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A Letter to God

By G.L. Fuentes

About the Author

The author of the story,” A Letter to God” is Gregorio Lopez Fuentes (1897- 2002).  He was the prominent Mexican writer, novelist , poet  and journalist of that era.

Character sketch of the main characters in the story

Lencho – Lencho is a poor, hardworking farmer with an unwavering and innocent faith in God as he writes a letter to God seeking help when his crop gets destroyed by the hailstorm. However, the story depicts his blind faith when suspects the post office employees who actually helped him with money without trying to get to know that who actually send him money.

Post master

The post master is a compassionate generous and amiable person.  When the letter addressed to God directly, he got amused but at the same time gets moved by the strong belief of the poor farmer and decides to help him.

A Letter to God Introduction

The story, “A Letter to God” by G.L Fuentes depicts   the idea that how an unwavering and innocent belief makes impossible things possible.

The story sets Latin American country. The protagonist of the story Lencho, the farmer, writes a letter to God seeking help to overcome the problem of great loss   of his entire crop caused   by a devastating hailstorm.

His wish gets fulfilled by the post office employees who being got moved by his innocent belief in God, could help him partially due to lack of money.

However, instead of being grateful at the end, Lencho gets very angry at the post office employees thinking that his rest of the amount must have been taken by them because God could not send him less money.

A Letter to God Summary

 The story, “A Letter to God” by G.L. Fuentes depicts the strong and innocent faith of a farmer in God.

In the story, a farmer, named Lencho is looking forward for a good amount of rain shower for his corn fields. He is hopeful that his harvest will yield him sound revenues.

However, as soon as the rainfall began

, it turned into a hailstorm destroying his entire crop field. That great damage was a threat to the family’s survival as their entire livelihood was dependent on the year’s produce. Although desperate due to this inconsolable loss, the family has had a firm belief in God’s mercy. Thus, Lencho, resolves to write a letter to God to seek his help in terms of money. He posts his letter with address “To God” demanding hundred pesos. The postmaster who is a kind-hearted person gets amused by noticing the letter, but after reading it, he gets inspired by the strong belief of the writer Lencho in   God.

 To keep his belief unimpaired, he decided to help the poor farmer, Lencho. He contributes from his salary and collects money from his colleagues and friends who willingly contributes for an act of charity.

To his disappointment, he could only collect 70 pesos

 He put it in the envelope in the name of God. On receiving the letter, Lencho gets very angry when he finds that the amount is less than what he had been expecting. He suspects that the post office employees must have stolen his money.

He again writes a letter to God asking to send rest of the amount by another means as the post office employees are a bunch of crooks.

Theme

Strength of faith

The story expresses that how a  strong belief in God or something by a man makes impossible things possible and accomplish his desire through it.

Distrust in fellow mankind.

The story also depicts how humans can easily suspect the honesty of others people as Lencho having blind faith in God blames the post office employees for the less amount of money than that of he demanded, without making any attempts to get to know who send him money actually.

 The story ends with an irony.

Explanation

The house – the only one in the entire valley – sat on the crest of a low hill. From this height, one could see the river and the field of ripe corn dotted with the flowers that always promised a good harvest. The only thing the earth needed was a downpour or at least a shower. Throughout the morning Lencho – who knew his fields intimately – had done nothing else but see the sky towards the northeast.

Word meanings

Crest: Top of a hill crest

Dotted: Full Of
Downpour: Heavy Rain
Intimately: Closely

 Lencho, the farmer, the only dweller of entire valley lived on the top of a low heighted hill. From there, he could see a river and his ready-to-harvest field full of ripe corns

. Lencho was sure    that the harvest would reap great profits if the crop received a good rainfall. So, he was hopefully waiting for rainfall and spent the entire morning by gazing at the sky in the north-east direction from where a drizzle was expected to shower on his field.

“Now we’re really going to get some water, woman. The woman who was preparing supper, replied, “Yes, God willing”. The older boys were working in the field, while the smaller ones were playing near the house until the woman called to them all, “Come for dinner. It was during the meal that, just as Lencho had predicted, big drops of rain began to fall. In the north-east huge mountains of clouds could be seen approaching. The air was fresh and sweet. The man went out for no other reason than to have the pleasure of feeling the rain on his body, and when he returned, he exclaimed, “These aren’t raindrops falling from the sky, they are new coins. The big drops are ten cent pieces and the little ones are fives.”

Word meanings

Exclaimed- cry out suddenly in surprise, strong emotion, or pain.

Lencho, confidently tells his wife that they are going to have a sound rain-shower to which the lady replies  that that depends upon the will of God. Their elder children were working at the field and the younger ones were playing near the house when Lencho’s wife calls everyone for dinner. In the mean time,  a downpour started as the farmer predicted.   The breeze was pleasant and clouds could be seen approaching from the north-east sky.

To get the pleasure by feeling droplets on his body, Lencho goes out of the house.

He attributes the droplets as new coins, large droplets being equivalent to ten cents and the smaller ones, five cents, since they would get good crop and eventually a good revenue by this sound shower.

With a satisfied expression he regarded the field of ripe corn with its flowers, draped in a curtain of rain. But suddenly a strong wind began to blow and along with the rain very large hailstones began to fall. These truly did resemble new silver coins. The boys, exposing themselves to the rain, ran out to collect the frozen pearls.

Word meanings

Regarded- Consider Or Think Of In A Specified Way
Draped- Adorn, Cover, Or Wrap (Someone Or Something)
Hailstones- A Pellet Of Hail
Resemble- Have A Similar Appearance To Or Qualities In Common With (Someone Or Something); Look Or Seem Like.
Exposing- make (something) visible by uncovering it.; reveal

Being satisfied, Lencho regarded  the field with its   flowers under the shower were looking as  if they were wrapped in a curtain of rain. However,  all of a sudden a strong wind started blowing, converting the rainfall into hailstorm.  Here, the author gives a satirical remark, saying that  these pellets of frozen rain are actually looking like “new silver coins. The  boys  went out in the rain to play and collect these hailstones which looked like “frozen pearls”.

“It’s really getting bad now,” exclaimed the man. “I hope it passes quickly. It did not pass quickly. For an hour the hail rained on the house, the garden, the hillside, the cornfield, on the whole valley. The field was white as if covered with salt.

The farmer  gets distressed  with a  wish that the storm gets over quickly, which, actually didn’t fulfil. The entire valley including the cornfield got covered with the hailstones soon.

It seemed that everything was covered in salt due to white hailstones.

Not a leaf remained on the trees. The corn was totally destroyed. The flowers were gone from the plants. Lencho’s soul was filled with sadness. When the storm had passed, he stood in the middle of the field and said to his sons, “A plague of locusts would have left more than this. The hail has left nothing. This year we will have no corn.” That night was a sorrowful one. “All our work, for nothing. There’s no one who can help us”.”We’ll all go hungry this year.”

Word meanings

plague- a destructively numerous inflow or multiplication of a harmful animal, infestation
locusts- Insects which fly in big groups and destroy crops

Lencho's soul was filled with grief as everything was destroyed. Nothing was left. The trees and plants left without leaves and flowers , corns were completely damaged. While standing in the withered fields, he expressed his sorrow and dismay, saying that the hailstorm had even worse affect than that of the plague of locusts would have caused . All their hard work had wasted.  He felt helpless and worried that they might have to starve for the whole year.

But in the hearts of all who lived in that solitary house in the middle of the valley, there was a single hope: help from God. “Don’t be so upset, even though this seems like a total loss. Remember, no one dies of hunger. ”That’s what they say: no one dies of hunger. “

Word meanings

solitary:  Existing alone; lonely.

 Even though, they had lost everything, the family still had hope in their hearts. They had a firm belief in the almighty. They assured each other that they would not die saying ,  no one ever dies of starvation.

All through the night, Lencho thought only of his one hope: the help of God, whose eyes, as he had been instructed, see everything, even what is deep in one’s conscience. Lencho was an ox of a man, working like an animal in the fields, but still he knew how to write. The following Sunday, at daybreak, he began to write a letter which he himself would carry to town and place in the mail. It was nothing less than a letter to God.

Word meanings

conscience- an inner sense of right and wrong.
ox of a man- hardworking
daybreak- The time in the morning when daylight first appears

 Lencho, throughout the night kept thinking of his only hope, a help of God, who is omnipresent and remains conscious about everything, even what is deep inside the conscience of human beings. Besides being a hardworking farmer for last many years, Lencho knew how to write. So, he resolved to write a letter to God conveying his pitiful condition and seeking his help.

He started writing on the Sunday morning and thought of mailing it himself by going to the town.

 “God, he wrote, “if you don’t help me, my family and I will go hungry this year. I need a hundred pesos in order to sow my field again and to live until the crop comes, because the hailstorm….” He wrote ‘To God’ on the envelope, put the letter inside and, still troubled, went to town. At the post office, he placed a stamp on the letter and dropped it into the mailbox.

Word meanings

Pesos- the basic monetary unit of Mexico, several other Latin American countries, and the Philippines

In his letter, addressed to God, Lencho expresses his miserable condition with no hope except help from almighty and asked for 100 pesos to survive until the next harvest along with cost involved in cultivating the crops again. On the envelope, He writes, “To God, as an address. Then, at the post office, places stamp on the letter and drops it in the mailbox.

The postmaster – a fat, amiable fellow – also broke out laughing, but almost immediately he turned serious and, tapping the letter on his desk, commented, “What faith! I wish I had the faith of the man who wrote this letter. Starting up a correspondence with God!”

Word meanings

Amiable- Friendly And Pleasant
Correspondence- Communication by exchanging letters with someone.

A postman, who was also an employee of the post office, notices Lencho’s letter and shows it to the postmaster. They both felt amused, but the postmaster, fat ,  friendly and  kind-hearted becomes serious immediately  . He was surprised at the   faith of  Lencho has had  in God and wishes he would have such a faith.

So, in order not to shake the writer’s faith in God, the postmaster came up with an idea: answer the letter. But when he opened it, it was evident that to answer it he needed something more than goodwill, ink and paper. But he stuck to his resolution: he asked for money from his employees, he himself gave part of his salary, and several friends of his were obliged to give something ‘for an act of charity’.

goodwill- friendly, helpful, or cooperative feelings or attitude
resolution- a firm decision to do or not to do something.
obliged- grateful

To keep the writer’s faith intact,  the postmaster read the letter and decided  to reply  it . But the writer expectations could not be fulfilled with pen, paper and morals , as he had demanded for 100 pesos. The postmaster gave a part of his salary along with his colleagues and a few friends, who  donated for this act of noble cause of charity. Together they collect a pool of money to help Lencho.

It was impossible for him to gather together the hundred pesos, so he was able to send the farmer only a little more than half. He put the money in an envelope addressed to Lencho and with it a letter containing only a single word as a signature: God

Although they put all their  efforts, he could  not  collect an amount of 100 pesos  required. Postmaster, then addressed it to Lencho along with a letter which was undersigned by God.

The following Sunday Lencho came a bit earlier than usual to ask if there was a letter for him. It was the postman himself who handed the letter to him while the postmaster, experiencing the contentment of a man who has performed a good deed, looked on from his office. Lencho showed not the slightest surprise on seeing the money; such was his confidence but he became angry when he counted the money. God could not have made a mistake, nor could he have denied Lencho what he had requested.

Word meanings

contentment- Satisfaction

Next Sunday, Lencho comes earlier than expected looking for the reply . The postman himself handed him the letter At the same time postmaster was  feeling satisfied, looking on   from his office. However, to his astonishment, the farmer having great confidence in almighty, doesn’t show a bit of surprise and even gets angry  on seeing that the money was less than whatever he asked for. His faith is still unshaken  as he thought that God couldn’t deny him for what he requested.

Immediately, Lencho went up to the window to ask for paper and ink. On the public writing table, he started writing, with much wrinkling of his brow, caused by the effort he had to make to express his ideas. When he finished, he went to the window to buy a stamp which he licked and then affixed to the envelope with a blow of his fist. The moment the letter fell into the mailbox the postmaster went to open it. It said: “God: Of the money that I asked for, only seventy pesos reached me. Send me the rest, since I need it very much. But don’t send it to me through the mail because the post office employees are a bunch of crooks. Lencho.”

 Being disappointed for less amount of money, Lencho asked for ink and paper to write to God again. While writing, his eyebrows got frowned out of the irritation and anger with which he was drafting a new request. On completing, he affixed it with a stamp. As soon as he dropped it into the mailbox, the postmaster took it out to read it.  In the letter, Lencho has  demanded for remaining amount and showed his distrust on the post office employees, saying  that the money should not be sent via post as  the staff at the post office are a bunch of crooks and must have stolen the missing amount.

Text book  Question Answers

Q1. What did Lencho hope for?

A. Lencho hoped for a rain shower for his crop field.

Q2.  Why did Lencho say the raindrops were like ‘new coins’?

Ans.  Since the awaited downpour took place, everything was going on according to Lencho’s aspirations and planning. He had a complete assurance that his harvest would yield considerable revenues. Thus, he referred to the droplets as “new coins, the larger ones being equivalent to ten pesos and smaller ones, five pesos.

Q3. How did the rain change? What happened to Lencho’s fields?

A. Soon after the rainfall had begun, the wind became strong leading to a hailstorm. As a result , Lencho’s crop fields got withered, the trees had shed their leaves and the flowers had fallen.

Q4. What were Lencho’s feelings when the hail stopped?

A. Lencho was extremely sad and disappointed with his soul in immense grief.

Q5. Who or what did Lencho have faith in? What did he do?

A. Lencho had unshakeable faith in God. Thus, he resolved to write a letter to God conveying his miserable condition and asking for 100 pesos for survival and to recover his loss by regeneration of crops.

Q6. Who reads the letter?

A. A postman who was also an employee of the post office read the letter.

Q7. What did the postmaster do then?

A. The postmaster was astounded at Lencho’s firm faith in the God and thus, to  keep it unshaken, he decided to contribute a part from his income   and collect money   from his friends and colleagues.

Q8. Was Lencho surprised to find a letter for him with money in it?

A. Lencho was not at a bit surprised on seeing the letter because he was fully confident that God would help him. Instead, he was angry when he found that the amount was less than what he had asked for.

Q9. What made him angry?

Ans.  Lencho was displeased when he found that the money was less than what he had asked for.

Q10. Who does Lencho have complete faith in? Which sentences in the story tell you this?

A. Lencho has extreme faith in God. These lines are evident to this fact: “Lencho showed not the slightest surprise on seeing the money; such was his confidence – but he became angry when he counted the money. God could not have made a mistake, nor could he have denied Lencho what he had requested. “

Q11. Why does the postmaster send money to Lencho? Why does he sign the letter ‘God’?

A. The postmaster did not want to shake the writer’s faith in the Almighty. Thus, He decided to collect money for “an act of charity” and even signed the letter in the name of God so that Lencho would think that he has been helped by God.

Q12. Did Lencho try to find out who had sent the money to him? Why/Why not?

A. No, Lencho did not try to find out who has sent the money because he was completely confident that, his letter has been actually replied by God. It was his unshakeable faith that made him remain unquestionable about the identity of the sender.

Q13. Who does Lencho think has taken the rest of the money? What is the irony in the situation? (Remember that the irony of a situation is an unexpected aspect of it. An ironic situation is strange or amusing because it is the opposite of what is expected.)

A. Lencho thought that the postmaster or the employees of the post-office  must have  stolen his remaining amount, and in  his second letter to God where he requested   not to send money by mail next time. It is quite ironic that the postmaster and the employees who had  actually collected the money  to keep Lencho’s faith intact, got blamed  at the end for stealing the missing amount.

Q 14. Are there people like Lencho in the real world? What kind of a person would you say he is? You may select appropriate words from the box to answer the question.

A. No, it is hard to believe that people like Lencho exist in reality. He is innocent because of his lack of wisdom and blind faith about the actual physical existence of God.

He remained unquestionable on receiving an actual reply from the almighty and instead of being grateful

 on receiving 70 pesos, he got angry and demanded the rest of the amount.

Q15. There are two kinds of conflict in the story: between humans and nature, and between humans themselves. How are these conflicts illustrated?

A. The story “A Letter to God” depicts two types of conflicts;

one between man and nature and the other among men themselves.

In the beginning of the story, the farmer wishes for a sound downpour to get good harvest  from his corn field. Initially becomes happy on receiving the rainfall and dreams of the profit that he would get. But soon, his joy gets converted  into sorrow hail stones started falling with strong wind . This represents the conflicts between man and nature where humans doesn’t receive whatever he aspect from the nature.

The second conflict arises when Lencho suspected the honesty of the post-office employees who actually helped him with the money just to keep his faith intact. This is the conflict among humans themselves, wherein, we become doubtful upon our fellow humans easily rather trusting them.

 

Join the sentences given below using who, whom, whose, which, as suggested.

1. I often go to Mumbai. Mumbai is the commercial capital of India. (which)

I often go to Mumbai, which is the capital city of India.

2. My mother is going to host a TV show on cooking. She cooks very well. (who)

My mother, who cooks very well, is going to host a TV show on cooking.

3. These sports persons are going to meet the President. Their performance has been excellent. (whose)

These sportspersons, whose performance has been excellent, are going to meet the
President.

 4. Lencho prayed to God. His eyes see into our minds. (whose)

Lencho prayed to God, whose eyes see into our minds.

 5. This man cheated me. I trusted him. (whom)

This man, whom I trusted, cheated me.

 Find sentences in the story with negative words, which express the following ideas emphatically.

1. The trees lost all their leaves.

“Not a leaf remained on the trees.”

 2. The letter was addressed to God himself.

“It was nothing less than a letter to God.

 3. The postman saw this address for the first time in his career.

“Never in his career as a postman had he known that address.”

 Nelson Mandela Long Walk to Freedom

By Nelson Mandela

About the Author

Nelson Mandela was a great freedom fighter, leader and a former president of South Africa, born on July 1918. He fought against apartheid regime of South Africa. It was an inhumane and brutal practice against the black people of South Africa by British rulers.

During his movement against the British power, he had to be imprisoned for more than thirty years. Later on, he became the first black president of South Africa. When his party won the democratic election in 1994.

This chapter is an extract from his autobiography titled ‘Long Walk to Freedom’.

  It depicts the great heroic struggle, courage, determination and torture faced by black people of South Africa to get freedom and a dignity full life in the society

Summary

This chapter is the extract from the autobiography of Nelson Mandela “Long Walk to Freedom” . It gives a detailed account of his journey about being a freedom fighter as an adult, along with other freedom fighters and other countless people facing a lot of torture, suppression and eventually achieving freedom by winning the democratic election.

Mandela in his long speech during inauguration ceremony describes about his journey , being a freedom fighter along with his companion and gives  them tribute for their immense courage and  struggle . 

 In South Africa, a brutal practice called “apartheid” was in practice during British power, in which the discrimination between people on the basis of their race and colour was done. Black natives of South Africa were deprived of their basic rights and even a dignity full life in the society.

This lesson gives us an overview of the struggles of Mandela with other freedom fighters  and how they accomplished their goal   for a society without discrimination on the basis of their colour, caste, race, age or gender.

Many dignitaries from different countries participated in this most significant day of inauguration ceremony of the first democratic party of South Africa.

In his speech, Mandela expressed his gratitude toward all those dignitaries. Mandela assured that his countrymen would never face  such a  suppression of one race by another as the Democracy had been established in South Africa. The people of South Africa sang two National Anthems as a symbol of that day.

 Mandela said that it is only due to   this type of suppression of people of South Africa and their extreme conditions which requires a great mental strength and human qualities to survive, many great personalities came into existence. He further added that if a person can learn hatred from the society, can also be taught how to love, as love is an inborn quality of human nature. He also says that a brave man is not one who does not feel afraid but one who conquers it.

In life, a man has two major obligations. First towards his family, to his parents, to his wife and his children and second obligation is towards his country, people and the community.  However, in a country like South Africa, it was very difficult to fulfil either of the two.

When Mandela became an adult he realized that he used to misinterpret freedom. It is not only to do everything according to will but to live a dignity full life along with the family and community people in a society and even in a country. He understood that their status in a society was not more than a slave on their own land and he finally determined to get freedom.

According to him, a person who suppresses others is also a slave of his hatred which is not a true nature of mankind. Not only suppressed but also a suppressor is a slave of his prejudice and hatred and thus, he also needs freedom.

Explanation

TENTH May dawned bright and clear. For the past few days I had been pleasantly besieged by dignitaries and world leaders who were coming to pay their respects before the inauguration. The inauguration would be the largest gathering ever of international leaders on South African soil. The ceremonies took place in the lovely sandstone amphitheater formed by the Union Buildings in Pretoria. For decades this had been the seat of white supremacy, and now it was the site of a rainbow gathering of different colors and nations for the installation of South Africa’s first democratic, non-racial government.

Word meanings

• Dawned- (of a day) began
• Pleasantly- giving a sense of satisfaction or enjoyment;
• Besieged- being surrounded by
• Dignitaries- important person of high rank
• Amphitheatre- an open-air theatre

On 10th May, Nelson Mandela took an oath as the first black president South Africa.

Author refers this morning bright and clear as it was full of expectation for the bright future of South Africa. This day had finally come after many sacrifices and years of struggle when a democratic and anti-racist party of black president came into existence. Earlier, in South Africa this status   had always been reserved for white Presidents.

 Days before this auspicious date, many personalities of high political status from different countries started paying tribute to Mandela for his great success. For the first time in the history of South Africa, such a large number of international leaders were participating in this inauguration ceremony. The ceremony took place in an open circular building made of sandstone consisting of Union buildings in Pretoria city.

On that lovely autumn day I was accompanied by my daughter Zenani. On the podium, Mr de Klerk was first sworn in as second deputy president. Then Thabo Mbeki was sworn in as first deputy president. When it was my turn, I pledged to obey and uphold the Constitution and to devote myself to the wellbeing of the Republic and its people.

To the assembled guests and the watching world, I said: “Today, all of us do, by our presence here… confer glory and hope to newborn liberty. Out of the experience of an extraordinary human disaster that lasted too long, must be born a society of which all humanity will be proud. We, who were outlaws, not so long ago, have today been given the rare privilege to be host to the nations of the world on our own soil. We thank all of our distinguished international guests for having come to take possession with the people of our country of what is, after all, a common victory for justice, for peace, for human dignity.”

Word meanings

• Sworn- take oath to be determined to stay in the role specified
• Pledged- committed (a person or organization) by a solemn promise
• Assembled- gather together in one place for a common purpose
• Confer- grant
• Glory- honour
• Outlaws - excluded from the benefit or protection of the law
• Dignity- the state or quality of being worthy of respect.

On this lovely autumn day, Mandela was accompanied by his daughter Zenani. After the pledge of Mr de Klerk  as second deputy president and  Thabo Mbeki  as first deputy president, finally Mandela pledge to remain dedicated for the welfare of his country people.

He said that all of them being a part of the inauguration ceremony are gathered to grant honour and hope to the newly born freedom in the form of non racist democratic government.  People of South Africa have experienced an extreme human disaster for  long ago but now they deserve a society which is fair in the term, upon which humanity could proud. Mandela said that it  is the very proud moment for all of them as  they, the natives of Africa who were outlaws for the whole world have now achieved the privilege or right to host their nation on their own soil. He expressed his gratitude toward all the international leaders and dignitaries for attending and being the part of inauguration ceremony and celebrating the victory which is the victory of not only South Africa but   of the whole humanity 

to have a dignity full life, justice and peace.

We have, at last, achieved our political emancipation. We pledge ourselves to liberate all our people from the continuing bondage of poverty, deprivation, suffering, gender and other discrimination. Never, never, and never again shall it be that this beautiful land will again experience the oppression of one by another. The sun shall never set on so glorious a human achievement. Let freedom reign. God bless Africa!”

Word meanings

• Emancipation-the process of being set free from legal, social, or political restrictions
• Liberate- free; release
• Bondage- the state of being a slave
• Discrimination- being treated differently or unfavorably
• Deprivation- the damaging lack of material benefits considered to be basic necessities in a society
• Oppression- prolonged cruel or unjust treatment or exercise of authority.
• Glorious- having, worthy of, or bringing fame or admiration.
• Reign- rule; govern

He mentions that after great struggle, they have achieved freedom all the social, legal and political restrictions. His government promised to free everyone of the still existing poverty, hardship and inequalities of all kind along with assuring everyone of a country where no community will be suppressing others . He then exclaims that humanity will prosper in South Africa forever,  may god shower his blessings on their land.

A few moments later we all lifted our eyes in awe as a spectacular array of South African jets, helicopters and troop carriers roared in perfect formation over the Union Buildings. It was not only a display of pinpoint precision and military force, but a demonstration of the military’s loyalty to democracy, to a new government that had been freely and fairly elected. Only moments before, the highest generals of the South African defence force and police, their chests bedecked with ribbons and medals from days gone by, saluted me and pledged their loyalty. I was not unmindful of the fact that not so many years before they would not have saluted but arrested me. Finally a chevron of Impala jets left a smoke trail of the black, red, green, blue and gold of the new South African flag.

Word meanings

• Awe- amazed
• Spectacular- beautiful in a dramatic and an eye-catching way
• Array- an impressive display
• Troop- soldiers or armed forces
• Precision- accuracy
• Bedecked- decorate
• Unmindful- not conscious or aware
• Chevron- a pattern in the shape of a V
• Trail- series; chain

After the oath taking ceremony all the audience got amazed by an eye-catching and impressive display of the South African jets, helicopters and and armed forces.  It represented the respect and commitment of military towards the democratic government. The high general of military and police forces, who have received medals for their bravery some days before, also saluted and promised their loyalty. Mandela said that he was well aware of the fact that these commanders, who were then saluting him, would have arrested him, if it had been the rule of British power. At last, a V shaped group of Impala jets left a series of smoke in the colors of South African flag giving tribute to  the newly formed democratic government.

The day was symbolized for me by the playing of our two national anthems, and the vision of whites singing ‘Nkosi Sikelel –iAfrika’ and blacks singing ‘Die Stem’, the old anthem of the Republic. Although that day neither group knew the lyrics of the anthem they once despised, they would soon know the words by heart.

Word meanings

• Symbolized- be a symbol of
• Lyrics- the words of a song
• Despised- hated, had a very low opinion of

The author says that for his whole this day has been marked as a symbol when his democratic government came into existence and as a non racist government two National Anthems were  sung in the honor of whole the country including both black and white communities. Although one community didn’t know the wordings of the anthem of another, they once  hated , they would soon be able to sing both National Anthems with correct wordings by their hearts.

On the day of the inauguration, I was overwhelmed with a sense of history. In the first decade of the twentieth century, a few years after the bitter Anglo-Boer war and before my own birth, the white-skinned peoples of South Africa patched up their differences and erected a system of racial domination against the dark-skinned peoples of their own land. The structure they created formed the basis of one of the harshest, most inhumane, societies the world has ever known. Now, in the last decade of the twentieth century, and my own eighth decade as a man, that system had been overturned forever and replaced by one that recognized the rights and freedoms of all peoples, regardless of the colour of their skin.

Word meanings

• Overwhelmed- have a strong emotional effect
• Erected- build; construct
• Racial domination- when people of one race have power over another race
• Inhumane-cruel, brutal
• Overturned- reverse.

On the day of the inauguration ceremony, the author got emotional recalling the history of South Africa since 20^th century, before his birth when the English race established the apartheid system and made the natives of South Africa deprived of their basic rights on their own land. As a result, one of most inhumane and brutal system came into existence in which one community faced extreme cruelty and injustice by the another.

Now, when he is at the eighth decade of his age that whole system has got completely vanished and turned into a new system that treats every human being equal irrespective of their colour, caste and creed.

That day had come about through the unimaginable sacrifices of thousands of my people, people whose suffering and courage can never be counted or repaid. I felt that day, as I have on so many other days, that I was simply the sum of all those African patriots who had gone before me. That long and noble line ended and now began again with me. I was pained that I was not able to thank them and that they were not able to see what their sacrifices had wrought.

• Unimaginable- difficult or impossible to imagine
• Patriots- a person who vigorously supports their country and is prepared to defend it against enemies

Mandela further says that this freedom and equally has become possible due to unimaginable sacrifices of countless people of South Africa who have fought against apartheid regime for their whole life. He says that it is quite painful for him that those who have offered their whole life for the sake of their country are not alive to see their achievements . Author says that it was all due the courage of these patriots, he gathered his inspiration and power for this proud moment to be accomplished.

The policy of apartheid created a deep and lasting wound in my country and my people. All of us will spend many years, if not generations, recovering from that profound hurt. But the decades of oppression and brutality had another, unintended, effect, and that was that it produced the Oliver Tambos, the Walter Sisulus, the Chief Luthulis, the Yusuf Dadoos, the Bram Fischers, the Robert Sobukwes of our time* — men of such extraordinary courage, wisdom and generosity that their like may never be known again. Perhaps it requires such depths of oppression to create such heights of character. My country is rich in the minerals and gems that lie beneath its soil, but I have always known that its greatest wealth is its people, finer and truer than the purest diamonds.

Word meanings

• Profound- very great or intense
• Unintended- not planned or meant

Author says that it would take long time for the natives to move on from the deep effect they had on their soul due to apartheid system. He says that besides all the negative impacts this extreme suppression had, it indeed became the reason of the emergence of strong and courageous great personalities. Thus, it required that level of unjust treatment to produce such great heroes. South Africa, he says, is rich in minerals and gems but its greatest strength lies in its people.

It is from these comrades in the struggle that I learned the meaning of courage. Time and again, I have seen men and women risk and give their lives for an idea. I have seen men stand up to attacks and torture without breaking, showing a strength and resilience that defies the imagination. I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear.

Word meanings

• Comrades- a colleague or a fellow member of an organization
• Resilience- the ability to deal with any kind of hardship and recover from its effects
• Defies- refuse to obey

Author says that he learned the true meaning of courage from these companion freedom fighters who showed a great courage and tolerance by standing against extreme torture for the sake of their country which is beyond imagination. Courage is not the absence of fear but a victory over it. A Courageous man is one who conquers his fear and come forward knowing the risk involved in the particular task.

No one is born hating another person because of the colour of his skin, or his background, or his religion. People must learn to hate, and if they can learn to hate, they can be taught to love, for love comes more naturally to the human heart than its opposite. Even in the grimmest times in prison, when my comrades and I were pushed to our limits, I would see a glimmer of humanity in one of the guards, perhaps just for a second, but it was enough to reassure me and keep me going. Man’s goodness is a flame that can be hidden but never extinguished.

Word meanings

• Grimmest- very serious or gloomy
• Glimmer- shine faintly with a wavering light
• Pushed to our limits- pushed to the last point in our ability to bear pain
• Reassure- say or do something to remove the doubts

Hatred is not in the nature of mankind.

They learn it in the society. If person can be taught Hatred, he can be taught love and brotherhood. In the grimmest time during their imprisonment when they were about to give up, a little humanity and help from one of the guards was enough was enough to keep their spirit up for the sake of their country.

He believes that goodness in human beings can be suppressed but never eliminated.

In life, every man has twin obligations — obligations to his family, to his parents, to his wife and children; and he has an obligation to his people, his community, his country. In a civil and humane society, each man is able to fulfil those obligations according to his own inclinations and abilities. But in a country like South Africa, it was almost impossible for a man of my birth and colour to fulfil both of those obligations. In South Africa, a man of colour who attempted to live as a human being was punished and isolated. In South Africa, a man who tried to fulfil his duty to his people was inevitably ripped from his family and his home and was forced to live a life apart, a twilight existence of secrecy and rebellion. I did not in the beginning choose to place my people above my family, but in attempting to serve my people, I found that I was prevented from fulfilling my obligations as a son, a brother, a father and a husband

Word meanings

• Obligations- a duty
• Civil- courteous and polite
• Inclination- natural tendencies of behaviour
• Inevitably- unavoidably
• Twilight- half-light, semi-darkness
• Rebellion- process of resisting/ protesting authority, convention or control

Author says that in the life of every human there are two types of responsibilities to be fulfilled. First towards his family and second towards his society or community Generally In a civil society both can be fulfilled but in South Africa it was never ever possible as person who attempted to fulfil either of the two was punished and separated from his community and family to live an isolated life in exile. Mandela says that initially he was obliged toward the responsibilities of his family but later on when he attempted to fulfil his responsibility towards the community, he realized that he was compromising his duties towards his own family.

 was not born with a hunger to be free. I was born free — free in every way that I could know. Free to run in the fields near my mother’s hut, free to swim in the clear stream that ran through my village, free to roast mealies under the stars and ride the broad backs of slow-moving bulls. As long as I obeyed my father and abided by the customs of my tribe, I was not troubled by the laws of man or God. It was only when I began to learn that my boyhood freedom was an illusion, when I discovered as a young man that my freedom had already been taken from me, that I began to hunger for it. At first, as a student, I wanted freedom only for myself, the transitory freedoms of being able to stay out at night, read what I pleased and go where I chose. Later, as a young man in Johannesburg, I yearned for the basic and honorable freedoms of achieving my potential, of earning my keep, of marrying and having a family — the freedom not to be obstructed in a lawful life.

Word meanings

• Mealies- a maize plant
• Abided- obeyed
• Illusion- a false idea or belief
• Transitory- not permanent
• Yearned-   longing for something

The author says that earlier he was

Not inclined towards the freedom of his country or stand against the apartheid regime. He used to follow the rules of his tribe and wander freely under the sun. Being adult, he realized that his boyhood freedom was an illusion. Freedom doesn’t mean going or doing according to will but to live a dignity full life in the society. He wanted a normal respectful life for himself. In Johannesburg, he longed for having a normal life, a peaceful marriage, family and basic amenities which everyone has access to where law and order exists.

But then I slowly saw that not only was I not free, but my brothers and sisters were not free. I saw that it was not just my freedom that was curtailed, but the freedom of everyone who looked like I did. That is when I joined the African National Congress, and that is when the hunger for my own freedom became the greater hunger for the freedom of my people. It was this desire for the freedom of my people to live their lives with dignity and self-respect that animated my life, that transformed a frightened young man into a bold one, that drove a law-abiding attorney to become a criminal, that turned a family-loving husband into a man without a home, that forced a life-loving man to live like a monk. I am no more virtuous or self-sacrificing than the next man, but I found that I could not even enjoy the poor and limited freedoms I was allowed when I knew my people were not free. Freedom is indivisible; the chains on anyone of my people were the chains on all of them, the chains on all of my people were the chains on me.

Word meanings

• Curtailed- to impose a restriction upon someone or something
•  Dignity- the state or quality of being worthy of honour or respect
• Monk- a member of a religious community of men typically living under vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience
• Virtuous- having or showing high moral standards

Author says that when he realized that his whole community including him were deprived of their basic amenities and rights of equality, he was then inclined for freedom from injustice for his community people and joined African National Congress (ANC). This   strong inclination changed him into bold man from the frightened young man, a person against law who sacrificed his normal life of a family- man and became a monk. He says that he could not even enjoy a limited freedom if his people were restricted from their basic rights as restriction on one means restriction on all the people and vice-versa.

I knew that the oppressor must be liberated just as surely as the oppressed. A man who takes away another man’s freedom is a prisoner of hatred; he is locked behind the bars of prejudice and narrow-mindedness. I am not truly free if I am taking away someone else’s freedom, just as surely as I am not free when my freedom is taken from me. The oppressed and the oppressor alike are robbed of their humanity.

Word meanings

• Prejudice- a strong dislike without any good reason

He says that the oppressor also needed to be free as the oppressed because the oppressor is confined from being broad minded and is a victim of his narrow thinking and hatred. He himself is a prisoner of his prejudice. If an oppressor robs the human rights of oppressed, he himself is robbed of humanity or lack human feelings and traits.

Nelson Mandela Long Walk to Freedom Question Answers  

1. Where did the ceremonies take place? Can you name any public buildings in India that are made of sandstone?

A. The ceremonies took place in an amphitheatre, Union Buildings in Pretoria. In India, Rashtrapati  Bhavan, Red Fort and the Supreme Court  India etc. are some buildings made up of sandstone.

2. Can you say how 10 May is an ‘autumn day’ in South Africa?

A. As South Africa lies in the Southern Hemisphere, May falls in the autumn season. Thus, we can say that 10 may is an ‘autumn day.

 3. At the beginning of his speech, Mandela mentions “an extraordinary human disaster”. What does he mean by this? What is the “glorious … human achievement” he speaks of at the end?

Ans. “An extraordinary human disaster”, has been referred to the apartheid system, prevalent in South Africa during British power. In that system natives of South Africa were deprived of their basic human rights and amenities. They undergone such an extreme torture and exploitation that  was beyond imagination. Mandela along with his companion freedom fighters fought against this injustice and finally won as a head of non racist democratic party to become the first black President of South Africa. This victory over the apartheid system and formation of a society that was humane in every sense is called “glorious human achievement”.

4. What does Mandela thank the international leaders for?

A. He thanked the international leaders and dignitaries for participating in  the inauguration ceremony of South Africa as a democratic state with non racial government.

5. What ideals does he set out for the future of South Africa?

A. He set out goals to make his people free from all social barriers, discrimination, injustice and poverty that was still prevalent in his country even after freedom from apartheid system.

6. What do the military generals do? How has their attitude changed, and why?

Ans. During the British reign in South Africa, the military generals were unjust towards the black and used to treat them as criminals as per the white supremacy. But after the establishment of democratic government, their attitude got changed. The military generals pledged their loyalty towards the newly formed non-racial government.

7. Why were two national anthems sung?

A. The two national anthems sung in the honour of both Blacks and the Whites communities, as the assurance of equality and brotherhood among all the countrymen.

8. How does Mandela describe the systems of government in his country

(i) In the first decade, and
(ii) In the final decade, of the twentieth century?

Ans. (i) In the first decade of the twentieth century, a government of white prominence and domination ‘apartheid system ‘ was formed by British rulers that led to the formation of the most inhumane society for black people, where they had to face injustice and torture beyond imagination.

(ii) In the final decade of the twentieth century, the system of apartheid had been abolished and a democratic government established   that ensured   humans  equality  irrespective of their caste, colour and creed.

9. What does courage mean to Mandela?

A. According to Mandela  “courage” does not mean the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. A courageous person is the one conquers his fear and comes forward to bear risk.

10. Which does he think is natural, to love or to hate?

A. Mandela thinks that  love is   a  natural human trait  as compared to hate. A person learns hatred in society whereas love is inborn human quality that lies in the heart of every human forever.

11. What “twin obligations” does Mandela mention?

A. According to Mandela, every person has “twin obligations”, one towards his family and the other, towards his society.

12. What did being free mean to Mandela as a boy, and as a student? How does he contrast these “transitory freedoms” with “the basic and honourable freedoms”?

A. During boyhood and later as an adult Mandela used to believe that freedom was being able to stay out at night, read whatever he desired and go wherever he chose. However, as a grown-up man he realized that those were “transitory freedoms” . The basic and honorable freedoms is freedom in true sense as it allows a person to have a dignity full life with all the basic rights to fulfil their basic needs.

In the society under the apartheid system black people were even deprived of their basic rights to have a normal respectful life.

13. Does Mandela think the oppressor is free? Why/Why not?

A. According to Mandela, the oppressor is also a prisoner of his narrow thinking  and confined in the bars of his prejudice as he not able to have broad thinking and lack human feelings and traits.

14. Why did such a large number of international leaders attend the inauguration? What did it signify the triumph of?

A. A large number of international leaders attended the inauguration ceremony to support the Democracy and equality established in South Africa by the newly formed democratic government.

It signified the triumph of justice over prejudice, courage over fear and right over wrong.

15. What does Mandela mean when he says he is “simply the sum of all those African patriots” who had gone before him?

A. Mandela wanted to express the fact that his achievements owed to all those African patriots who had lost their lives for the sake of their country.

By saying that he was simply the sum of all those African patriots, he wanted to express his gratitude toward those  great heroes whose sacrifices inspired him to gather courage again apartheid and fight fearlessly against injustice

16. Would you agree that the “depths of oppression” create “heights of character”? How does Mandela illustrate this? Can you add your own examples to this argument?

A. Yes, it is the fact that “depths of oppression” create “heights of character” because challenges in the form of suppression or adverse conditions inclines the person to take steps against them and make him understand his true potential. Mandela illustrated this idea by the example of all those freedom fighters who had showed boldness beyond imagination and stood against oppression and brutality.

17. How did Mandela’s understanding of freedom change with age and experience?

A. As a boy or an adult he used to misinterpret freedom as it is just doing whatever according to will like staying out at night or go wherever  he chose.

Later on, being a grown-up man he realized that it was the transitory freedom as they are deprived of their fundamental rights and freedoms to be a respectful entity of the society. Thus, true freedom is that where a person has his fundamental rights to prosper in the society.

18. How did Mandela’s ‘hunger for freedom’ change his life?

A. Once Mandela realized his hunger for freedom, his life changed forever. It transformed him from a family-man to a man of his people and a frightened young man into a bold one. He built his entire life around fighting for the basic fundamental rights for his community.  He was more selfless and virtuous than ever.

 

Thinking about Language

I. There are nouns in the text (formation, government) which are formed from the corresponding verbs (form, govern) by suffixing − (at)ion or ment. There may be change in the spelling of some verb − noun pairs: such as rebel, rebellion; constitute, constitution.

1. Make a list of such pairs of nouns and verbs in the text.

Ans:

2. Read the paragraph below. Fill in the blanks with the noun forms of the verbs in brackets.

Ans: Martin Luther King’s contribution (contribute) to our history as an outstanding leader began when he came to the assistance (assist) of Rosa Parks, a seamstress who refused to give up her seat on a bus to a white passenger. In those days American Blacks were confined to positions of second-class citizenship by restrictive laws and customs. To break these laws would mean subjugation(subjugation) and humiliation(humiliation) by the police and the legal system. Beatings, imprisonment(imprison) and sometimes death awaited those who defied the System. Martin Luther King’s tactics of protest involved non-violent resistance (resist) to racial injustice.

III. Match the italicised phrases in Column A with the phrase nearest meaning in Column B. (Hint: First look for the sentence in the text in which the phrase in column A occurs.) 

Answer:-

Two Stories about Flying

His First Flight by Liam O’ Flaherty

Black Aeroplane by Frederick Forsryth.

Introduction

The story “His First Flight” written by Liam OH Hearty, is about how a young seagull overcame his fear and learned flying. Earlier he used to be too scared of flying as he thought that his wings are not strong enough to support him.

At last, he accidently realized his potential when he dived to get fish and made his first flight.

This story illustrates that when we make attempts, we realize our potential and abilities and become successful.

One cannot be successful until or unless one makes attempts as only then he becomes confident and believe in oneself.

About the Author Liam O’ Flaherty

Liam O'Flaherty (28 August 1896 – 7 September 1984) was an Irish novelist and short-story writer,  His genre was socialism and was writing about the common people's experience and from their perspective.

Summary

 “His First Flight” by “Liam O’ Flaherty” is beautiful story with a strong message about being successful on any venture in life. It illustrates a little account of  a young seagull who scares to fly whereas his younger siblings were practicing and flying without being scared. The young seagull was too afraid that he was not even willing to make any attempt. His parents scolded him and threatened him to be left alone but all in vain. The next day, he was left in isolation as his whole family moved to the opposite plateau. He was sad and watching his parents perfecting his younger siblings in the art of flying. He tried hard to seek their attention but nobody notices except his mother who was catching fish. Being hungry he got very happy seeing that his mother is coming to him with a fish. But she stopped midway.  In the excitement of having fish, the young seagull forgets everything and dives from the ledge. Soon he realized that he was in the air and thud, started fluttering his wings to save his life. In doing so he became confident and made his first flight.  He whole family celebrates his first flight by cheering and dancing  around him. He also tries to float and dive in the sea to catch fish . In this way he conquers his fear and made his first flight and realized that he always had a potential to fly, the only thing required was to make an attempt.

Explanation

THE young seagull was alone on his ledge. His two brothers and his sister had already flown away the day before. He had been afraid to fly with them. Somehow when he had taken a little run forward to the brink of the ledge and attempted to flap his wings he became afraid. The great expanse of sea stretched down beneath, and it was such a long way down — miles down. He felt certain that his wings would never support him; so he bent his head and ran away back to the little hole under the ledge where he slept at night.

Word meanings

• Seagull- a bird that lives near the sea and has short legs, long wings, and white and grey feathers

• Ledge- a narrow horizontal shelf projecting from a wall (or here) a cliff.
• Brink- the extreme edge of land before a steep slope or a body or water
• Expanse- a wide continuous area of something

The story starts with a young seagull who has to learn flying. However, he is all alone on his ledge as he is too afraid of flying while his younger siblings have already made their flights. When he went near the edge with his siblings to fly, all Flew away except him as he couldn’t gather courage and got terrified by the depth below his ledge and vast expanse of  the sea. Being convinced that his wings are not strong enough to support him he  ran back to the hole in his ledge where he slept at night.

Even when each of his brothers and his little sister, whose wings were far shorter than his own, ran to the brink, flapped their wings, and flew away, he failed to muster up courage to take that plunge which appeared to him so desperate. His father and mother had come around calling to him shrilly, upbraiding him, threatening to let him starve on his ledge unless he flew away. But for the life of him he could not move.

Flapped- (of a bird) move (its wings) up and down when flying or preparing to fly

Word meanings.

• Muster- gather
• Plunge- jump or dive
• Shrilly- with a high pitched and piercing voice or sound
• Upbraiding- scold

His younger siblings took their first flight even though they had small wings   than that of young seagull. Although he tried so desperately but he could not gather courage to dive from the ledge.  His parents scolded him but he was too afraid that he couldn’t even move.

That was twenty-four hours ago. Since then nobody had come near him. The day before, all day long, he had watched his parents flying about with his brothers and sister, perfecting them in the art of flight, teaching them how to skim the waves and how to dive for fish. He had, in fact, seen his older brother catch his first herring and devour it, standing on a rock, while his parents circled around raising a proud cackle. And all the morning the whole family had walked about on the big plateau midway down the opposite cliff taunting him with his cowardice.

Word meanings

• Herring- a soft-finned sea fish
• Devour- eat quickly
• Cackle- laugh in a loud, harsh way

Now it had been a whole being alone on his ledge. He tried to get a notice from his parents but they were busy in teaching his siblings how to master the art of flying and dive for food. His parents celebrated the proud moment when his older sibling caught his first fish. He was being taunted by his parents for his cowardice.

The sun was now ascending the sky, blazing on his ledge that faced the south. He felt the heat because he had not eaten since the previous nightfall. He stepped slowly out to the brink of the ledge, and standing on one leg with the other leg hidden under his wing, he closed one eye, then the other, and pretended to be falling asleep. Still they took no notice of him. He saw his two brothers and his sister lying on the plateau dozing with their heads sunk into their necks. His father was preening the feathers on his white back. Only his mother was looking at him. She was standing on a little high hump on the plateau, her white breast thrust forward. Now and again, she tore at a piece of fish that lay at her feet and then scrapped each side of her beak on the rock. The sight of the food maddened him. How he loved to tear food that way, scrapping his beak now and again to whet it.

Word meanings

• Ascending the sky- the act of rising up through the air
• Preening-to tidy and clean its feathers
• Hump- a rounded raised mass of earth or land

Now the sun has risen up in the sky and he was feeling intense heat as he was hungry since the night before. He slowly moved toward the brink of the ledge and tried to pretend that he is sleeping by close his eyes but couldn’t grab the attention of his parents.

His siblings were sleeping while his father was cleaning his feathers with his beak. However, his mother kept watching him while standing on another plateau when she was about to tear the fish and eat it. The young seagull became mad on that sight as he was too hungry.  He loved to tear the fish   in that manner by scrapping his beak.

“Ga, ga, ga,” he cried begging her to bring him some food. “Gaw-col-ah,” she screamed back derisively. But he kept calling plaintively, and after a minute or so he uttered a joyful scream. His mother had picked up a piece of the fish and was flying across to him with it. He leaned out eagerly, tapping the rock with his feet, trying to get nearer to her as she flew across. But when she was just opposite to him, she halted, her wings motionless, the piece of fish in her beak almost within reach of his beak. He waited a moment in surprise, wondering why she did not come nearer, and then, maddened by hunger, he dived at the fish.

Word meanings

• Derisively- in a manner expressing contempt or ridicule.
• Plaintively- sad
• Uttered- make a sound with one’s voice
• Halted- stopped

He made a loud noise, begging for food in hunger while his mother screamed condemning him. But soon his cries got converted into joyful scream as his mother was flying towards him with the piece of fish. He got very excited as she approached nearer and leaned at the brink. But suddenly she stopped being nearer to him. The young seagull got surprised noticing that his mother has stopped, not moving toward him with his food in her beak which appeared to be very close to him. Being mad due to hunger, he forgot that he was not able to fly and dived to get the fish.

With a loud scream he fell outwards and downwards into space. Then a monstrous terror seized him and his heart stood still. He could hear nothing. But it only lasted a minute. The next moment he felt his wings spread outwards. The wind rushed against his breast feathers, then under his stomach, and against his wings. He could feel the tips of his wings cutting through the air. He was not falling headlong now. He was soaring gradually downwards and outwards. He was no longer afraid. He just felt a bit dizzy. Then he flapped his wings once and he soared upwards. “Ga, ga, ga, Ga, ga, ga, Gaw-col-ah,” his mother swooped past him, her wings making a loud noise. He answered her with another scream. Then his father flew over him screaming. He saw his two brothers and his sister flying around him curveting and banking and soaring and diving.

Word meanings

• Monstrous- horrible
• Seized- grab
• Soaring- flying or rising high in the air
• Swooped- (especially of a bird) move rapidly downwards through the air
• Curvetting- perform a series of jumps on the hind legs

After taking a dive soon he realized that he is floating in a vast space. That moment was grabbed with a horrible experience and his heart stood still. However, in the next moment he felt that his wings spread outwards cutting through the winds. He was no more falling but flying high and low up and down in the air

He was not scared now. He felt a bit nervous but his mother joined to encourage him. She was making loud noise. He flapped his wings and soared upward and answered her with his scream. Soon rest of the family accompanied him. They celebrated his victory by screaming, soaring, diving and jumping around him in excitement.

Then he completely forgot that he had not always been able to fly, and commended himself to dive and soar and curve, shrieking shrilly. He was near the sea now, flying straight over it, facing straight out over the ocean. He saw a vast green sea beneath him, with little ridges moving over it and he turned his beak sideways and cawed amusedly.

Word meanings

• Shrieking- making a high-pitched piercing cry or sound
• Shrilly- loudly and forcefully
• Ridges- a long, narrow hilltop, mountain range

As he overcame his fear, he completely forgot how he used to be scared of flying.

He was diving downward and soaring up in the sky making loud piercing sound. As went straight upward in the sky, he could see vast green sea beneath him with narrow hilltops over it. He took a turn and made cawing sounds in enjoyment.

His parents and his brothers and sister had landed on this green flooring ahead of him. They were beckoning to him, calling shrilly. He dropped his legs to stand on the green sea. His legs sank into it. He screamed with fright and attempted to rise again flapping his wings. But he was tired and weak with hunger and he could not rise, exhausted by the strange exercise. His feet sank into the green sea, and then his belly touched it and he sank no farther. He was floating on it, and around him his family was screaming, praising him and their beaks were offering him scraps of dog-fish. He had made his first flight.

Word meanings

• Beckoning- gesture

 He landed on the green sea 

Along with his family. They had proud  expression and were making loud piercing voice in excitement. First he got scared of floating on the sea and tried to escape but being weak and  tired of hunger, he calmed down and started floating on the sea. His family offered him food and celebrated their excitement. Finally, he conquered his fear and made his first flight.

Textbook Questions and Answers

Q1. Why was the young seagull afraid to fly? Do you think all young birds are afraid to make their first flight, or are some birds more timid than others? Do you think a human baby also finds it a challenge to take its first steps?

Ans. The young seagull was afraid to fly because he believed that his wings would not support him.

Surely some birds hesitate taking their first flight and even human babies hesitate taking their first step as every body does have some fear or hesitation, more or less, doing anything for the first time.

Q2. “The sight of the food maddened him.” What does this suggest? What compelled the young seagull to finally fly?

A. The young seagull was starving for a night before. Thus on the sight of his mother flying towards him with the fish, he got overwhelmed with excitement and tried to grab the food any how as soon as possible.  It suggests that a person makes attempts in his dire need of anything without thinking of the risks involved as the young seagull does by diving from the ledge. His hunger and strong wish to get food compelled him to fly at last.

Q3. “They were beckoning to him, calling shrilly.” Why did the seagull’s father and mother threaten him and cajole him to fly?

A. Unlike his younger siblings, the poor seagull could not gather enough courage to take his first flight. Thus, his parents taunted him for being a coward. They even threatened it to let it starve if he did not try. They thought hunger would make him fly looking for his food. They did all of this because they wanted him to fly

Extra questions

Q.  Why the young seagull dived from the ledge? What happened then?

Ans.  The young sea gull dived because he got maddened on the sight of his mother approaching fish, he was starving in hunger from a night before. Thus, on seeing food he got overwhelmed in excitement. But his mother stopped midway, in the haste of getting food he forgot his fear and dived from the ledge. Suddenly, he realized that he was in the air. he fell outwards and downwards with a scream. His monstrous terror seized him and his heart stood still. Soon his wings spread outwards and he could feel the tips of his wings cutting through the air.

Q. Why couldn’t the seagull fly when his belly touched the green sea and what was the outcome?

Ans. The seagull got very scared when his belly touched the green sea. He thought that he would sink. He tried to fly but couldn’t succeed as he was too exhausted and weak due to hunger. So he sat on the water but to his surprise he didn’t sank and started floating. In  this way he conquered his second fear of the sea water.

Q. Do you think a big role was played by the family of the seagull to train him in the art of flying? Why?

Ans. Yes, a vital role was played by the family to make him fly including punishing him and leaving alone to starve was to force him to make attempts.

Earlier his parents scolded and threatened him but all in vain. Finally, they took their last trick by leaving him alone to starve in hunger. After a whole day his mother tempted him for food. Being very hungry he got overjoyed and dived from the ledge forgetting that he couldn’t fly. When he realized that he was in the air. He made attempts to fly as his wings spread outwards cutting through the air while his family kept encouraging him. At last, when he overcame his fear they celebrated his victory by dancing and making loud piercing voice.

 Thus, due to the efforts of his family members he made his first flight.

Q. Do you think hunger was a good motivation for the young seagull in his first flight?

Ans. Yes hunger was a good motivation indeed as being tempted for food since he was too hungry, he forgot his fear and dived from the ledge and when his wings spread outwards cutting through the air automatically, he realized his potential of flying and made his first attempt to fly. If he hadn’t been hungry, he would not have dived and realized his potential. Thus, to get him known about his inborn ability hunger played a big role.

Q. Overcoming fear is the first step to success. How does this saying stand true in context of the story ‘His First Flight”?

Ans. The story illustrates this fact very perfectly. The young seagull was too afraid to fly. He didn’t want to make any attempt even. He was afraid that his wings would not support him. However, his younger siblings had already flew away. But finally, when he dived being hungry, forgetting his fears and made attempts, he got to know his innate abilities, overcame his fear and successfully made his first flight. Earlier he was scared of flying but when he overcame his fear accidently, he made his first flight. Thus, to become successful one needs to overcome his fear first and take initiative to face the challenges and risks involved. As one can only becomes efficient in his task by making efforts without being scared as the seagull does when he fluttered his wings went upward and downwards in the air he gained  confident soon and made his first flight.

The Black Aeroplane

Introduction

The lesson “Black Aeroplane” by Frederick Forsyth reflects on how one’s judgement gets distorted due to fantasizing and how it creates problems. In this chapter, the narrator is a pilot who is so eager to meet his family and have a good breakfast that he takes the wrong decision of facing the storm instead of doing the right thing. Miraculously, he somehow manages to escape with the help of a mysterious aeroplane.

 About the Author

Frederick Forsryth born on 25^th August 1938. He is a prominent British English novelist and journalist. He is well known for his thrillers like the Afghan, The fourth protocol, The dogs of war etc. He also served as a pilot of fighter jet plane. In this little account he has shared one of the incident of his life that is beyond imagination.

Summary

The black Aeroplane is a story about a pilot who was very happy and excited to meet his family and have breakfast with them. He was flying  the plane from Paris to London alone without any other pilot and enjoying the self satisfying moment. When  he crossed Paris, he got scared of the big black stormy clouds approaching towards him. But he didn’t want to sacrifice his strong wish to enjoy  the delicious breakfast with his family by any means so decided to take risk and cross that hurdle by going through it. As soon as he entered the clouds, all his instruments stopped working and he lost his connection with the control panel. He got to know that fuel was also not enough for that journey as it could finish at any moment. He was quite helpless but soon he saw a black Aeroplane coming after his Aeroplane . To his astonishment, pilot’s face was quite visible in the dark. It came ahead of his plane and showed him direction through the dark clouds ️ and got disappeared. After landing safely when he went to the control panel asked about the black Aeroplane, he got very surprised as the lady at the control panel answered that only his Aeroplane was visible in the sky. There was no other plane flying in the sky.

Theme

• Miracle - the story illustrates how tha narrator took a great risk just to meet his family and have that English breakfast and got in to a great trouble. However, miraculously he landed safely at last.
• Mystery – it is still a mystery that who was the pilot of the black aeroplane? How it was visible among the dark clouds without headlight? Why it was not visible on the radar?

Where had it gone after the narrator landed?

These are some questions with which the narrator left pondering upon.

• Strong inclination and lack of judgement may lead us to trouble as the narrator was likely to loose his life unless helped by the mysterious aeroplane.

Explanation

THE moon was coming up in the east, behind me, and stars were shining in the clear sky above me. There wasn’t a cloud in the sky. I was happy to be alone high up above the sleeping countryside. I was flying my old Dakota aeroplane over France back to England. I was dreaming of my holiday and looking forward to being with my family. I looked at my watch: one thirty in the morning.

The narrator has explained the beauty of the night time with clear sky and twinkling stars.  He  was happy  flying his old Dakota back to London , his hometown  from Paris, alone high above the countryside which was supposed to be sleeping as it was night-time. He was excited and dreaming of his leisure time with his family. He had a great desire to meet his family  as soon as possible so he looked at his watch it was 1.30 in the morning .

‘I should call Paris Control soon,’ I thought. As I looked down past the nose of the aeroplane, I saw the lights of a big city in front of me. I switched on the radio and said, “Paris Control, Dakota DS 088 here. Can you hear me? I’m on my way to England. Over.” The voice from the radio answered me immediately: “DS 088, I can hear you. You ought to turn twelve degrees west now, DS 088. Over.”

While approaching towards Paris as he could see the light flashing at him he thought he should call the Paris Control for their instructions. When he informed them they provided him with the guidelines regarding his further journey .

I checked the map and the compass, switched over to my second and last fuel tank, and turned the Dakota twelve degrees west towards England. ‘I’ll be in time for breakfast,’ I thought. A good big English breakfast! Everything was going well — it was an easy flight.

Word meanings

• Compass- instrument for telling direction

He checked the map and compass after receiving the instructions. He put second and last fuel tank into operation and took a turn towards England .Meanwhile he was dreaming of having a delicious English breakfast. He was happy and calm as it was easy to fly in the clear sky and everything was going according to the plan.

Paris was about 150 kilometres behind me when I saw the clouds. Storm clouds. They were huge. They looked like black mountains standing in front of me across the sky. I knew I could not fly up and over them, and I did not have enough fuel to fly around them to the north or south. “I ought to go back to Paris,” I thought, but I wanted to get home. I wanted that breakfast. ‘I’ll take the risk,’ I thought, and flew that old Dakota straight into the storm.

Now he had left Paris and moved ahead 150 kms. Suddenly he noticed big storm clouds  looking like black mountains standing in front of him across the sky. He thought for a while whether he should return Paris or carry on his journey. Finally, he resolved to take risk as he could not give up his dream of having delicious English breakfast and   headed  his Dakota straight into the storm.

Inside the clouds, everything was suddenly black. It was impossible to see anything outside the aeroplane. The old aeroplane jumped and twisted in the air. I looked at the compass. I couldn’t believe my eyes: the compass was turning round and round and round. It was dead. It would not work! The other instruments were suddenly dead, too.

Inside the clouds he could not see anything as it was too dark. Thus, he started losing his control. To his astonishment the compass was dead along with other instruments.

I tried the radio. “Paris Control? Paris Control? Can you hear me?” There was no answer. The radio was dead too. I had no radio, no compass, and I could not see where I was. I was lost in the storm. Then, in the black clouds quite near me, I saw another aeroplane. It had no lights on its wings, but I could see it flying next to me through the storm. I could see the pilot’s face — turned towards me. I was very glad to see another person. He lifted one hand and waved. “Follow me,” he was saying. “Follow me.” ‘He knows that I am lost,’ I thought. ‘He’s trying to help me.’

He tried hard to contact Paris Control but couldn’t connect. He was feeling quite helpless with no connection and dead instruments in the midst of deadly storm. Suddenly he got happy to see that another aeroplane  was flying along with him . It’s pilot waved his hand and instructed to follow him. It seemed he knew that the narrator was lost and thus trying to help him.

He turned his aeroplane slowly to the north, in front of my Dakota, so that it would be easier for me to follow him. I was very happy to go behind the strange aeroplane like an obedient child. After half an hour the strange black aeroplane was still there in front of me in the clouds. Now there was only enough fuel in the old Dakota’s last tank to fly for five or ten minutes more. I was starting to feel frightened again. But then he started to go down and I followed through the storm. Suddenly I came out of the clouds and saw two long straight lines of lights in front of me. It was a runway! An airport! I was safe! I turned to look for my friend in the black aeroplane, but the sky was empty. There was nothing there. The black aeroplane was gone. I could not see it anywhere.

The  other pilot turned his aeroplane towards north in front of his Dakota to guide him through the dark clouds.  Due to this inconceivable help, the narrator was very happy and followed the  instructions like an obedient child. For half an hour, he was following the black aeroplane which was visible among the dark clouds ️ strangely. But suddenly, he was again in panic as the fuel  was available for only ten minutes more. However,  he kept following the black aeroplane which was now moving down . Suddenly he could see the lights emitting from the runway and got relieved  that he was safe now. As soon as, he turned to see  the black aeroplane, he found that black aeroplane  has  got disappeared.

I landed and was not sorry to walk away from the old Dakota near the control tower. I went and asked a woman in the control centre where I was and who the other pilot was. I wanted to say ‘Thank you’. She looked at me very strangely, and then laughed. “Another aeroplane? Up there in this storm? No other aeroplanes were flying tonight. Yours was the only one I could see on the radar.” So who helped me to arrive there safely without a compass or a radio, and without any more fuel in my tanks? Who was the pilot on the strange black aeroplane, flying in the storm, without lights?

Word meanings

• Radar- an instrument used to detect direction, distance, and speed of aircraft, ships.
• Strangely- in a strange manner

After landing, the narrator wanted to express his gratitude to the pilot of the black aeroplane. So he went to the control tower and asked about location where he had been and who was the pilot of the black aeroplane. To his astonishment, the lady at the control tower answered that there was none of the aeroplane visible on the  radar except his. The narrator left pondering that who was the pilot of black aeroplane?  How he was able  to land safely without enough fuel and proper instruments?

There were several questions in his mind that were supposed to be unanswered as none had seen that strange aeroplane except him.

 

Questions Answers

Q1. “I’ll take the risk.” What is the risk? Why does the narrator take it?

Ans. The “risk” was to move to the destination through the storm. The pilot was desperately wanted to  meet his family and have that English breakfast. Thus, he didn’t move back to Paris and risked his life by heading into the storm.

Q2. Describe the narrator’s experience as he flew the aeroplane into the storm.

Ans. The narrator got horrified as it was too dark inside and he was not able to control the plane. Soon he got to know that his compass and other instruments had stopped working. He felt that he was in the midst of nowhere.  Suddenly an unknown plane was visible moving along with his aeroplane and the pilot was keen to help him. The narrator was worried as there was very less fuel left but at last, he landed safe following the black aeroplane ✈.

Q3. Why does the narrator say, “I landed and was not sorry to walk away from the old Dakota…”?

Ans. The narrator said so because he had had a very horrible experience in the plane when his compass and radar had stopped functioning in the midst of the storm. Thus, he felt relieved When

he left that plane. Moreover, he was curious about the pilot of the black aeroplane who helped him in his safe landing and wanted to tell him thanks.

Q4. What made the woman in the control centre look at the narrator strangely?

Ans. The woman in the control centre looked at the narrator strangely when he asked about the other pilot that helped him escape the storm. As she had not seen any other plane on the radar.

Q5. Who do you think helped the narrator to reach safely? Discuss this among yourselves and give reasons for your answer.

Ans. It was the pilot’s own conscience which helped him out of the storm. There was no other plane out on that stormy night. So, probably, he was hallucinating. It was his own capability as a pilot which led him out of that black cloud.

 

Grammar Exercise

Now, try to guess the meanings of the word ‘black’ in the sentences given below. Check the meanings in the dictionary and find out whether you have guessed right.
1. Go and have a bath; your hands and face are absolutely black. ________
2. The taxi-driver gave Ratan a black look as he crossed the road when the traffic light was green. ___________
3. The bombardment of Hiroshima is one of the blackest crimes against humanity. __________
4. Very few people enjoy Harold Pinter’s black comedy. ____________
5. Sometimes shopkeepers store essential goods to create false scarcity and then sell these in black. ___________
6. Villagers had beaten the criminal black and blue. _______________

Answers-

1. Go and have a bath; your hands and face are absolutely black.

Here, ‘black’ refers to the dirty hands with dust.

2. The taxi-driver gave Ratan a black look as he crossed the road when the traffic light was green.

Here, ‘black’ refers to an furious look.

3. The bombardment of Hiroshima is one of the blackest crimes against humanity.

Here, ‘blackest’ refers to the most unfortunate and inhumane against humanity.

4. Very few people enjoy Harold Pinter’s black comedy

Here, ‘black’ refers to dark and gloomy comedy.

5. Sometimes shopkeepers store essential goods to create false scarcity and then sell these in black.

Here, ‘black’ refers to unethical way of selling the goods at high price.

6. Villagers had beaten the criminal black and blue.

Here, ‘black’ means excessive beatin

From the diary of Anne Frank

Introduction

This lesson a little account of the autobiographical work “Diary of a Young Girl” or “The Diary of Anne Frank”, published in 1947.

In this, the little author Anne has shared a little incident of her life and a lot of things she hesitated to share with others in a diary which was gifted to her on her thirteenth birthday. She names the diary “kitty” which she considers as her only true friend.

Summary

The chapter ‘From the Diary of Anne Frank’ illustrates a little account from the autobiography of a young Jewish girl, Anne Frank who has shared her thoughts which she was not likely to tell anyone, except writing in her diary which was a gift on her 13^th birthday by her father.

At first, she thought that no one would be Interested in her past experiences as she is an immature little girl but finally, she resolved to write her thoughts in her diary which she named ‘kitty’.

She considered that diary her true friend as she could write anything in it that she couldn’t tell to anyone. In her opinion her diary has more patience than other people around her as being non living it is not going to put questions upon anything she would write on it.

Anne mentions in her diary that how her entire class was nervous about their exam results on 20th June 1942 and she was confident about other subjects as compared to Mathematics.

She mentions that how much talkative she used to be in her class which annoyed her mathematics teacher, Mr. Keesing. He punished her three times by giving an extra writing work on ridiculous topics but at last realized that talking was her nature that couldn’t be changed.

First time he asked her to write an essay upon ‘a Chatterbox’. In the essay, she tried to justify her traits of talking that she couldn’t help it as she has inherited it from her mother . Mr. Keesing got amused on her arguments and assigned her another writing work, an essay upon ‘An Incorrigible Chatterbox’ for her irredeemable talkative nature.

However, getting irritated by her excessive talking and a lot of justification and arguments he assigned her third essay

, ‘Quack, Quack, Quack, Said Mistress Chatterbox’. However, this time Anne presented the essay in the form of a satirical verse with the help of her friend Sanne who wad good at poetry. Mr. Keesing not only enjoyed it but also allowed Anne to talk in the class as he realized that one cannot change the true nature of a person. After that Anne was never punished by her teacher Mr. Keesing .

Theme

Need of a true friend

In the chapter, the author feels lonely despite of having a lot of friends and relatives. She longs for a true, loyal and unquestionable friend in her life, with whom she could freely share her emotions and secrets.

Ones natural traits could not be suppressed

Here, in the chapter, the author is quite talkative and after being punished and a lot of attempts she could not control it. Finally, she made her teacher realize that talking is natural to her.

Explanation

WRITING in a diary is a really strange experience for someone like me. Not only because I’ve never written anything before, but also because it seems to me that later on neither I nor anyone else will be interested in the musings of a thirteen-year -old schoolgirl. Oh well, it doesn’t matter. I feel like writing, and I have an even greater need to get all kinds of things off my chest.

Word meanings

• Musings- a period of reflection or thought

According to the author, writing diary is a strange experience as she was sharing her thoughts for the first time. However, no one would be interested in her thoughts as she is an immature girl.

But then she resolved that would write as she liked doing so. Moreover, she was desperate to share her lot of thoughts to anyone but she couldn’t not find any true friend .

Paper has more patience than people.’ I thought of this saying on one of those days when I was feeling a little depressed and was sitting at home with my chin in my hands, bored and listless, wondering whether to stay in or go out. I finally stayed where I was, brooding: Yes, paper does have more patience, and since I’m not planning to let anyone else read this stiff-backed notebook grandly referred to as a ‘diary’, unless I should ever find a real friend, it probably won’t make a bit of difference. Now I’m back to the point that prompted me to keep a diary in the first place: I don’t have a friend.

Word meanings

• Listless- with no energy or interest
• Brooding- engaged in or showing deep thought about something that makes one sad, angry, or worried.
• Prompted- provoke

One day when the author was more depressed than usual, she was pondering upon whether to go out or stay at home. That day she realized that paper has more patience than people as she can express any of the thought by writing on it. Being non living paper would not refuse to absorb her thoughts. It was like her true and loyal friend that would neither raise any question nor reveal her secrets to anyone unless she let anybody read it. Till then that diary was like her true friend that would keep her secrets. The author then comes back to the point where she thought of beginning to write. It is because she is lonely and has no friend to talk to.

Let me put it more clearly, since no one will believe that a thirteen-year-old girl is completely alone in the world. And I’m not. I have loving parents and a sixteen-year-old sister, and there are about thirty people I can call friends. I have a family, loving aunts and a good home. No, on the surface I seem to have everything, except my one true friend. All I think about when I’m with friends is having a good time. I can’t bring myself to talk about anything but ordinary everyday things. We don’t seem to be able to get any closer, and that’s the problem. Maybe it’s my fault that we don’t confide in each other. In any case, that’s just how things are, and unfortunately, they’re not liable to change. This is why I’ve started the diary.

Word meanings

• Confide- to tell personal things privately to a person that one trusts
• Liable- likely (here)

The author felt that despite of having a lovable family including an elder sister, parents and loving aunts she was alone. Even though there are about thirty people whom she can consider her friends, she longed for a true and loyal friend who could keep her secrets and listen to her personal thoughts or opinions.

She shared the general things and spent good time with her so called friends but she didn’t feel like to be close to them. She said that it might be her fault to remain reserved and things were not likely to change. Thus, she started writing diary to express her inner feelings that were not supposed to be shared with anybody.

 

To enhance the image of this long-awaited friend in my imagination, I don’t want to jot down the facts in this diary the way most people would do, but I want the diary to be my friend, and I’m going to call this friend ‘Kitty’. Since no one would understand a word of my stories to Kitty if I were to plunge right in, I’d better provide a brief sketch of my life, much as I dislike doing so.

Word meanings

• Enhance- intensify, increase, or further improve the quality, value, or extent of.
• Plunge- jump or dive quickly

The author named the diary ‘Kitty’ considering it her true friend. She says that she didn’t want to write in a formal manner as usually people do. She further says that before writing about her personal thoughts first she needed to give a brief sketch of her life to make it understandable for those who would willing to read it.

My father, the most adorable father I’ve ever seen, didn’t marry my mother until he was thirty-six and she was twenty-five. My sister, Margot, was born in Frankfurt in Germany in 1926. I was born on 12 June 1929. I lived in Frankfurt until I was four. My father emigrated to Holland in 1933. My mother, Edith Hollander Frank, went with him to Holland in September, while Margot and I were sent to Aachen to stay with our grandmother. Margot went to Holland in December, and I followed in February, when I was plunked down on the table as a birthday present for Margot.

Word meanings

• Adorable- lovable, cute
• Emigrated- leave one’s own country in order to settle permanently in another.
• Plunked- to put down

Author gives a little account of her early life.

Her parents got married when her father was 36 and mother 25. In 1926 her elder sister was born in Frankfurt, Germany. For her father was the most adorable father. Later her parents emigrated to Holland in September,1933 while the author, with her sister sent to stay with her grandmother. After sometimes Margot her elder sister went to Holland in December and she followed her in February and was put down as a birthday present for Margot.

I started right away at the Montessori nursery school. I stayed there until I was six, at which time I started in the first form. In the sixth form my teacher was Mrs Kuperus, the headmistress. At the end of the year we were both in tears as we said a heartbreaking farewell. In the summer of 1941 Grandma fell ill and had to have an operation, so my birthday passed with little celebration.

Word meanings

Farewell- an act of parting or of making someone’s departure

The author says that her education started at Montessori nursery school. She stayed there from first to sixth form until the age of six. At the end of her schooling there in Holland,

She and her headmistress Mrs Kuperus cried a lot at the time of her departure from the school.

In the summer of 1941 , her grandma fell ill and had to have an operation. Thus her birthday could not be celebrated properly.

Grandma died in January 1942. No one knows how often I think of her and still love her. This birthday celebration in 1942 was intended to make up for the other, and Grandma’s candle was lit along with the rest. The four of us are still doing well, and that brings me to the present date of 20 June 1942, and the solemn dedication of my diary.

Word meanings

Intended- planned
Solemn- characterized by deep sincerity
Dedication- commitment

Author lost her grandmother in January 1942. She says that she still loves her and misses her a lot.

This birthday was celebrated in the memories of grandma. She says that her family is doing well that is all about her family backgrounds and brings her to the present date of June 20, 1942 when she is writing her diary.

Saturday, 20 June 1942

Dearest Kitty,

Our entire class is quaking in its boots. The reason, of course, is the forthcoming meeting in which the teachers decide who’ll move up to the next form and who’ll be kept back. Half the class is making bets. G.N. and I laugh ourselves silly at the two boys behind us, C.N. and Jacques, who have staked their entire holiday savings on their bet. From morning to night, it’s “You’re going to pass”, “No, I’m not”, “Yes, you are”, “No, I’m not”. Even G.’s pleading glances and my angry outbursts can’t calm them down. If you ask me, there are so many dummies that about a quarter of the class should be kept back, but teachers are the most unpredictable creatures on earth.

Word meanings

• Quaking in its boot – nervous
• Staked- bet
• Pleading- to make an emotional appeal
• Outbursts- a sudden release of strong emotion
• Unpredictable- not able to be predicted; changeable

On 20^th June 1942, Anne writes by addressing her close friend ‘ the diary” as ‘kitty’ that on the day when the results was going to be announced the whole class was nervous.

Students were making bet about who will be promoted or not. Two boys staked their entire savings of summer holidays and assuring one another about their promotion in the next grade. Anne and her friend were laughing at the boys and even trying to calm them down by pleading and even scolding but all in vain

Anne said that half of the entire class didn’t deserve to be promoted but one cannot predict the results prepared by the teachers.

I’m not so worried about my girlfriends and myself. We’ll make it. The only subject I’m not sure about is maths. Anyway, all we can do is wait. Until then, we keep telling each other not to lose heart.

The author says that she was not nervous about their promotion in the next grade as she and her friends would certainly get passed. But she was not sure about Maths. But they couldn’t do anything except waiting for results. Till then they could only suggest to be hopeful each other.

I get along pretty well with all my teachers. There are nine of them, seven men and two women. Mr Keesing, the old fogey who teaches maths, was annoyed with me for ages because I talked so much. After several warnings, he assigned me extra homework. An essay on the subject, ‘A Chatterbox’. A chatterbox — what can you write about that? I’d worry about that later, I decided. I jotted down the title in my notebook, tucked it in my bag and tried to keep quiet.

Word meanings

• Old fogey- an old-fashioned person
• Annoyed- slightly angry; irritated
• Chatterbox- a talkative person
• Jotted down- write quickly without much thinking

The author says that she had a friendly relationship with all the teachers except her old-fashioned Mathematics teacher, Mr. Keesing.

 He used to get annoyed with the author as she was very talkative.

 He warned her many times but it didn’t work. So, at last he assigned her an extra homework.

The homework was to write an  essay upon an absurd topic ‘A Chatterbox’.

The author pondered about what could be written on that weird topic.

 Finally, she quickly wrote the topic in her notebook and tried to keep quiet.

That evening, after I’d finished the rest of my homework, the note about the essay caught my eye. I began thinking about the subject while chewing the tip of my fountain pen. Anyone could ramble on and leave big spaces between the words, but the trick was to come up with convincing arguments to prove the necessity of talking. I thought and thought, and suddenly I had an idea. I wrote the three pages Mr Keesing had assigned me and was satisfied. I argued that talking is a student’s trait and that I would do my best to keep it under control, but that I would never be able to cure myself of the habit since my mother talked as much as I did if not more, and that there’s not much you can do about inherited traits.

Word meanings

• Ramble on - to talk or write in improper way
• Trait- quality
• Inherited- derived genetically from one’s parents or ancestors.

The author says that after finishing her homework that evening, she came across the note about the essay she had to write . 

So, she started thinking about the contents by chewing the tip of her fountain pen.

The author says that anyone could write without a proper planning by leaving big spaces as the topic was quite weird.

But she wanted to write the convincing arguments to prove her need of talking. She wrote three pages as an argument that talking was natural to students. She couldn’t get rid of that trait completely as she had inherited that habit from her mother but she would try to control it. After writing that essay in support of her talking habit the author felt contented.

Mr Keesing had a good laugh at my arguments, but when I proceeded to talk my way through the 2next lesson, he assigned me a second essay. This time it was supposed to be on ‘An Incorrigible Chatterbox’. I handed it in, and Mr Keesing had nothing to complain about for two whole lessons. However, during the third lesson he’d finally had enough. “Anne Frank, as punishment for talking in class, write an essay entitled — ‘Quack, Quack, Quack, Said Mistress Chatterbox’.”

Word meanings

Proceeded- to begin a course of action
Incorrigible- not able to be changed
Mistress- a woman in a position of authority or control

Mr. Keesing laughed heartily at the funny argument of the author regarding her talking traits. However, when she kept on talking in the next 2 classes, he assigned her another essay ‘An Incorrigible Chatterbox ‘. Anne controlled her somehow for next two whole lesson. However,

During the third lesson. Mr Keesing got too much irritated with the talking of the author that he assigned her the third essay ‘Quack, Quack, Quack, Said Mistress Chatterbox’.”

The class roared. I had to laugh too, though I’d nearly exhausted my ingenuity on the topic of chatterboxes. It was time to come up with something else, something original. My friend, Sanne, who’s good at poetry, offered to help me write the essay from beginning to end in verse and I jumped for joy. Mr Keesing was trying to play a joke on me with this ridiculous subject, but I’d make sure the joke was on him.

Word meanings

• Roared- laughed (here)
• Exhausted- completely used up
• Ingenuity- the quality of being clever, original and inventive
• Verse- writing arranged with a metrical rhythm, typically having a rhyme

When the author got punished third time, the whole class laughed at her, to hide her embarrassment she also laughed but she felt quite exhausted by writing and using her intelligence on the same topic again and again. She determined to produce something effective. Thus, she took help of her friend Sanne, who was good at poetry. She gave a rhythmic touch to the essay from beginning to end. The author was quite excited that now she would make fun of Mr Keesing by giving an effective reply.

I finished my poem, and it was beautiful! It was about a mother duck and a father swan with three baby ducklings who were bitten to death by the father because they quacked too much. Luckily, Mr Keesing took the joke the right way. He read the poem to the class, adding his own comments, and to several other classes as well. Since then I’ve been allowed to talk and haven’t been assigned any extra homework. On the contrary, Mr Keesing’s always making jokes these days.

Anne
[Extracted from The Diary of a Young Girl,
with slight adaptation]

Finally, with the help of her friend she wrote an effective and convincing essay in the form of poem in which there was a mother duck and father swan with three baby ducklings. The baby ducklings were beaten to death due to their habit of quaking too much.

Mr. Keesing recited the poem in front of the class and gave his remarks at the same time.

Fortunately, he realized that talking was natural to the author and never interrupted and even punished for her talking traits.

On the contrary Mr. Keesing himself started cracking jokes in the class.

Question Answers

Q1. What makes writing in a diary a strange experience for Anne Frank?

 

1. It was a strange experience for Anne Frank because she was writing diary for the first time in her life. Moreover, she felt that later no one would be interested in the immature thoughts of a young girl.

 

Q2. Why does Anne want to keep a diary?

 

Ans. Anne wanted to keep a diary as she wanted to share her lots of thoughts or personal stuff someone who could listen to her without any questions and even keep them secret. Since, she had no such true friend

Keeping diary was only option.

 

 

Q3. Why did Anne think she could confide more in her diary than in people?

 

Ans. She could confide more in her diary because she feels that none of her are friends has enough patient to listen to her thoughts without  asking any question upon it. According to her “paper has more patience than people“.

 

Q4. Why does Anne provide a brief sketch of her life?

Ans. Anne provides a brief sketch of her life because she thinks to simply write down her thoughts would not make any sense. The readers would not understand and relate it to the author’s life.

 

 

 

Q5. What tells you that Anne loved her grandmother?

 

Ans. It is evident in the fact that she Put two candles in the memory of her grandmother on her birthday. She used to miss her grandmother more than anyone is aware of.

 

 

 

Q6. Why was Mr Keesing annoyed with Anne? What did he ask her to do?

 

Ans. Mr. Keesing annoyed with Anne because she was very talkative and used to talk during the lectures as well even after getting punished and warned many times.

 

 

 

Q7. How did Anne justify her being a chatterbox in her essay?

 

Ans. Anne justified her talking by explaining that  that she had inherited this habit from her mother. Thus, being an innate quality she could not control it.

 

 

Q8. What made Mr Keesing allow Anne to talk in class?

 

Ans. Anne wrote  a convincing and  satirical essay in form of verse to justify her habit of talking which made Mr. Keesing realize that one’s natural tendencies can’t be controlled. Thus, he allowed her to talk in  the class.

 

 

Q9. Was Anne right when she said that the world would not be interested in the musings of a thirteen-year-old girl?

 

Ans. Yes, Anne was right as she had not written anything earlier. Moreover she was an immature girl. Probably readers wouldn’t be interested in the thoughts of a young girl.

 

 

 

Q10. There are some examples of diary or journal entries in the ‘Before You Read’ section. Compare these with what Anne writes in her diary. What language was the diary originally written in? In what way is Anne’s diary different?

 

Ans. Anne’s diary was different in many sense as hadn’t  followed the general method of writing diary and simply writing the facts of her life. She had named her diary ‘kitty’ and addressed her diary as her true friend who has more patience than people.  Thus, she addressed it as ‘Dearest Kitty’ before starting to write and ended by writing ‘Yours Anne’. She actually shared her thoughts to her so called friend her diary ‘Kitty’.

 

 

 

 

Q11. Why does Anne need to give a brief sketch about her family? Does she treat ‘Kitty’ as an insider or an outsider?

 

Ans. Ans. Anne provides a brief sketch of her life because she thinks to simply write down her thoughts would not make any sense. The readers would not understand and relate it to the author’s life.

 

She indeed treated ‘ Kitty’  as her true friend who only ought to know her feelings.

 

 

Q12. How does Anne feel about her father, her grandmother, Mrs Kuperus and Mr Keesing? What do these tell you about her?

 

Ans. According to Anne her father was most adorable person one could ever meet.

She loved and missed her grandmother more than she expressed.

Mrs. Kuperus was her teacher at Montessori school and she was too close to her that at the time of leaving the school both Anne and her teacher cried a lot.

Mr. Keesing used to get annoyed with the talkativeness of Anne but finally he got convinced and allowed her to talk.

All these things indicate that Anne was a loving and affectionate girl.

 

 

 

Q13. What does Anne write in her first essay?

 

Ans. In her first essay, she explained that she had inherited this habit of talking from her mother that is why it is somehow difficult to control her talkative nature. However, she assured that she will try not to talk too much in the class.

 

 

Q14. Anne says teachers are most unpredictable. Is Mr Keesing unpredictable? How?

Ans. Yes , Mr. Keesing was an unpredictable person. Earlier he was quite angry and irritated with the talking traits of Anne and even punished her after a lot of warnings. But at last easily got convinced by the satirical verse written by Anne to justify her talkativeness. Later on,  he himself started cracking jokes and have some fun in the class.

 

 

 

 

Q15. What do these statements tell you about Anne Frank as a person?
i. We don’t seem to be able to get any closer, and that’s the problem. Maybe it’s my fault that we don’t confide in each other.

Ans. It shows that Anne doesn’t trust upon people very easily and likes to share her thoughts with anyone.

ii. I don’t want to jot down the facts in this diary the way most people would, but I want the diary to be my friend.

Ans. It depicts that Anne feels lonely despite of having a lovable family, relatives and friends. She longs for a true friend who would digest her thoughts. Thus, she considered her diary as her true friend.

iii. Margot went to Holland in December, and I followed in February, when I was plunked down on the table as a birthday present for Margot.

Ans. It depicts the love between the sisters.

On migration, Anne was the last one to be brought to Holland and it was done on the birthday of her elder sister to surprise her.

iv. If you ask me, there are so many dummies that about a quarter of the class should be kept back, but teachers are the most unpredictable creatures on earth.

Ans. Anne feels that half of the class doesn’t deserve promotion but teachers decision can’t be predicted.

v. Anyone could ramble on and leave big spaces between the words, but the trick was to come up with convincing arguments to prove the necessity of talking.

Ans. Anyone could write anything with no sense I  order to just complete the assignment but Anne was to justify her trait. Thus she wanted to write a convinced stuff.

Here are a few sentences from the text which have idiomatic expressions. Can you say what each means? (You might want to consult a dictionary first.)

Answers:

1. Our entire class is quaking in its boots- Shaking with fear and nervousness

2. Until then, we keep telling each other not to lose heart- not to lose hope

3. Mr Keesing was annoyed with me for ages because I talked so much- Since a long time

4. Mr Keesing was trying to play a joke on me with this ridiculous subject, but I’d make sure the joke was on him.- He was outwitted by her

Try to use them in sentences of your own.

1. caught my eye

2. laugh ourselves silly

3. he’d had enough

4. can’t bring myself to

Answers-

1. Caught my eye- The natural beauty and greenery ver there caught my eye.

2. Laugh ourselves silly- On hearing  he satirical speech , the audiences laughed themselves silly.

3. He’d had enough- The teacher said that he’d had enough, and he wanted all the notebooks by Wednesday.

4. Can’t bring myself to- After yesterday’s embarrassing incident, I can’t bring myself to face him.