurdles
(c) the hundred yards race
(d) high jump, and hurdles and the hundred yards


6. Gorgios probably wanted to 


(a) make his country powerful
(b) prove his parents wrong
(c) wear a splendid uniform
(d) create a post of Court acrobat


7. When Gorgios was inaugurated, the people applauded because he


(a) had achieved his ambition
(b) looked splendid in his uniform
(c) performed on the hurdles and swings
(d) defeated his enemies



8. The great throne-room had been turned into a kind of


(a) swimming pool
(b) gymnasium
(c) stadium
(d) race track


9. Terbut


(a) asked Jorkens what his own ambition was
(b) believed Jorkens' story
(c) disagreed with Jorkens
(d) improved Jorkens' story


10. Gorgios achieved his ambition by


(a) building a skating-rink
(b) going into politics
(c) getting an opportunity
(d) winning the hundred yards
                                         


Q 2. Mark the sentences true or false.


1. They talked of money and determination.                                                                       False

2. Gorgios wanted to prove his parents wrong.                                                                    True

3. He went into politics to persuade them.                                                                           False

4. The creation of a post of Court acrobat would increase the glory of the country.              True

5. It would inspire them to win the just rights.                                                                      True

6. Many athletes competed for the post of a Court acrobat.                                                False

7. The magnificent uniform of Gorgios impressed them all.                                                   True

8. Everyone was sad on the inauguration.                                                                           False

9. The band played softly.                                                                                                 True

10. Gorgios looked up with a slightly sad expression towards the royal platform.                True.



Q 3. Answer the following questions.


1. What was the subject discussed at the Club?

Ans. The subject was the need of opportunity and determination for gaining success.


2. What did Terbut think of Jorkens argument?

Ans. Terbut disagreed and thought that anything could not be got by mere determination.


3. How did Jorkens convince that a man can become a skating champion of the Sahara?

Ans. Jorkens suggested that by making money, building a skating rink in the Sahara and organizing a competition there, a man can become the champion if he really gives all his time to it.


4.How did Gorgios persuade the people to make his country strong?

Ans. Gorgios persuaded his people by preaching them that they should have a young athlete at court exhibiting perfect physical fitness. This example would strengthen their soldiers and enable them finally to win the just rights and battles for their own country.


5.What was the viewpoint of the parents of Gorgios?

Ans. His parents told Gorgios that opportunity was required for success and only determination could not serve the purpose. Gorgios learned so late in life that his parents were right after all.


6. What were the arrangements made for the function of inauguration?

Ans. A magnificent dress was prepared for Gorgios. The great throne-room had been turned into a kind of gymnasium where great curtains of red and gold were hung along the walls. High swings of acrobats hung down with gilded ropes from the ceiling and a row of neat hurdles was arranged on the polished floor.


7. Describe the scene of inauguration. Write five sentences.

Ans. It was a splendid scene; lights glittered, music played softly when the doors opened `with a flood of golden light and the old man in his brilliant uniform appeared between them. He walked slowly and leaned on a gilded stick. When he came to the first hurdle, he looked up towards the royal platform. Royal smiles were directed towards him, and gentle applause broke out from every hand which assured him that no actual activity was required of him so he made his bows to the crowd. He was led to a seat and his life's ambition achieved.


8. What were the feelings of Gorgios on the occasion?

Ans. He looked melancholic in his tight fitting uniform and seemed tired by his long patience and the work of a lifetime. He remembered his past when he had climbed the hurdles so easily but this victory was more satisfactory because it was the accomplishment of his dream.


9. Did Gorgios use any short cut to achieve his ambition?

Ans. Gorgios worked for more than sixty years without using any short cut or becoming frustrated. He remained determined and kept on his struggle and finally achieved his ambition.


10. For how long had Gorgios to stick to get his ambition achieved?

Ans. Gorgios had to stick to his ambition for more than sixty years. After a life long struggle, he achieved his ambition.




Q 4. Answer the following questions in 50-100 words.


1. Discuss the political views of Jorkens.

Ans. Jorkens says if a man is determined to get anything and sticks to it long enough, he gets it. To him life is like a race in which only those become successful who neither lose interest nor heart. If a person has a certain ambition in politics, must possess this quality. He must be a very good orator but he should never lose sight of his original goal. In politics one must be tolerant to face the opposing arguments. Th time comes when he has the power to pave the way for himself. Then he can achieve whatever he has desired.



2. How did Gorgios achieve his ambition?

Ans. Gorgios decided to become a Court acrobat in a country where no such post existed. He was a young athlete. He went into politics to achieve his ambition. He made very fine speeches on other subjects also but concentrated fully on his target. He told them how the glory of their country could be increased if the post of Court acrobat were created. He taught people that it would be a great lesson for other nations to have a young athlete at Court who could boost the morale of the soldiers. Finally his idea  struck and Gorgios achieved his ambition.



3. Do you agree or disagree with the viewpoint of the writer?

Ans. I think it is not always true that we can achieve everything through determination only. It is also the phenomenon of nature that everybody is not gifted with the same abilities of heart, soul, mind and body. Sometimes man becomes victim of circumstances and cannot stand hardships.
He has to surrender before the situation. The writer also says that Gorgios learned so late in life that his parents were right after all. Sometimes a person is determined but never gets an opportunity to prove his worth. So no hard and fast rule can be formed for success. Determination and opportunities both matter in life.


4. Why were the brilliant dresses put in the shade at the inauguration?

Ans. The great ceremony was held to honour the Court acrobat. Gorgios had done a heroic deed. Everybody came to recognize his struggle. The stage was set for only one person. Every decoration was made for him. He was the central character of the occasion. Even the Royal House came to applause him. Nobody had come there to see brilliant dresses or decorations. Therefore everything was put in the shade when the doors opened with a flood of golden light, and the old man in his brilliant uniform appeared between them for the crowning of his life's work..


5. What is the lesson the story teaches?

Ans.  The story is not only a fantastic adventure of a young man but also teaches us moral lessons.  Young people normally give a deaf ear to the advice of their elders.They want to prove them wrong. The writer suggests that they should avoid it. The other moral we get from the story is to have a strong faith in ourselves. If we are courageous, bold and determined, we can face every challenge of life. We can minimize the bitterness of life though we cannot put an end to misery.




Q 5. Connect part of Column 1 with the relevant part of Column 2. 



Answers.

1. Some said opportunity was required for success.

2. He was a good athlete when he came by his wild idea.

3.He went into them harder than anyone else.

4. He had power to preach his ambition openly.

5. He had only to stick for a few more days to that wild idea.

6. I used to do in those days when food used to be cheap.

7. His white hair and the red uniform showed each other off to perfection.

8. It must have taken him more than sixty years to do it.



Q 6. Punctuate the following lines. 

life is like a race Jorkens went on in which they tire after a while and sit down or get interested in something else instead the man who keeps on wins the race


Answer:

'Life is like a race.' Jorkens went on, 'in which they tire after a while and sit down, or get interested in something else instead. The man who keeps on wins the race.'



Q 7. Complete these sentences with the correct form of the verbs in brackets.


1. Jorkens said that if a man (be) determined to get anything, and (stick) to it long enough, he (get)  it.
    Jorkens said that if a man was determined to get anything, and stuck to it long enough, he got it.


2. If a man (want) to be a skating champion of the Sahara, and (can) not afford the money to get there, he'd       (make) the money.
    If a man wanted to be a skating champion of the Sahara, and could not afford the money to get there, he'd     make the money.


3.He (be) skating champion if he really (give) all his time to it.
   He would be skating champion if he really gave all his time to it.


4.It was thought that the glory of the country (be) increased if the post of Court acrobat (be) created.
   It was thought that the glory of the country would be increased if the post of Court acrobat were created.


5.It was decided that if a good athlete (can) be found, they (make) him Court acrobat.
   It was decided that if a good athlete could be found, they would make him Court acrobat.



Q 8. Use the following phrasal verbs in your sentences.  

a) get in                    b) get out                  c) get on                d) get off


Phrasal Verbs                                                  Sentences

a) Get in                                                           In theses elections I have a good chance of getting in.

b) Get out                                                        If this gets out it can cause trouble.

c) Get on                                                         He is getting on very well at school.

d) Get off                                                        We got off straight after lunch.



Q 9. Read the following passage and answer the questions given in the end.

'Simply by sticking to it,' said Jorkens,' He went into politics. They all do in that country. But he went into them harder than anyone else, and never gave up his ambition. Of course he made speeches, and fine ones, on many other subjects; but all the while he stuck to his one idea. The years went by, and the day came when he had power enough to preach his ambition openly, and he told them how the glory of their country and of its ancient throne would be increased if the post of Court acrobat were created. He gave examples of other Courts and greater ones. Of course many opposed him: that is politics. Of course it took a long time: that is politics too. But as the years went by he wore down opposing arguments, till he had taught people what a lesson it would be to all the nations to have a young athlete at Court exhibition perfect physical fitness, and how such an example would strengthen their soldiers and enable them  finally to win the just rights of the nation in victorious battle against their accursed neighbors. And so the idea caught on; and to make a very long story short, the post of Court acrobat was duly created.'



a) Who joined the politics?

Ans. The hero of the paragraph went into politics.


b) How can the glory of the country be increased?

Ans. The glory of the country can be increased if  a post of Court acrobat were created.


c) How was the post of a Court acrobat created?

Ans. The post of a Court acrobat was duly created after the life long struggle of the protagonist. He made              his countrymen believe that it would be a wonderful lesson for all the nations to have a young athlete at         Court. This example would strengthen the soldiers and they would be able to win their rights.


d) Write down the main idea of the para.

Ans. The main idea is that a person who remains determined and struggles hard wins his ambition.

Lesson No. 5
                                               
                                    The Piece of String
                                                                                             (Guy De Maupassant)

At the end of market day, the rich people with vehicles of all kinds, carts, gigs,wagons, dump carts gathered at a great big hall for a great meal.There were chickens, pigeons and legs of mutton in the roast and an appetizing odour of roast, beef. Leaf and gravy dripping over the browned skin, which increased the appetite and made everybody's mouth water. Everyone told his affairs, his purchases and sales. The diners discussed the crops and the weather which was favourable for the green things but not for wheat. Suddenly, at the sound of drum beat in the court every body rose from the seats expect a few ones who still had the food in their hands. After the drum beat had ceased, the drum beaters called out to the people who were now attentive and impatiently waiting for him to call out the public announcement. "It is hereby made known to the inhabitants of this place and in general to all persons in the market that a black leather pocketbook containing five hundred shilling and some business papers was lost on the road between 9.00 and 10.00 in the morning. The finder is requested to return the same to the mayor's office or to Mr. James, the caretaker of this public hall. There will be a reward of 20 shillings".After the meal had concluded the Chief of the police appeared on the scene. He inquired,"Is Mr. Hubert here?" Mr. Hubert seated at another end of the table replied,"Here I am." The police officer went up to him and said,"Mr. Hubert, will you please accompany me to the mayor's office, the mayor would like to talk to you."Mr. Hubert surprised and disturbed, followed the police officer. The Mayor, a stout serious man, was waiting for Hubert. "Mr. Hubert," he said, "You were seen this morning to pick up the pocketbook lost by Mr. James." Mr. Hubert, the simple countryman looked at the Mayor astounded and already terrified by the suspicion resting on him."Why, Me? Me? Me picked up the pocketbook" "Yes, you yourself"."By my word of honour I never heard of it." "But you were seen.""I was seen with the pocketbook? Who saw me?". "Mr. Manana, the harness man saw you pick up the pocketbook.Mr. Hubert, the old man, remembered, understood and flushed with anger."O, him! Yes! He saw me pick up this string here." And as he said so, he drew out the little piece of string from his pocket.But the Mayor shook his head and said. "You will not make me believe that Mr. Manana, who is a man of worthy credence, mistook the cord for a pocketbook."Mr. Hubert, the peasant furiously lifted his hand, spat at one side to attest his honour, and said in the most exasperating tone, "It is, nevertheless, truth of the good God, the sacred truth. I repeat it on my soul and my salvation.""After picking up the object , you stood there, looking a long while in the mud to see if any money had fallen out."The good soul, Mr. Hubert, choked with indignation and fear."How any one can tell such lies to take away an honest man's reputation. How can any one .........................."There was no use of Mr. Hubert's protesting., for nobody believed him. Mr. Manana repeatedly maintained that Hubert had picked up the pocketbook. For an hour both men abused each other. Then at his own request, Mr. Hubert was searched. Nothing was found on him.Finally the Mayor discharged Hubert with warning that he would consult the public prosecutor and ask for further orders.As he left the Mayor's office, people surrounded and questioned him with serious curiosity. Nobody believed his story of the string. Instead people laughed at him.Mr. Hubert went along stopping his friends giving them his statement and presentation, turning his pocket inside out to prove that he had nothing. All they said was, "You old rascal!  Get out of here!"Mr. Hubert went to the village telling every man he knew about his adventure, but he only met with incredulity. It all made him ill. The next day in the afternoon a man named George returned the pocketbook and its contents to Mr. James the owner of the pocketbook.George claimed to have found the pocketbook on the road to the village market, but not knowing how to read he had given it to his employer.The news spread like fire in the neighborhood. Mr. Hubert was also informed. He was in triumph. "What grieved me as much was not the thing itself - as the lying. There is nothing so shameful as to be called a liar."Whatever reasons he gave, people were not willing to believe him. "Those are lying excuses." They said behind his back.  Hubert felt this shame and disgrace to his self esteem and character. He consumed his heart over this and wasted away before the very eyes of the people.People started to tell the story of the string to amuse themselves and told it in a manner of soldier who had been on a campaign and told about his battles. Hubert's mind touched to the depth, began to weaken day by day.Towards the end of the month he took to his bed. He died in the first week of the following month.In the delirium of his death struggles he kept claiming his innocence, reiterating: "A piece of string, a piece of string! By my word of honour I did not lie."And he died.It is said that a great flood in its great wrath carried away the people and all their belongings.The grave of Hubert withstood the havoc of the flood.It was engraved on his tomb stone, years after his death, "Here lies a man who would not prove his innocence, but the flood proved it - !"




                                             EXERCISES


Q 1. Choose the correct answer.

1.The rich people gathered at a big hall

(a) to watch a show
(b) for a discussion    
(c) to hear a lecture  
(d) for a great meal 


2. What was the public statement made by the drum beater ?

(a) loss of the black leather pocketbook containing money and business papers.
(b) open invitation for dinner
(c) to enjoy a concert
(d) sale of a building


3.Mr. Hubert was surprised and disturbed when the police officer asked him to accompany him to

(a) the police station
(b) the mayor's office
(c) the court
(d) the airport


4."By my word of honour I never heard of it" means

(a) that he never saw it.
(b) being an honorable man he didn't pick up the lost object.
(c) an honorable person never thought of picking up a lost object.
(d) he never heard of the lost object.


5. What did Hubert say in the most exasperating tone?


(a) he never stole the pocketbook
(b) he picked up a piece of string
(c) it is, nevertheless, truth of the good God, the sacred truth.
(d) "O, him! Yes! He saw me pick up this string here."


6.What were the feelings of Hubert when he was informed of the recovery of the lost object? He felt
(a) disgusted      
(b) triumphed      
(c) indifferent    
(d) concerned


7."But he only met with incredulity" means that he was believed

(a) telling the truth              
(b) lying            
(c) showing his faith      
(d) gentlemen


8.What did the people say behind his back?

(a) those are lame excuses
(b) he is innocent
(c) he is unreliable
(d) a man of loose character


9. What did Hubert feel?

(a) a grace of personality    
(b) shame and disgrace to his self-esteem and character
(c) truthful
(d) trustworthy


 10. What were the last words Hubert uttered before his death?

(a) " a piece of string ! a piece of string!"          
(b) by my word of honour I did not lie.
(c) I picked up a pocketbook
(d) I handed over the pocketbook to its owner



Q 2. Mark the sentences true or false.


1.Everybody's mouth was watered on the sight of wealth.                               False

2.The finder of the pocketbook will be rewarded.                                             True

3.He drew out the little pocketbook from his pocket.                                        False

4.Mr. Hubert was pleased to hear the allegation.                                               False

5.The people greeted Hubert when he came out of the office of the Mayor.       False

6.George found the pocketbook and gave it to Hubert.                                     False

7. The people believed the reason Hubert gave to prove his innocence.             False

8. People started to tell the story of the string to amuse themselves.                    True

9. A great flood carried away the people.                                                          True

10. Nothing but the flood proved Hubert's innocence.                                         True




Q 3. Answer the following questions.

1. Why did Manana accuse Hubert of picking the lost pocketbook?

Ans. Manana accused Hubert of picking the lost pocketbook because he had seen him bending over and picking something at the same time and place. He might want to get the reward of 20 shillings.


2. What did the people think of Hubert when they heard the return of the pocketbook by some other person?


Ans. People were not willing to believe him. They said behind his back that those were lame excuses. They thought that he must have dropped the purse somewhere else.


3.Why did George give the pocketbook to his employer?

Ans. George found the pocketbook on the road to the village market. He was an illiterate man so he gave it to his employer.


4. What made Hubert shameful?

Ans. Hubert was not believed and people declared him a liar. He felt shame and disgrace to his self esteem and character.


5.Why did the people make fun of his innocence?

Ans. Mr. Hubert took this incident to his heart and became very weak. People thought that his guilt had made him ill. They started making fun of him by telling the story of the string.



6. Why did he keep claiming his innocence before his death?

Ans. Hubert was blamed and victimized for being a liar. He lost the honour of his words. He wanted to regain his lost reputation therefore he kept claiming his innocence till his death.



Q 4. Answer the following questions in 100-150 words.


1. Write down a note on the character of Hubert?


Ans. Mr. Hubert is a simple countryman. He is neither clever nor bold. Mr. Manana accuses him of picking up a purse. He takes oath and swears by God that he has not taken the purse but nobody believes him. It shows that he is an isolated personality and has weak public relations and poor communication. The Mayor calls Mr. Manana a man of worthy credence and blames Mr. Hubert. He is so simple that he cannot believe that somebody can take away an honest man's reputation by telling such lies. Unfortunately, he is ridiculed and everybody doubt his character. He is so sensitive that he cannot stand this disgrace and falls ill. He consumes his heart, wastes away and dies. In his last moments he keeps claiming his innocence. He is such a good soul that he dies for his honour.


2. Write ten lines on the mentality of the people who did not believe Hubert.


Ans. Basically the story is a satire upon those who do not probe the matter and believe whatever is said. The people believed Manana  not Hubert because Manana was a man of  worthy credence according to the Mayor. There was an evidence that Hubert bent down and picked up something but there was no proof that it was the purse.Manana accused him because he wanted to get the reward and become prominent. All the people believed him and started ridiculing the good soul. It shows the mental sickness of those people. They were fond of making fun of others. They enjoyed scandalizing the innocent people because of their negative thinking and sick mentality. The administrators like Mayor are unable to judge the truth. They are narrow minded. They have no ability to see the things beneath the surface.



3.Why did the Mayor not believe the innocence of Hubert?

Ans. The Mayor did not believe the innocence of Hubert because he was seen picking something from the same place where the purse was lost. Mr. Manana was the eye witness but he only saw Hubert bending down and picking something up. He mistook a piece of string for pocketbook and accused Hubert of this theft. He also claimed that after picking up the pocketbook Hubert stood there, looking a long while in the mud to see if any money had fallen out.
The Mayor thought the witness sufficient for accusing Hubert. He also thought Mr. Manana a man of worthy credence.Such a person could not mistake piece of string for a pocketbook. He believed it must be the pocketbook and Hubert was guilty of picking it up.



4. Was it necessary for Hubert to continue pleading his innocence?

Ans.Mr. Hubert knew nothing except truth. It was beyond his imagination that he would be called a liar. It was a stigma on his character. If a person is true to his heart but he is misunderstood as a rascal it is nerve shattering for him. He cannot face the humiliation. Mr. Hubert bore all the characteristics of a simple good soul. He was a passive man.
When he was charged and victimized it was necessary for him to make himself free of this charge. He could tolerate everything except the disgrace of his honour. He wanted to make people believe that he was not the culprit. Therefore he continued pleading his innocence.



5. What suggestion can you give to Hubert to save him from such a humiliating situation?

Ans. This world and this life are great riddles. Everyone tries to solve these but finds no satisfactory answer.
It is not a very strange situation that Hubert is in, It is quite ironical that pious people are often misunderstood and those who pretend become successful. our institutions like law and justice are true examples of this. Justice can be bought. People like Hubert can only save themselves from humiliation if they make themselves quite strong.
Nobody can stop people of accusing or mocking others. A person should be bold and courageous enough to face the worse circumstances. If he shows any weakness he is run down and smashed. Hubert should not have taken all this to his heart. He should have shown his mettle but he proved himself fragile. He should not have tried to assure the people of his innocence. His illness also gave rise to suspicions and he yielded before circumstances.


Q 5. Fill in the correct prepositions (on, to, of, at, from)


1.He was walking from the public square.

2. Then he pretended to be looking at something on the ground.

3. They had decided  on purchase.

4. The finder is requested to return the same.

5. George claimed to have found the pocketbook.



Q 6. Punctuate the following  lines.

i was seen with the pocketbook who saw me mr manana the harness man saw you pick up the pocketbook.

Answer:

"I was seen with the pocket book?  Who saw me?". "Mr. Manana, the harness man saw you pick up the pocket book."



Q 7. Use the following words in your own sentences.

    Words                                                       Sentences

1. Purchase                                               She purchased a new dress.

2. Attentive                                                Be attentive please, the chairman is coming.

3. Surprised                                               He was surprised to see her in his office.                  

4. Astounded                                             I was astounded by the incident.

5. Shook                                                    She shook me by the shoulder.




Q 8. Read the following passage and answer the questions given at the end.


Suddenly, at the sound of drum beat in the court every body rose from the seats expect a few ones who still had the food in their hands. After the drum beat had ceased, the drum beaters called out to the people who were now attentive and impatiently waiting for him to call out the public announcement. "It is hereby made known to the inhabitants of this place and in general to all persons in the market that a black leather pocketbook containing five hundred shilling and some business papers was lost on the road between 9.00 and 10.00 in the morning. The finder is requested to return the same to the mayor's office or to Mr. James, the caretaker of this public hall. There will be a reward of 20 shillings"


1. Did all the people rise on hearing the sound of drumbeat?

Ans. No,a few person did not rise because they still had food in their hands.


2.What was the announcement made by the drum beater?

Ans. The drum beater announced that a black leather pocketbook containing five hundred shilling and some business papers was lost on the road between 9:00 and 10:00 in the morning. The finder was requested to return the same to the mayor's office or to Mr. James, the caretaker of the public hall. There would be a reward of 20 shillings.


3.Who was the owner of the lost pocketbook?

Ans. It seems that Mr. James was the owner of the lost pocketbook.



4.Where was the pocketbook lost?

Ans. The pocketbook was lost on the road.

Lesson No. 4

                                             Thank you, M'am

                                                                                                                                  (Langston Hughes)

She was a large woman with a large purse that had everything in it but a hammer and nails.It had a long strap, and she carried it slung across her shoulder. It was about eleven o' clock at night, dark, and she was walking alone, when a boy ran up behind her and tried to snatch her purse. The strap broke with a sudden single tug the boy gave it from behind. But the boy's weight and the weight of the purse combined caused him to lose his balance. Instead of taking off full blast as he had hoped, the boy fell on his back on the sidewalk and his legs flew up. The large woman simply turned around and kicked him right square in his blue jeaned sitter. Then she reached down, picked the boy up by his shirt front, and shook him until his teeth rattled.
After that the woman said,"Pick up my pocketbook, boy, and give it here."
She still held him tightly. But she bent down enough to permit him to stoop and pick up her purse. Then she said,"Now ain't you ashamed of yourself?"
Firmly gripped by his shirt front, the boy said,"Yes'm."
The woman said,"What did you want to do it for?"
The boy said,"I didn't aim to."
She said,"You a lie!"
By that time two or three people passed, stopped, turned to look, and some stood watching.
"If I turn you loose, will you run?" asked the woman.
"Yes'm," said the boy.
"Then I won't turn you loose,"said the woman. She did not release him.
"Lady,I'm sorry," whispered the boy.
"Um-hum! your face is dirty. I got a great mind to wash your face for you.
Ain't you got no body home to tell you to wash your face?"
No'm," said the boy.
"Then it will get washed this evening," said the large woman, starting up the street, dragging the frightened boy behind her.
He looked as if he were fourteen or fifteen, frail and willow- wild, in tennis shoes and blue jeans.
The woman said,"You ought to be my son. I would teach you right from wrong.Least I can do right is to wash your face. Are you hungry?"
"No'm, said the being-dragged boy. "I just want you to turn me loose."
"Was I bothering you when I turned that corner?" asked the woman.
"No'm."
"but you put yourself in contact with me," said the woman."If you think that that contact is not going to last awhile,you got another thought coming. When I get through with you, sir, you are going to remember Mrs. Luella Bates Washington Jones."
Sweat popped out on the boy's face and he began to struggle. Mrs. Jones stoped, jerked him around in front of her, put a half nelson about his neck, and continued to drag him up the street. When she got to her door, she dragged the boy inside, down a hall, and into a large kitchenette-furnished room at the rear of the house. She switched on the light and left the door open. The boy could hear other roomers laughing and talking in the large house. Some of their door were open, too, so he knew he and the woman were not alone. The woman still held him by the neck in the middle of her room.
She said,"What is your name?"
"Roger," answered the boy.
"Then, Roger, you go to that sink and wash your face," said the woman, whereupon she turned him loose- at last. Roger looked at the door - looked at the woman - looked at the door - and went to the sink.
"Let the water run until it gets warm," she said."Here's a clean towel."
"You gonna take me to jail?" asked the boy, bending over the sink.
"Not with that face, I would not take you nowhere," said the woman. "Here I am trying to get home to cook me a bite to eat, and you snatch my pocketbook!
Maybe you ain't been to your supper either, late as it be. Have you?"
"There's nobody home at my house,"said the boy.
"Then we'll eat," said the woman. "I believe you're hungry - or been hungry - to try to snatch my pocketbook!"
"I want a pair of blue suede shoes,"said the boy.
"Well, you didn't have to snatch my pocketbook to get some suede shoes," said Mrs. Luella Bates Washington Jones. "You could have asked me."
"M'am?"
The water was dripping from his face, the boy looked at her. There was a long pause. A very long pause. After he had dried his face, and not knowing what else to do, dried it again, the boy turned around, wondering what next. The door was open. He could make a dash for it down the hall. He could run,run,run,run!
The woman was sitting on the daybed. After a while she said," I were young once and I wanted things I could not get."
There was another long pause. The boy's mouth opened. Then he frowned, not knowing he frowned.
The woman said,"Um-hum! You thought I was going to say but, didn't you?
You thought I was going to say, but I didn't snatch people's pocketbooks. Well, I wasn't going to say that." Pause . Silence. "I have done things, too, which I would not tell you,son. Everybody's got something in common. So you sit down while I  fix up something to eat. You might run that comb through your hair so you will look presentable.
In another corner of the room behind a screen was a gas plate and an icebox. Mrs. Jones got up and went behind the screen.The woman did not watch the boy to see if he was going to run now, nor did she watch her purse, which she had left behind her on the daybed. But the boy took care to sit on the far side of the room, away from the purse, where he thought she could easily see him out of the corner of her eye if she wanted to. He did not trust the woman not to trust him. And he did not want to be mistrusted now.
"Do you need somebody to go to the store?" asked the boy,"may be to get some milk or something?"
"Don't believe I do," said the woman,"unless you just want sweet milk yourself. I was going to make cocoa out of this canned milk I got here."
"That will be fine," said the boy.
She heated some lima beans and beef she had in the icebox, made the cocoa, and set the table. The woman did not ask the boy anything about where he lived, or his folks, or anything else that would embarrass him. Instead, as they ate, she old him about her job in a hotel beauty shop that stayed open late, what the work was like, and how all kinds of woman came in and out, blondes, redheads, and Spanish. Then she cut him a half of her ten-cent cake.
'Eat some more,son,"she said.
When they finished eating, she got up and said,"now here, take this ten dollars and buy yourself some blue suede shoes. And next time, do not make the mistake of latching onto my pocketbook nor anybody else's - because shoes got by devilish ways will burn your feet. I got to get my rest now. But from here on in, son,I hope you will behave yourself."
She led him down the hall to the front door and opened it. "Good night!
Behave yourself, boy!" she said, looking out into the street as he went down the steps.
The boy wanted to say something other than,"Thank you, m'am," to Mrs. Luella Bates Washington Jones, but although his lips moved, he couldn't even say that as he turned at the foot of the barren stoop  and looked up at the large woman in the door. Then she shut the door.








Exercises

Q 1. Choose the correct answer.

1. What was the woman carrying?

(a) a rod (b) a bag (c) a hammer (d) a large purse



2.From where was she coming?

(a) hotel (b) beauty shop (c) office        (d) college



3.What had happened  to her?

(a) a boy made a request for help (b) a bot tried to help her

(c) a boy begged ten dollars (d) a boy tried to snatch her purse


4.The boy washed his face on the direction of 

(a) police officer (b) his father (c) the woman (d) his uncle



5.The boy was in his 

(a) teens (b) twenties (c) jeans (d) thirties



6.What was the name of the woman?

(a) Luella (b) Bates (c)Washington Jones (d) Luella Bates Washington Jones



7.The boy was dragged into a 

(a) living room (b) kitchenette-furnished room        (c) hall (d) dining room



8.What did she suggested to the boy to look presentable?

(a) to wash his face    (b) to dress properly  (c) to polish the shoes     (d) to comb his hair



9.The woman cooked the food and asked the boy

(a) to serve (b) to help (c) to set the table (d) to eat



10.What did the boy want to say to the woman?

(a) thank you, M'am     (b) thankful to you (c) grateful to you (d) something other than,"Thank  you, m'am





Q 2. Mark the statement true or false.

1. A large woman was carrying a large purse containing hammer and nails. False

2.The boy offered his help to carry the purse.                        False

3.The woman firmly gripped the boy by his shirt front.        True

4.The woman dragged the boy to her home.                                True

5.She asked the boy to bring some food from the store.        False

6.The boy was punished by the other members of the house.        False

7.The boy stole the pocketbook to buy some food.         False

8.The boy was afraid of going to jail.          True

9.The boy did not trust the woman not to trust him.          True

10.The woman advised the boy not to make the mistake of latching onto her pocketbook. True



Q 3. Answer the following questions.


1.What was the time when the boy tried to snatch the purse of the woman?

Ans. It was about eleven o'clock at night when the boy tried to snatch the purse of the woman.

2.What happened to the boy when he tried to snatch the purse?

Ans. When the boy tried to snatch the purse, the strap broke with a sudden single tug. He lost his balance and fell down.

3.What was the reaction of the woman?

Ans. The large woman simply turned around and kicked the boy. She picked the boy up by his shirt front and shook him severely and ordered him to pick up her purse.


4.What was the conduct of the people when they saw the incident?

Ans. Two or three people passed, stopped, turned to look, and some stood watching.


5.How did the boy look physically?

Ans. He was about fourteen or fifteen years old. He was very weak physically.


6.What was the condition of the boy when the woman gave him a few jerks?

Ans. The boy felt helpless and miserable when the woman gave him a few jerks. Sweat popped out on the boy's face and he began to struggle.


7.Why did the woman ask the boy to wash his face?

Ans. The woman decided to teach the boy good manners. The first lesson that she taught the boy was to wash his face because his face was dirty. She wanted to reform him.


8.Why didn't the boy run from the house of the woman?

Ans. The boy was ashamed of his act. He wanted to establish his trust. The woman gave him confidence by not keeping an eye on him. This was the reason that he did not run from the house of the woman.


9.Why didn't the woman watch the boy while preparing a dish?

Ans. The woman gave the boy confidence that she trusted him. Therefore, she did not watch him while preparing a dish.


10.What was the nature of the woman's job?

Ans. The woman worked in a hotel beauty shop that stayed open late. She dealt all kinds of woman like blondes, redheads, and the Spanish.



Q 4. Write down the answer of the following questions in 100-150 words.


1.Write the incident in your own words.

Ans. A large woman with a large purse was walking alone at night when a boy tried to snatch her purse. The strap broke and the boy lost his balance and fell on his back. The woman picked him up by his shirt front and asked him why he did it. The boy apologized. Then the woman told the boy that his face was dirty and needed to be washed. She dragged him to her home. Te boy told her that he wanted money to buy suede shoes. She gave him food and ten dollars to buy shoes. The boy felt obliged and learnt a lesson.



2. What was the effect of the behavior of the woman with the boy?

Ans.The woman gave the boy confidence and made him free. She asked him to wash his face and also told him that she was not going to take him to jail. She believed that the boy was hungry so she prepared food for him. She intentionally left her purse there and went behind the screen trusting him. The boy was so impressed by the behavior of the woman that he sat away from the purse.
He did not want to be mistrusted. He was stunned and unable to move even. He was not under pressure but motivated. He started digesting the things. He felt easy and started talking to her like his mother. Then she gave him ten dollars to buy suede shoes and advised him not to do anything wrong. The boy wanted to say something , his lips moved too but he could not do so.


3.Why did she treat the boy nicely in her home after punishing him in the street? 

Ans. It seems quite strange that woman treats the boy in a very good manner after punishing him in the street. She could have sent him to jail. She asked the boy if he had eaten something. The boy replied that there was nobody at his house. She felt sympathy for the boy. She thought him a victim of a scattered family. She took it as a social responsibility to educate the boy.
She decided to teach him a moral lesson through love, confidence and trust by repeatedly calling him son. She decided to adopt the teaching methodology. She proved herself a very wise teacher and tackled the boy very tactfully. With her experience she successfully transformed the character of the boy. The boy also proved this with his behavior.


Q 5. Use the correct form of the verb in each sentence.

1. She (carry) the purse slung across her shoulder.
    She carried the purse slung across her shoulder.

2.The boy (fall) on his back on the sidewalk.
   The boy fell on his back on the sidewalk.

3.Some people (turn) to look.
   Some people turned to look.

4. She (drag) the boy inside, down a hall.
    She dragged the boy inside, down a hall.

5.Mrs. Jones (get) up and went behind the screen.
   Mrs. Jones got up and went behind the screen.

6. The boy (take) care to sit on the far side of the room.
    The boy took care to sit on the far side of the room.

7.She (make) the cocoa, and set the table.
   She made the cocoa, and set the table.

8.A hotel beauty shop (stay) open late.
   A hotel beauty shop stayed open late.

9. She (lead) him down the hall to the front door.
    She led him down the hall to the front door.

10.The boy (want) to say something.
     The boy wanted to say something.


Q 6. Punctuate the following lines.

well you didnt have to snatch my pocketbook to get some suede shoes said mrs luella bates washington jones you could have asked me.


Answer:

"Well, you didn't have to snatch my pocketbook to get some suede shoes,"said Mrs. Luella Bates Washington Jones. " You could have asked me."


Q 7. Use the following prepositions in your own sentences.

in, across, off, up, around


Prepositions                          Sentences

in                                             I met him in the class room.

across                                     He went across the road.

off                                            I called him but he ran off.

up                                            All stood up when he entered the office.

around                                     He arrived around five o' clock.

  Lesson No. 3

                                 Dark they were, and Golden-Eyed

                                                                                                        (Ray Bradbury)

The rocket metal cooled in the meadow winds. Its lid gave a bulging pop. From its clock interior stepped a man , a woman , and three children. The other passengers whirled away across the Martian meadow, leaving the man alone among his family.
              The man felt his hair flutter and the tissues of his body draw tight as if he were standing at the centre of a vacuum. His wife, before him, seemed almost to whirl away in smoke. The children, small seeds, might at any instant be sown to all the Martian climes.
The children looked up at him, as people look to the sun to tell what time of their life it is. His face was cold.
"What's wrong?" asked the wife.
"Let's get back on the rocket."
"Go back to the Earth?"
"Yes! Listen!"
The wind blew as if to flake away their identities. At any moment the Martian air might draw his soul from him, as marrow comes from a white bone. He felt submerged in a chemical that could dissolve his intellect and burn away his past.
They looked at the Martian hills that time had worn with a crushing pressure of years. They saw the old cities, lost in their meadows, lying like children's delicate bones among the blowing lakes of grass.

"Chin up, Harry," said his wife. "It's too late. We've come over sixty million miles."
The children with their yellow hair hollered at the deep dome of Martian sky. There was no answer but the racing hiss of wind through the stiff grass.
He picked up the luggage in his cold hands. "Here we go," he said - a man standing on the edge of a sea, ready to wade in and be drowned.
They walked into town.
Their names were Bittering - Harry and his wife Cora, Dan, Laura, and David.
They built a small white cottage and ate good breakfasts there, but the fear was never gone.
It lay with Mr. Bittering and Mrs. Bittering, a third unbidden partner at every midnight talk, at every dawn awakening.
"I feel like a salt crystal," he said," in a mountain stream, being washed away.
We don't belong here. We're Earth people. This is Mars. It was meant for the Martians. For heaven's sake, Cora, let's buy tickets for home!"
But she only shook her head. "One day the atom bomb will fix the Earth.
Then we'll be safe here."
"Safe and insane!"
"Nonsense!" Mr. Bittering looked out of the windows. "We're clean, decent people." He looked at his children. "All dead cities have some kind of ghosts in them.
Memories, I mean." He stared at the hills. "You see a staircase and you wonder what Martians looked like climbing it. You see Martians painting and you wonder what the painter was like. You make a little ghost in your mind, a memory. It's quite natural. Imagination." He stopped." You haven't been prowling up in those ruins, have you?"
"No, Papa," David looked at his shoes.
'See that you stay away from them. Pass the jam."
"Just the same," said little David," I bet something happens."
Something happened that afternoon.
Laura stumbled through the settlement, crying. She dashed blindly onto the porch.
"Mother, Father - the war, Earth!" she sobbed. "A radio flash just came. Atom bombs hit New York! All the space rockets have blown up. No more rockets to Mars, ever!"
"Oh, Harry!" The mother held onto her husband and daughter.
"Are you sure, Laura?" asked the father quietly.
Laura wept. 'We're stranded on Mars, forever and ever!"
For a long time there was only the sound of the wind in the late afternoon.
Alone, thought Bittering. Only a thousand of us here. No way back.  No way, No way.
Sweat poured out from his face and his hands and his body; he was drenched in the hotness of his fear. He wanted to strike Laura, cried,"No, you're lying! The rockets will come back!" Instead, he stroked Laura's head against him and said, "The rockets will get through someday."
"Father, what will we do?"
"Go about our business, of course. Raise crops and children. Wait. Keep things going until the war ends and the rockets come again."
The two boys stepped out onto the porch
"Children," he said, sitting there, looking beyond them,"I've something to tell you."
"We know," they said.
He looked with dimsay at their house." Even the house. The wind's done something to it. The air's burned it. The fog at night. The boards, all warped out of shape. It's not an Earthman's house any more."
"Oh, your imagination!"
He put on his coat and tie. "I'm going into town. We've got to do something now. I'II be back."
"Wait, Harry!" his wife cried.
But he was gone.
In town on the shadowy step of the grocery store, the men sat with their hands on their knees, conversing with great leisure and ease.
Mr. Bittering wanted to fire a pistol in the air.
What are you doing , you fools! he thought. Sitting here! You've heard the news - We're stranded on this planet. Well, move! Aren't you frightened? Aren't you afraid? What are you going to do?
"Hello, Harry," said everyone.
"Look," he said to them. "You did hear the news, the other day, didn't you?"
They nodded and laughed. 'Sure. Sure, Harry."
"What are you going to do about it?"
"Do, Harry, do? What can we do?"
"Build a rocket, that's what!"
"A rocket, Harry? To go back to all that trouble? Oh, Harry!"
"But you must want to go back. Have you noticed the peach blossoms, the onions, the grass?"
"Why, yes  , Harry ,seems we did," said one of the men.
"Doesn't it scare you?"
"Can't recall that it did much, Harry."
"Idiots!"
"Now, Harry."
Bittering wanted to cry, "You've got to work with me. If we stay here, we'll all change. The air. Don't you smell it? Something in the air. A Martian virus, may be; some seed, or a pollen. Listen to me!"
They stared at him.
"Sam," he said to one of them.
"Yes, Harry?"
"Will you help me build a rocket?"
"Harry, I got up a whole load of metal and some blueprints. You want to work in my metal shop on a rocket you're welcome. I"II sell you that metal for five hundred dollars. You should be able to construct a right pretty rocket, if you work alone, in about thirty years."
Everyone laughed.
"Don't laugh."
Sam looked at him with quite good humor.
"Sam," Bittering said,"Your eyes-"
"What about them, Harry?"
"Didn't they used to be grey?"
"Well, now, I don't remember."
"They were, weren't they?"
"Why do you ask, Harry?"
"Because now they're kind of yellow-colored."
"Is that so, Harry?" Sam said, casually.
"And you're taller and thinner-"
"You might be right, Harry."
'Sam, you shouldn't have yellow eyes."
"Harry, what color of eyes have you got?"Sam said.
"My eyes? They're blue, of course."
"Here you are, Harry." Sam handed him a pocket mirror. "Take a look at yourself."
Mr. Bittering hesitated, and then raised the mirror to his face.
There were little, very dim flecks of new gold captured in the blue of his eyes.
"Now look what you've done," said Sam a moment later. 'You've broken my mirror."
Harry Bittering moved into the metal shop and began to build the rocket. Men stood in the open door and talked and joked without raising their voices. Once in a while they gave him a hand on lifting something. But mostly they just idled and watched him with their yellowing eyes.
"It's supper time, Harry," they said.
His wife appeared with his supper in a wicker basket.
"I won't touch it," he said. "I'II eat only food from our deep-freezer. Food that came from the Earth. Nothing from our garden."
His wife stood watching him."You can't build a rocket."
"I worked in a shop once,when I was twenty. I know metal. Once I get it started, the others will help," he said, not looking at her, laying out the blueprints.
"Harry, Harry" she said, helplessly.
"We've got to get away, Cora. We've got to!"
Summer burned the canals dry. Summer moved like flame upon the meadows. In the the empty Earth settlement, the painted houses flaked and peeled. Rubber tires upon which children had swung in back yards hung suspended like stopped clock pendulums in the blazing air.
At the metal shop, the rocket frame began to rust.
In the quite autumn Mr. Bittering stood, very dark now, very golden-eyed, upon the slope above his villa, looking at the valley.
"It's time to go back," said Cora.
"Yes, but we're not going," he said quietly."There's nothing any more."
"Your books," she said."Your fine clothes."
"The town is empty. No one's going back,"he said. "There's no reason to, none at all."
The daughter wove tapestries and the sons played songs on the ancient flutes and pipes, their laughter echoing in the marble villa.
Mr. Bittering gazed at the Earth settlement far away in the low valley. "Such odd, Such ridiculous houses the Earth people built."
"They didn't know any better," his wife mused. "such ugly people. I'm glad they've gone."
They both looked at each other,startled by all they had just finished saying.They laughed.
"Where did they go?" he wondered. He glanced at his wife. She was golden and slender as his daughter. She looked at him, and he seemed almost as young as their eldest son.
"I don't know," she said.
"We'II go back to town may be next year, or the year after, or the year after that," he said, calmly. "Now - I'm warm. How about taking a swim.?"
They turned their backs to the valley. Arm in arm they walked silently down a path of clear running spring water.
Five years later a rocket fell out of  the sky. It lay steaming in the valley. Men leaped out of it, shouting.
"We have won the war on the Earth! We're here to rescue you! Hey!"
But the Americans built town of cottages, peach trees, and theaters was silent.
They found a flimsy rocket frame rusting in anempty shop.
The rocket men searched the hills. The captain established headquarters in an abandoned bar. His lieutenant came back to report.
"The town's empty, but we found the native life in the hills, sir. Dark people.
Yellow eyes. The Martians. Very friendly. We talked a bit, not much. They learn English fast. I'm sure our relations will be most friendly with them, sir."
"Dark,eh?" mused the captain. "How many?"
"Six, eight hundred, I'd say, living in those marble ruins in the hills, sir. Tall, healthy. Beautiful women."
"Did they tell you what became of the men and women who built this Earth settlement, Lieutenant?"
 "They hadn't the foggiest notion of what happened to this town or its people."
"Strange. You think those Martians killed them?"
"They look surprisingly peaceful. Chances are a plague did this town in, sir."
"Perhaps. I suppose this is one of those mysteries we'll never solve. One of those mysteries you read about."



                                                                   




                                                                              EXERCISES

Q 1.Choose the correct answer.

1. The man felt his hair flutter and the tissues of his body draw tight as if he were

(a)sick                 (b) happy                  (c) feeling sad                (d) standing at the center of a vacuum



2. At any moment the Martians air might

(a) bring relief        (b) draw his soul from him     (c) kill him             (d) become pleasant



3. What did they see on Martian hills?

(a) the old cities      (b) flower beds                       (c) stream of fresh water          (d) a deep valley



4.What did they do after building a cottage?

(a) decorated it         (b) furnished it                     (c) ate good breakfasts            (d) arranged a feast



5.What was the news Laura told her parents?

(a) the war on Earth    (b) the death of the people   (c) the arrival of a rocket          (d) the fall of a rocket



6.Which one of the cities was attacked?

(a) Texas                    (b) Virginia                          (c)New York                              (d)New Jersey



7. What did they feel on the Mars after the attack on Earth?

(a) drenched                (b) stranded                        (c) secluded                                 (d) surrendered



8.What were the men doing in town on the shadowy step of the grocery store?

(a) quarreling          (b) conversing with great leisure and ease    (c) playing         (d) buying the grocery



9.How many dollars did he demanded to sell the metal?

(a) two hundred        (b) three hundred                   (c) four hundred                      (d) five hundred



10.In which season did Mr. Bittering stand very golden-eyed?

(a) winter                    (b) summer                          (c) autumn                              (d) spring





Q 2.Some of the statements below are true and some are false. Mark the statements true or false.


1. The rocket metal burned in the meadow winds.                                           False

2. He felt submerged in a chemical that could enhance his intellect.                   False

3. He felt like a salt Crystal in a mountain stream.                                            True

4. All the space rocket flew up.                                                                       False 
 
5. He was drenched in the hotness of his fear.                                                   True

6. Harry suggested to build a rocket.                                                                True

7. Men helped Harry in building a rocket.                                                        False

8. The daughter wove tapestries.                                                                      True

9. Harry seemed almost as young as his eldest son.                                           True

10. Six years later a rocket fell out of the sky.                                                   False





Q 3.Answer the following questions.

1. Why did Harry want to go back to Earth?

Ans. Harry wanted to go back to Earth because he felt the danger of unfavorable climate at Mars. He thought if he stayed at  the Mars, he would lose his identity.


2.Why did he want to stay?

Ans. Harry had no means to go back. There was no chance of any help, so, he was bound to live there. With the passage of time he became similar to the Martians. His eyes grew dark and golden. There was nothing left for him in the Earth settlement.


3.What climate did they face?

Ans. They faced very severe climate. The wind blew as if to destroy their identities. The air burnt their house. The boards went out of shape. There was fog at night. It became very hot in summer.


4.What was the condition of the Bittering family on hearing the news of war on Earth?

Ans. On hearing the news of war on Earth they became sad. Cora held on to her husband and daughter and started weeping. They felt stranded on Mars. Harry was drenched in sweat.


5.What did they want to grow?

Ans. They wanted to grow crops and raise children until the end of the war. They were hoping for the arrival of rockets.


6.What was the condition of their house?

Ans. The wind did something to their house. The air had burnt it. All the boards went out of shape.


7.What was the advice Harry gave to the people?

Ans. Harry advised them to build a rocket to go back to earth.


8.How much dangerous a Martian virus can be?

Ans. A Martian virus can be very dangerous for earthen people. It can change their appearance and make them lose their earth identity.



Q 4.Write the answer of the following questions in 100-150 words.

1.What circumstances did the Bittering family face?

Ans. The Bittering family were emigrants to Mars. Unfortunately they felt loneliness in the dead cities. The wind blew as if to smash their identities. It seems to kill them any moment. Harry felt like a salt crystal being washed away in a mountain stream. They heard that atom bombs had destroyed New York and their would be no more space rocket to Mars ever. It was a shocking news. The extremely hot air had burned their house. There was fog at night. All the boards went out of shape. Their was a change in their complexion. Harry smelled a Martian virus in the air. He tried to construct a rocket in a metal shop. Summer burned the canals dry and moved like flame upon the meadows. The painted houses appeared flaked and peeled. Mr. Bittering and others became very dark and golden eyed.




2.How social were the people of  Mars?

Ans. The people of Mars were leading a placid and satisfied life. They found the Mars a peaceful place having no threat of war whatsoever. When Harry told them about the changes taking place in their bodies, they responded coldly. Harry was sensitive initially but others had become senseless about everything.They wanted to get rid of all the troubles that they have been facing on earth. They found a safer and an independent sort of life on Mars. They were free of intervention of others. They seemed quite pleased. They had lost urge and desire to improve their life style. They had accepted the circumstances and got used to it.


3.How did the life change finally? Was this better or worse?

Ans.The Bittering family decided to raise crops and children. With the passage of time all of them accepted the situation and developed new habits. They found it peaceful without any interference and disturbance. They had become devoid of competition. They were very friendly. They looked like young boys and girls. After five years some people went to Mars from earth. They met very friendly people with dark complexion and golden eyes. Their life style was so changed that they could not be recognized. They were quick at learning English. It was good that they had learned to live with peace. But the worst thing was that they had lost urge in life. There was no sense of urgency or competition. It had made them complacent. They had started living like primitive people. They did not need houses. They had left the towns which was not good for human development.


4.Write the story in your own words.

Ans. The Bittering family flee to the planet Mars frightened by nuclear war on earth. They feel isolated in the dead cities. They face the worst weather at Mars. They feel themselves worthless at Mars. They build a cottage there but feel fear all the time. Harry is a sensitive person and wants to go back to earth. He tries to motivate others to join him in his struggle to construct a rocket. Others mock and discourage him. He does not lose heart and works in a metal shop. Harry tries to make them realize that they are getting dark and their eyes are becoming golden. But they take it very lightly.  Gradually he also accepts the situation and forgets everything about earth. They start living in hills. Five years later some people arrive from the planet Earth. They find these people very friendly, peaceful, free of lust and mockery.


5.What differences can you point out in the life style of the people of two different planets?

Ans. After reading the story we can point out considerable differences between the people of Earth and Mars. First of all we find a cut throat competition on our earth. The Martians do not have any sort of haste and competition. The Earth is stricken with threats of war whereas the Martians have learned to live peacefully. Earthly people are always ready to quarrel for money and property but the Martians are devoid of such passions. The people of earth live a social life but the Martians are fond of primitive life style. They have become idle and lethargic. The Martians do not need any houses to live in. They have left towns and gone to open areas. Their appearances are quite different from the Earthly human beings.




Q 5. Use the correct form of the verb given in brackets.


1.The man (feel) his hair flutter.

   The man felt his hair flutter.


2.They (see) the old cities.

   They saw the old cities.


3.They (look) at their children.
 
   They looked at their children.


4.Laura (stumble) through the settlement.

   Laura stumbled through the settlement.


5. He (drench) in the hotness of his fear.

    He drenched in the hotness of his fear.


6. All the boards (warp) out of shape.

    All the boards warped out of shape.


7. Harry (move) into the metal shop.

    Harry moved into the metal shop.


8.His wife (appear) with his supper in a basket.

   His wife appeared with his supper in a basket.


9. The sons (play) songs on ancient flutes.

    The sons played songs on ancient flutes.


10. They (turn) their backs to the valley.

       They turned their backs to the valley.


Q 6. Punctuate the following lines.

the town empty but we found native life in the hills sir dark people yellow eyes martians very friendly we talked a bit not much
they learn english fast.


Answer:

"The town's empty, but we found native life in the hills, sir. Dark people. Yellow eyes. Martians. Very friendly. We talked a bit, not much.
 They learn English fast.