FLAMINGO (PROSE)

The Last Lesson

 By Alphonse Daudet

Introduction

'The last lesson ' written by Alphonse Daudet narrates about the year 1870 when the Prussian forces under Bismarck attacked and captured France. The French districts of Alsace and Lorraine went into Prussian hands. The new Prussian rulers discontinued the teaching of French in the schools of these two districts. The French teachers were asked to leave. Now M. Hamel could no longer stay in his old school. Still, he gave the last lesson to his students with utmost devotion and sincerity as ever. One such student of M. Hamel, Franz who dreaded French class and M. Hamel‘s iron rod, came to the school that day thinking he would be punished as he had not learnt his lesson on participles. But on reaching school he found Hamel dressed in his fine Sunday clothes and the old people of the village sitting quietly on the back benches. It was due to an order from Berlin. That was the first day when he realized for the first time that how important French was for him, but it was his last lesson in French. The story depicts the pathos of the whole situation about how people feel when they don‘t learn their own language. It tells us about the significance of one‘s language in one‘s life for the very existence of a race and how important it is to safeguardit.

The Last Lesson Summary

The story is narrated by a French boy, Franz. He is lazy but sensitive and likes to play. He dislikes studying French and hates his teacher M. Hamel. After overpowering their districts of Alsace and Lorraine in France, Berlin has ordered that German language instead of French be taught in the schools there. It is the last day of their French teacher M. Hamel, who has been there for forty years. He is full of grief, nostalgia and patriotism. As a mark of respect to his hard work, the village men also attend his ‘last lesson’. They are sad as they did not learn their mother tongue, French in their childhood. Franz is shocked to know that it’s his last lesson, as he does not know French. Now, suddenly, he gets interested in learning it and understands everything taught on that day!

He develops an instant liking for the teacher, M. Hamel and respects him for his sincerity and hard work. He feels sad at departing from him and is ashamed for not being able to recite the lesson of participles. M. Hamel tells them that they all are at fault for not being eager enough to learn, putting it off to the next day. He blames himself for not teaching them sincerely. His patriotism is reflected in his praise for the French language as being the most beautiful and most logical language in the world. He tells the class to guard their language as being close to one’s language is the key to escape from the prison of slavery. It will help them in getting free from the Germans. They realize the importance of learning their mother tongue and that they have been defeated by the Germans because of their illiteracy. Franz feels that it is not possible to take away one’s language from a person as it is natural to each being, may it be the “coo” to the pigeons or “French” to the Frenchmen.

Lesson explanation

I started for school very late that morning and was in great dread of a scolding, especially because M. Hamel had said that he would question us on participles, and I did not know the first word about them.

Word meaning

 In great dread of fear of

The narrator of the story is a young school-going boy named Franz. That morning, he was scared as he was late for school. Also, as their teacher M. Hamel had announced the previous day that he would test them on the topic of ‘Participles’ and Franz did not know anything at all, he was more scared of being scolded.

For a moment I thought of running away and spending the day out of doors. It was so warm, so bright! The birds were chirping at the edge of the woods, and in the open field back of the sawmill the Prussian soldiers were drilling.

Word meaning

Sawmill: a factory for cutting wood

Drilling: exercising

Franz had another option in his mind – to miss school and enjoy the day out in the warm and bright weather. He describes the scene – there were birds chirping on the trees and the noise of the Prussian soldiers doing the drill behind the sawmill could also be heard.

It was all much more tempting than the rule for participles, but I had the strength to resist, and hurried off to school.

Word meaning

Tempting: attracting

Resist: to stay away

The scene outside was more attractive than the school but Franz controlled the temptation and chose to attend school.

When I passed the town hall there was a crowd in front of the bulletin board. For the last two years all our bad news had come from there — the lost battles, the draft, the orders of the commanding officer — and I thought to myself, without stopping, “What can be the matter now?”

Word meaning

Bulletin-board: a notice board for putting up the latest news and communication

As Franz walked past the town hall, he noticed a huge crowd at the notice board. The war with Prussia had begun two and a half years ago and since then all the bad news like losing the war, occupation of Alsace and Lorraine by the enemy i.e. Prussia, etc had been communicated to the people through this bulletin board. Franz kept on walking towards the school and thought in his mind that what news could have been put up at the board now.

Then, as I hurried by as fast as I could go, the blacksmith, Watcher, who was there, with his apprentice, reading the bulletin, called after me, “Don’t go so fast, bub; you’ll get to your school in plenty of time!”

I thought he was making fun of me, and reached M. Hamel’s little garden all out of breath

Word meaning

Apprentice: trainee

As he walked hurriedly towards the school, the blacksmith who was also reading the news and had come along with his trainee called out to Franz from behind and said that he needn’t go in such a hurry as there was plenty of time for him to reach school. Franz thought that the blacksmith was making fun of him as he was already late for school. When Franz reached the garden outside the school, he was out of breath as he had walked very fast.

Usually, when school began, there was a great bustle, which could be heard out in the street, the opening and closing of desks, lessons repeated in unison, very loud, with our hands over our ears to understand better, and the teacher’s great ruler rapping on the table.

Word meaning

a great bustle: a lot of noise created by many people

in unison: at the same time

rapping: striking

Franz describes the usual scene at the school in the mornings – a lot of noise created by the moving of desks, children repeating their lessons and teachers striking the tables with the rulers could be heard.

But now it was all so still! I had counted on the commotion to get to my desk without being seen; but, of course, that day everything had to be as quiet as Sunday morning.

Word meaning

counted on: depended upon

Commotion: noise and confusion

That day was unusual as there was no such sound coming out of the school and it seemed that the school was closed as it used to be on a Sunday morning. Franz had planned that he would take cover under the commotion and reach the class without being noticed but that did not seem possible.

Through the window, I saw my classmates, already in their places, and M. Hamel walking up and down with his terrible iron ruler under his arm.

Franz peeped inside his class and saw his classmates seated and M. Hamel, their teacher walking in the class with the ruler made of iron placed under his arm. Franz feared a beating.

I had to open the door and go in before everybody. You can imagine how I blushed and how frightened I was.

Word meaning

Blushed: face turned red in colour due to shame

Franz was ashamed of being late and feared a scolding as he had to enter the classroom in front of everyone.

But nothing happened. M. Hamel saw me and said very kindly, “Go to your place quickly, little Franz. We were beginning without you.”

Franz found it strange as M. Hamel did not say anything and on the contrary, politely asked him to get to his seat, as the class was about to begin without him.

I jumped over the bench and sat down at my desk. Not till then, when I had got a little over my fright, did I see that our teacher had on his beautiful green coat, his frilled shirt, and the little black silk cap, all embroidered, that he never wore except on inspection and prize days.

Franz hurried to his seat. After some time when he overcame the scare and became comfortable, he noticed that their teacher had worn his best embroidered that day. The teacher normally wore it on occasions like inspection and prize distribution days. Franz wondered if that day was a normal day, then what could be the reason for M. Hamel to wear his special dress.

Besides, the whole school seemed so strange and solemn. But the thing that surprised me most was to see, on the back benches that were always empty, the village people sitting quietly like ourselves; old Hauser, with his three-cornered hat, the former mayor, the former postmaster, and several others besides.

Word meaning

Solemn: serious.

Franz felt that the atmosphere in the school was unusual and serious. To add to it, the last benches of the classroom were occupied by the senior village men – Hauser, who was wearing his three-cornered hat, the retired mayor, postmaster, etc.

Everybody looked sad, and Hauser had brought an old primer, thumbed at the edges, and he held it open on his knees with his great spectacles lying across the pages.

Word meaning

Primer: basic reader of any language

Thumbed: torn and damaged

They all looked sad. Hauser had brought his reader which was old and torn. He had opened it, kept it on his knees and had placed his spectacles on it.

While I was wondering about it all, M. Hamel mounted his chair, and, in the same grave and gentle tone that he had used to me, said, “My children, this is the last lesson I shall give you. The order has come from Berlin to teach only German in the schools of Alsace and Lorraine. The new master comes tomorrow. This is your last French lesson. I want you to be very attentive.”

Word meaning

Grave: serious

Franz was confused and could not figure out what was happening that day. Just then M. Hamel told them that it was their last lesson in French as the Prussians in Berlin had ordered that French language would no longer be taught in the schools of Alsace and Lorraine and that German language be taught instead. The German teacher would arrive the next day and as this was the last lesson in French, he wanted them to pay attention.

What a thunderclap these words were to me! Oh, the wretches; that was what they had put up at the town-hall!

Word meaning

Thunderclap: used in comparison to refer to something startling or unexpected

Franz was shocked to know that he could not learn French any longer and now he knew the latest news that had been put up at the bulletin board of the town hall.

My last French lesson! Why, I hardly knew how to write! I should never learn anymore! I must stop there, then! Oh, how sorry I was for not learning my lessons, for seeking birds’ eggs, or going sliding on the Saar!

Word meaning

Saar: a river which passes through France

Franz regretted for not being serious towards studies and for wasting his time in hunting bird’s eggs and playing in the Saar River.

My books, that had seemed such a nuisance a while ago, so heavy to carry, my grammar, and my history of the saints, were old friends now that I couldn’t give up.

Word meaning

Nuisance: problem, burden

Couldn’t give up: cannot leave

Till now Franz considered his books to be an unwanted burden but suddenly, he starts considering them to be his best friends whom he could never leave. The writer wants to show the change in Franz’s attitude towards study after hearing the news that he could not learn French any longer.

And M. Hamel, too; the idea that he was going away, that I should never see him again, made me forget all about his ruler and how cranky he was.

Word meaning

Cranky: strange, short – tempered

The news that their teacher M Hamel was leaving also had a similar impact on him. Franz did not want him to go away. He no longer thought the teacher to be short–tempered and strict.

Poor man! It was in honour of this last lesson that he had put on his fine Sunday clothes, and now I understood why the old men of the village were sitting there in the back of the room.

Word meaning

Sunday clothes: the best dress that a person has.

Now Franz knew that M Hamel was wearing his best dress in honour of this last lesson. He also realized that the village men had come to pay respect and thank M Hamel for his service of forty years in that school

It was because they were sorry, too, that they had not gone to school more. It was their way of thanking our master for his forty years of faithful service and of showing their respect for the country that was theirs no more.

The village men had come to the class as they were also repenting for not have studied well in their childhood. They had come to thank their teacher for his forty years of service as a teacher of French. Also, they wanted to show respect to their country and were sad as their mother tongue – French would no longer be taught to them

While I was thinking of all this, I heard my name called.

The teacher calls out to Franz as it his turn to recite the topic of participles.

It was my turn to recite. What would I not have given to be able to say that dreadful rule for the participle all through, very loud and clear, and without one mistake?

Word meaning

Dreadful: frightening

As the news had impacted Franz, he was eager to study and so, he was desperate to show his eagerness. He wanted to be able to recite the topic in one go and without any mistake and please his teacher. His desperation is reflected in his willingness to give away all that he had in return for reciting the lesson well.

But I got mixed upon the first words and stood there, holding on to my desk, my heart beating, and not daring to look up.

mixed up: confused

As Franz did not know the lesson, he got confused and stood quietly. His heart was beating fast as he was ashamed of himself and did not have the courage to face his teacher.

I heard M. Hamel say to me, “I won’t scold you, little Franz; you must feel bad enough. See how it is! Every day we have said to ourselves, ‘Bah! I’ve plenty of time. I’ll learn it tomorrow.’ And now you see where we’ve come out.

Where we’ve come out: result

M. Hamel said to Franz that he would not scold him as now he had realized his mistake. Everyday Franz told himself that he would study the next day and now the opportunity to study had ended and he knew nothing.

Ah, that’s the great trouble with Alsace; she puts off learning till tomorrow. Now those fellows out there will have the right to say to you, ‘How is it; you pretend to be Frenchmen, and yet you can neither speak nor write your own language?’ But you are not the worst, poor little Franz. We’ve all a great deal to reproach ourselves with.”

Word meaning

Pretend: show

to reproach: blame

M Hamel says that all the people of Alsace were to be blamed as no one was serious towards learning. He tells the class that the enemies (Prussians) would laugh at them and say that they only show to be Frenchmen as they can neither speak nor write their own language. He says that Franz should not feel guilty as everyone is at fault.

“Your parents were not anxious enough to have you learn. They preferred to put you to work on a farm or at the mills, so as to have a little more money. And I? I’ve been to blame also. Have I not often sent you to water my flowers instead of learning your lessons? And when I wanted to go fishing, did I not just give you a holiday?”

M. Hamel says that Franz’s parents were not interested in getting him educated. They wanted him to work at a farm or a mill and earn some money. He says that as a teacher, he was also not interested in teaching them. He would send them to his home to water the plants. Sometimes, he would declare a holiday and go for fishing.

Then, from one thing to another, M. Hamel went on to talk of the French language, saying that it was the most beautiful language in the world — the clearest, the most logical; that we must guard it among us and never forget it, because when a people are enslaved, as long as they hold fast to their language it is as if they had the key to their prison.

M. Hamel praises their mother tongue – French language as being the most beautiful, clearest and most logical language in the world. He tells the class to guard their language as it is the only way to free oneself from the prison of slavery. If a person knows his mother tongue well, no one can enslave him. Knowing the mother tongue well as a language is a tool to fight domination.

Then he opened a grammar and read us our lesson. I was amazed to see how well I understood it. All he said seemed so easy, so easy! I think, too, that I had never listened so carefully, and that he had never explained everything with so much patience.

It seemed almost as if the poor man wanted to give us all he knew before going away, and to put it all into our heads at one stroke.

Word meaning

at one stroke: at once, in one go.

The teacher took a lesson in grammar. That day Franz was surprised that he understood the lesson with ease. He felt that he had been attentive and that M. Hamel also explained the lesson with a lot of patience. Franz felt that the teacher wanted to give them all the knowledge he had before leaving. 

After the grammar, we had a lesson in writing. That day M. Hamel had new copies for us, written in a beautiful round hand — France, Alsace, France, Alsace.

After Grammar, they had a lesson in writing. M. Hamel gave the class new notebooks with “France, Alsace, France, Alsace” beautifully written on them.

They looked like little flags floating everywhere in the school-room, hung from the rod at the top of our desks. You ought to have seen how everyone set to work, and how quiet it was! The only sound was the scratching of the pens over the paper.

Franz felt that here was an air of patriotism in the class. The notebooks were like flags of France that were floating all around. The entire class was busy writing and the only sound that could be heard was that of the pen writing on the paper.

Once some beetles flew in; but nobody paid any attention to them, not even the littlest ones, who worked right on tracing their fish-hooks, as if that was French, too.

Word meaning

beetles:  a large-sized insect

not even the littlest ones: refers to the pigeons

who worked right on tracing their fish-hooks: scratching with their claws.

Once some mosquitoes flew into the class, but no one panicked as everyone was busy writing. The writer considers the pigeons sitting on the roof of the class to be students as well and says that even the pigeons were busy scratching the roof with their claws and it seemed that they were also busy writing the task of French language.

On the roof the pigeons cooed very low, and I thought to myself, “Will they make them sing in German, even the pigeons?”

Word meaning

Cooed: the sound made by the pigeons

The ‘coo’ sound of the pigeons could be heard in the class and Franz wondered that would the Prussians force the pigeons also to change their language and coo in German. The writer wants to say that language comes naturally to a being and it cannot be forced upon anyone – be it the pigeons or the French men.

Whenever I looked up from my writing I saw M. Hamel sitting motionless in his chair and gazing first at one thing, then at another, as if he wanted to fix in his mind just how everything looked in that little school-room.

Word meaning

Gazing: looking intently

fix in his mind: store or keep forever

In between writing, Franz looked at M. Hamel who sat still and stared at the different things in the classroom in succession as if he wanted to memorize the appearance of everything before leaving.

Fancy! For forty years he had been there in the same place, with his garden outside the window and his class in front of him, just like that.

Only the desks and benches had been worn smooth; the walnut trees in the garden were taller, and the hopvine that he had planted himself twined about the windows to the roof.

Word meaning

worn smooth: had worn out and became smooth due to overuse

twined: twisted

M. Hamel had been teaching at that same place for the last forty years. The only changes were that the desks in the classroom had worn out due to use over the years, the walnut trees in the garden outside had grown taller, the hopvine on the outer wall of the school building had climbed up to the roof.

How it must have broken his heart to leave it all, poor man; to hear his sister moving about in the room above, packing their trunks! For they must leave the country the next day.

Franz feels that the teacher must be heartbroken to be sent away from a place where he had spent forty years of his life. The noises of his sister packing and moving their luggage could be heard from the room upstairs as they had to leave the next day.

But he had the courage to hear every lesson to the very last. After the writing, we had a lesson in history, and then the babies chanted their ba, be bi, bo, bu.

M. Hamel remained composed and heard the lesson from the entire class. After the writing task, there was a lesson of history followed by phonetics where they recited the sounds of alphabets. Franz referred to the class as “babies” because although they were grown up, they were reciting the lesson of phonetics which is usually done by younger children. So, he calls himself and his class to be ‘babies’.

Down there at the back of the room old Hauser had put on his spectacles and, holding his primer in both hands, spelled the letters with them.

You could see that he, too, was crying; his voice trembled with emotion, and it was so funny to hear him that we all wanted to laugh and cry. Ah, how well I remember it, that last lesson!

Hauser had put on his spectacles and holding the primer in both his hands, recited the letters with the class. He was crying, his voice trembled as he spoke. Franz had mixed feelings – he found it funny to see how an old man like Hauser was crying and trembling and on the other hand, he also felt emotional like Hauser did. Franz could never forget this last lesson.

All at once, the church-clock struck twelve. Then the Angelus.

Word meaning

Angelus: prayer song in the church, the start is marked by the ringing of the bell.

Just then the clock at the church struck twelve and the prayer song begun.

At the same moment the trumpets of the Prussians, returning from the drill, sounded under our windows. M. Hamel stood up, very pale, in his chair. I never saw him look so tall.

Word meaning

Trumpets: a musical instrument.

Pale: used to describe a person’s face or skin if it has less colour than usual

At the same moment, the sound of the trumpets played by the Prussian soldiers who were returning from the drill was heard. M. Hamel’s face became dull and colourless as the time had come for the class to get over. He stood straight and motionless and Franz says that he had never appeared to be so tall

“My friends,” said he, “I—I—” But something choked him. He could not go on. Then he turned to the blackboard, took a piece of chalk, and, bearing on with all his might, he wrote as large as he could — “Vive La France!”

Word meaning

Choked: became unable to speak due to strong emotions

M. Hamel began to speak but could not continue as he was overpowered by his emotions. He took a piece of chalk and wrote the words “Vive La France” meaning ‘Long Live France’ on the blackboard as large as he could.

Then he stopped and leaned his head against the wall, and, without a word, he made a gesture to us with his hand — “School is dismissed — you may go.”

Word meaning

Gesture: a signal

Then he stopped writing, bent towards the wall and without speaking anything signalled the class to leave as the class was over.

Lost Spring

By Anees Jung

Introduction: Lost Spring, based on socio-economic problems (poverty is considered a legacy), is a sad commentary on how poverty and tradition condemn children to exploitation and misery. The lesson reveals grinding poverty in India and exposes the underbelly of India’s economic progress. The author depicts miserable and pitiable conditions which our children live in. The title signifies how childhood; often compared to spring and marked by fun, frolic and merriment, is snapped away from the children. The children in Seemapuri and Firozabad are exploited badly and are deprived of their childhood, i.e. the spring of their life.

Part I( summary )

Lost Spring- Stories of Stolen Childhood ‘SOMETIMES I FIND A RUPEE IN THE GARBAGE’ - Saheb - the rag-picker Saheb is a rag-picker who scrounges the garbage deposits to sustain his living. He and his family, refugees from Bangladesh, have come to the big city “looking for gold”. He is unable to study due to lack of schools in his neighbourhood. The narrator jokingly makes a false promise to open a school for him but is later left embarrassed when he keeps approaching her enquiring about the school. Saheb’s full name, Saheb-e-Alam meaning “lord of the universe”, is ironical because he, along with others like him, is outright downtrodden. The author wonders if staying barefoot is just a tradition among the poor or “only an excuse to explain away a perpetual state of poverty”. Recollecting the story of a priest’s son The author recalls a story about a man from Udipi who, as a young son of a priest, used to pray for a pair of shoes. After thirty years, when the author visits the place, she finds that the situation has slightly improved because the son of the present priest now wears shoes and goes to school. However, the author pines at the thought of the still barefooted rag pickers of her neighbourhood.Seemapuri- The haven for rag-pickers Seemapuri in Delhi, is home to 10,000 rag-pickers, mostly Bangladeshi refugees who came here in 1971. These people live in mud structures with roofs made of tin and tarpaulin. The ration cards, which allow them to buy grains, and the garbage are their means of survival. They believe that their transit shacks are a better place than their native villages that provide no food. Once in a while the children manage to find coins and rupee notes in the garbage heaps. The author notices how such occasional findings help the children to cling on to hope and life. Discrepancy between Saheb’s desire and reality Saheb reveals his desire of playing tennis to the author. Even though he has managed to find a discarded pair of tennis shoes, the author knows, the game itself “is out of his reach”. Contrary to his heartfelt desire, Saheb eventually ends up picking up a job in a tea stall where he is paid 800 rupees and all his meals. One morning, he meets the author on his way to a milk booth carrying a canister to fetch milk for his master, and the author observes how, in the process of earning a few hundred rupees, Saheb has lost his freedom and ‘carefree look’.

Lesson explanation

“Why do you do this?” I ask Saheb whom I encounter every morning scrounging for gold in the garbage dumps of my neighbourhood. Saheb left his home long ago. Set amidst the green fields of Dhaka, his home is not even a distant memory. There were many storms that swept away their fields and homes, his mother tells him. That’s why they left, looking for gold in the big city where he now lives.

Scrounging – searching for
amidst – in the middle of

Every morning, the writer sees a young ragpicker boy who visits the garbage dump near her house and searches for ‘gold’ in it. The writer says that he searches for ‘gold’ ironically because although the garbage dump is full of useless, thrown away things, still he shuffles it so minutely as if he will get something as precious as ‘gold’ from it. The boy’s name is Saheb. His home in Dhaka was in the middle of lush green fields. They had left it many years ago and he does not remember it anymore. His mother had told him that there were many storms that destroyed their homes and fields. So, they left home and shifted to the cities in search of ‘gold’. The writer again says, “looking for gold in the big city”. Gold here refers to something precious which was not available in their hometown. Things like shoes, money, bags, etc. for the children and food, clothing, shelter as means of survival for their parents. The boy searches for such precious things in the garbage dumps. One day the writer questions Saheb and asks him the reason for shuffling through the garbage.

“I have nothing else to do,” he mutters, looking away.

“Go to school,” I say glibly, realizing immediately how hollow the advice must sound.

“There is no school in my neighbourhood. When they build one, I will go.”

“If I start a school, will you come?” I ask, half-joking.

Mutters – to speak in a low voice
Glibly – speaking or spoken in a confident way, but without careful thought or honesty
Hollow – meaningless

Saheb replies to the writer that he has nothing else to do other than rag picking. The writer suggests that he should go to school. She realizes that her advice is meaningless for the poor boy. He replies that there are no schools in the area where he lives. He also assures her that he will go to school when one is built near his house. The writer asks him jokingly that if she opened a school would he attend it.

“Yes,” he says, smiling broadly. A few days later I see him running up to me. “Is your school ready?”

“It takes longer to build a school,” I say, embarrassed at having made a promise that was not meant. But promises like mine abound in every corner of his bleak world.

Embarrassed – feeling ashamed
abound – exist in large numbers
bleak – empty

Saheb says that he would join the writer’s school and after a few days, he runs up to her to ask whether her school is ready. The writer replied that it takes a lot of time to build a school. She felt ashamed at making a false promise. She had said this as a joke and had never intended to open a school, so she felt ashamed of herself. Saheb was not hurt because he was used to such false promises as they existed in large numbers in his empty world. He was surrounded by such false promises made by everyone around him. His world was empty as no promise made to Saheb was ever fulfilled.

After months of knowing him, I ask him his name. “Saheb-e-Alam,” he announces. He does not know what it means. If he knew its meaning — lord of the universe — he would have a hard time believing it. Unaware of what his name represents, he roams the streets with his friends, an army of barefoot boys who appear like the morning birds and disappear at noon. Over the months, I have come to recognize each of them.He would have a hard time believing it – it would be difficult for him to believe that his name meant ‘the Lord of the Universe’

barefoot – wearing nothing in the feet

The writer had known Saheb for a few months when she asked him his name. He replied as if he was making an announcement that his name was Saheb – E – Alam. The writer thought that the boy did not know the meaning of his name and if he came to know that his name meant “Lord of the Universe” he would not be able to believe it. His name was opposite to his life. He went around the streets with a group of friends. It was like an army of boys who did not wear any footwear. They appeared in the morning like the morning birds and disappeared at noon. The writer could recognize all of them as she had been seeing them for the past few months.

“Why aren’t you wearing chappals?” I ask one.

“My mother did not bring them down from the shelf,” he answers simply.

The writer asked one of them that why he was not wearing any footwear. The boy simply replied that his mother did not get them down from the shelf. As they were beyond his reach, he did not wear them.

“Even if she did he will throw them off,” adds another who is wearing shoes that do not match. When I comment on it, he shuffles his feet and says nothing. “I want shoes,” says a third boy who has never owned a pair all his life. Travelling across the country I have seen children walking barefoot, in cities, on village roads. It is not lack of money but a tradition to stay barefoot, is one explanation. I wonder if this is only an excuse to explain away a perpetual state of poverty.

Shuffles – slides them over each other
excuse – a reason to justify a fault
perpetual state of poverty – never-ending condition of being poor

 Another boy who was wearing a different shoe in each foot said that even if his mother would have given him the footwear, he would have thrown it away. He meant that the boy was not wearing footwear because he did not want to wear one. The writer asked the second boy the reason for wearing a different shoe in each foot. He did not reply and shuffled his feet as he tried to hide the shoes. A third boy spoke that he was eager to get a pair of shoes as he had never owned one all his life. The writer takes the example of shoes to highlight the condition of these boys. They search the garbage dumps looking for such precious things. She further tells us that as she travelled across the country, she had seen many children walking barefoot in the cities as well as the villages. They reasoned that they were barefoot not due to lack of money to buy footwear, but being barefoot was a tradition for them. The writer wondered and concluded that the reason of it being a tradition was a mere excuse to hide the fact that they were so poor that they could not afford footwear.

I remember a story a man from Udipi once told me. As a young boy he would go to school past an old temple, where his father was a priest. He would stop briefly at the temple and pray for a pair of shoes. Thirty years later I visited his town and the temple, which was now drowned in an air of desolation. In the backyard, where lived the new priest, there were red and white plastic chairs. A young boy dressed in a grey uniform, wearing socks and shoes, arrived panting and threw his school bag on a folding bed. Looking at the boy, I remembered the prayer another boy had made to the goddess when he had finally got a pair of shoes, “Let me never lose them.” The goddess had granted his prayer. Young boys like the son of the priest now wore shoes. But many others like the rag pickers in my neighbourhood remain shoeless

Desolation – the state of being empty
Panting – taking short and quick breathes

The writer narrates a story told to her by a man from Udipi. (Udipi is a town in Karnataka).When he was a young boy, he would walk to his school. On the way, he would cross a temple where his father worked as a priest. He would stop at the temple and pray to God to bless him with a pair of shoes. After thirty years the writer visited the town and the temple. Now the place was nearly empty. The new priest lived in the backyard of the temple. Plastic chairs in red and white colour were kept there. A young boy came running. He was wearing grey coloured school uniform, socks and shoes. He had a school bag hung on his shoulders. He threw it on the bed and ran away. The writer wants to say that the financial position of the priest at the temple had improved over the last thirty years. Now, he could afford shoes for this children. She was reminded of another boy who got a pair of shoes. He prayed to the goddess that he may never lose the shoes that he had got. The goddess had granted his prayer as the boy never lost his footwear. This shows us that the underprivileged value anything that they get because they have been longing for it.

My acquaintance with the barefoot rag pickers leads me to Seemapuri, a place on periphery of Delhi yet miles away from it, metaphorically. Those who live here are squatters who came from Bangladesh back in 1971. Saheb’s family is among them. Seemapuri was then a wilderness. It still is, but it is no longer empty. In structures of mud, with roofs of tin and tarpaulin, devoid of sewage, drainage or running water, live 10,000 rag pickers.

Acquaintance – contact
periphery- outer area
metaphorically–symbolically
squatters – a person who unlawfully occupies an uninhabited building or unused land
wilderness- a wasteland
tarpaulin- heavy-duty waterproof cloth

The writer describes the area where these rag picker boys live. Seemapuri, located on the outskirt of Delhi was very different from the capital of the country. In 1971 when these rag pickers had migrated from Bangladesh, the area had been a wasteland. Seemapuri was still a wasteland but now it was not empty as almost ten thousand rag pickers lived there in structures made of mud, with roofs made of thin sheets of tin or plastic material called tarpaulin. There was no sewage, drainage or running water facility in Seemapuri. They lived in unhygienic conditions. It was a piece of wasteland where the garbage of the city was collected. These people had started living there illegally.

They have lived here for more than thirty years without an identity, without permits but with ration cards that get their names on voters’ lists and enable them to buy grain. Food is more important for survival than an identity. “If at the end of the day we can feed our families and go to bed without an aching stomach, we would rather live here than in the fields that gave us no grain,” say a group of women in tattered saris when I ask them why they left their beautiful land of green fields and rivers.

Permits – legal documents
Tattered – torn

The rag pickers had been living illegally in Seemapuri for the last thirty years. They have occupied the area without government permission or ownership. The politicians of the area have provided them ration cards and voter identity cards. They got grocery for their family through these ration cards and in return, they cast their votes in favour of the politician who had helped them. The writer asked a group of women who were wearing torn saris that why did they leave their homes in Dhaka. They replied that if they were able to satisfy the hunger of their families and sleep well at night, they were happier to live in Seemapuri than their fields in Dhaka which were ruined and gave them no food.

Wherever they find food, they pitch their tents that become transit homes. Children grow up in them, becoming partners in survival. And survival in Seemapuri means rag-picking. Through the years, it has acquired the proportions of a fine art. Garbage to them is gold. It is their daily bread, a roof over their heads, even if it is a leaking roof. But for a child it is even more.

Transit homes – a temporary home

These people travelled in search of food and wherever they found it, they set up temporary homes and started living there. Their children kept on growing there and gradually, they also started helping their parents in seeking means of survival. For those who lived in Seemapuri, the means of survival was rag picking. As they had been doing it for many years, they became trained at rag picking and did it well. For the rag pickers the garbage was as precious as gold. These families searched the garbage dumps and got things which they sold to fund their food. They gathered torn or damaged sheets which were used to cover the roof of their homes. These did not cover them well but still provided them with some protection. For the children, the garbage dumps were more than a means of survival.

“I sometimes find a rupee, even a ten-rupee note,” Saheb says, his eyes lighting up. When you can find a silver coin in a heap of garbage, you don’t stop scrounging, for there is hope of finding more. It seems that for children, garbage has a meaning different from what it means to their parents. For the children it is wrapped in wonder, for the elders it is a means of survival.

Lighting up – show joy and happiness

Saheb was happy to say that sometimes he found a rupee and even a ten – rupee note in the dump. As one often finds even a silver coin in the garbage dump, he kept on searching hoping to find more. For the children, the garbage dump was a means of fulfilling their dreams although partially while for their parents, it was a means of aiding survival by providing the basics – food, clothing and shelter.

One winter morning I see Saheb standing by the fenced gate of the neighbourhood club, watching two young men dressed in white, playing tennis. “I like the game,” he hums, content to watch it standing behind the fence. “I go inside when no one is around,” he admits. “The gatekeeper lets me use the swing.”

Content – satisfied

One winter morning the writer saw Saheb standing by the fence of a club. He was watching a tennis game being played by two young men. Saheb liked the game but could not play it. He told the writer that he went inside the club when it would be closed. He was allowed to take swings by the guard there.

Saheb too is wearing tennis shoes that look strange over his discolored shirt and shorts. “Someone gave them to me,” he says in the manner of an explanation. The fact that they are discarded shoes of some rich boy, who perhaps refused to wear them because of a hole in one of them, does not bother him. For one who has walked barefoot, even shoes with a hole is a dream come true. But the game he is watching so intently is out of his reach.

Discarded – thrown away
Bother – worry

The writer saw that Saheb was also wearing tennis shoes. They did not look appropriate with his dress which was worn out and had faded. He told the writer in an attempt to justify himself that someone gave him the shoes. She however figured out that he had got them from a garbage dump. They must have been thrown away by a boy from a rich family as he did not want to wear them anymore. Probably they had a hole or two in them due to which he did not want to wear them. On the contrary, Saheb was not bothered by this fact and had no problem wearing them as he could not afford anything better than that. He walked barefoot and to wear a shoe even with a hole was like a dream for him. Although due to the garbage dump, Saheb’s dream of wearing shoes had been partially fulfilled but his desire to play tennis would never be fulfilled.

This morning, Saheb is on his way to the milk booth. In his hand is a steel canister. “I now work in a tea stall down the road,” he says, pointing in the distance. “I am paid 800 rupees and all my meals.” Does he like the job? I ask. His face, I see, has lost the carefree look. The steel canister seems heavier than the plastic bag he would carry so light over his shoulder. The bag was his. The canister belongs to the man who owns the tea shop. Saheb is no longer his own master.

One morning the writer met Saheb who was on his way to the milk booth. He was holding a steel container. He told her that he had got a job at the nearby tea stall. He would earn eight hundred rupees a month and get meals too. The writer asked him if he liked the job as she could see that he had lost the carefree look. As now Saheb was working for someone else and was carrying his master’s container, he was burdened with responsibility. Earlier, as a rag picker, Saheb would carry his own bag and was his own master. Now, he was no longer his own master.

PART II (summary)

“I want to drive a car”

Mukesh insists on being his own master. “I will be a motor mechanic,” he announces.

The writer met a boy named Mukesh who aspired to become a motor mechanic.

“Do you know anything about cars?” I ask.

She asked him if he knew anything about cars.

“I will learn to drive a car,” he answers, looking straight into my eyes. His dream looms like a mirage amidst the dust of streets that fill his town Firozabad, famous for its bangles. Every other family in Firozabad is engaged in making bangles. It is the centre of India’s glass-blowing industry where families have spent generations working around furnaces, welding glass, making bangles for all the women in the land it seems.

looking straight into my eyes – with confidence and determination

looms like a mirage – seems that it will be true in the future but actually it will not be so

amidst – in the middle of

glass-blowing industry – industry related to making glass

furnaces – a closed room or container where heat is produced

welding – the process of joining metal or glass pieces by heating them

The boy was confident and replied that he would learn to drive a car. His dream was far away from reality and although the boy was confident, he would succumb to the societal pressures. He lived in Firozabad which was famous for glass bangles. The writer felt that the boy’s dreams would not materialize and gradually get influenced by the dusty streets of Firozabad. She wanted to say that as every family in the town of Firozabad was involved in the glass bangle industry, so would Mukesh do with the passage of time. She tells us that Firozabad was the main town of India for the glass – blowing industry. The families had been involved in working at furnaces, welding glass, and making bangles for generations. They made so many bangles that it seemed that they made bangles for all the women of the world.

Mukesh’s family is among them. None of them know that it is illegal for children like him to work in the glass furnaces with high temperatures, in dingy cells without air and light; that the law, if enforced, could get him and all those 20,000 children out of the hot furnaces where they slog their daylight hours, often losing the brightness of their eyes.

Dingy – dark, dim
Slog – work hard
Daylight hours – hours of the day when there is sunlight
Brightness of their eyes – here, refers to the power to see

Mukesh’s family was also involved in the profession of glass bangle – making. They were not aware of the law. They did not know that it was unlawful to force children to work in such glass furnaces. The work places were hot, dark closed rooms without ventilation. The writer felt that if the law would come into force, it would rescue almost twenty thousand children from these inhuman places where they were forced to work hard during the daytime. They often ended up losing their eyesight also.

Mukesh’s eyes beam as he volunteers to take me home, which he proudly says is being rebuilt. We walk down stinking lanes choked with garbage, past homes that remain hovels with crumbling walls, wobbly doors, no windows, crowded with families of humans and animals coexisting in a primeval state. He stops at the door of one such house, bangs a wobbly iron door with his foot, and pushes it open.

Beam – shine brightly
Volunteers – freely offers to do something
Stinking – bad smell
Choked – blocked
Hovels – slums
Crumbling – falling down
Wobbly – unsteady
Coexisting – present at the same time and place
Primeval – prehistoric
Bangs – hits

Mukesh was happy as he took the writer to his home. He felt proud as he informed her that it was being renovated. They walked down streets which were full of garbage and gave foul smell. The streets were lined with slums which were unsteady. The walls were falling apart, the doors were unsteady, there were no windows and were full of families where people lived along with animals. They reminded the writer of the prehistoric man who lived just like animals. Mukesh stopped in front of one such door, hit it hard with his foot and pushed it open.

We enter a half-built shack. In one part of it, thatched with dead grass, is a firewood stove over which sits a large vessel of sizzling spinach leaves. On the ground, in large aluminium platters, are more chopped vegetables. A frail young woman is cooking the evening meal for the whole family. Through eyes filled with smoke she smiles. She is the wife of Mukesh’s elder brother. Not much older in years, she has begun to command respect as the bahu, the daughter-in-law of the house, already in charge of three men — her husband, Mukesh and their father.

Shack – a roughly built hut
Thatched – covered with dry grass
Vessel – container for cooking food
Sizzling – make a hissing sound when frying or cooking

Platters – large plates
Chopped – cut finely
Frail – thin, weak
eyes filled with smoke – her eyes are filled with the smoke coming out of the firewood stove
command respect – she is worthy and so, is respected

The house where Mukesh lived was partially constructed hut. In one corner was a firewood stove made with dead grass. A vessel with spinach leaves was kept on it. On the ground there were more plates with chopped vegetables in them. There was a thin, young woman cooking the evening meal for the family. Her eyes were full of the smoke emanating from the stove but she was still cheerful and smiled to see the writer. She was the wife of Mukesh’s elder brother. Although she was not much older than Mukesh, she was a responsible person and was worthy to get respect from the family as the daughter-in-law of the family. She took care of three men – her husband, Mukesh and their father

.When the older man enters, she gently withdraws behind the broken wall and brings her veil closer to her face. As custom demands, daughters-in-law must veil their faces before male elders. In this case the elder is an impoverished bangle maker. Despite long years of hard labour, first as a tailor, then a bangle maker, he has failed to renovate a house, send his two sons to school. All he has managed to do is teach them what he knows — the art of making bangles.

Withdraws – goes back
Veil – a piece of fine material worn by women to protect or hide the face, cover or hide
Impoverished – very poor
Labour – hard work
Renovate – repair

As Mukesh’s father entered the house, the daughter-in-law hid behind the wall and covered her face behind her veil. It was a tradition for the daughter-in-laws to hide their face in the presence of the older male members of the family. The elder here was a poor bangle maker. He had worked hard all his life – first as a tailor, then as a bangle maker. He was still not able to either renovate the house or send his sons to school. He had just managed to teach him the skill of making bangles.

“It is his karam, his destiny,” says Mukesh’s grandmother, who has watched her own husband go blind with the dust from polishing the glass of bangles. “Can a god-given lineage ever be broken?” she implies.

Destiny – fate
God-given lineage – here, a profession carried on through the generations of a family – glass bangle making

Mukesh’s grandmother justified her son by saying that he was destined to make bangles as it had been their family profession. She had seen her husband become blind due to the dust from polishing the glass bangles. She said that their family had got this art of bangle making from God and so they had to carry on the tradition.

Born in the caste of bangle makers, they have seen nothing but bangles —  in the house, in the yard, in every other house, every other yard, every street in Firozabad. Spirals of bangles — sunny gold, paddy green, royal blue, pink, purple, every colour born out of the seven colours of the rainbow — lie in mounds in unkempt yards, are piled on four-wheeled handcarts, pushed by young men along the narrow lanes of the shanty town.

Yard – the open area at the back of the house
Mounds – heaps
Unkempt – not taken care of
Piled – kept one on top of the other
Shanty town – a town that is full of small, roughly built huts

They were born in a particular caste which had to follow the profession of bangle making. All their life they had just seen these glass bangles. They were everywhere – in the backyard, in the next house, in their yard and even in the streets of the town. There were huge spiral bunches of bangles in different colours like gold, green, blue, pink, purple. There were bangles of all the colours of the rainbow. Further, the writer says that there were bangles in the neglected yards also. They were dumped on handcarts for sale. They were pushed by men along the streets of Firozabad.

And in dark hutments, next to lines of flames of flickering oil lamps, sit boys and girls with their fathers and mothers, welding pieces of coloured glass into circles of bangles. Their eyes are more adjusted to the dark than to the light outside. That is why they often end up losing their eyesight before they become adults.

Welding – joining

The writer describes the environment where these bangle makers work. They were small, dark huts. The children would sit next to a line of oil lamps whose flames were unsteady. They, along with their parents joined the pieces of coloured glass into circles called bangles. As they spent a lot of time in the dark, their eyes would not adapt to the bright sunlight. Many of them lost their eyesight before gaining adulthood.

Savita, a young girl in a drab pink dress, sits alongside an elderly woman, soldering pieces of glass. As her hands move mechanically like the tongs of a machine, I wonder if she knows the sanctity of the bangles she helps make. It symbolizes an Indian woman’s suhaag, auspiciousness in marriage.

Drab – faded, colourless
Soldering – joining
Tongs – an instrument with two moveable arms joined at one end
Sanctity – the state of being sacred or holy
Auspiciousness – good omen

There was a young girl by the name of Savita. She wore a faded pink coloured dress. She was sitting with an elderly woman and they were joining pieces of glass to make bangles. Her hands moved like a machine just like the tongs of a machine. The writer wondered if Savita knew that bangles were sacred. They were a good omen for a woman’s wifehood.

It will dawn on her suddenly one day when her head is draped with a red veil, her hands dyed red with henna, and red bangles rolled onto her wrists. She will then become a bride. Like the old woman beside her who became one many years ago. She still has bangles on her wrist, but no light in her eyes.

Dawn on her – she will realize
Draped – covered

She thought that Savita would realize this when she would become a bride. That day she would cover her head with a red coloured veil, colour her hands with henna and wear red coloured bangles on her wrist. The elderly woman sitting next to Savita also became a bride many years ago. She was still wearing the glass bangles but had lost her eyesight now.

“Ekwaqtserbharkhanabhinahinkhaya,” she says, in a voice drained of joy. She has not enjoyed even one full meal in her entire lifetime — that’s what she has reaped! Her husband, an old man with a flowing beard, says, “I know nothing except bangles. All I have done is make a house for the family to live in.”

Ser – a unit of measuring quantity
Reaped – received as a benefit

The elderly woman complained that she had not eaten even a ser of food. Ser is a unit of measuring quantity. The woman wants to say that they are so poor that they cannot eat enough food. That is the benefit that she has received by adopting the profession of bangle-making. The woman’s husband has a flowing beard. He says that he does not know anything other than bangle – making. All that he has been able to accomplish is to make a house for his family to live in.

Hearing him, one wonders if he has achieved what many have failed in their lifetime. He has a roof over his head!

The writer wonders that probably the old man has achieved something which many other people have not been able to achieve. At least he has been able to secure a shelter for his family.

The cry of not having money to do anything except carry on the business of making bangles, not even enough to eat, rings in every home. The young men echo the lament of their elders. Little has moved with time, it seems, in Firozabad. Years of mind-numbing toil have killed all initiative and the ability to dream.

Rings – a sound which is repeated
Echo – repeat
Lament – complaint
Mind – numbing – boring
Toil – physical hard work done to earn a living

This problem was prevalent in all the homes which carried on the profession. They did not know anything else other than bangle-making and it did not even provide them enough to eat. The young men who had entered the traditional profession also had the same complaint. With the passing time there was no improvement in their condition. As they had been doing hard work for a countless number of years, they did not have any ability to do something else or to dream of it.

“Why not organise yourselves into a cooperative?” I ask a group of young men who have fallen into the vicious circle of middlemen who trapped their fathers and forefathers. “Even if we get organised, we are the ones who will be hauled up by the police, beaten and dragged to jail for doing something illegal,” they say. There is no leader among them, no one who could help them see things differently. Their fathers are as tired as they are.

Vicious – cruel
Hauled up – dragged, taken away

The writer suggests them to form a cooperative. She talked to a group of young men to get out of the clutches of the cruel middlemen who had trapped their elders. The men said that if they dared to do something like that, they would be dragged and beaten up by the police and sent to jail. Their acts would be termed to be unlawful. The writer felt that as they had no leader, they could not think of doing things differently. They all were so tired – the men and their fathers.

They talk endlessly in a spiral that moves poverty to apathy to greed and to injustice. Listening to them, I see two distinct worlds — one of the family, caught in a web of poverty, burdened by the stigma of caste in which they are born; the other a vicious circle of the sahukars, the middlemen, the policemen, the keepers of law, the bureaucrats and the politicians. Together they have imposed the baggage on the child that he cannot put down. Before he is aware, he accepts it as naturally as his father. To do anything else would mean to dare.

Spiral – here, a never-ending continuous process
Apathy – lack of concern
Greed – intense and selfish desire for something
Distinct – separate
Stigma – dishonour
Bureaucrats – government officials
Imposed – forced upon
Baggage – burden
To dare – do something courageous

The men complained that it was a continuous process. Their poor condition led to lack of concern for their problems. This made them greedy and led to injustice. The writer envisioned that there were two separate worlds – one was of such families who were stuck in poverty and the pressure of doing the traditional profession according to the caste in which they were born. The other world is a never-ending cycle of moneylenders, middlemen, policemen, law keepers, government officials and politicians. Both of these worlds had forced the young boys to follow the family traditions. The young boys get into the profession and become a part of the vicious cycle even before they realize it. If they did anything else, it meant that they were challenging these two worlds.

And daring is not part of his growing up. When I sense a flash of it in Mukesh I am cheered. “I want to be a motor mechanic,’ he repeats. He will go to a garage and learn. But the garage is a long way from his home. “I will walk,” he insists. “Do you also dream of flying a plane?” He is suddenly silent. “No,” he says, staring at the ground. In his small murmur there is an embarrassment that has not yet turned into regret. He is content to dream of cars that he sees hurtling down the streets of his town. Few airplanes fly over Firozabad.

Hurtling down – moving around

The boys had not been reared up to be bold so that they could dare to go against the system. The writer was happy to sense that Mukesh had the spark in him. He repeated that he would be a motor mechanic. He wanted to go to a garage and learn the job. The writer asked that as the garage was at a distance from his home, Mukesh insisted that he would walk up to it. She asked him if he dreamt of flying planes. The boy became silent and refused. He did not know about them as he did not know about planes. Not many planes flew over Firozabad. As he had only seen cars moving around in Firozabad, his dreams were restricted up to them.

Deep Water

 

By William Orville Douglas

Introduction In this story, Douglas talks about his fear of water and how he finally overcomes it with strong will power, courage, hard work, and firm determination. Once he took courage, the fear vanished. That Shows most of our fears are baseless. Fear creates dangers where there is none. The writer’s Experiences further confirm the proverbial truth, “Where there is a will, there is away.”

Characters & Places

· Douglas: Narrator of the story

· YMCA Pool: A swimming pool run by Young Men’s Christian Association

· Yakima: Yakima is a US city located about 60 miles southeast of Mount Rainier in Washington.

Summary

 The story, “Deep Waters” tells us how the writer overcame his fear of water and learned swimming with sheer determination and will power. He had developed a terror of water since childhood. When he was three or four years old, the writer had gone to California with his father. One day on the beach, the waves knocked the child down and swept over him. The child was terrified but the father who knew, there was no harm, laughed. The experience bred a permanent fear of water in the child’s sub-conscious mind. Still another incident, more serious, increased his terror. The writer was trying to learn to swim in the Y.M.C.A. swimming pool in Yakima. One day while he was waiting for the other boys, a big boy suddenly played a dangerous prank and pushed him into the water. The writer was terribly frightened. He went down nine feet into the water. When he reached the bottom, he jumped upward with all his strength. He came up but very slowly. He tried to catch hold of something like a rope but grasped only at the water. He tried to shout but no sound came out. He went down again. His lungs ached, head throbbed and he grew dizzy. He felt paralyzed with fear. All his limbs were paralyzed. Only the movement of his heart told him that he was alive. Again he tried to jump up. But this time his limbs would not move at all. He looked for ropes, ladders and water wings but all in vain. Then he went down again, the third time. This time all efforts and fear ceased. He was moving towards a peaceful death. The writer was in peace. When he came to consciousness, he found himself lying on the side of the pool with the other boys nearby. The terror that he had experienced in the pool never left him. It haunted him for years and years to come. It spoilt many of his expeditions of canoeing, swimming and fishing. It spoilt his pleasures in Maine Lakes, New Hampshire, Deschutes, Columbia and Bumping Lake etc. But the writer was determined to conquer his terror. He took the help of a swimming instructor to learn swimming. The instructor taught him various actions necessary in swimming part by part. He put his face under water and exhaled and inhaled raising it above water. He practiced it for several weeks. He had to kick with his legs for a few weeks on the side of the pool. At last, he combined all these actions and made the writer swim. He learned swimming but the terror continued. So deep goes our childhood experiences! So fearful is the fear of fear! Whenever he was in water the terror returned. Hence forward the writer tried to terrorize terror itself. He tried to face the new challenge. When terror came, he confronted it by asking it sarcastically as to what it can really do to him? He plunged into the water as if to defy the fear. Once he took courage the terror vanquished. He faced the challenge deliberately in various places like Warm Lake. He conquered it at last.

Deep Water Explanation

It had happened when I was ten or eleven years old. I had decided to learn to swim. There was a pool at the Y.M.C.A. in Yakima that offered exactly the opportunity. The Yakima River was treacherous.

Y.M.C.A. – Young Men’s Christian Association
Yakima – a place in Washington, USA
Treacherous – dangerous

The writer narrates his experience. He was ten or eleven years old when he had joined the Y.M.C.A. swimming pool to learn swimming. He did not go to the Yakima River to swim as it was considered dangerous. This shows that he had a prior fear of water.

Mother continually warned against it and kept fresh in my mind the details of each drowning in the river. But the Y.M.C.A. pool was safe. It was only two or three feet deep at the shallow end; and while it was nine feet deep at the other, the drop was gradual. I got a pair of water wings and went to the pool. I hated to walk naked into it and show my skinny legs. But I subdued my pride and did it.

Drop – slope from the shallow area to the deep area
Water wings – A pair of inflatable waterproof bags designed so that one can be attached to each arm, especially for a child learning to swim
Skinny – thin
Subdued – to overcome
Pride – self-respect

William’s mother would warn him not to go near the Yakima River and would discuss the various incidents of drowning. He felt that the pool at Y.M.C.A. was safer. The shallow area of the pool was only two to three feet deep while the deep area was nine feet in depth. The slope from the shallow area to the deep area was not steep. He also got a pair of water wings to prevent drowning. He did not like to wear the swimming costume which exposed his thin legs but as he was keen to swim, he gave up his self-respect and wore it.

From the beginning, however, I had an aversion to the water when I was in it. This started when I was three or four years old and my father took me to the beach in California.

He and I stood together in the surf. I hung on to him, yet the waves knocked me down and swept over me. I was buried in water. My breath was gone. I was frightened.

Father laughed, but there was terror in my heart at the overpowering force of the waves.

Aversion – dislike
Surf – a wave of the sea
knocked me down – threw him down

William says that he had always disliked water and recounts an older experience when he was three or four years old. He went to the beach in California with his father. They stood as a wave leaped towards them. William stuck to his father to save himself, but the strong wave threw him down and he was covered in water. He was scared as he could not breathe. His father laughed and tried to make him feel comfortable, but the little child was scared when he realized that the waves were so powerful

My introduction to the Y.M.CA. Swimming pool revived unpleasant memories and stirred childish fears. But in a little while, I gathered confidence. I paddled with my new water wings, watching the other boys and trying to learn by aping them. I did this two or three times on different days and was just beginning to feel at ease in the water when the misadventure happened.

Revived – brought back to mind
Aping – copying
to feel at ease – to feel comfortable

When William joined the swimming pool at the Y.M.C.A., the fear of water resurfaced in his mind. He gathered confidence by watching other boys swim and trying to copy them. He had done this twice or thrice on different occasions and had started gaining confidence when the incident happened. He had a narrow escape from death.

I went to the pool when no one else was there. The place was quiet. The water was still, and the tiled bottom was as white and clean as a bathtub. I was timid about going in alone, so I sat on the side of the pool to wait for others.

When William reached the pool, no one was there and so he sat on the edge waiting for the other boys to arrive. He was afraid to swim all alone in the pool. As the swimming pool was empty, William could see the bottom also. It had white coloured tiles on it and looked white and clean like a bathtub

I had not been there long when in came a big bruiser of a boy, probably eighteen years old. He had thick hair on his chest. He was a beautiful physical specimen, with legs and arms that showed rippling muscles. He yelled, “Hi, Skinny! How’d you like to be ducked?”

Bruiser – a person who is tough and aggressive and enjoys a fight or argument
Specimen – example
Skinny – a thin person
Ducked – push or plunge someone under water

It had not been long since William had been sitting by the pool when a boy arrived. He was around eighteen years of age, and had a well–built body with rippling muscles. He seemed to be a bully. He asked William if he wanted to be thrown into the pool.

With that, he picked me up and tossed me into the deep end. I landed in a sitting position, swallowed water, and went at once to the bottom. I was frightened, but not yet frightened out of my wits. On the way down I planned: When my feet hit the bottom, I would make a big jump, come to the surface, lie flat on it, and paddle to the edge of the pool.

Tossed – threw
Wits – intelligence

The boy picked William and threw him into the deep end of the swimming pool. William landed on the surface of the pool in the same position as he had been sitting in. His mouth was open and as he did not know swimming, he swallowed water as he sank into the pool. He was frightened, but he used his intelligence and on his way down the pool, planned to push himself up when he reached the bottom. He thought that he would make a big jump to the surface, lie on his back and swim to the edge of the pool.

It seemed a long way down. Those nine feet were more like ninety, and before I touched the bottom my lungs were ready to burst. But when my feet hit bottom I summoned all my strength and made what I thought was a great spring upwards. I imagined I would bob to the surface like a cork. Instead, I came up slowly. I opened my eyes and saw nothing but water — water that had a dirty yellow tinge to it. I grew panicky. I reached up as if to grab a rope and my hands clutched only at the water. I was suffocating. I tried to yell but no sound came out. Then my eyes and nose came out of the water — but not my mouth.

Summoned – gathered
spring – push
Bob – jump
Tinge – touch of colour
suffocating – unable to breathe due to lack of air
Yell – scream

William took a long time to reach the bottom of the pool. It seemed that the depth was ninety feet instead of nine feet. He could not hold his breath and felt as if his lungs would burst. When his feet touched the bottom of the pool, he gathered all his strength and jumped upwards. He had thought that the next moment, he would come out of the pool, but the opposite happened. His movement upwards was slow and when he opened his eyes, he saw water all around which was yellowish in colour. William got scared and tried to grab something – a rope that would help him reach the edge of the pool, but he got nothing other than water. William was at a loss of breath and tried to scream for help, but no sound came out of his mouth. His nose and eyes came out of the water, but his mouth remained in it.

I flailed at the surface of the water, swallowed and choked. I tried to bring my legs up, but they hung as dead weights, paralyzed and rigid. A great force was pulling me under. I screamed, but only the water heard me. I had started on the long journey back to the bottom of the pool.

Flailed – waved his hands
Choked – unable to breathe
Rigid – hard

William waved his hands at the surface of the water for help, but he swallowed water and choked himself. He tried to pull his legs up, but they were very heavy and lifeless. He felt that something was pulling him towards the depth of the pool. He screamed but his voice did not go out of the water. Once again, William started going down to the bottom of the pool.

I struck at the water as I went down, expending my strength as one in a nightmare fights an irresistible force. I had lost all my breath. My lungs ached, and my head throbbed. I was getting dizzy. But I remembered the strategy — I would spring from the bottom of the pool and come like a cork to the surface. I would lie flat on the water, strike out with my arms, and thrash with my legs. Then I would get to the edge of the pool and be safe.

Expending – losing, giving out
Ached – pained
Throbbed – felt pain in a series of beats
Dizzy – faint, unsteady
Strategy – plan of action
Strike out – extend
Thrash – hit with force

William tried to save himself from drowning in the pool and tried to grab something, but as there was water all around, he could not do so. He compares his situation to a person who sees a nightmare and fights against the dreadful dream but is unable to ward it off. William was breathless. He felt pain in his lungs and his head felt a sensation of beating. He was getting unconscious, but he could recollect the plan to save himself – as his feet touched the bottom, he would take a leap and jump up to the surface in a jiffy. Then he would lie on his back, hit the strokes with his limbs and reach to the edge of the pool to safety.

I went down, down, endlessly. I opened my eyes. Nothing but water with a yellow glow — dark water that one could not see through. And then sheer, stark terror seized me, terror, that knows no understanding, terror that knows no control, terror that no one can understand who has not experienced it. I was shrieking under water. I was paralyzed under water — stiff, rigid with fear. Even the screams in my throat were frozen. Only my heart, and the pounding in my head, said that I was still alive.

Stark – severe
Seized – gripped
Shrieking – screaming
Paralyzed – incapable of movement
Pounding – repeated beating

William sank into the pool and the journey downwards seemed endless. He opened his eyes. There was water all around. It had a yellowish glow and he could not see through it. This terrorized William. He says that his feeling can not be explained but can only be understood by those who have experienced a similar situation. He was screaming in the water, he was unable to move due to fear. His screams also froze. Only his heart beat and the beating in his head indicated that he was alive.

And then in the midst of the terror came a touch of reason. I must remember to jump when I hit the bottom. At last, I felt the tiles under me. My toes reached out as if to grab them. I jumped with everything I had.

In the midst of – between

In between the phase of terror, William recollected the plan that he had to take a jump as he touched the bottom of the pool. As he felt the tiles of the bottom of the pool, his feet used all the strength he had, and he jumped up.

But the jump made no difference. The water was still around me. I looked for ropes, ladders, and water wings. Nothing but water. A mass of yellow water held me. Stark terror took an even deeper hold on me, like a great charge of electricity. I shook and trembled with fright. My arms wouldn’t move. My legs wouldn’t move. I tried to call for help, to call for my mother. Nothing happened.

The effort went in vain. He was still submerged in the water. He looked around for help, for any rope, ladder or water wing with the help of which he could rescue himself. He could only see water all around him. It was as if a chunk of yellow water had grabbed him. The terror grew intense. It was like an electric shock that ran through the whole body. He trembled with fright. He could neither move his limbs nor call out for help.

And then, strangely, there was light. I was coming out of the awful yellow water. At least my eyes were. My nose was almost out too.

Then I started down a third time. I sucked for air and got water. The yellowish light was going out. Then all effort ceased. I relaxed. Even my legs felt limp; and a blackness swept over my brain. It wiped out fear; it wiped out terror. There was no more panic. It was quiet and peaceful. Nothing to be afraid of. This is nice… to be drowsy… to go to sleep… no need to jump… too tired to jump… it’s nice to be carried gently… to float along in space… tender arms around me… tender arms like Mother’s… now I must go to sleep…

Ceased – ended

Something strange happened, and William saw light. His eyes came out of the water. His nose was almost out of it.

Then he started going downwards into the pool for the third time. He tried to breathe but gulped water instead. The light went out as he drowned again. Then he stopped making efforts to save himself. William relaxed, his legs became lifeless and his brain experienced a black–out. The fear ended, he did not panic. He became quiet and experienced peace. He was not afraid of drowning anymore. He felt sleepy, was tired to jump up, and felt nice to be carried in his mother’s arms as he felt sleepy.

I crossed to oblivion, and the curtain of life fell.

Oblivion – the state of being unaware or unconscious of what is happening around one

Curtain of life fell – life came to an end

William became unconscious as he drifted away towards death.

The next I remember I was lying on my stomach beside the pool, vomiting. The chap that threw me in was saying, “But I was only fooling.” Someone said, “The kid nearly died. Be all right now. Let’s carry him to the locker room.”

When William gained consciousness, he was lying on his stomach, besides the pool and was vomiting. He heard someone scolding the boy who had pushed him into the pool. The voice said that William had almost died, and the boy replied that he was fooling him. The voice asked the boy to carry William to the locker room.

Several hours later, I walked home. I was weak and trembling. I shook and cried when I lay on my bed. I couldn’t eat that night. For days a haunting fear was in my heart. The slightest exertion upset me, making me wobbly in the knees and sick to my stomach.

After many hours, William walked home. He felt weak and shivered. He kept on crying as he lay on the bed. He was unable to eat food. The fear kept on haunting him for many days. The incident made him physically upset. The slightest work made him feel that his knees were unable to bear his weight. He would feel like vomiting.

I never went back to the pool. I feared water. I avoided it whenever I could.

William did not go to the swimming pool as he feared the water. He remained away from water.

A few years later when I came to know the waters of the Cascades, I wanted to get into them. And whenever I did — whether I was wading the Tieton or Bumping River or bathing in Warm Lake of the Goat Rocks — the terror that had seized me in the pool would come back. It would take possession of me completely. My legs would become paralyzed. Icy horror would grab my heart.

Cascades – waterfall

After some years, William came to know of a waterfall and wanted to go in it. Whenever he went swimming in different rivers like the Tieton, Bumping River, and Warm lake of the Goat Rocks, the fear of water returned. It would grab him completely, disable his limbs and grab his heart.

This handicap stayed with me as the years rolled by. In canoes on Maine lakes fishing for landlocked salmon, bass fishing in New Hampshire, trout fishing on the Deschutes and Metolius in Oregon, fishing for salmon on the Columbia, at Bumping Lake in the Cascades — wherever I went, the haunting fear of the water followed me. It ruined my fishing trips; deprived me of the joy of canoeing, boating, and swimming.

Handicap – a circumstance that makes progress or success difficult
Canoes – small boats
Ruined – destroyed
Deprived – to take away

The fear of water remained with William as he grew up. On the boating trips to different lakes in the Maine region, New Hampshire, Deschutes, Metolius, Columbia, and Bumping lake – where he fished different varieties of fish, namely – salmon, bass and trout, the fear followed him. His fishing trips were destroyed as he did not enjoy boating and swimming due to fear.

I used every way I knew to overcome this fear, but it held me firmly in its grip. Finally, one October, I decided to get an instructor and learn to swim. I went to a pool and practiced five days a week, an hour each day. The instructor put a belt around me. A rope attached to the belt went through a pulley that ran on an overhead cable. He held on to the end of the rope, and we went back and forth, back and forth across the pool, hour after hour, day after day, week after week. On each trip across the pool, a bit of panic seized me. Each time the instructor relaxed his hold on the rope and I went under, some of the old terror returned and my legs froze. It was three months before the tension began to slack. Then he taught me to put my face under water and exhale, and to raise my nose and inhale. I repeated the exercise hundreds of times. Bit by bit I shed part of the panic that seized me when my head went under water.

Cable – thick rope
Slack – to reduce
Shed – removed
Panic – fear
Seized – gripped

William tried to overcome the fear but was unable to get rid of it. Finally, in the month of October, he hired an instructor to teach him swimming. He would practice for an hour each day, five days a week. William describes the learning process. The instructor put a belt around William’s waist. The belt was attached to a thick rope. The rope went through an overhead pulley and was held by the instructor. It ensured that in case William drowned, the instructor would pull him out. William swam across the length of the pool for several weeks. Whenever the instructor loosened the rope, he went down into the water and the fear would return. It would immobilize his legs. It was after three months of practice that William got comfortable. Then the instructor taught him to breathe in the water. He taught him to put his face under the water and exhale his breath.  He was taught to raise his nose out of the water and inhale. William practiced several times. Gradually, he got rid of the panic that would grab him when he put his head under the water.

Next, he held me at the side of the pool and had me kick with my legs. For weeks I did just that. At first, my legs refused to work. But they gradually relaxed; and finally, I could command them.

Command – order

In the third phase of the learning process, the instructor taught William to kick the water’s surface with his legs. He did this for many weeks. Initially, his legs did not move but gradually, they relaxed and finally, William could order them to kick in the desired way.

Thus, piece by piece, he built a swimmer. And when he had perfected each piece, he put them together into an integrated whole. In April he said, “Now you can swim. Dive off and swim the length of the pool, crawl stroke.”

Stroke – a particular style of moving the arms and legs in swimming.

Finally, the instructor made a swimmer out of William in phases. When William had perfected each phase, he compiled them. In the month of April, the instructor told William that now he could swim. He asked him to dive into the pool and swim the length of the pool in a particular style called the crawl stroke.

I did. The instructor was finished.

William swam and the classes came to an end.

But I was not finished. I still wondered if I would be terror-stricken when I was alone in the pool. I tried it. I swam the length up and down. Tiny vestiges of the old terror would return. But now I could frown and say to that terror, “Trying to scare me, eh? Well, here’s to you! Look!”

And off I’d go for another length of the pool.

Vestiges – traces

William had not overcome the fear yet and wondered if the terror would grab him when he would be alone in the water. He tried to swim alone in the pool. The terror returned in small phases but now, as he knew how to swim, he faced the terror with confidence. He swam another length of the pool.

This went on until July. But I was still not satisfied. I was not sure that all the terror had left. So I went to Lake Wentworth in New Hampshire, dived off a dock at Triggs Island, and swam two miles across the lake to Stamp Act Island. I swam the crawl, breast stroke, side stroke, and back stroke. Only once did the terror return. When I was in the middle of the lake, I put my face under and saw nothing but bottomless water. The old sensation returned in miniature. I laughed and said, “Well, Mr Terror, what do you think you can do to me?” It fled and I swam on.

Miniature – small size

William swam like this till the month of July but was not satisfied. He wanted to be sure that all of the fear had left him. So, he went to Lake Wentworth in New Hampshire, dived into it from Triggsisland and swam for two miles, up to Stamp Act island. He swam in different styles – crawl, breast stroke, side stroke and back stroke. The terror returned only once when he was in the middle of the lake. When he put his head under water, he saw water all around and the fear returned. This time, William laughed at the terror and said to it that it could not harm him. He saw that the terror vanished, and he resumed swimming.

Yet I had residual doubts. At my first opportunity, I hurried west, went up the Tieton to Conrad Meadows, up the Conrad Creek Trail to Meade Glacier, and camped in the high meadow by the side of Warm Lake. The next morning I stripped, dived into the lake, and swam across to the other shore and back — just as Doug Corpron used to do. I shouted with joy, and Gilbert Peak returned the echo. I had conquered my fear of water.

William still had some doubt about the fear. So, he hurried in the western direction. He went up the Tieton, reached Conrad meadows, and walked up the Conrad creek trail to Meade glacier. He camped in the meadow by the Warm lake. The next morning, he wore the swimming costume and dived into the lake. He swam across it to the other end and returned just like the famous American Doug Corpron used to do. William shouted with joy as he had overcome his fear. His voice resounded as the mountain peak named Gilbert peak reverberated it. He had overcome the fear.

The experience had a deep meaning for me, as only those who have known stark terror and conquered it can appreciate. In death there is peace. There is terror only in the fear of death, as Roosevelt knew when he said, “All we have to fear is fear itself.” Because I had experienced both the sensation of dying and the terror that fear of it can produce, the will to live somehow grew in intensity.

At last, I felt released — free to walk the trails and climb the peaks and to brush aside fear.

The experience had great importance in William’s life. He realized that death was peaceful and only the fear of death was fearful. He recollects the words of one of the Presidents of America – Roosevelt. Roosevelt had said that all we have to fear is fear itself. As William had experienced death and the fear of death, his desire to live grew immensely. He felt released from fear and was free to walk up the trails and climb up the mountains fearlessly.

 

The Rattrap

By Selma Lagerlof

About the author

Selma Lagerlof (1858-1940) was a Swedish writer whose stories have been translated into many languages. This story is set in the middle of the mines of Sweden which are rich in iron ore. The story is narrated in the manner of a fairy tale. It gives us the message that the emotions of love and acceptance can reform others.

Introduction

 ‘The Rattrap’ is a story that gives us a psychological insight into human nature. The author highlights how greed for material things entraps human beings. The story upholds the belief that the essential goodness of the human being can be awakened through love and understanding. It brings into focus the idea that the world is a rattrap. Riches, joys, shelter and food are all lucrative baits to trap mankind.

Theme

 The chapter ‘The Rattrap’ covers the theme of the basic human need for companionship and shows the negative effects of loneliness. The story stresses on the fact that most human beings are prone to fall into the trap of material benefits. The author targets the materialistic approach of the people. The worldly riches have disillusioned them, and they are running after the things which are temporary.

Main Characters

1. The Paddler He is the protagonist and central character of the story. He is an unnamed man who lives as a tramp wandering the countryside and selling rattraps. As he does not make enough money from this to survive, the rattrap paddler also engages in petty thievery and begging.

2. Edla Willmansson

Edla is the daughter of the ironmaster. He is described as ‘not at all pretty, but modest and quite shy’. She is exceptionally kind. She convinces the peddler to come to her house and then convinces her father to let the peddler stay for Christmas Eve. She is the most positive figure in the story, and her compassion and generosity are the reasons for the peddler’s transformation.

3. Ironmaster

Ironmaster is Edla Willmansson’s father and the man who owns Ramsjo Ironworks. He is a very prominent ironmaster. He steps by at his forge every day and night to watch the work, and inspect the quality of his products. In his younger days, he was in military, so he mistakes the peddler for his ‘old regimental comrade’ Captain von Stahle.

 4. The Crofter

This is an old man who lets the peddler spend the night at his house.as the old man is lonely, he is glad to have a company and provides the paddler with food, tobacco and conversation. He is a very kind, and generous old man, but paddler repays his generosity by stealing thirty kronors from him.

Summary

The story begins like a fairy tale. The central character is a bagger and a petty thief who goes about selling rattraps of wire to make a small living. He finds it difficult to make both ends meet. It makes him same reflect about his own condition and the world at large. He realises that the whole world is nothing but a big rattrap .It offers rich and varied baits to people who bite on them and get trapped in the rattrap. The story line unfolds gradually with the various baits being offer to a bagger. The old man that the tramp meets is generous with his hospitality but the bet of three ten-kronor bills is enough to tempt him. Next at the ramsjo iron works, while seeking shelter for the night, the tramp bites the bet offered to him by the owner, the ironmaster, of mistaken identity. Edla, the ironmaster’s daughter, offers yet another bait of full-hearted generosity, comfortable living and a magically peaceful Christmas for the tramp. Finally, the bitter truth dawns on the hosts. Edla is downcast when she learns that the paddler is a thief. The tramp undergoes a change of heart after experiencing her kindness. He returns the stolen money and writes a letter to her, thanking her for helping him escape the rattrap. He attains nobility of sprit and ‘becomes’ Captain Von Stahle. The story ends with the victory of human goodness.

The Rattrap Explanation

Once upon a time there was a man who went around selling small rattraps of wire. He made them himself at odd moments, from the material he got by begging in the stores or at the big farms. But even so, the business was not especially profitable, so he had to resort to both begging and petty thievery to keep body and soul together. Even so, his clothes were in rags, his cheeks were sunken, and hunger gleamed in his eyes.

Odd Moments: A short period of free time.
Sunken: lowered
Gleamed: Shone

Once there was a man who used to sell small rattraps made of wire. These rattraps were made by him in his free time. He used to collect the material required by begging from stores or big farms. Still his business was not earning him any profits. Therefore, he had to beg or steal in order to survive. His clothes were old and torn. His cheeks were lowered inside due to malnutrition and one could easily see the hunger in his eyes.

No one can imagine how sad and monotonous life can appear to such a vagabond, who plods along the road, left to his own meditations. But one day this man had fallen into a line of thought, which really seemed to him entertaining.

Monotonous: boring
Vagabond: wanderer
Plods: walks heavily

The life of the rattrap seller was very sad and boring. He was homeless and slowly, with heavy feet, he walked along the road, lost in his own thoughts. But one day he got lost in a series of thoughts which he found very interesting.

He had naturally been thinking of his rattraps when suddenly he was struck by the idea that the whole world about him — the whole world with its lands and seas, its cities and villages — was nothing but a big rattrap. It had never existed for any other purpose than to set baits for people. It offered riches and joys, shelter and food, heat and clothing, exactly as the rattrap offered cheese and pork, and as soon as anyone let himself be tempted to touch the bait, it closed in on him, and then everything came to an end.

Bait: Food placed on a hook to trap a rat, here it is referred to the comforts of life, which is offered to trap someone
Tempted: convinced

The man was thinking about the rattrap and suddenly, a thought came to his mind that the whole world which includes land, sea, cities and villages was similar to a rattrap. He thought that there was no meaning of the existence of this world. It was nothing but a temptation, just like cheese and pork which we offer as bait to catch the rat. So according to him, as soon as someone tries to comfort himself with joy, food and shelter he at once gets trapped into this rattrap which is known as ‘world’.

The world had, of course, never been very kind to him, so it gave him unusual joy to think ill of it in this way. It became a cherished pastime of his, during many dreary ploddings, to think of people he knew who had let themselves be caught in the dangerous snare, and of others who were still circling around the bait.

Cherished: to love, protect
Dreary: dull
Ploddings: walk heavily
Snare: trap

No one in the world had ever been kind to the rattrap seller. So, he started thinking ill of others. It became a favorite pastime for him. During dull moments, these thoughts made him happy. So, he continued with thinking ill of those who were known to him. He would imagine those people who were already trapped in the rattrap of worldly things and also those who were about to get trapped in it.

One dark evening as he was trudging along the road he caught sight of a little gray cottage by the roadside, and he knocked on the door to ask shelter for the night. Nor was he refused. Instead of the sour faces which ordinarily met him, the owner, who was an old man without wife or child, was happy to get someone to talk to in his loneliness.
Immediately he put the porridge pot on the fire and gave him supper; then he carved off such a big slice from his tobacco roll that it was enough both for the stranger’s pipe and his own. Finally he got out an old pack of cards and played ‘mjolis’ with his guest until bedtime.

Trudging: walking slowly
Carved off: to divide something into parts
mjolis: a game played with playing cards

One evening the rattrap seller was walking very slowly. He saw a little gray cottage which stood by the road. He went up to the cottage and knocked at the door so as to get shelter for the night. Generally he was not helped by anyone but this time he was welcomed by the old man into his cottage. He was a lonely old man without wife and kids. The old man was happy to get company that night. So, the old man gave him some porridge to eat and then shared his tobacco with the guest. After this, both played cards till bedtime.

The old man was just as generous with his confidences as with his porridge and tobacco. The guest was informed at once that in his days of prosperity his host had been a crofter at Ramsjo Ironworks and had worked on the land. Now that he was no longer able to do day labour, it was his cow which supported him. Yes, that bossy was extraordinary. She could give milk for the creamery every day, and last month he had received all of thirty kronor in payment.

Generous: liberal
Confidences: Secrets
Prosperity: riches
Crofter: A person who works on a rented farm
Bossy: Latin word ‘bos’ used for a cow
Creamery: A factory that produces cheese and cream
Kronor: Currency of Sweden

The rattrap seller felt that the old man was not only liberal in sharing his porridge but also his secrets. He tells him that he was a rich man when he used to work on the rented farm. As he was old now and couldn’t work, so, he had to depend upon his cow for his living. The cow gave enough milk every day to be sold in the factory that produced cheese and cream. The old man said that he was able to earn thirty kronors last month because of the cow’s milk.

The stranger must have seemed incredulous, for the old man got up and went to the window, took down a leather pouch which hung on a nail in the very window frame, and picked out three wrinkled ten-kronor bills. These he held up before the eyes of his guest, nodding knowingly, and then stuffed them back into the pouch.

Incredulous: unbelieving
Stuffed: to fill up with something

The rattrap seller did not believe the old man’s words that a cow could earn him so much. Therefore, the old man took a leather pouch which hung on a window and took out three notes of ten kronor each which were old and crushed. He showed those currency notes to make him believe his words and then kept them back in the pouch.

The next day both men got up in good season. The crofter was in a hurry to milk his cow, and the other man probably thought he should not stay in bed when the head of the house had gotten up. They left the cottage at the same time. The crofter locked the door and put the key in his pocket. The man with the rattraps said goodbye and thank you, and thereupon each went his own way.

In a good season: early enough

Next morning, both the rattrap seller and the crofter woke up early as the crofter was in a hurry to milk his cow. Even the rattrap seller felt that as the owner of the house had awakened, so he should also leave the bed. They both came out of the cottage at the same time. The old man locked the door and went to his work. The rattrap seller also thanked him and went his own way.

But half an hour later the rattrap peddler stood again before the door. He did not try to get in, however. He only went up to the window, smashed a pane, stuck in his hand, and got hold of the pouch with the thirty kronor. He took the money and thrust it into his own pocket. Then he hung the leather pouch very carefully back in its place and went away.

Peddler: seller
Smashed: badly broken

After about half an hour the rattrap seller returned to the cottage and he broke down the window pane where the pouch hung. He took away the money, kept it in his pocket, put the pouch back at its place and walked off.

As he walked along with the money in his pocket he felt quite pleased with his smartness. He realised, of course, that at first he dared not continue on the public highway, but must turn off the road, into the woods. During the first hours this caused him no difficulty. Later in the day it became worse, for it was a big and confusing forest which he had gotten into. He tried, to be sure, to walk in a definite direction, but the paths twisted back and forth so strangely! He walked and walked without coming to the end of the wood, and finally he realised that he had only been walking around in the same part of the forest.All at once he recalled his thoughts about the world and the rattrap. Now his own turn had come. He had let himself be fooled by a bait and had been caught. The whole forest, with its trunks and branches, its thickets and fallen logs, closed in upon him like an impenetrable prison from which he could never escape.

Thickets: A dense group of bushes
Impenetrable: impassable

The peddler was quite happy as he had money in his pocket. He then thought of walking through the forest as it was unsafe to walk on the highway because he feared being caught. So, initially it was not difficult to walk through the forest but later on it got confusing for him as he forgot his way. He tried hard to walk in the right direction but in vain as he found himself at the same place again and again. At this point of time he started thinking that now he himself was caught in the trap of the world just like other people. He was fooled by the bait of money which he had stolen from the old man’s house. The forest seemed like a prison full of trunks and branches. It was like an impassable prison.

It was late in December. Darkness was already descending over the forest. This increased the danger, and increased also his gloom and despair. Finally he saw no way out, and he sank down on the ground, tried to death, thinking that his last moment had come. But just as he laid his head on the ground, he heard a sound—a hard regular thumping. There was no doubt as to what that was. He raised himself. ‘‘Those are the hammer strokes from an iron mill’’, he thought. ‘‘There must be people nearby’’. He summoned all his strength, got up, and staggered in the direction of the sound.

Gloom: dark
Despair: hopelessness
Thumping: the sound of some heavy object beating
Summoned: gathered
Stagger: To walk with difficulty

As it was the month of December, it got dark early. As it got dark, his hope of escaping the forest reduced. The danger to his life increased and so did his feeling of being hopeless. There was no way left for him. So, he sat on the ground and was so tired and terrified that he thought this was his last moment and soon he would die. As he laid his head on the ground, he heard a very strong regular sound. It was a hard sound that was coming at the regular intervals. He soon realized that these sounds were the sounds of hammer strokes from an iron mill. He thought that he could find some people nearby. With this thought, he gathered some strength and started walking with great difficulty, towards the direction of the sound.

The Ramsjo Ironworks, which are now closed down, were, not so long ago, a large plant, with smelter, rolling mill, and forge. In the summertime long lines of heavily loaded barges and scows slid down the canal, which led to a large inland lake, and in the wintertime the roads near the mill were black from all the coal dust which sifted down from the big charcoal crates.

Forge: A shop where metal is heated
Barge: a long flat-bottomed boat for carrying freight on canals and rivers.
Scow: a flat-bottomed boat used for transporting cargo to and from ships in harbor.
sifted: descended lightly or sparsely as if sprinkled from a sieve
Smelter: A machine in which metal is melted to form into a shape
Rolling mill: machine to roll metal into sheets

The Ramsjo Ironworks was a large plant that had shut down a few years ago. It had a smelter, rolling mill, and a forge. In summers, long, flat bottomed boats carrying the material would come down the canal which led to a large inland lake for supplying material to the mill, and in winters, the roads turned black because of the coal dust that came along due to the transportation of the charcoal crates.

During one of the long dark evenings just before Christmas, the master smith and his helper sat in the dark forge near the furnace waiting for the crude iron, which had been put in the fire, to be ready to put on the anvil. Every now and then one of them got up to stir the glowing mass with a long iron bar, returning in a few moments, dripping with perspiration, though, as was the custom, he wore nothing but a long shirt and a pair of wooden shoes.

Anvil: a heavy iron block with a flat top and concave sides
Perspiration: sweat

On one long, dark evening near Christmas time, the master smith and his helper were sitting in the dark forge which was built near the furnace. He was wearing a long shirt and a pair of wooden shoes. Both of them were waiting for the pig iron which was put inside the furnace fire to be ready to put onto the anvil. (Anvil is a heavy block with a flat top which is used to shape the metals.) They took turns to stir the liquid which was very hot. As they could bear the heat for a few minutes, each of them would return, sweating profusely.

All the time there were many sounds to be heard in the forge. The big bellows groaned and the burning coal cracked. The fire boy shovelled charcoal into the maw of the furnace with a great deal of clatter. Outside roared the waterfall, and a sharp north wind whipped the rain against the brick-tiled roof.

Bellows: air bag that emits a stream of air used for blowing air into a fire.
Shovelled: move
Maw: jaws
Clatter: bang
Whipped: beaten with a whip, here to hit something

One could hear different types of sounds in the forge. There was a big bellow which was blowing air in the fire with great sound. Also, there was the sound of cracking coal. One could also hear the bang of the charcoal which was being shovelled by the fire boy. The sounds were coming from outside the mill. These were of the waterfall, the high-speed north wind which hit the raindrops against the brick tiled roof.

It was probably on account of all this noise that the blacksmith did not notice that a man had opened the gate and entered the forge, until he stood close up to the furnace.

It was due to these different types of sounds that the blacksmith didn’t realize that a man had opened the gate of the forge and had entered, till he came and stood near the furnace.

Surely it was nothing unusual for poor vagabonds without any better shelter for the night to be attracted to the forge by the glow of light which escaped through the sooty panes and to come in to warm themselves in front of the fire. The blacksmiths glanced only casually and indifferently at the intruder. He looked the way people of his type usually did, with a long beard, dirty, ragged, and with a bunch of rattraps dangling on his chest.

Sooty panes: windowpanes covered in soot (black powder produced when coal, wood etc. is burned.

Many homeless people used to get attracted to the lights of the forge which peeked through the window panes which were covered with the black powder of burnt coal. They would seek shelter there. They would warm themselves with the help of the burning fire. As the blacksmiths were accustomed to visitors, they were indifferent to the man. They just looked at him. The rattrap seller’s appearance was similar to that of other wanderers. He had a long beard, was dirty, wore old worn out clothes and had a bunch of rattraps hanging from his chest.

He asked permission to stay, and the master blacksmith nodded a haughty consent without honouring him with a single word.

Haughty: arrogant

The peddler tried to seek permission from the blacksmith so that he could stay in the forge for a night. He allowed the peddler with an arrogant consent by just nodding and didn’t say a single word to him.

The tramp did not say anything, either. He had not come there to talk but only to warm himself and sleep. In those days the Ramsjo iron mill was owned by a very prominent ironmaster, whose greatest ambition was to ship out good iron to the market. He watched both night and day to see that the work was done as well as possible, and at this very moment he came into the forge on one of his nightly rounds of inspection.

Prominent: Important
Tramp: vagabond, wanderer

The peddler also said nothing because his main aim was to warm himself and sleep. The owner of the Ramsjo iron mill in those days was a very ambitious person whose aim was to sell only the finest iron into the market. Therefore, he used to keep a check on the workers both during the night and the day. The owner was on a night inspection visit when the peddler entered the forge.

Naturally the first thing he saw was the tall ragamuffin who had eased his way so close to the furnace that steam rose from his wet rags. The ironmaster did not follow the example of the blacksmiths, who had hardly deigned to look at the stranger. He walked close up to him, looked him over very carefully, and then tore off his slouch hat to get a better view of his face.

Ragamuffin: A person in rags

Deigned: do something that one considers to be beneath one’s dignity

Slouch hat: hat bend on one side of the head.

Unlike the blacksmiths, the ironmaster at once noticed the peddler who was sitting so close to the furnace that steam was coming out of his torn clothes. He not only went near him but also removed the wanderer’s hat that was bent to one side so that he could see the man’s face clearly.

‘‘But of course it is you, Nils Olof!’’ he said. “How you do look!” The man with the rattraps had never before seen the ironmaster at Ramsjo and did not even know what his name was. But it occurred to him that if the fine gentleman thought he was an old acquaintance, he might perhaps throw him a couple of kronor. Therefore he did not want to undeceive him all at once.

Acquaintance: associate
Undeceive: to tell someone that his belief is mistaken

When the iron master took off the peddler’s hat, he mistook him as an old acquaintance- Nils Olof. The peddler didn’t know him nor had he seen this man before. But he thought that if this man mistook him as his old companion and gave him some money out of pity, then it would be a good thing. Therefore, he didn’t let him know that he had mistaken him as Nils Olof.

‘‘Yes, God knows things have gone downhill with me’’, he said.
‘‘You should not have resigned from the regiment’’, said the ironmaster. ‘‘That was the mistake. If only I had still been in the service at the time, it never would have happened.
Well, now of course you will come home with me.’’

Downhill: worst
Regiment: unit in the army or defence forces

So, the peddler started a conversation with the iron master by saying that things didn’t went well with him. To this, the iron master replied that he had made a big mistake by leaving the regiment. He also added that if he would have been working in the regiment when he resigned, he wouldn’t have let him do so. Later on he invited him to his home.

To go along up to the manor house and be received by the owner like an old regimental comrade — that, however, did not please the tramp. ‘No, I couldn’t think of it!’’ he said, looking quite alarmed. He thought of the thirty kronor. To go up to the manor house would be like throwing himself voluntarily into the lion’s den. He only wanted a chance to sleep here in the forge and then sneak away as inconspicuously as possible

Manor house: A large country house
Comrade: A fellow soldier
Alarmed: Frighten
inconspicuously: invisible or which is not noticeable

The rattrap seller didn’t find it to be a good idea to visit the iron master’s place. He was frightened with the idea of visiting to the large house of an old soldier which according to him was not safe. After all he had the stolen money with him. He didn’t want to put himself in danger. His intentions were to sleep in the forge and then go away from there without even being noticed.

The ironmaster assumed that he felt embarrassed because of his miserable clothing.

‘‘Please don’t think that I have such a fine home that you cannot show yourself there’’, He said… ‘‘Elizabeth is dead, as you may already have heard. My boys are abroad, and there is no one at home except my oldest daughter and myself. We were just saying that it was too bad we didn’t have any company for Christmas. Now come along with me and help us make the Christmas food disappear a little faster.”

The iron master was aware of his friend’s miserable condition. So he tried to make him comfortable by saying that he should feel free to come his home as his home was an ordinary one. He told him that his wife was no more and added that he must be aware of this. Then he let him know that both his sons were settled abroad. Only he and his daughter were left at home. He invited him to celebrate Christmas with his family. So, that he and his daughter may have some good company at the Christmas feast.

But the stranger said no, and no, and again no, and the ironmaster saw that he must give in. ‘‘It looks as though Captain von Stahle preferred to stay with you tonight, Stjernstrom’’, he said to the master blacksmith, and turned on his heel.

Though the ironmaster made many attempts to invite him, the peddler didn’t accept his invitation. So, at last he says to the blacksmith, Stjernstrom that it seemed that Captain Von Stahle (peddler) wanted to stay with him in the forge.

But he laughed to himself as he went away, and the blacksmith, who knew him, understood very well that he had not said his last word.

Then he laughed and went away. But the blacksmith knew that he was hiding something.

It was not more than half an hour before they heard the sound of carriage wheels outside the forge, and a new guest came in, but this time it was not the ironmaster. He had sent his daughter, apparently hoping that she would have better powers of persuasion than he himself.

After a gap of half an hour, the ironmaster sent his daughter. He hoped that his daughter may bring his friend home as he believed that she was better in persuading others.

She entered, followed by a valet, carrying on his arm a big fur coat. She was not at all pretty, but seemed modest and quite shy. In the forge everything was just as it had been earlier in the evening. The master blacksmith and his apprentice still sat on their bench, and iron and charcoal still glowed in the furnace. The stranger had stretched himself out on the floor and lay with a piece of pig iron under his head and his hat pulled down over his eyes. As soon as the young girl caught sight of him, she went up and lifted his hat. The man was evidently used to sleeping with one eye open. He jumped up abruptly and seemed to be quite frightened.

Valet: personal attendant

Modest: humble

Apprentice: learner

The iron master’s daughter entered the mill with her attendant who was carrying a big fur coat. She was a humble girl who was very shy. When she entered, everyone was busy the same way as they had been earlier. The blacksmith was still sitting on the bench with his trainees and was working on the iron. She went up to the peddler and lifted his hat. The peddler slept with one eye open and as soon as he saw her, he got shocked and jumped up.

‘My name is Edla Willmansson,’’ said the young girl. ‘‘My father came home and said that you wanted to sleep here in the forge tonight, and then I asked permission to come and bring you home to us. I am so sorry, Captain, that you are having such a hard time.’’

She introduced herself as Edla Williamson and was sorry to hear about the hard times that he was facing. She explained to him that she had come to take him home with her father’s permission.

She looked at him compassionately, with her heavy eyes, and then she noticed that the man was afraid. ‘‘Either he has stolen something or else he has escaped from, jail’’, she thought and added quickly, “You may be sure, Captain, that you will be allowed to leave us just as freely as you came. Only please stay with us over Christmas Eve.’’

Compassionately: showing sympathy for others

Edla had sympathy for the peddler. But then she noticed that the reason behind his fear could be that either he had committed robbery or jailbreak. So, she said that he was free to leave their house at any time but she wanted him to stay with the family just for Christmas Eve.

She said this in such a friendly manner that the rattrap peddler must have felt confident in her. ‘‘It would never have occurred to me that you would bother with me yourself, miss,’’ he said. ‘’I will come at once.’’

Edla was talking to the peddler in a very nice way which made him believe her and he got ready to go with her.

He accepted the fur coat, which the valet handed him with a deep bow, threw it over his rags, and followed the young lady out to the carriage, without granting the astonished blacksmiths so much as a glance. But while he was riding up to the manor house he had evil forebodings.

Astonished: greatly surprised

Forebodings: a foretelling

The peddler wore the fur coat offered by the valet and started following the lady. He didn’t even bother to notice the other people in the room. On the way to the house, the peddler felt that as he had committed a crime, he would be punished for it.

‘‘Why the devil did I take that fellow’s money?’’ he thought. ‘‘Now I am sitting in the trap and will never get out of it.’

He started cursing himself that if he had not stolen the money, he would not have gotten trapped like this. The money was a bait that had led him into a trap.

The next day was Christmas Eve, and when the ironmaster came into the dining room for breakfast he probably thought with satisfaction of his old regimental comrade whom he had run across so unexpectedly. “First of all we must see to it that he gets a little flesh on his bones,” he said to his daughter, who was busy at the table. “And then we must see that he gets something else to do than to run around the country selling rattraps.”

Flesh on his bones: here it means that the seller should eat good food to gain some flesh on his body

The next day was Christmas Eve, and both the ironmaster and his daughter were at the dining table. The ironmaster said to his daughter that they had to do something good for the peddler and should try to find some better job for him.

“It is queer that things have gone downhill with him as badly as that,” said the daughter. “Last night I did not think there was anything about him to show that he had once been an educated man.” “You must have patience, my little girl,” said the father. “As soon as he gets clean and dressed up, you will see something different. Last night he was naturally embarrassed. The tramp manners will fall away from him with the tramp clothes.”

Queer: strange

Embarrassed: awkward, shy

The iron master’s daughter said that it was strange to see that the peddler had been in such hard times and was doubtful whether the man had been educated. Hearing this, the ironmaster clarified that it was due to his bad condition. He also added that the man would behave differently after getting clean and dressed up.

Just as he said this the door opened and the stranger entered. Yes, now he was truly clean and well dressed. The valet had bathed him, cut his hair, and shaved him.

Moreover, he was dressed in a good-looking suit of clothes that belonged to the ironmaster. He wore a white shirt and a starched collar and whole shoes.

Starched collar: Starch is the stuff that makes your shirt collar look crisp and fresh.

Whole shoes: Proper fitted shoes

While both father-daughter were discussing the peddler, he entered the room with the valet. He was looking clean as he had bathed and his hair had been cut by the valet. He was wearing the ironmaster’s clothes and shoes – a shirt with a starched collar and shoes which covered the entire feet.

But although his guest was now so well-groomed, the ironmaster did not seem pleased. He looked at him with puckered brow, and it was easy to understand that when he had seen the strange fellow in the uncertain reflection from the furnace he might have made a mistake, but that now when he stood there in broad daylight, it was impossible to mistake him for an old acquaintance. “What does this mean?” he thundered. The stranger made no attempt to dissimulate. He saw at once that the splendor had come to an end.

Groomed: ready

Puckered: wrinkle

Dissimulate: pretend

Splendour: luxury

Thundered: make a loud noise

The ironmaster seemed very angry to see his well-groomed guest as now he could make out his appearance well and realized that he was not his comrade. He understood that he mistook some stranger as his old friend. He screamed at him and asked him to explain. The peddler knew that the iron master could make out that he was not his old friend. As he already knew this, he was ready for the consequences and felt that the luxurious treatment was about to end.

“It is not my fault, sir,” he said. “I never pretended to be anything but a poor trader, and I pleaded and begged to be allowed to stay in the forge. But no harm has been done. At worst I can put on my rags again and go away”. “Well,” said the ironmaster, hesitating a little, “it was not quite honest, either. You must admit that, and I should not be surprised if the sheriff would like to have something to say in the matter.”

Hesitating: to be reluctant

Sheriff: chief executive officer of the crown (in England)

The peddler tried to explain that he should not be blamed. He said that he was just begging for a stay in the forge. He also said that he had not harmed anyone and was ready to wear his rags again. To this, the ironmaster hesitated and said that the peddler had not been quite honest and so, he wanted to call the sheriff.

The tramp took a step forward and struck the table with his fist. “Now I am going to tell you, Mr. Ironmaster, how things are,” he said. “This whole world is nothing but a big rattrap. All the good things that are offered to you are nothing but cheese rinds and bits of pork, set out to drag a poor fellow into trouble. And if the sheriff comes now and locks me up for this, then you, Mr. Ironmaster, must remember that a day may come when you yourself may want to get a big piece of pork, and then you will get caught in the trap.”

Fist: A person’s hand bent

The rattrap seller gets so enraged upon hearing about the sheriff, that he struck the table very hard with his fist. He said that this world is a rattrap and all the good things are a bit just like the rinds of cheese and the small pieces of pork are a bait for the rat which are offered to trap it. Not only this, but he also pointed out to the ironmaster that he may today be imprisoned by the sheriff but one day, the ironmaster will also get trapped like this.

The ironmaster began to laugh. “That was not so badly said, my good fellow. Perhaps we should let the sheriff alone on Christmas Eve. But now get out of here as fast as you can.”

The iron master didn’t like the peddler’s words and decided not to call the sheriff. He asked the peddler to leave at once.

But just as the man was opening the door, the daughter said, “I think he ought to stay with us today. I don’t want him to go.” And with that, she went and closed the door. “What in the world are you doing?” said the father. The daughter stood there quite embarrassed and hardly knew what to answer. That morning she had felt so happy when she thought how homelike and Christmassy she was going to make things for the poor hungry wretch. She could not get away from the idea all at once, and that was why she had interceded for the vagabond.

Wretch: miserable person

Interceded: intervened

The iron master’s daughter stopped the peddler. She wanted to help the poor fellow. Since morning, she was planning how she could make the peddler’s day happy on the occasion of Christmas. Therefore, she went against her father’s will and stopped him by closing the door.

“I am thinking of this stranger here,” said the young girl. “He walks and walks the whole year long, and there is probably not a single place in the whole country where he is welcome and can feel at home. Wherever he turns he is chased away. Always he is afraid of being arrested and cross-examined. I should like to have him enjoy a day of peace with us here — just once in the whole year.” The ironmaster mumbled something in his beard. He could not bring himself to oppose her. “It was all a mistake, of course,” she continued. “But anyway I don’t think we ought to chase away a human being whom we have asked to come here, and to whom we have promised Christmas cheer.”

She tried to explain the difficulties faced by the peddler. She said that he didn’t have any house. He was turned out from wherever he went and he always kept on running in order to safeguard himself from being arrested. She said that she wanted him to enjoy Christmas with peace as they had promised him. They should not send away a man on Christmas, the man whom they had promised happiness on the day. The iron master was not able to find an answer to go against his daughter.

“You do preach worse than a person,” said the ironmaster. “I only hope you won't have to regret this.” The young girl took the stranger by the hand and led him up to the table.

“Now sit down and eat,” she said, for she could see that her father had given in.

Preach: advice

Parson: Churchman

The only thing he could say to his daughter was that she was trying well at convincing others – better than the priest at the church. But he also warned her that hopefully, her decision would not bring any adverse effect on them. The girl took the peddler to the table and offered him food. She saw that her father had consented to her wish.

The man with the rattraps said not a word; he only sat down and helped himself to the food. Time after time he looked at the young girl who had interceded for him. Why had she done it? What could the crazy idea be?

The peddler didn’t say a word and started eating. Though he was doubtful about her intentions and was wondering why she stopped him.

After that, Christmas Eve at Ramsjo passed just as it always had. The stranger did not cause any trouble because he did nothing but sleep. The whole forenoon he lay on the sofa in one of the guest rooms and slept at one stretch. At noon they woke him up so that he could have his share of the good Christmas fare, but after that, he slept again. It seemed as though for many years he had not been able to sleep as quietly and safely as here at Ramsjo.

The peddler went to sleep after having food. He did not cause harm to anyone and lay down on the sofa in the guest house. He was once woken up in the afternoon but after having his lunch he again went to sleep. It was like as if he had never got the chance to sleep so peacefully as he had gotten at this place

In the evening, when the Christmas tree was lighted, they woke him up again, and he stood for a while in the drawing-room, blinking as though the candlelight hurt him, but after that, he disappeared again. Two hours later he was aroused once more. He then had to go down into the dining room and eat the Christmas fish and porridge.

In the evening, the family woke him as they had to light up the Christmas tree. He stood there blinking as if he was getting hurt by the bright light of the candles. He again went to sleep. Finally, they called him again for the dinner of Christmas fish and porridge.

As soon as they got up from the table he went around to each one present and said thank you and good night, but when he came to the young girl she gave him to understand that it was her father’s intention that the suit which he wore was to be a Christmas present — he did not have to return it; and if he wanted to spend next Christmas Eve in a place where he could rest in peace, and be sure that no evil would befall him, he would be welcomed back again.

After the dinner was over, the peddler thanked everyone present. The ironmaster’s daughter said that the clothes which were given to him were a Christmas present from her father. So, he could carry them with him. She even invited the peddler to be with her family for the next Christmas Eve and promised that nothing bad would happen to him.

The man with the rattraps did not answer anything to this. He only stared at the young girl in boundless amazement. The next morning the ironmaster and his daughter got up in good season to go to the early Christmas service. Their guest was still asleep, and they did not disturb him.

Boundless: limitless

Amazement: wonder

The peddler did not have an answer for this and stared at the girl with wonder. The next day both the ironmaster and his daughter went for the Christmas service early in the morning. They didn’t disturb their guest as he was asleep.

When, at about ten o’clock, they drove back from the church, the young girl sat and hung her head even more dejectedly than usual. At church, she had learned that one of the old crofters of the ironworks had been robbed by a man who went around selling rattraps. “Yes, that was a fine fellow you let into the house,” said her father. “I only wonder how many silver spoons are left in the cupboard by this time.”

Dejected: sad

Both iron master and his daughter had come to know that a rattrap seller had stolen money from the old crofter. They realized that he was the same man whom they had over as a guest. The ironmaster said that it was his daughter who insisted to give shelter to a thief and was wondering how many silver spoons had been stolen by him.

The wagon had hardly stopped at the front steps when the ironmaster asked the valet whether the stranger was still there. He added that he had heard at church that the man was a thief. The valet answered that the fellow had gone and that he had not taken anything with him at all. On the contrary, he had left behind a little package which Miss Willmansson was to be kind enough to accept as a Christmas present.

The ironmaster, on reaching home enquired about the peddler from the valet. He also told him that he was a thief. To his surprise, the valet told him that the peddler, instead of taking something had left a small Christmas gift for Miss Williamson.

The young girl opened the package, which was so badly done up that the contents came into view at once. She gave a little cry of joy. She found a small rattrap, and in it lay three wrinkled ten kronor notes. But that was not all. In the rattrap lay also a letter written in large, jagged characters —

“Honoured and noble Miss, “Since you have been so nice to me all day long, as if I was a captain, I want to be nice to you, in return, as if I was a real captain — for I do not want you to be embarrassed at this Christmas season by a thief; but you can give back the money to the old man on the roadside, who has the money pouch hanging on the window frame as bait for poor wanderers. “The rattrap is a Christmas present from a rat who would have been caught in this world’s rattrap if he had not been raised to captain because in that way he got the power to clear himself. “Written with friendship and high regard,

“Captain von Stahle.”

The ironmaster’s daughter opened the gift. It was so roughly packed that she could easily guess what was inside the pack. Apart from a rattrap and three kronor notes, there was a letter. The peddler had thanked his host who had taken care of him as if he was a real captain. In return, he gifted her a rattrap and also requested her to return the stolen money to the old man. He said that it was she who let him free from the rattrap by raising his status from that of a mere peddler to that of a Captain. At last, he undersigned as Captain Von Stahle.

Indigo

By Louis Fischer

Introduction The story is based on the interview taken by Louis Fischer of Mahatma Gandhi. In order to write on him he had visited him in 1942 at his ashram- Sevagram where he was told about the Indigo Movement started by Gandhiji. The story revolves around the struggle of Gandhi and other prominent leaders in order to safeguard sharecroppers from the atrocities of landlords.

Summary – Louis Fischer met Gandhi in 1942 at his ashram in Sevagram. Gandhi told him how he initiated the departure of the British from India. He recalled that it in 1917 at the request of Rajkumar Shukla, a sharecropper from Champaran, he visited the place. Gandhi had gone to Lucknow to attend the annual meeting of the Indian National Congress in the year 1916. Shukla told him that he had come from Champaran to seek his help in order to safeguard the interests of the sharecroppers. Gandhi told him that he was busy so Shukla accompanied him to various places till he consented to visit Champaran. His firm decision impressed Gandhiji and he promised him that he would visit Calcutta at a particular date and then Shukla could come and take him along to Champaran. Shukla met him at Calcutta and they took a train to Patna. Gandhi went to lawyer Rajendra Prasad’s house and they waited for him. In order to grab complete knowledge of the situation, he reached Muzzafarpur on 15th April 1917. He was welcomed by Prof. J.B Kriplani and his students. Gandhi was surprised to see the immense support for an advocate of home rule like him. He also met some lawyers who were already handling cases of sharecroppers. As per the contract, 15 percent of the peasant’s landholding was to be reserved for the cultivation of indigo, the crop of which was given to the landlord as rent. This system was very oppressive. Gandhi wanted to help the sharecroppers. So he visited the British landlord association but he was not given any information because he was an outsider. He then went to the commissioner of the Tirhut division who threatened Gandhi and ask him to leave Tirhut. Instead of returning, he went to Motihari. Here he started gathering complete information about the indigo contract. He was accompanied by many lawyers. One day as he was on his way to meet a peasant, who was maltreated by the indigo planters, he was stopped by the police superintendent’s messenger who served him a notice asking him to leave. Gandhi received the notice but disobeyed the order. A case was filed against him. Many lawyers came to advise him but when he stressed, they all joined his struggle and even consented to go to jail in order to help the poor peasants. On the day of trial, a large crowd gathered near the court. It became impossible to handle them. Gandhi helped the officers to control the crowd. Gandhi gave his statement that he was not a lawbreaker but he disobeyed so that he could help the peasants. He was granted bail and later on, the case against him was dropped. Gandhi and his associates started gathering all sorts of information related to the indigo contract and its misuse. Later, a commission was set up to look into the matter. After the inquiry was conducted, the planters were found guilty and were asked to pay back to the peasants. Expecting refusal, they offered to pay only 25 percent of the amount. Gandhi accepted this too because he wanted to free the sharecroppers from the binding of the indigo contract. He opened six schools in Champaran villages and volunteers like Menhaden Desai, Narhari Parikh, and his son, Devdas taught them. Kasturbai, the wife of Gandhi used to teach personal hygiene. Later on, with the help of a volunteer doctor, he provided medical facilities to the natives of Champaran, thus making their life a bit better. A peacemaker, Andrews wanted to volunteer at Champaran ashram. But Gandhi refused as he wanted Indians to learn the lesson of self-reliance so that they would not depend on others. Gandhi told the writer that it was Champaran’s incident that made him think that he did not need the Britisher’s advice while he was in his own country.

Lesson explanation

When I first visited Gandhi in 1942 at his ashram in Sevagram, in central India, he said, “I will tell you how it happened that I decided to urge the departure of the British. It was in 1917.”

The author explains his first interaction (meeting) with Mahatma Gandhi. He says that he first met Gandhi in 1942 at his ashram which was in Sevagram. It was located in central India. Gandhi said that he would tell him about his struggle against the British which first took place in the year 1917.

He had gone to the December 1916 annual convention of the Indian National Congress party in Lucknow. There were 2,301 delegates and many visitors. During the proceedings, Gandhi recounted, “a peasant came up to me looking like any other peasant in India, poor and emaciated, and said, ‘I am Rajkumar Shukla. I am from Champaran, and I want you to come to my district’!’’ Gandhi had never heard of the place. It was in the foothills of the towering Himalayas, near the kingdom of Nepal.

Convention: agreement
Delegates: Representatives
Peasant: small farmer
Emaciated: thin
Champaran: A place in Bihar

He says that in the month of December, in the year 1916, Mahatma Gandhi went to attend the annual meeting of the Indian National Congress at Lucknow. There were about 2,301 representatives and visitors. Gandhi recalled that a small farmer named Rajkumar Shukla came to him who was poor and thin. He requested Gandhi to visit Champaran, a place in the foothills of the Himalaya mountain range, near the Kingdom of Nepal.

Under an ancient arrangement, the Champaran peasants were sharecroppers. Rajkumar Shukla was one of them. He was illiterate but resolute. He had come to the Congress session to complain about the injustice of the landlord system in Bihar, and somebody had probably said, “Speak to Gandhi.”

Sharecroppers: a tenant farmer who gives a part of each crop as rent.
Resolute: determined

He told Gandhi that he was a sharecropper. A sharecropper is a farmer who gives a part of the crop as rent to the owner of that piece of land that he cultivates. He told him that because of an old agreement, many of the peasants in Champaran were sharecroppers. He had come to meet Gandhi on someone’s suggestion as he was determined to find a solution for the sharecroppers who were facing hardships due to this agreement. He sought Gandhi ji’s help.

Gandhi told Shukla he had an appointment in Cawnpore and was also committed to go to other parts of India. Shukla accompanied him everywhere. Then Gandhi returned to his ashram near Ahmedabad. Shukla followed him to the ashram. For weeks he never left Gandhi’s side. “Fix a date,” he begged.

Committed: dedicated
Accompanied: go somewhere with (someone) as a companion or escort
Cawnpore: British name for the city of Kanpur

After hearing his problem, Gandhiji told him that he had to visit Cawnpore and some other parts of India due to prior appointments. Shukla went with him everywhere. After this Gandhi returned to his ashram near Ahmedabad. Shukla was always there with him for several weeks, begging him to fix a date to visit Champaran.

Impressed by the sharecropper’s tenacity and story Gandhi said, ‘‘I have to be in Calcutta on such-and-such a date. Come and meet me and take me from there.”

Months passed. Shukla was sitting on his haunches at the appointed spot in Calcutta when Gandhi arrived; he waited till Gandhi was free. Then the two of them boarded a train for the city of Patna in Bihar. There Shukla led him to the house of a lawyer named Rajendra Prasad who later became the President of the Congress party and of India. Rajendra Prasad was out of town, but the servants knew Shukla as a poor yeoman who pestered their master to help the indigo sharecroppers. So they let him stay on the ground with his companion, Gandhi, whom they took to be another peasant. But Gandhi was not permitted to draw water from the well lest some drops from his bucket pollute the entire source; how did they know that he was not an untouchable?

Tenacity: determination
Haunches: thighs
Boarded: get on, enter
Yeoman: a man who cultivates a small piece of land
Pestered: bother, harass
Permitted: allowed

As Gandhi was impressed with the determination of the peasant, he said that he would be visiting Kolkata after a few months and that Shukla should meet him there. On the day that had been fixed, Shukla was eagerly waiting for Gandhiji. When Gandhi got free, they both took a train to Patna. Then they went to the house of a lawyer- Rajendra Prasad who later became the President of India. When they reached there, he was not at home. But the servants allowed both of them to stay at the grounds because they knew Shukla. They all knew him because Shukla used to assist their master in helping indigo sharecroppers. They didn’t allow Gandhi to draw water from their well as they took him to be untouchable and didn’t want to pollute the entire water source.

Gandhi decided to go first to Muzaffarpur, which was en route to Champaran, to obtain more complete information about conditions than Shukla was capable of imparting. He accordingly sent a telegram to Professor J.B. Kripalani, of the Arts College in Muzaffarpur, whom he had seen at Tagore’s Shantiniketan School. The train arrived at midnight, 15 April 1917. Kripalani was waiting at the station with a large body of students. Gandhi stayed there for two days in the home of Professor Malkani, a teacher in a government school.

En route: on the way

Imparting: pass on, giving

As Shukla was not able to provide Gandhi with adequate information, therefore, he decided to go to Muzaffarpur which was on the way to Champaran to obtain the complete information. He sent a telegram to Professor J.B Kriplani who was a teacher at Arts College in Muzaffarpur. Gandhi had seen him at Tagore’s Shantiniketan School. Gandhi took a train to Muzaffarpur that arrived at midnight on 15th April 1917. Kriplani was already waitingthere with his students. Gandhi stayed there for two days at Professor Malkani’s home who was a teacher in a government school.

‘‘It was an extraordinary thing ‘in those days,’’ Gandhi commented, “for a government professor to harbour a man like me”. In smaller localities, the Indians were afraid to show sympathy for advocates of home rule.

The news of Gandhi’s advent and of the nature of his mission spread quickly through Muzzafarpur and to Champaran. Sharecroppers from Champaran began arriving on foot and by conveyance to see their champion. Muzzafarpur lawyers called on Gandhi to brief him; they frequently represented peasant groups in court; they told him about their cases and reported the size of their fee

Extraordinary: exceptional, remarkable
Harbour: here, entertain
Sympathy: support, pity
Advocate: supporter, protector
Advent: arrival
Conveyance: transportation

According to Gandhi, it was a remarkable thing that a government professor was entertaining him because in those days people in small localities were afraid of supporting those who supported home rule. The news of Gandhi’s arrival and the purpose of his mission spread through Muzaffarpur and Champaran, very fast. Sharecroppers started to visit him. Muzaffarpur lawyers informed Gandhi about the whole situation as they represented various peasants in the court. They explained to him about their cases and the fee that they charged them.

Gandhi chided the lawyers for collecting big fee from the sharecroppers. He said, ‘‘I have come to the conclusion that we should stop going to the law courts. Taking such cases to the courts does little good. Where the peasants are so crushed and fear-stricken, law courts are useless. The real relief for them is to be free from fear.’’

Most of the arable land in the Champaran district was divided into large estates owned by Englishmen and worked by Indian tenants. The chief commercial crop was indigo. The landlords compelled all tenants to plant three twentieths or 15 percent of their holdings with indigo and surrender the entire indigo harvest as rent. This was done by long-term contract.

Chided: criticize, scold

Conclusion: result, end of something

Fear stricken: afraid

Arable: land suitable for farming

Tenants: occupants paying rent in cash or kind

Estate: property

Compelled: forced

Surrendered: to give in              

Contract: agreement

Indigo: plant that produces a blue color

Gandhi scolded the lawyers for charging such high fee from the poor sharecroppers. He decided that it was useless to go to the courts as the judiciary was not doing anything good for the peasants. He said that as long as the peasants were suppressed and full of fear, it was useless to visit the courts. He wanted to set them free from fear. Most of the cultivable land in the Champaran district was owned by Englishmen who had divided them into various estates (property). The peasants were the occupants of these lands. Englishmen forced the peasants to cultivate indigo on 15 percent of their land and to give the crop to them as rent. All this was done through a long term agreement. Presently, the landlords learned that Germany had developed synthetic indigo. They, thereupon, obtained agreements from the sharecroppers to pay them compensation for being released from the 15 percent arrangement.

The sharecropping arrangement was irksome to the peasants, and many signed willingly. Those who resisted engaged lawyers; the landlords hired thugs. Meanwhile, the information about synthetic indigo reached the illiterate peasants who had signed, and they wanted their money back.

Learned: come to know

Synthetic: Chemical-based, artificial

Compensation: payments

Arrangement: Process

Irksome: irritating

Resisted: opposed, to be against something

Thugs: cheats

Illiterate: uneducated

While all this was going on, the landlords came to know about the chemical indigo being prepared in Germany. It was a blue color dye made with chemicals. They started demanding money from the poor peasants in order to cancel their agreements as they no longer required the indigo plantations. The sharecropping system was very annoying, so many of the peasants paid for the cancellation of the agreements. But as the news about synthetic indigo spread and reached the uneducated peasants, they started demanding their money back.

At this point Gandhi arrived in Champaran. He began by trying to get the facts. First he visited the secretary of the British landlord’s association. The secretary told him that they could give no information to an outsider. Gandhi answered that he was no outsider.

Next, Gandhi called on the British official commissioner of the Tirhut division in which the Champaran district lay. ‘‘The commissioner,’’ Gandhi reports, ‘‘proceeded to bully me and advised me forthwith to leave Tirhut.’’

Proceeded: begin a course of action

Bully: trying to harm others considering them to be weak

Forthwith: immediately, at once

When Gandhi arrived at Champaran, he decided to gather the facts. For this, he visited the secretary of the British landlord’s association. The secretary didn’t answer him because he could not give any information to an outsider. After this, he went to the commissioner of the Tirhut division. Champaran district was under Tirhut division. The commissioner not only threatened Gandhi but also suggested him to leave Tirhut immediately.

Gandhi did not leave. Instead he proceeded to Motihari, the capital of Champaran. Several lawyers accompanied him. At the railway station, a vast multitude greeted Gandhi. He went to a house and, using it as headquarters, continued his investigations. A report came in that a peasant had been maltreated in a nearby village. Gandhi decided to go and see; the next morning he started out on the back of an elephant. He had not proceeded far when the police superintendent’s messenger overtook him and ordered him to return to town in his carriage. Gandhi complied. The messenger drove Gandhi home where he served him with an official notice to quit Champaran immediately. Gandhi signed a receipt for the notice and wrote on it that he would disobey the order.

Accompanied: go along with someone

Multitude: a large number of people

Investigations: inquiries

Maltreated: ill treat

Superintendent: Manager, supervisor

Overtook: went ahead of him

Complied: followed or obeyed

Though Gandhi was threatened by the commissioner, he didn’t leave the place. He then went to Motihari which was the capital of Champaran. He was joined by several lawyers. When they reached the station, they were welcomed by a large number of people. He then went to a house which was later converted into his headquarters. He started his inquiry into the matter. Gandhi decided to visit a nearby village when he came to know about an incident of ill treatment with a peasant. He was on his way, on an elephant, when the superintendent’s (Supervisor) messenger stop him and ordered him to return back to the town. Gandhi followed him and the messenger took him back to his home. He was then served a notice which ordered him to quit his movement and return back. Gandhi received the notice and signed a receipt on which he wrote that he would not obey the order.

In consequence, Gandhi received the summons to appear in court the next day.

All night Gandhi remained awake. He telegraphed Rajendra Prasad to come from Bihar with influential friends. He sent instructions to the ashram. He wired a full report to the Viceroy.

Morning found the town of Motihari black with peasants. They did not know Gandhi’s record in South Africa. They had merely heard that a Mahatma who wanted to help them was in trouble with the authorities. Their spontaneous demonstration, in thousands, around the courthouse was the beginning of their liberation from fear of the British.

Consequence: result

Influential: powerful

Wired: Telegraphed

Merely: only

Authorities: officials, power

Spontaneous: voluntary, unforced

Demonstrations: protest

Courthouse: court building

Liberation: release

As a result, Gandhi got summons to appear in court next day. Gandhi wasn’t able to sleep the whole night. He telegraphed Rajendra Prasad and asked him to come to Bihar and get some powerful people along. He sent some guidelines to the Ashram and also telegraphed the whole matter to the viceroy. Next morning, Motihari was full of peasants as they wanted to support Gandhi. None of them knew about his works in South Africa. They only knew that there was a Mahatma who wanted to help them and was in trouble due to the officials. They started gathering in front of the courthouse. This incident was their attempt of setting themselves free from the fear of the British.

The officials felt powerless without Gandhi’s cooperation. He helped them regulate the crowd. He was polite and friendly. He was giving them concrete proof that their might, hitherto dreaded and unquestioned, could be challenged by Indians.

The government was baffled. The prosecutor requested the judge to postpone the trial. Apparently, the authorities wished to consult their superiors.

Concrete: solid

Hitherto: Earlier, Previously

Dreaded: regarded with great fear or apprehension

Unquestioned: not examined or inquired into

Baffled: confused

Prosecutor: Lawyer or barrister

Postpone: delay

Apparently: seemingly, evidently

As the crowd had gathered in front of the court building, it became difficult for the officers to control the mob. They had to take Gandhi’s help to regulate the crowd. Gandhi politely told the officials that if they would misuse their power, then there were chances that they would have to face a revolt from the Indians. As the situation was getting tougher, the lawyer requested the court to postpone the trial by some days. The authorities decided to first consult the higher authorities.

Gandhi protested against the delay. He read a statement pleading guilty. He was involved, he told the court, in a “conflict of duties”— on the one hand, not to set a bad example as a lawbreaker; on the other hand, to render the “humanitarian and national service” for which he had come. He disregarded the order to leave, “not for want of respect for lawful authority, but in obedience to the higher law of our being, the voice of conscience”. He asked the penalty due.

The magistrate announced that he would pronounce sentence after a two-hour recess and asked Gandhi to furnish bail for those 120 minutes. Gandhi refused. The judge released him without bail.

Protested: objected, disapproved

Pleading: the action of making an emotional or earnest appeal to someone

Guilty: at fault

Conflict: to be against someone

Humanitarian: Concerned with human welfare

Conscience: sense of right and wrong

Magistrate: civil officer who administers law

Pronounce: declare or announce

recess: break

bail: an amount of money that a person who has been accused of a crime pays to a law court so that they can be released until their trial.

Gandhiji objected to the delay in the proceedings of the case. He read a statement in front of the court in which he accepted his fault in a very humble manner. He said that he was not a lawbreaker and didn’t want to go against the law but his duty towards humanity has a greater influence on him and it forced him to do so. He refused to leave the town because he wanted to help the sharecroppers as it was his moral duty. The magistrate asked him to arrange for bail because he was going to give his judgement after the 2 hour long break. Gandhiji refused to seek bail and later on, he was released without it.

When the court reconvened, the judge said he would not deliver the judgment for several days. Meanwhile he allowed Gandhi to remain at liberty.

Rajendra Prasad, BrijKishorBabu, MaulanaMazharulHuq and several other prominent lawyers had arrived from Bihar. They conferred with Gandhi. What would they do if he was sentenced to prison, Gandhi asked. Why, the senior lawyer replied, they had come to advise and help him; if he went to jail there would be nobody to advise and they would go home.

Reconvened: to start again after a small break

Liberty: free

Prominent: Important, well known

Conferred: granted

When the court proceedings restarted, the judge refused to deliver any judgement for many days to come. He allowed Gandhi to remain free. Some well-known lawyers like Rajendra Prasad, BrijKishorBabu and MaulanaMazharulHuq came from Bihar to help and advice Gandhi. Gandhi asked that if he was sentenced to jail, then what would be their course of action. One senior lawyer replied that they were there to help him out and if he was sentenced to jail, then they would return.

What about the injustice to the sharecroppers, Gandhi demanded. The lawyers withdrew to consult. Rajendra Prasad has recorded the upshot of their consultations — “They thought, amongst themselves, that Gandhi was totally a stranger, and yet he was prepared to go to prison for the sake of the peasants; if they, on the other hand, being not only residents of the adjoining districts but also those who claimed to have served these peasants, should go home, it would be shameful desertion”

They accordingly went back to Gandhi and told him they were ready to follow him into jail. ‘‘The battle of Champaran is won,’’ he exclaimed. Then he took a piece of paper and divided the group into pairs and put down the order in which each pair was to court arrest.

Injustice: unfairness

Withdrew: left

Upshot: result, conclusion

Consultations: discussion

Desertion: action of leaving a place, organization etc

When Gandhi came to know about their decision, he asked them to help the sharecroppers who were facing unfairness. Rajendra Prasad and other lawyers concluded that if Gandhi could go to jail for the people of their area, although he was a stranger, then they should also follow him as they had always claimed to serve the peasants and fought their legal battles too. They decided that if Gandhi went to jail, then they would follow too. On hearing this, Gandhi assured them that their struggle for Champaran’s peasants had been won. He divided the group into pairs of two and made a sequence in which they had to voluntarily surrender in the court.

Several days later, Gandhi received a written communication from the magistrate informing him that the Lieutenant-Governor of the province had ordered the case to be dropped.

Civil disobedience had triumphed, the first time in modern India.

Gandhi and the lawyers now proceeded to conduct a far-flung inquiry into the grievances of the farmers. Depositions by about ten thousand peasants were written down, and notes made on other evidence. Documents were collected. The whole area throbbed with the activity of the investigators and the vehement protests of the landlords.

Lieutenant-Governor: deputy governor

Province: region, territory

Civil Disobedience: peaceful form of political protest

Triumphed: won

Grievances: complaints

Depositions: a formal written statement

Evidence: proof

Throbbed: produced a lot of vibrations due to a huge crowd

Investigators: the inspectors

Vehement: showing strong feeling; forceful, passionate, or intense.

After some days, the Magistrate sent a letter to Gandhiji in which it was written that as per the orders of deputy governor, the case against him had been taken back. It was for the first time in modern India that a peaceful protest against the government had been won. Gandhi and other lawyers carried on with an in – depth investigation into the injustice with the farmers. Statements of about ten thousand peasants were recorded and various documentary proofs were collected. The whole area vibrated with activity- the investigators and the protesting landlords.

In June, Gandhi was summoned to Sir Edward Gait, the Lieutenant-Governor. Before he went he met leading associates and again laid detailed plans for civil disobedience if he should not return.

Gandhi had four protracted interviews with the Lieutenant- Governor who, as a result, appointed an official commission of inquiry into the indigo sharecroppers’ situation. The commission consisted of landlords, government officials, and Gandhi as the sole representative of the peasants.

Summoned: called

Leading: prominent, popular

Associates: supporters

Protracted: lasting for a long time or longer than expected or usual.

Representative: spokesperson, agent

In June, Gandhi was called up to be present before deputy governor Sir Edward Gait. Before meeting him, he met his chief supporters and made plans for civil disobedience, in case he did not return. Gandhi had four long interviews with the deputy commissioner which led to the formation of a commission that inquired into the indigo sharecroppers’ situation. The commission had landlords, government officials and Gandhi who was the only spokesperson for the peasants.

Gandhi remained in Champaran for an initial uninterrupted period of seven months and then again for several shorter visits. The visit, undertaken casually on the entreaty of an unlettered peasant in the expectation that it would last a few days, occupied almost a year of Gandhi’s life.

The official inquiry assembled a crushing mountain of evidence against the big planters, and when they saw this they agreed, in principle, to make refunds to the peasants. “But how much must we pay?” they asked Gandhi.

Initial: at the start

Uninterrupted: continuous

Entreaty: an earnest or humble request

Assembled: gathered

Gandhi remained in Champaran for seven months. He also made several short visits later. His visit on the request of a peasant was presumed to last a few days but it took a year. The official enquiry didn’t favor the planters, hence, they agreed to pay back to the peasants. But they questioned Gandhi regarding the amount to be repaid.

They thought he would demand repayment in full of the money which they had illegally and deceitfully extorted from the sharecroppers. He asked only 50 per cent. “There he seemed adamant,” writes Reverend J. Z. Hodge, a British missionary in Champaran who observed the entire episode at close range. “Thinking probably that he would not give way, the representative of the planters offered to refund to the extent of 25 per cent, and to his amazement Mr. Gandhi took him at his word, thus breaking the deadlock.

”This settlement was adopted unanimously by the commission. Gandhi explained that the amount of the refund was less important than the fact that the landlords had been obliged to surrender part of the money and, with it, part of their prestige. Therefore, as far as the peasants were concerned, the planters had behaved as lords above the law. Now the peasant saw that he had rights and defenders. He learned courage.

Deceitfully: dishonestly

Extorted: took forcibly

Adamant: firm

Amazement: surprise

Obliged: required, made legally bound to do something

Deadlock: a situation in which no progress can be made

Unanimously: without opposition

Prestige: honour, esteem

Defenders: protector

The moneylenders had thought that Gandhi would ask for the full payment of the money which they had taken from the peasants forcefully and fraudulently. But he asked for only fifty percent and his decision was firm. A missionary, Reverend J. Z. Hodge who had a close watch on the matter reported this. The planters offered to pay only 25 percent as they thought it would be rejected by Gandhi. He immediately accepted it. Gandhi said that the amount of money was not important but by giving money, the planters had bowed down to the peasants and had given away their honour too. The planters who earlier behaved as if they were above the law, now had to abide by it. This made the peasants realize their rights and give them courage to fight for them.

Events justified Gandhi’s position. Within a few years the British planters abandoned their estates, which reverted to the peasants. Indigo sharecropping disappeared.

Gandhi never contented himself with large political or economic solutions. He saw the cultural and social backwardness in the Champaran villages and wanted to do something about it immediately. He appealed for teachers. Mahadev Desai and Narhari Parikh, two young men who had just joined Gandhi as disciples, and their wives, volunteered for the work. Several more came from Bombay, Poona and other distant parts of the land. Devadas, Gandhi’s youngest son, arrived from the ashram and so did Mrs. Gandhi. Primary schools were opened in six villages. Kasturbai taught the ashram rules on personal cleanliness and community sanitation.

Justified: marked by a good or legitimate reason

Abandoned: deserted, inhibited

Estates: property

Reverted: returned

Contented: willing to accept something, satisfied

Events had proven Gandhi’s position. The British planters had to leave their property within the next few years. These properties were returned back to the peasants. Indigo sharecropping soon came to an end. Gandhi was not satisfied by achieving political or economic solutions – he sought to remove the cultural and social backwardness of Champaran. Gandhi wanted to do something to remove the backwardness in the villages of Champaran. He requested teachers such as Mahadev Desai and Narhai Parikh and their wives to teach the villagers. Both of them were followers of Gandhi. Many other volunteers came from Bombay and Poona to join them. Mrs. Gandhi and their youngest son Devdas arrived from the ashram for their help. Primary schools were opened in six villages where Kasturbai used to teach the ashram rules on cleanliness and community sanitation.

Health conditions were miserable. Gandhi got a doctor to volunteer his services for six months. Three medicines were available — castor oil, quinine and sulphur ointment. Anybody who showed a coated tongue was given a dose of castor oil; anybody with malaria fever received quinine plus castor oil; anybody with skin eruptions received ointment plus castor oil.

Gandhi noticed the filthy state of women’s clothes. He asked Kasturbai to talk to them about it. One woman took Kasturbai into her hut and said, ‘‘look, there is no box or cupboard here for clothes. The sari I am wearing is the only one I have.”

Miserable: unhappy, sad

Volunteer: a person who offers his service free of cost

Eruptions: here, a spot, rash, or other mark appearing suddenly on the skin.

The health conditions of the people of Champaran were very poor. So, Gandhi got a doctor who offered his services free of cost for six months. There were only three medicines- castor oil, quinine and sulphur ointment available. A patient with a coated tongue was given Castor oil, a malaria patient was served a dose of quinine and a patient with a skin disorder was given ointment and castor oil. The women of the area used to wear dirty clothes. When Gandhiji tried to know the reason through his wife, he was told that those were the only saris each of the women had.

During his long stay in Champaran, Gandhi kept a long distance watch on the ashram. He sent regular instructions by mail and asked for financial accounts. Once he wrote to the residents that it was time to fill in the old latrine trenches and dig new ones otherwise the old ones would begin to smell bad.

The Champaran episode was a turning-point in Gandhi’s life. ‘‘What I did,” he explained, “was a very ordinary thing. I declared that the British could not order me about in my own country.”

Instructions: orders, commands

Residents: locals

While Gandhiji was in Champaran, he kept a long distance vigil on the ashram. He used to send letters of orders regarding financial matters. Once, he wrote to the locals that it was time to dig new latrines as the old ones had started giving foul smell. The Champaran incident changed Gandhi’s life. He said that he had done a regular thing- he had put his point across that the Britishers could not order him in his own country.

But Champaran did not begin as an act of defiance. It grew out of an attempt to alleviate the distress of large numbers of poor peasants. This was the typical Gandhi pattern — his politics were intertwined with the practical, day-to-day problems of the millions. His was not a loyalty to abstractions; it was a loyalty to living, human beings.

In everything Gandhi did, moreover, he tried to mould a new free Indian who could stand on his own feet and thus make India free.

Defiance: opposition

Alleviate: uplift

Distress: torture

Intertwined: twisted, braided, knitted

Abstractions: something which exists only as an idea.

The Champaran satyagraha was not an act of opposition. It was an attempt to help out the poor and tortured peasants. This was Gandhi’s way to solve issues. His politics was knitted up with the everyday problems faced by the millions of people. He did not aim at the fulfilment of ideas, rather, he was concerned for the people. The basic idea was to serve humanity and make a free Indian who could stand for his rights.

Early in the Champaran action, Charles Freer Andrews, the English pacifist who had become a devoted follower of the Mahatma, came to bid Gandhi farewell before going on a tour of duty to the Fiji Islands. Gandhi’s lawyer friends thought it would be a good idea for Andrews to stay in Champaran and help them. Andrews was willing if Gandhi agreed. But Gandhi was vehemently opposed. He said, ‘‘you think that in this unequal fight it would be helpful if we have an Englishman on our side. This shows the weakness of your heart. The cause is just and you must rely upon yourselves to win the battle. You should not seek a prop in Mr. Andrews because he happens to be an Englishman’’.

‘‘He had read our minds correctly,’’ Rajendra Prasad comments, “and we had no reply… Gandhi in this way taught us a lesson in self-reliance’’.

Self-reliance, Indian independence and help to sharecroppers were all bound together.

Pacifist: Peace maker

Vehemently: in an intense manner

Self Reliance: self sufficiency, self support

prop: support

Charles Freer Andrews who was a peacemaker, visited Gandhi before going on a tour of duty to the Fiji islands. Gandhi’s lawyer friends wanted Andrews to stay at the Ashram and help them but Gandhi refused. He said that they did not need the help of Britishers as it showed a lack of trust in their own abilities. He asked them not to seek any help from Mr. Andrews as he was an Englishman. Rajendra Prasad later on stated that Gandhi had read their thoughts and his reply served as a lesson of self-sufficiency for them. Being self-dependant, free and helping the peasants – all these acts of Gandhi were inter connected.

Poets and Pancakes

By Asokamitran

Introduction

The lesson is taken from the book ‘My Years with the boss’ written by Asokamitran. In this excerpt, he talks about all the elements that kept Gemini Studios running. From Pancake make-up to the office boy of the make-up department, from Subbu to the lawyer, every element helped in making Gemini Studios a successful film producing company.

Poets and Pancakes Summary

In this lesson, Asokamitran talks about Gemini Studios and all that helps in keeping it in the spotlight. He starts by making a mention about ‘Pancakes’, the famous make-up brand which Gemini Studios ordered in truckloads. He then talks about the plight of actors and actresses who have to bear too many lights on their faces while getting ready in the make-up room. The make-up department, according to him, used heaps of make-up to turn them into ugly-looking creatures. Shockingly, he talks about the office boy of the make-up department whose task is to slap paint onto the faces of players at the time of crowd-shooting. He was a poet and had joined the Studio in the hope of becoming an actor, screenwriter, director or lyricist. In those days, the author used to work inside a cubicle and had the task of collecting newspaper cuttings which, according to others was insignificant. Thus, the office boy would come in time again, to bother him with his complaints. He was well-convinced that the reason behind his misery was Subbu. He thought Subbu had an advantage because he was born a Brahmin. Subbu was a resourceful man whose loyalty made him stand out. He was tailor-made for films and it was difficult to imagine film-making without him. He was very welcoming and was known for his hospitality. Just like many others at the Gemini Studios, he also did poetry. He worked for the story department which also consisted of a lawyer. People generally called him the opposite of a legal practitioner. He was a logical and neutral man amidst a room full of dreamers. Asokamitran then describes how Gemini Studios got a chance to host a group of international performers called Moral Rearmament Army. Though the plots and messages were not complex, their sets and costumes were near to perfection so much so that for many years, Tamil plays displayed sunset and sunrise in a way inherited from ‘Jotham Valley’. Then another guest, Stephen Spender comes to visit Gemini Studios. People had hardly heard of him and they couldn’t even connect with him due to linguistic barriers. It was not until a few years later that Asokamitran saw his name in a book and realized who he actually was.

Poets and Pancakes Lesson Explanation

Pancake was the brand name of the make-up material that Gemini Studios bought in truck-loads. Greta Garbo must have used it, Miss Gohar must have used it, Vyjayantimala must also have used it but Rati Agnihotri may not have even heard of it. The make-up department of the Gemini Studios was in the upstairs of a building that was believed to have been Robert Clive’s stables. A dozen other buildings in the city are said to have been his residence. For his brief life and an even briefer stay in Madras, Robert Clive seems to have done a lot of moving, besides fighting some impossible battles in remote corners of India and marrying a maiden in St. Mary’s Church in Fort St. George in Madras.

(1. Greta Garbo- A Swedish actress, 1954 she received an Honorary Oscar for her unforgettable screen performances. The Guinness Book of World Records named her the most beautiful woman who ever lived. She was also voted Best Silent Actress in the country.

2. Vyjayantimala- An Indian actress whose performance was widely appreciated in Bimal Roy’s Devdas. She won three Best Actress awards for her acting. She is now an active politician).

Truck- loads- large amounts that could fill a truck
Stables- a building set apart and adapted for keeping horses
Remote corners- a place that is located away from the populated areas
Maiden- a young woman or an unmarried girl

The word ‘Pancakes’ from the title ‘Poets and Pancakes’ is the name of a make-up brand that Gemini Studios used in large amounts. It is a very popular brand used by famous celebrities like Miss Gohar, Greta Garbo and Vyjayantimala. The writer says that another actress named Rati Agnihotri may not have even heard of the brand of makeup as she entered the industry later and probably, the brand was no longer in use then. The lesson begins with a brief description of the make-up room of Gemini Studios which was situated on a higher level floor of the building. The place was earlier believed to be Robert Clive’s stables.

Robert Clive was an English soldier and statesman who expanded British power in India. Many other buildings in the city are identified as the place of his residence which is evident by the fact that he moved frequently. He is believed to have fought some impossible battles in the remote areas of India. He married a young woman in St. Mary’s Church in Fort St. George in Madras.

The make-up room had the look of a hair-cutting salon with lights at all angles around half a dozen large mirrors. They were all incandescent lights, so you can imagine the fiery misery of those subjected to make-up. The make-up department was first headed by a Bengali who became too big for a studio and left. He was succeeded by a Maharashtrian who was assisted by a Dharwar Kannadiga, an Andhra, a Madras Indian Christian, an Anglo-Burmese and the usual local Tamils. All this shows that there was a great deal of national integration long before A.I.R. and Doordarshan began broadcasting programs on national integration.

Incandescent- emitting light as a result of being heated; burning
Fiery- red-hot; scorching
Misery- a state or feeling of great physical or mental distress or discomfort

Madras Indian Christian – a particular caste in Indian Christians of people from Madras who have been converted to Christianity religion
Anglo-Burmese – The Anglo-Burmese people, also known as the Anglo-Burmans, are a community of Eurasians of Burmese and European descent, who emerged as a distinct community through mixed relations between the British and other European settlers and the indigenous peoples of Burma from 1826 until 1948 when Myanmar gained its independence from the United Kingdom.
Integration- unification
Broadcasting- the transmission of programs or information by radio or television

The make-up room looked just like a salon with around 6-7 large mirrors surrounded by large bulbs all around them. The bright lights emitted a lot of heat and were a source of discomfort for those getting their make-up done. At first, a Bengali was the head of the make-up studio but then he outgrew Gemini Studios and left it for better opportunities. After him, it was supervised by a Maharashtrian who was assisted by a Dharwar Kannadiga, an Andhra, a Madras Indian Christian, an Anglo-Burmese and the usual local Tamils. The fact that people from different cultures and religions worked together puts forward the post-independence national integration scenario. It shows that people were united way before All India Radio and Doordarshan raised the concept.

This gang of nationally integrated make-up men could turn any decent-looking person into a hideous crimson-hued monster with the help of truck-loads of pancake and a number of other locally made potions and lotions. Those were the days of mainly indoor shooting, and only five percent of the film was shot outdoors. I suppose the sets and studio lights needed the girls and boys to be made to look ugly in order to look presentable in the movie.

Hideous- extremely ugly
Crimson hue- deep red colour
Potions- a liquid mixture

The author mentions that this team of nationally unified men had the ability to turn any simple-looking individual into an ugly creature using heaps of Pancake products, customized lotions and potions. In those days, near about 5 percent of movies were shot outdoors and the rest of them were shot indoors. Thus, indoor shooting, set-up and lights required the actors to wear loads of make-up in order to look presentable in front of the camera even if it made them look ugly in real life.

A strict hierarchy was maintained in the make-up department. The chief makeup man-made the chief actors and actresses ugly, his senior assistant the ‘second’ hero and heroine, the junior assistant the main comedian, and so forth. The players who played the crowd were the responsibility of the office boy. (Even the make-up department of the Gemini Studio had an ‘office boy’!) On the days when there was a crowd shooting, you could see him mixing his paint in a giant vessel and slapping it on the crowd players. The idea was to close every pore on the surface of the face in the process of applying make-up. He wasn’t exactly a ‘boy’; he was in his early forties, having entered the studios years ago in the hope of becoming a star actor or a top screenwriter, director or lyrics writer. He was a bit of a poet.

Hierarchy- A system in which members of an organization or society are ranked according to relative status or authority

Hierarchy- A system in which members of an organization or society are ranked according to relative status or authority

Just like any large organization, the make-up studio followed a hierarchy where the chief make-up man-made the lead actors and actresses ugly, his senior assistant- the ‘second’ hero and heroine, the junior assistant- the main comedian, and the office boy helped in making the remaining crowd look ugly at times of crowd shooting (when the scene was shot on a group or a crowd). Their whole idea was to cover each and every blemish on a face for it to look good on the screen. The fact that the make-up studio had its own office boy is significant enough to highlight the size of Gemini Studios. The office boy at Gemini studios was not a boy but a man in his early forties who did poetry and like million others, he joined the studio with the dream of becoming an actor or screenwriter, director or lyricist.

In those days I worked in a cubicle, two whole sides of which were French windows. (I didn’t know at that time they were called French windows.) Seeing me sitting at my desk tearing up newspapers a day in and day out, most people thought I was doing next to nothing. It is likely that the Boss thought likewise too. So anyone who felt I should be given some occupation would barge into my cubicle and deliver an extended lecture. The ‘boy’ in the make-up department had decided I should be enlightened on how great literary talent was being allowed to go waste in a department fit only for barbers and perverts. Soon I was praying for crowd-shooting all the time. Nothing short of it could save me from his epics.

French window – each of a pair of glazed doors in an outside wall, serving as a window and door, typically opening onto a garden or balcony

Cubicle- a small partitioned-off area of a room

Barge in- to walk into a room quickly, without being invited

Enlightened-having or showing a rational, modern and well-informed outlook

Epics- an exceptionally long and arduous task or activity

Perverts- a person whose sexual behavior is regarded as abnormal and unacceptable.

The duty of Asokamitran in Gemini Studios was to cut out newspaper clippings on a wide variety of subjects and store them in files. Many of these had to be written out by hand. He was given a small area in a room with French windows on two of its sides. Considering the nature of his job, most people thought his job to be insignificant and he suspected that his boss used to think likewise. Therefore, people took it as an incentive to go uninvited to his cubicle, to lecture him about doing something real. Even the office boy would barge in to share his views of how poetic talent was getting wasted in the make-up department. Thus, Asokamitran would pray for crowd shooting, which was the only way to keep the office boy busy and save him from his stories.

In all instances of frustration, you will always find the anger directed towards a single person openly or covertly and this man of the make-up department was convinced that all his woes, ignominy and neglect were due to Kothamangalam Subbu. Subbu was the No. 2 at Gemini Studios. He couldn’t have had a more encouraging opening in films than our grown-up make-up boy had. On the contrary, he must have had to face more uncertain and difficult times, for when he began his career, there were no firmly established film-producing companies or studios. Even in the matter of education, especially formal education, Subbu couldn’t have had an appreciable lead over our boy. But by virtue of being born a Brahmin — a virtue, indeed! — he must have had exposure to more affluent situations and people. He had the ability to look cheerful at all times even after having had a hand in a flop film.

Covertly- secretly

Woes- distress

Ignominy- public shame or disgrace

Contrary- opposite in nature, direction or meaning

Virtue- behavior showing high moral standards; here, good luck

Affluent- having a great deal of money; wealthy

Having a hand in – being involved with something

The boy from the make-up department was very well-convinced that the main reason for all his misery was Kothamangalam Subbu. Subbu was privileged enough to get a better opening in films than the make-up boy even though he was less educated and entered this line in its initial stages. He was born a Brahmin which was considered to be a virtue, because of which he could associate with well-off people and be in comfortable situations. He was a cheerful man, capable of keeping a happy face even after his film couldn’t do well.

He always had worked for somebody — he could never do things on his own — but his sense of loyalty made him identify himself with his principal completely and turn his entire creativity to his principal’s advantage. He was tailor-made for films. Here was a man who could be inspired when commanded. “The rat fights the tigress underwater and kills her but takes pity on the cubs and tends them lovingly — I don’t know how to do the scene,” the producer would say and Subbu would come out with four ways of the rat pouring affection on its victim’s offspring. “Good, but I am not sure it is effective enough,” the producer would say and in a minute Subbu would come out with fourteen more alternatives.

Loyalty- a strong feeling of support for someone

Subbu was a very resourceful man who always had some sort of work for everyone. He was bad at doing things on his own but his immense loyalty made him a man of importance. He was well known for his creativity and everybody thought that he was a perfect fit in the profession of film-making. One had to only tell him a scenario and he would come up with many different ways to perform it. For instance, when the director asked him to execute a scene in which a rat kills a tigress underwater but takes care of the cubs out of sympathy, Subbu came with four or rather, fourteen different ways to perform it and he took less than a minute to work it out.

Film-making must have been and was so easy with a man like Subbu around and if ever there was a man who gave direction and definition to Gemini Studios during its golden years, it was Subbu. Subbu had a separate identity as a poet and though he was certainly capable of more complex and higher forms, he deliberately chose to address his poetry to the masses. His success in films overshadowed and dwarfed his literary achievements — or so his critics felt. He composed several truly original ‘story poems’ in folk refrain and diction and also wrote a sprawling novel Thillana Mohanambal with dozens of very deftly etched characters. He quite successfully recreated the mood and manner of the Devadasis of the early 20th century.

Deliberately- on purpose

Overshadowed- was better than

Dwarfed- cause to seem small or insignificant in comparison

Literary – associated with literary works or other formal writing

Critic- a person who judges the merits of literary or artistic works

Refrain- lines that are repeated in poetry

Diction- the style of enunciation in speaking or singing; articulation

Sprawling- spreading over a large area, detailed

Deftly- effortlessly

Etched- here, defined, described

Devadasis – In South India, a devadasi is a girl “dedicated” to worshiping and serving a deity or a temple for the rest of her life. The system was outlawed in all of India in 1988.

Since Subbu was an extremely resourceful and creative person, film-making was a lot easier when he was around. He alone gave Gemini Studios a unique identity. Not only this, he was great at poetry. He had the privilege of getting his poetry extraordinary recognition but he still chose to recite it personally to the masses. His critics were of the opinion that his poetic skills were overshadowed by his excellent film-making skills. He composed various folk ‘story poems’ and the infamous novel Thillana Mohanambal with beautifully curated characters. He even recreated the mood and manner of Devadasis who existed in the 20th century.

He was an amazing actor — he never aspired to the lead roles — but whatever subsidiary role he played in any of the films, he performed better than the supposed main players. He had a genuine love for anyone he came across and his house was a permanent residence for dozens of near and far relations and acquaintances. It seemed against Subbu’s nature to be even conscious that he was feeding and supporting so many of them. Such a charitable and improvident man, and yet he had enemies! Was it because he seemed so close and intimate with The Boss? Or was it his general demeanour that resembled a sycophant’s? Or his readiness to say nice things about everything? In any case, there was this man in the make-up department who would wish the direst things for Subbu

Lead – main
Subsidiary- secondary, supporting
Main players- actors performing the main roles
Genuine- true
Conscious- aware
Improvident- a person who does not plan his expenses and ends up wasting money
Demeanour- manner; attitude
Sycophant- a person who acts obsequiously (excessively obedient) towards someone important in order to gain an advantage
Direst- terrible

Apart from the aforementioned qualities, Subbu was a realistic actor not very fond of playing the protagonist. Whichever role he performed, he had the ability to perform better than the main actors. He treated everyone with sincere respect and affection, so much so that his home was a permanent residence for all his knowns. He wasn’t even aware of the fact that he was so welcoming. The narrator was amazed at the fact that even such a person could have enemies. He was not sure about the reason behind such behavior towards Subbu. He guessed it to be his closeness with the boss, or because he said nice things about everything and everyone or simply because he praised the boss to gain favors. Regardless, the boy in the make-up department wished terrible things for Subbu.

You saw Subbu always with The Boss but in the attendance rolls, he was grouped under a department called the Story Department comprising a lawyer and an assembly of writers and poets. The lawyer was also officially known as the legal adviser, but everybody referred to him as the opposite. An extremely talented actress, who was also extremely temperamental, once blew over on the sets. While everyone stood stunned, the lawyer quietly switched on the recording equipment. When the actress paused for breath, the lawyer said to her, “One minute, please,” and played back the recording. There was nothing incriminating or unmentionably foul about the actress’s tirade against the producer. But when she heard her voice again through the sound equipment, she was struck dumb. A girl from the countryside, she hadn’t gone through all the stages of worldly experience that generally precede a position of importance and sophistication that she had found herself catapulted into. She never quite recovered from the terror she felt that day. That was the end of a brief and brilliant acting career — the legal adviser, who was also a member of the Story Department, had unwittingly brought about that sad end.

Temperamental – liable to unreasonable changes of mood.
Blew over- to pass by or to end
Incriminating- making someone appear guilty of a crime or wrongdoing.
Foul – bad
Tirade – a long, angry speech of criticism or accusation
Struck dumb – shocked
Countryside: from village
Sophistication – having a good understanding of the way people behave
Catapulted – move suddenly or at great speed
unwittingly- unknowingly

mn Subbu could always be found with the boss but officially, he worked under the Story department. The department consisted of poets, writers and strangely, a lawyer. He was often referred to as a ‘legal adviser’ but people used to call him the opposite. This was because once, a high-tempered actress started throwing tantrums on set leaving everyone stunned, while he went and secretly switched on the recording equipment. He played it when the actress paused for breath, leaving her shocked. There was nothing offensive against the producer but her problematic tone, volume and tantrums sent her into a trauma that was hard for her to recover from. It marked the end of her short but brilliant acting career and the legal advisor was responsible for it somehow.

While every other member of the Department wore a kind of uniform — khadi dhoti with a slightly oversized and clumsily tailored white khadi shirt — the legal adviser wore pants and a tie and sometimes a coat that looked like a coat of mail. Often he looked alone and helpless — a man of cold logic in a crowd of dreamers — a neutral man in an assembly of Gandhiites and khadiites. Like so many of those who were close to The Boss, he was allowed to produce a film and though a lot of raw stock and pancake were used on it, not much came of the film. Then one day The Boss closed down the Story Department and this was perhaps the only instance in all human history where a lawyer lost his job because the poets were asked to go home.

Khadi – an Indian homespun cotton cloth
Dhoti – a garment worn by male Hindus, consisting of a piece of material tied around the waist and extending to cover most of the legs
Coat of mail – a protective garment made of linked metal rings (mail) or of overlapping metal plates
Cold logic – logic that fails to consider human factors such as culture, language, social dynamics, personality and emotion

The lawyer wore unique clothes, different from the usual uniform that consisted of a dhoti made of khadi fabric and a slightly oversized khadi shirt. He was generally seen wearing pants, a tie and sometimes a coat which was like armor. He was a neutral man with logic that did not value human feelings and was usually seen as helpless in a world full of literary enthusiasts. The narrator called him a ‘neutral man in the assembly of Gandhiites and Khadiites’ because he was different from the rest of them. He was very close to the boss and just as the trend goes, he too was allowed to produce his own film which could not do very well. A lot of make-up products and pancake stash were used in the process. Eventually, the boss shut down the Story Department. The narrator expresses in a sarcastic way that this was perhaps the only instance in human history where a lawyer lost his job because the poets were asked to go home. As the story department was closed, the poets were rendered workless along with the lawyer.

Gemini Studios was the favorite haunt of poets like S.D.S.Yogiar, Sangu Subramanyam, Krishna Sastry and Harindranath Chattopadhyaya. It had an excellent mess that supplied good coffee at all times of the day and for the most part of the night. Those were the days when Congress's rule meant Prohibition and meeting over a cup of coffee was rather satisfying entertainment. Barring the office boys and a couple of clerks, everybody else at the Studios radiated leisure, a pre-requisite for poetry. Most of them wore khadi and worshipped Gandhiji but beyond that, they had not the faintest appreciation for the political thought of any kind. Naturally, they were all averse to the term ‘Communism’. A Communist was a godless man — he had no filial or conjugal love; he had no compunction about killing his own parents or his children; he was always out to cause and spread unrest and violence among innocent and ignorant people. Such notions which prevailed everywhere else in South India at that time also, naturally, floated about vaguely among the khaki-clad poets of Gemini Studios. Evidence of it was soon forthcoming.

Haunt – frequently visited by
Mess- a building or room providing meals
Prohibition- the act of forbidding something
Leisure- time when one is not working or occupied; free time
Prerequisite- a thing that is required as a prior condition for something else to happen or exist
Averse- having a strong dislike of or opposition to something
Communism- collectivism, socialism
Filial- relating to or due to a son or daughter.
Conjugal- relating to marriage or the relationship between a married couple
Compunction- reluctance
vaguely- in a way that is uncertain
Forthcoming- about to happen or appear

The Gemini studio was frequented by famous poets like S.D.S.Yogiar, Sangu Subramanyam, Krishna Sastry and Harindranath Chattopadhyaya. The mess at the studio was excellent, it prepared a nice coffee which was available all day long. In those days, the Congress rule meant restrictions and a cup of coffee with friends was the only source of entertainment. Only the office boys and some clerks at the studio worked, the others enjoyed their free time which was necessary for creating poetry. Most of the poets wore clothes made of khadi fabric and respected Gandhiji for its prevalence but were not politically inclined. They hated terms like communism because they thought that a Communist did not love his family. He would not hesitate in killing them. He was there to create violence among ignorant and innocent people. Such a thought was prevalent in South India and the poets were no exception to it. The proof of their thought would be seen shortly.

When Frank Buchman’s Moral Re-Armament army, some two hundred strong, visited Madras sometime in 1952, they could not have found a warmer host in India than the Gemini Studios. Someone called the group an international circus. They weren’t very good on the trapeze and their acquaintance with animals was only at the dinner table, but they presented two plays in a most professional manner. Their ‘Jotham Valley’ and ‘The Forgotten Factor’ ran several shows in Madras and along with the other citizens of the city, the Gemini family of six hundred saw the plays over and over again.

The message of the plays were usually plain and simple homilies, but the sets and costumes were first-rate. Madras and the Tamil drama community were terribly impressed and for some years almost all

Tamil plays had a scene of sunrise and sunset in the manner of ‘Jotham Valley’ with a bare stage, a white background curtain and a tune played on the flute.

Trapeze- a horizontal bar hanging with two ropes and free to swing, used by acrobats in a circus
Homilies- sermon; lecture
Bare – empty

Gemini Studio displayed extreme hospitality when Frank Buchman’s Moral Re-Armament army consisting of 200 people came to Madras in 1952. They were referred to as the International Circus even though they were not very good with trapeze and the only association they had with animals, was at the dinner table – they ate non-vegetarian food and other than that, they did not interact with animals as was done in a circus. Their two plays that were performed with full proficiency and professionalism got a lot of appreciation while they performed again and again in different parts of Madras. Though the plots and message were not complex, their sets and costumes were near to perfection so much so that for many years, Tamil plays displayed sunset and sunrise in a way inherited from ‘Jotham Valley’.

It was some years later that I learned that the MRA was a kind of countermovement to international Communism and the big bosses of Madras like Mr. Vasan simply played into their hands. I am not sure, however, that this was indeed the case, for the unchangeable aspects of these big bosses and their enterprises remained the same, MRA or no MRA, international Communism, or no international Communism.

The staff of Gemini Studios had a nice time hosting two hundred people of all hues and sizes of at least twenty nationalities. It was such a change from the usual collection of crowd players waiting to be slapped with thick layers of make-up by the office boy in the make-up department.

Countermovement – a movement or other action made in opposition to another.
Played into their hands – to do something that one does not realize will hurt oneself and help someone else
Hues- complexion

The MRA was opposed to Communism and people like Mr Vasan was suffering at their hands. However, these bosses and their businesses remained unaffected by such issues.
Not only the audience but also the staff of Gemini studios had a great time hosting two hundred people from over twenty nationalities. It was different from their usual routine of crowd performances where groups of people would wait to get heaps of makeup on their faces by the make-up department

A few months later, the telephone lines of the big bosses of Madras buzzed and once again we at Gemini Studios cleared a whole shooting stage to welcome another visitor. All they said was that he was a poet from England. The only poets from England the simple Gemini staff knew or heard of were Wordsworth and Tennyson; the more literate ones knew of Keats, Shelley and Byron; and one or two might have faintly come to know of someone by the name Eliot. Who was the poet visiting the Gemini Studios now?

After a few months, Gemini Studios got yet another chance to welcome a poet from England. People made guesses about who was going to visit this time because most people knew a few poets like Wordsworth or Tennyson, or the enthusiasts knew about Keats, Shelley, Byron, or even Eliot. They were curious as to who was the one visiting Gemini Studios

“He is not a poet. He is an editor. That’s why The Boss is giving him a big reception.” Vasan was also the editor of the popular Tamil weekly Ananda Vikatan. He wasn’t the editor of any of the known names of British publications in Madras, that is, those known at the Gemini Studios. Since the top men of The Hindu were taking the initiative, the surmise was that the poet was the editor of a daily — but not from The Manchester Guardian or the London Times. That was all that even the well-informed among us knew.

Surmise- guess; suspect

The person about to visit Gemini Studios was not a poet but an editor of a newspaper daily and thus, the boss was planning on giving him a huge welcome. Even Vasan was the editor of a famous Tamil weekly publication titled Ananda Vikatan. There were many famous publishing houses in Madras that had been set up by the British which everyone at Gemini studios knew about. The highest level of managers at The Hindu were involved which meant that the editor was a prominent personality. The staff at Gemini only knew of 2 newspapers – The Manchester Guardian and The London Times. The man was not the editor of either of the two.

At last, around four in the afternoon, the poet (or the editor) arrived. He was a tall man, very English, very serious and of course much unknown to all of us. Battling with half a dozen pedestal fans on the shooting stage, The Boss read out a long speech. It was obvious that he too knew precious little about the poet (or the editor). The speech was all in the most general terms but here and there it was peppered with words like ‘freedom’ and ‘democracy’. Then the poet spoke. He couldn’t have addressed a more dazed and silent audience — no one knew what he was talking about and his accent defeated any attempt to understand what he was saying. The whole thing lasted about an hour; then the poet left and we all dispersed in utter bafflement — what are we doing? What is an English poet doing in a film studio which makes Tamil films for the simplest sort of people? People whose lives least afforded them the possibility of cultivating a taste for English poetry? The poet looked pretty baffled too, for he too must have felt the sheer incongruity of his talk about the thrills and travails of an English poet. His visit remained an unexplained mystery.
Bafflement- confusion, bewilderment

The guest finally arrived at around four in the afternoon. He was tall and had a serious-looking British face (obviously) which was unknown to almost all of them. Boss welcomed him with a speech and the speech was evidence of the fact that he knew about him just as little as they did. The speech was general but they could not help but hear words like ‘freedom’ and ‘democracy’. Then it was time for the poet (or editor) to enlighten the audience but unfortunately, no one could understand a word he was saying because of his British accent. Everyone was left bewildered. The visitor was just as confused. People couldn’t understand the reason why a British poet was there at a studio that made Tamil films and in between people who couldn’t afford to develop a taste for English poetry. His visit was indeed a mystery.

The great prose-writers of the world may not admit it, but my conviction grows stronger day after day that prose writing is not and cannot be the true pursuit of a genius. It is for the patient, persistent, persevering drudge with a heart so shrunken that nothing can break it; rejection slips don’t mean a thing to him; he at once sets about making a fresh copy of the long prose piece and sends it on to another editor enclosing postage for the return of the manuscript. It was for such people that The Hindu had published a tiny announcement in an insignificant corner of an unimportant page — a short story contest organized by a British periodical by the name The Encounter. Of course, The Encounter wasn’t a known commodity among the Gemini literati. I wanted to get an idea of the periodical before I spent a considerable sum in postage sending a manuscript to England. In those days, the British Council Library had an entrance with no long-winded signboards and notices to make you feel you were sneaking into a forbidden area. And there were copies of The Encounter lying about in various degrees of freshness, almost untouched by readers. When I read the editor’s name, I heard a bell ringing in my shrunken heart. It was the poet who had visited the Gemini Studios — I felt like I had found a long-lost brother and I sang as I sealed the envelope and wrote out his address. I felt that he too would be singing the same song at the same time — long lost brothers of Indian films discover each other by singing the same song in the first reel and in the final reel of the film. Stephen Spender.

Stephen — that was his name.
Pursuit – hobby, activity
Genius – an exceptionally intelligent person
Persevering- continuing in a course of action despite difficulty or delay in achieving success.
Drudge – a person made to do hard menial or dull work.
Manuscript- an author’s handwritten or typed text that has not yet been published
Literati- well-educated people who are interested in literature.
Sneaking into- doing something in a secretive or stealthy way
Forbidden- not allowed; banned.

Asokamitran feels that writing cannot be performed by the intelligent because it is a task of those who are patient and can do the hard work. A writer should not have any feelings, not be bogged down by rejection and must be able to prepare lengthy prose, and mail it to the editor along with a stamped envelope for return of the manuscript. For such writers, The Hindu had advertised that there was a short story contest organized by a British publication titled The Encounter. The writers at Gemini studio had not heard of the name. Asokamitran wanted to know about it before he decided to spend money on mailing his entry and sending it to England. He visited the British Council Library to get information. In those days, the entrance of the library was simple, without signboards and notices and no one felt as if they were entering a restricted area. At the library, he saw many copies of The Encounter. The editor’s name rang a bell in Asokamitran’s heart. He felt that he had found a long-lost brother and was glad when he mailed his entry for the contest. He thought that he too would sing the same song when he would get his mail. The editor’s name was Stephen Spender.

And years later, when I was out of Gemini Studios and I had much time but not much money, anything at a reduced price attracted my attention. On the footpath in front of the Madras Mount Road Post Office, there was a pile of brand new books for fifty paise each. Actually, they were copies of the same book, an elegant paperback of American origin. ‘Special low-priced student edition, in connection with the 50th Anniversary of the Russian Revolution, I paid fifty paise and picked up a copy of the book, The God That Failed. Six eminent men of letters in six separate essays described ‘their journeys into Communism and their disillusioned return’; Andre Gide, Richard Wright, Ignazio Silone, Arthur Koestler, Louis Fischer and Stephen Spender. Stephen Spender! Suddenly the book assumed tremendous significance. Stephen Spender, the poet who had visited Gemini Studios! In a moment I felt a dark chamber of my mind lit up by a hazy illumination. The reaction to Stephen Spender at Gemini Studios was no longer a mystery. The Boss of the Gemini Studios may not have much to do with Spender’s poetry. But not with his god that failed.

Stephen Spender- An English poet essayist who concentrated on themes of social injustice and class struggle.
Andre Gide- A French writer, humanist, and moralist, received the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1947.
Richard Wright- An American writer, known for his novel Native Son and his autobiography Black Boy.
Ignazio Silone- An Italian writer, who was the founder member of the Italian communist party in 1921, and is known for the book. The God That Failed, authored by him.
Arthur Koestler- A Hungarian-born British novelist, known for his novel Darkness at Noon.
Louis Fischer- A well-known American journalist and a writer of Mahatma Gandhi’s biography entitled
The Life of Mahatma Gandhi. The Oscar-winning film Gandhi is based on this biographical account.

Many years later, when the writer left Gemini studios, he had plenty of free time but not much money. So, discounted goods on sale attracted him. Once he came across books being sold on the footpath outside the post office located on the Madras Mount Road. They were priced at 50 paise each. They were termed as student editions and thus, were offered at a special low price because they were celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Russian Revolution. He paid 50 paise and took a copy of the book titled The God That Failed. It had six essays by six famous men who wrote about communism. The writers were Andre Gide, Richard Wright, Ignazio Silone, Arthur Koestler, Louis Fischer and Stephen Spender. As the writer read Stephen’s name, the book became important for him because he had visited Gemini studios. He was reminded of him and the name sounded familiar. Asokamitran thought that the boss at Gemini studios may not be concerned with Spender’s poetry.

The Interview

 By Christopher Silvester 

The Interview Introduction

The Interview by Christopher Silvester is an excerpt taken from his Penguin Book of interviews. In this, he talks about various opinions of the celebrities regarding an interview; its functions, methods and merits. It also consists of an excerpt from an interview with the infamous writer Umberto Eco.

The Interview Summary

The lesson begins with the introduction to interviews as a commonplace of journalism since its invention, which was a little over 130 years ago. According to the author, it is not very surprising that people have very distinct opinions about the usage of interviews. Some think of it in its highest form whereas some people can’t stand being interviewed. An interview leaves a lasting impression and according to an old saying, when perceptions are made about a certain person, the original identity of his soul gets stolen. Famous celebrities, writers and artists have been heard criticizing interviews. Rudyard Kipling’s wife wrote in her diary how their day in Boston was ruined by two reporters. Kipling considers interviewing an assault, a crime that should attract punishment. He believes that a respectable man would never ask or give an interview.

There is an excerpt from the interview between Mukund (from The Hindu newspaper) and Umberto Eco, a professor at the University of Bologna in Italy who had already acquired a formidable reputation as a scholar for his ideas on semiotics (the study of signs), literary interpretation, and medieval aesthetics before he turned to write fiction. The interview revolves around the success of his novel, The Name of the Rose whose more than ten million copies were sold in the market. The interviewer begins by asking him how Umberto manages to do so many different things to which he replies by saying that he is doing the same thing. He further justifies and mentions that his books about children talk about peace and non-violence which in the end, reflect his interest in philosophy. Umberto identifies himself as an academic scholar who attends academic conferences during the week and writes novels on Sundays. It doesn’t bother him that he is identified by others as a novelist and not a scholar, because he knows that it is difficult to reach millions of people with scholarly work. He believes there are empty spaces in one’s life, just like there are empty spaces in atoms and the Universe. He calls them interstices and most of his productive work is done during that time. Talking about his novel, he mentions that it is not an easy read. It has a detective aspect to it along with metaphysics, theology and medieval history. Also, he believes that had the novel been written ten years earlier or later, it would have not seen such a huge success. Thus, the reason for its success still remains a mystery.

The Interview Lesson and Explanation

Part I

Since its invention a little over 130 years ago, the interview has become commonplace in journalism. Today, almost everybody who is literate will have read an interview at some point in their lives, while from the other point of view, several thousand celebrities have been interviewed over the years, some of them repeatedly.

Commonplace- not unusual; ordinary

Interview, an inevitable part of journalism was discovered over 130 years ago. These days, it is nothing out of the ordinary. In fact, people who are educated are believed to have read an interview at one or other point in their lives and on the other hand, almost every celebrity has been interviewed more than once.

So it is hardly surprising that opinions of the interview — of its functions, methods and merits — vary considerably. Some might make quite extravagant claims for it as being, in its highest form, a source of truth, and, in its practice, an art. Others, usually celebrities who see themselves as its victims, might despise the interview as an unwarranted intrusion into their lives, or feel that it somehow diminishes them, just as in some primitive cultures it is believed that if one takes a photographic portrait of somebody then one is stealing that person’s soul.

Extravagant- excessive or elaborate
Despise- hate, dislike
Unwarranted- not justified or authorised
Intrusion- the action of intruding; intervention
Primitive- ancient, olden

Since it is very commonly used, it is not unbelievable that many people have conflicting views about the usage and advantages of an interview. Some people have elaborative claims about its goodness as they believe it to be a path towards knowing complete truth and consider its practice to be an art. If looked at from the interviewee’s point of view, it may look like an unwanted intervention in their personal lives. It creates a picture in the minds of readers and viewers that according to an old saying, steals the original identity of the person.

V. S. Naipaul ‘feels that some people are wounded by interviews and lose a part of themselves,’ Lewis Carroll, the creator of Alice in Wonderland, was said to have had ‘a just horror of the interviewer’ and he never consented to be interviewed — It was his horror of being lionized which made him thus repel would-be acquaintances, interviewers, and the persistent petitioners for his autograph and he would afterward relate the stories of his success in silencing all such people with much satisfaction and amusement.

V. S. Naipaul- Known as a cosmopolitan writer. In his travel books and in his documentary works he presents his impressions of the country of his ancestors that is India. He received the Nobel Prize in Literature in 2001.

Lionized- give a lot of public attention and approval
Repel- drive or force back
Persistent – continuous
Petitioners- a person who asks for something
Amusement- the provision or enjoyment of entertainment

Many famous personalities have a bad impression in their minds about interviews. The cosmopolitan writer, V. S. Naipaul feels that a bad interview has the tendency of leaving them wounded for life. The creator of Alice in Wonderland never consented to be interviewed as he was too scared of the interviewer. He feared that a lot of attention would be drawn towards him and thus, he remained away from those who knew him – those who wanted to either interview him or get an autograph of his. He would narrate tales of his success at avoiding such requests with satisfaction and enjoyment.

Rudyard Kipling expressed an even more condemnatory attitude towards the interviewer. His wife, Caroline, writes in her diary for 14 October 1892 that their day was ‘wrecked by two reporters from Boston’. She reports her husband as saying to the reporters, “Why do I refuse to be interviewed? Because it is immoral! It is a crime, just as much of a crime as an offense against my person, as an assault, and just as much merits punishment. It is cowardly and vile. No respectable man would ask it, much less give it,” Yet Kipling had himself perpetrated such an ‘assault’ on Mark Twain only a few years before.

Rudyard Kipling- A prolific writer who was known as the poet of the common soldier. Kipling’s Jungle Book which is a story of Kimball O’ Hara and his adventures in the Himalayas is considered a children’s classic all over the world.

Condemnatory- expressing strong disapproval

Wrecked- destroyed or severely damaged
Assault- make a physical attack on
Vile- extremely unpleasant
Perpetrated- committed; performed

Rudyard Kipling was strongly against the idea of getting interviewed. His wife recorded one such incident in her diary when their day in Boston was ruined by two reporters. She also made an account of why her husband refused to appear for an interview. According to him, interviews are immortal and he calls interviewing a ‘crime’ which should attract punishment just as any other crime. It is an extremely unpleasant experience and no man with self-respect would ask or consent to it. Ironically, Kipling once carried on such ‘assault’ on Mark Twain some years earlier.

H. G. Wells in an interview in 1894 referred to ‘the interviewing ordeal’, but was a fairly frequent interviewee and forty years later found himself interviewing Joseph Stalin. Saul Bellow, who has consented to be interviewed on several occasions, nevertheless once described interviews as being like thumbprints on his windpipe. Yet despite the drawbacks of the interview, it is a supremely serviceable medium of communication. “These days, more than at any other time, our most vivid impressions of our contemporaries are through interviews,” Denis Brian has written. “Almost everything of moment reaches us through one man asking questions of another. Because of this, the interviewer holds a position of unprecedented power and influence.”

H. G. Wells- an English novelist, journalist, sociologist and historian he is known for his works of science fiction. Wells best-known books are The Time Machine, The Invisible Man and The War of the Worlds.
Joseph Stalin- A great Russian revolutionary and an active political organizer.
Saul Bellow- A playwright as well as a novelist, Bellow’s works were influenced widely by World War II. Among his most famous characters are Augie March and Moses. He published short stories translated from Yiddish. He won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1976.
Ordeal- a very unpleasant and prolonged experience
Serviceable – fulfilling its function adequately; usable
Vivid- producing powerful feelings or strong, clear images in the mind.
Contemporaries- a person or thing living or existing at the same time as another.
Unprecedented- never done or known before

The famous English novelist and journalist, H.G.Wells said that an interview was an unpleasant experience but forty years later, he interviewed the Russian revolutionary, Joseph Stalin. Another writer, Saul Bellow commented that an interview seemed to be like fingertips on his windpipe which means that he felt choked and suffocated when he sat for one. Despite the drawbacks, an interview seemed to fulfill its purpose of communicating with the audience. According to Denis Brian, an interview gives us the clearest impression of the people of our times. The setup of one man, the interviewer asking questions from the other, and the interviewee gives him power and influence.

Part II

“I am a professor who writes novels on Sundays” – Umberto Eco

The following is an extract from an interview with Umberto Eco. The interviewer is Mukund Padmanabhan from The Hindu. Umberto Eco, a professor at the University of Bologna in Italy had already acquired a formidable reputation as a scholar for his ideas on semiotics (the study of signs), literary interpretation, and medieval aesthetics before he turned to write fiction. Literary fiction, academic texts, essays, children’s books, newspaper articles— his written output is staggeringly large and wide-ranging, In 1980, he acquired the equivalent of intellectual superstardom with the publication of The Name of the Rose, which sold more than 10 million copies.

Formidable- inspiring fear or respect through being impressively large, powerful, intense or capable
Medieval- relating to the Middle Ages
Aesthetics- a branch of philosophy that deals with nature and appreciation of beauty
staggeringly- to an astonishing or shocking degree

The following is a part of an interview with the Italian novelist named, Umberto Eco. He said that he wrote novels on Sundays. Mukund Padmanabhan from The Hindu newspaper interviewed him. Umberto Eco was a professor at the University Of Bologna, Italy at that time. He was famous for his thoughts on semiotics, interpretation of writings and the beauty of the middle ages. Later, he turned to writing fiction. He wrote a variety of literature – fiction, academic texts, and essays, books for children and articles for newspapers. He rose to fame in the year 1980 when his book titled ‘The Name of the Rose’ became a bestseller.

Mukund: The English novelist and academic David Lodge once remarked, “I can’t understand how one man can do all the things he [Eco] does.”

The interviewer begins by praising Umberto Eco and quoting the words of David Lodge where he mentioned that it is out of his capacity to understand how one person (here, Umberto Eco) could be good at so many things.

Umberto Eco: Maybe I give the impression of doing many things. But in the end, I am convinced I am always doing the same thing.
Umberto replied by specifying that maybe it looked like he did multiple distinct tasks, but according to him, he was always doing the same thing.

Mukund: Which is?
Mukund curiously asked him about the ‘same thing’ that Eco found himself doing.

Umberto Eco: Aah, now that is more difficult to explain. I have some philosophical interests and I pursue them through my academic work and my novels. Even my books for children are about non-violence and peace…you see, the same bunch of ethical, philosophical interests. And then I have a secret. Did you know what will happen if you eliminate the empty spaces from the universe, eliminate the empty spaces in all the atoms? The universe will become as big as my fist. Similarly, we have a lot of empty spaces in our lives. I call them interstices. Say you are coming over to my place. You are in an elevator and while you are coming up, I am waiting for you. This is an interstice, an empty space. I work in empty spaces. While waiting for your elevator to come up from the first to the third floor, I have already written an article! (Laughs).

Philosophical- relating or devoted to the study of the fundamental nature of knowledge, reality, and existence.
Pursue – follow
Ethical – relating to moral principles
Eliminate – remove
Fist – a person’s hand when the fingers are bent in towards the palm and held there tightly, typically in order to strike a blow or grasp something.
Interstices – space, gap
Elevator – a lift

He found it difficult to put it into words but began by saying that he had specific philosophical interests that he continually sought to pursue through his academic works and novels. Talking about his books for children, they all talked about non-violence and peace, which were again based on ethics. Then, he talked about his secret – which he worked in empty spaces of time. He called them interstices. According to him, these empty spaces were very crucial. If you removed the empty spaces from the atoms or from the universe, the universe would be very compact, just as big as his fist. So, if he was expecting someone over, that is, someone was coming to his house and the guest took the elevator from the ground floor to his flat on the third floor, as Umberto waited for the guest – that time was an interstice and he used that interstice to write an article. That is how he worked in such empty spaces of time which many people waste by sitting idle and waiting!

Mukund: Not everyone can do that of course. Your non-fictional writing and your scholarly work have a certain playful and personal quality about them. It is a marked departure from a regular academic style — which is invariably depersonalized and often dry and boring. Have you consciously adopted an informal approach or is it something that just came naturally to you?

Mukund mentioned that what he did was undoubtedly unique. His scholarly articles were very different from the usual academic style. The usual academic style lacked the personal touch and was dry and boring. On the other hand, Umberto’s writings had a certain playful and personal touch. He asked Eco that did he intentionally adopt an informal way of writing or was he being natural.

Umberto Eco: When I presented my first Doctoral dissertation in Italy, one of the Professors said, “Scholars learn a lot of a certain subject, then they make a lot of false hypotheses, then they correct them and at the end, they put the conclusions. You, on the contrary, told the story of your research. Even including your trials and errors.” At the same time, he recognized I was right and went on to publish my dissertation as a book, which meant he appreciated it. At that point, at the age of 22, I understood scholarly books should be written the way I had done — by telling the story of the research. This is why my essays always have a narrative aspect. And this is why probably I started writing narratives [novels] so late — at the age of 50, more or less. I remember that my dear friend Roland Barthes was always frustrated that he was an essayist and not a novelist. He wanted to do creative writing one day or another but he died before he could do so. I never felt this kind of frustration. I started writing novels by accident. I had nothing to do one day and so I started. Novels probably satisfied my taste for narration.

Dissertation- a long essay on a particular subject, especially one written for a university degree or diploma
Hypotheses – theory
Frustration – the feeling of being upset or annoyed as a result of being unable to change or achieve something
Narration – the action or process of narrating a story

Umberto narrated his story from his time in Italy where a Professor told him that his thesis was way different from others. He had told his story along with including the trials and errors that happened during his research. Others, on the other hand, made false assumptions, corrected them and put conclusions. This was the reason why the professor even published his thesis as a book. At the age of 22, he realized that his way of writing was the correct way and that is why his essays were always in a narrative tone. Probably, this was also the reason why he started writing novels at the age of 50. On the contrary, his friend Roland Barthes always wanted to be a novelist along with being an essayist.

Unfortunately, he died before he could do it. While for Eco, it happened by accident but novel writing satisfied his hunger for narration.

Mukund: Talking about novels, from being a famous academic you went on to becoming spectacularly famous after the publication of The Name of the Rose. You’ve written five novels against many more scholarly works of non-fiction, at least more than 20 of them…

Pointing out his novels, Mukund mentioned that he became astoundingly famous after the publication of The Name of the Rose. From a famous academic, he went on to become a famous novelist though he had written many more scholarly works (20) than novels (5).

Umberto Eco: Over 40.
Umberto Eco corrected that he had written over 40 non-fiction pieces.

Mukund: Over 40! Among them is a seminal piece of work on semiotics. But ask most people about Umberto Eco and they will say, “Oh, he’s the novelist.” Does that bother you?

Seminal- influential

Amazed at hearing about Eco’s over 40 scholarly articles, one of which was on the study of signs (semiotics), he asked if he was at all bothered when people remembered him as the famous novelist.

Umberto Eco: Yes. Because I consider myself a university professor who writes novels on Sundays. It’s not a joke. I participate in academic conferences and not meetings of Pen Clubs and writers. I identify myself with the academic community. But okay, if they [most people] have read only the novels… (Laughs and shrugs). I know that by writing novels, I reach a larger audience. I cannot expect to have one million readers with stuff on semiotics.

Umberto Eco replied to Mukund by accepting that yes, it did bother him to be identified as a novelist. Umberto, on the other hand, identified himself with the academic community because he considered himself a university professor who wrote novels only on Sundays. He also attended academic conferences as opposed to Pen clubs and writer’s meetings. But on the other hand, Eco accepted that he was well-aware that by writing novels, he was reaching a wider audience because one million people would not obviously be interested in stuff on semiotics.

Mukund: Which brings me to my next question. The Name of the Rose is a very serious novel. It’s a detective yarn at one level but it also delves into metaphysics, theology, and medieval history. Yet it enjoyed a huge mass audience. Were you puzzled at all by this?

Mukund changed the topic and mentioned that The Name of the Rose was a very serious novel and still it managed to attract a large audience. It dealt with detective stuff and also metaphysics, theology and medieval history. He asked Umberto if he was at all surprised by his success.

Umberto Eco: No. Journalists are puzzled. And sometimes publishers. And this is because journalists and publishers believe that people like trash and don’t like difficult reading experiences. Consider there are six billion people on this planet. The Name of the Rose sold between 10 and 15 million copies. So in a way, I reached only a small percentage of readers. But it is exactly these kinds of readers who don’t want easy experiences. Or at least don’t always want this. I myself, at 9 pm after dinner, watch television and want to see either ‘Miami Vice’ or ‘Emergency Room’. I enjoy it and I need it. But not all day.

Umberto replied that he was not at all surprised. The only people who were surprised were journalists and publishers. This was because it was commonly believed that people liked easy-reading experiences and trash while the truth was that through his novel, he reached that small percentage of the population who liked challenging reading experiences. He understood this because he himself yearned to watch shows like ‘Miami Vice’ or ‘Emergency Room’ after dinner but not all day long.

Mukund: Could the huge success of the novel have anything to do with the fact that it dealt with a period of medieval history that…

He asked Umberto about the possibility of the success of the novel having to do something with its association with medieval history.

Umberto Eco: That’s possible. But let me tell you another story because I often tell stories like a Chinese wise man. My American publisher said while she loved my book, she didn’t expect to sell more than 3,000 copies in a country where nobody has seen a cathedral or studies Latin. So I was given an advance for 3,000 copies, but in the end, it sold two or three million in the U.S. A lot of books have been written about the medieval past far before mine. I think the success of the book is a mystery. Nobody can predict it. I think if I had written The Name of the Rose ten years earlier or ten years later, it wouldn’t have been the same. Why it worked at that time is a mystery.

Umberto did not negate the possibility as he began to tell a story, which he thought that he did like a Chinese wise old man. He mentioned that his American publisher expected not to sell more than 3,000 copies as in a country like hers, no one had ever seen a cathedral or studied the Latin language. To their surprise, they ended up selling around two or three million copies. Umberto considered the success of his book a mystery. Had it been written ten years earlier or later, the situation would have been different.

Going Places

By A.R Barton

About the Author

A.R Barton is a modern writer, who lives in Zurich and writes in English. In the story Going Places, Barton explores the theme of adolescent fantasizing and hero worship.

 Introduction

The story revolves around a teenage girl Sophie, her family and friends. She is a daydreamer, who is always lost in her dreams of becoming rich and sophisticated though in reality she is a worker at biscuit factory. The story suddenly twists up when Sophie make a wild imagination of meeting Danny Casey, a famous footballer. She also makes a story in front of her brother that Casey will come to meet her on a fixed day as per a promise he made to her.

Summary

Sophie and Jansie are two teenagers who are coming back from school. They both work in a biscuit factory. Sophie is lost in her imagination of owning a boutique shop and becoming famous like Mary Quaint, a fashion designer. Jansie tells her not to dream big as it requires lots of money which they don’t have. To this she replies that she will become an actress, earn a lot and then own a boutique. Jansie being a realistic person does not support her thoughts. On reaching home Sophie feels choked in that small house which is full of the stove’s steam and looks untidy because of the dirty dishes. Her father is eating and her mother is busy in the kitchen. She goes to meet her elder brother Geoff, who is a trainee mechanic and is busy repairing some motorcycle part. Geoff talks very less about his personal life which made her imagine of his personal life which she considers very interesting and wants to be part of it. She shares a secret with him that she met Danny Casey the famous footballer in a boutique. Her brother and her father do not believe her. But she tries to make them believe this. She also tells her brother about her date with Casey. Her brother does not believe her but gives her a chance to believe her story. On Saturday Sophie and her family go to watch a football match as all of them are great fans of football. Their favourite team wins due to a goal made by Casey. All of them feel so overjoyed. When Sophie returns home with her little brother Derek, Jansie questions her about the reality behind her meeting with Danny Casey. Sophie gets angry with her brother because of letting her secret out but tries to handle the situation and succeeds. She then visits a secret place near a canal to meet her hero Casey who doesn’t show up. She knows that it was just her imagination but she was so lost in his love that she doesn’t want to come out of this. In the end she returns back to her home with sadness in her heart. But when she comes across the Royce’s boutique, she again finds herself lost in her hero’s dreams.

 Explanation

“When I leave,” Sophie said, coming home from school,
“I’m going to have a boutique.”
Jansie, linking arms with her along the street; looked doubtful.
“Takes money, Soaf, something like that.”
“I’ll find it,” Sophie said, staring far down the street.
“Take you a long time to save that much.”
“Well I’ll be a manager then — yes, of course — to begin with. Till I’ve got enough. But anyway, I know just how it’s all going to look.”
“They wouldn’t make you manager straight off, Soaf.”
“I’ll be like Mary Quant,” Sophie said. “I’ll be a natural.
They’ll see it from the start. I’ll have the most amazing shop this city’s ever seen.’”

Boutique: a small shop selling fashionable clothes

The story begins with a conversation between two teenage girls Sophie and Jansie. Sophie lives in a world of imagination whereas Jansie is totally opposite to her. Sophie imagines of owning a boutique one day, a place where she can sell fashionable clothes. Jansie feels that it requires a lot of money to open up a boutique. She also tells her that it will take her a long time to save that much amount. To this Sophie replies that she will work as a Manager and when she will save enough money then will work on opening up a boutique. She is interrupted by Jansie as she tells her that nobody will hire her straight up to the managerial post. Sophie changes her plan and decides to be a fashion icon like Mary Quant. She also adds that she will have the best boutique shop that no one has ever seen in the city.

Jansie, knowing they were both earmarked for the biscuit factory, became melancholy. She wished Sophie wouldn’t say these things.

When they reached Sophie’s street Jansie said, “It’s only a few months away now, Soaf, you really should be sensible. They don’t pay well for shop work; you know that, your dad would never allow it.”

“Or an actress. Now there’s real money in that. Yes, and I could maybe have the boutique on the side. Actresses don’t work full time, do they? Anyway, that or a fashion designer, you know — something a bit sophisticated”.

And she turned in through the open street door leaving Jansie standing in the rain.

“If ever I come into money I’ll buy a boutique.”

“Huh – if you ever come into money… if you ever come into money you’ll buy us a blessed decent house to live in, thank you very much.”

Earmarked: set aside, reserved

Melancholy: sad

Sophisticated: worldly, Cosmopolitan

Decent: adequate

Jansie is a realistic person. She knows that in reality they are just workers at a Biscuit factory. On hearing Sophie’s thoughts, she becomes sad. When they reach Sophie’s street, Jansie tries to explain the reality of their life. She tells her that they don’t receive much at the factory where they work. She also tells her that her dad would not allow her to leave the job. Sophie, on the other hand, is still lost in her dreams. She says that she can also be an actress as it would earn her a lot of money. She also wants to run a side business of boutique as she thinks that actresses don’t work full time. When they reach home, Sophie enters into her house and turns the door. Jansie is left alone in the rain. Sophie is still murmuring the same sentence that if she will get money, she will buy a boutique. Someone in the house teases her that if she ever has money, she should buy a good house for her family.

Sophie’s father was scooping shepherd’s pie into his mouth as hard as he could go, his plump face still grimy and sweat—marked from the day.

“She thinks money grows on trees, doesn’t she, Dad?’ said little Derek, hanging on the back of his father’s chair.

Their mother sighed. Sophie watched her back stooped over the sink and wondered at the incongruity of the delicate bow which fastened her apron strings. The delicate seeming bow and the crooked back. The evening had already blacked in the windows and the small room was steamy from the stove and cluttered with the heavy-breathing man in his vest at the table and the dirty washing piled up in the corner. Sophie felt a tightening in her throat. She went to look for her brother Geoff.

Scooping: here, eating

Grimy: dirty, soiled

Sighed: breathe out

Stooped: shoulder bent forward

Incongruity: inappropriate

Crooked: bent

Cluttered: untidy, litter

Sophie’s father was eating a shepherd’s pie. His face was unclean with dirt and sweat. Her younger brother Derek, said to his father that Sophie thought that money grew on trees. He also felt that she was not realistic. Her mother who was busy with her work took a deep breath. Sophie noticed her working in the kitchen. Her mother had stooping shoulders that were bent forward. She had tied an apron on her back which was bent and not in the right shape. Maybe she looked so because of the heavy burden of work on her. It was turning dark and the house was full of steam and the kitchen was messed up with litter. Sophie felt uncomfortable so she went up to her brother Geoff.

He was kneeling on the floor in the next room tinkering with a part of his motorcycle over some newspaper spread on the carpet. He was three years out of school, an apprentice mechanic, travelling to his work each day to the far side of the city. He was almost grown up now, and she suspected areas of his life about which she knew nothing, about which he never spoke. He said little at all, ever, voluntarily. Words had to be prized out of him like stones out of the ground. And she was jealous of his silence. When he wasn’t speaking it was as though he was away somewhere, out there in the world in those places she had never been. Whether they were only the outlying districts of the city, or places beyond in the surrounding country — who knew? — They attained a special fascination simply because they were unknown to her and remained out of her reach.

Kneeling: be in a position in which body is supported by knees.

Tinkering: repairing

Apprentice: learner

Suspected: guess, think

Outlying: distant place

Fascination: captivation

Geoff was in the next room, sitting with bent knees, on the carpet. He was repairing some parts of his motorcycle. He was a trainee mechanic who had left his school three years ago. He had to travel long distances in search of work. Sophie was sometimes doubtful about his brother as he didn’t speak much about his life. Therefore, she always imagined about the way of life her brother led. She was so jealous of his silence because she wanted to know about the places that he used to visit. She thought that they could be some distant places in the city or maybe some countryside. All these thoughts were so captivating because they were far away from her reach.

Perhaps there were also people, exotic, interesting people of whom he never spoke — it was possible, though he was quiet and didn’t make new friends easily. She longed to know them. She wished she could be admitted more deeply into her brother’s affections and that someday he might take her with him. Though their father forbade it and Geoff had never expressed an opinion, she knew he thought her too young. And she was impatient. She was conscious of a vast world out there waiting for her and she knew instinctively that she would feel as at home there as in the city which had always been her home. It expectantly awaited her arrival. She saw herself riding there behind Geoff. He wore new, shining black leathers and she a yellow dress with a kind of cape that flew out behind. There was the sound of applause as the world rose to greet them.

Perhaps: maybe

Exotic: foreign, non-native

Longed: wish

Affections: fondness, love

Forbade: ban, prohibit

Instinctively: without conscious thought

Cape: wrap, stole

Applause: clapping

Sophie imagined about her brother’s personal life. She thought that her brother never spoke about his life but maybe he knew some non-native people who were very interesting. Though she knew that her brother didn’t have many friends, still she felt that it was possible that he might have some special friends. So, sometimes she wished she could become close to her brother so that he would take her out with him. She knew that her father would never allow her to do so. Even her brother considered her not big enough to go outside. But she was growing impatient and wanted to go outside as she believed that she would be comfortable there just like in her own city. So, she imagined her riding with Geoff, he wearing a shiny black jacket and her wearing a beautiful yellow dress with a stole flying behind her as they would ride his motorcycle. She dreamt that people stood up to welcome her by clapping when she rode with her brother.

He sat frowning at the oily component he cradled in his hands, as though it were a small dumb animal and he was willing it to speak.

“I met Danny Casey,” Sophie said. He looked around abruptly. “Where?”

“In the arcade—funnily enough.” “It’s never true.”

“I did too.”

“You told Dad?”

She shook her head, chastened at his unawareness that he was always the first to share her secrets. “I don’t believe it.”

“There I was looking at the clothes in Royce’s window when someone came and stood beside me, and I looked around and who should it be but Danny Casey.”

“All right, what does he look like?”

“Oh come on, you know what he looks like.”

“Close to, I mean.”

“Well — he has green eyes. Gentle eyes. And he’s not so tall as you’d think…” She wondered if she should say about his teeth, but decided against it.

Frowning: annoyed

Component: part, piece

Cradled: hold

Abruptly: suddenly

Arcade: Gallery

Chastened: subdue, humble

Her brother looked annoyed at the oily part of the motorcycle that he was handling. He was trying to make it work but all his attempts were wasted. Sophie said that she met Danny Casey, a famous football player. Her brother suddenly looked at her and asked her where she met him. She said that she was in a gallery when she saw him. He didn’t believe her and asked if she told this to their father. She did not approve of her brother’s question as she wanted to say that he must know that he is the one with whom she shared her secrets. So, she began her story that she was at Royce’s boutique and was looking for some dresses when somebody came and stood behind her. She turned and found him to be Danny Casey. Her brother asked her about his appearance. She told him that he had green coloured gentle eyes and was not as tall as she thought him to be.

Their father had washed when he came in and his face and arms were shiny and pink and he smelled of soap. He switched on the television, tossed one of little Derek’s shoes from his chair onto the sofa, and sat down with a grunt. “Sophie meet Danny Casey,” Geoff said. Sophie wriggled where she was sitting at the table. Her father turned his head on his thick neck to look at her. His expression was one of disdains.

“It’s true,” Geoff said. “I once knew a man who had known Tom Finney,” his father said reverently to the television. “But that was a long time ago.” “You told us,” Geoff said.

Grunt: a low rough noise

Wriggled: twist, turn

Disdain: scorn, disrespect

Reverently: with deep respect

While both brother and sister were in their conversation, their father entered the room. He looked clean and shiny as he had taken a bath. He switched on his television and sat on his chair after shifting Derek’s shoe from his chair to the sofa. As he sat in his chair, Geoff told him that Sophie had met Danny Casey. On hearing this he turned towards Sophie. He looked at her scornfully because he couldn’t believe her. Geoff clarified it to be true. The father then told them that he once knew a man who had known Tom Finney a long time ago. Tom Finney was a legendary footballer. He took his name with great respect. Geoff agreed their father had told this earlier.

“Casey might be that good someday.”

“Better than that even. He’s the best.”

“If he keeps his head on his shoulders. If they look after him properly. A lot of distractions for a youngster in the game these days.”

“He’ll be all right. He’s with the best team in the country.”

“He’s very young yet.”

“He’s older than I am.”

“Too young really for the first team.”

“You can’t argue with that sort of ability.”

“He’s going to buy a shop,” Sophie said from the table.

Her father grimaced. “Where’d you hear that?”

“He told me so.”

He muttered something inaudible and dragged himself round in his chair. “This another of your wild stories?”

“She met him in the arcade,” Geoff said, and told him how it had been.

“One of these days you’re going to talk yourself into a load of trouble,” her father said aggressively.

“Geoff knows it’s true, don’t you Geoff?”

“He don’t believe you-though he’d like to.”

Distractions: diversion, disturbance

Grimaced: angry

Inaudible: unheard

They were discussing football players. Father said that he thought that one day Casey might become as good as Finney. Someone among Geoff and Sophie replied that Casey was better as he was very talented, but their father did not agree. He said that he was very young and as there were so many diversions for a young footballer, he might work hard. Geoff did not agree and said that he was with the best team and the best player too. Meanwhile, Sophie told them that Casey was going to buy a new shop. Her father looked at her angrily and asked her as to from where did she get to know this. He doubted it to be one of her imagination. Her brother interrupted and said that she met him. Her father warned her that such things could lead her to trouble. She then tried to justify herself by saying that Geoff knew this and trusted her. Her father replied that he did not believe her although he wanted to.

The table lamp cast an amber glow across her brother’s bedroom wall, and across the large poster of United’s first-team squad and the row of coloured photographs beneath, three of them of the young Irish prodigy, Casey.

“Promise you’ll tell no-one?” Sophie said.

“Nothing to tell is there?”

“Promise, Geoff — Dad’d murder me.”

“Only if he thought it was true.”

“Please, Geoff.”

“Christ, Sophie, you’re still at school. Casey must have strings of girls.”

“No he doesn’t.”

“How could you know that?” he jeered.

“He told me, that’s how.”

“As if anyone would tell a girl something like that.”

“Yes he did. He isn’t like that. He’s… quiet.”

“Not as quiet as all that — apparently.”

“It was nothing like that, Geoff — it was me who spoke first. When I saw who it was, I said, “Excuse me, but aren’t you Danny Casey?” And he looked sort of surprised. And he said,

“Yes, that’s right.” And I knew it must be him because he had the accent, you know, like when they interviewed him on the television. So I asked him for an autograph for little Derek, but neither of us had any paper or a pen. So then we just talked a bit. About the clothes in Royce’s window. He seemed lonely. After all, it’s a long way from the west of Ireland. And then, just as he was going, he said, if I would care to meet him next week he would give me an autograph then. Of course,

I said I would.”

“As if he’d ever show up.”

“You do believe me now, don’t you?”

He dragged his jacket, which was shiny and shapeless, from the back of the chair and pushed his arms into it. She wished he paid more attention to his appearance. Wished he cared more about clothes. He was tall with a strong dark face. Handsome, she thought.

“It’s the unlikeliest thing I ever heard,” he said.

Prodigy: a young person with exceptional qualities

Strings: here, group

Jeered: tease someone

Apparently: seemingly, evidently

Dragged: pull

Unlikeliest: unexpected, doubtful

Geoff’s room was full of pictures of footballers. There was a picture of Casey also who has been described as a young Irish man with exceptional qualities. Sophie told her brother another secret of her but on the condition that he would not tell this to their dad. His brother did not want to believe her but listened to her because of her undue stress. She then told him that when she met him, it was she who started the conversation by asking him whether he was Danny Casey. She also asked for an autograph for little Derek but as both of them didn’t have any pen or paper, he promised to give it in their next meeting. Her brother did not believe this as he was doubtful of what she was saying. So, he picked up his jacket and left. Sophie wondered if her brother did not care about his looks much though he should be doing so because he was tall and handsome.

On Saturday they made their weekly pilgrimage to watch United. Sophie and her father and little Derek went down near the goal — Geoff, as always, went with his mates higher up. United won two-nil and Casey drove in the second goal, a blend of innocence and Irish genius, going round the two big defenders on the edge of the penalty area, with her father screaming for him to pass, and beating the hesitant goalkeeper from a dozen yards. Sophie glowed with pride. Afterward Geoff was ecstatic.

“I wish he was an Englishman,” someone said on the bus. “Ireland’ll win the World Cup,” little Derek told his mother when Sophie brought him home. Her father was gone to the pub to celebrate.

Pilgrimage: religious journey, but here their devotion towards football match

Mates: friends

Hesitant: undecided

Ecstatic: joyful excitement

On Saturday Sophie, her father and two brothers went to see the football match of their favorite team- United. It was a regular thing for them because they were all huge fans of football. Sophie, Derek and her father stayed near the goal and Geoff went up higher with his friends to see the match. Team United won the match with a score of 2 and nil. The second goal was made by Casey and he did it with such perfection. Everyone was happy, Sophie was so happy that she glowed and Geoff was so excited.

Sophie’s father went to the pub after the match and so she brought her brother Derek back home. Derek told his mother that this time Ireland would win the world cup.

“What’s this you’ve been telling?” Jansie said, next week.

“About what?”

“Your Geoff told our Frank you met Danny Casey.”

This wasn’t an inquisition, just Jansie being nosey. But Sophie was startled.

“Oh, that.”

Jansie frowned, sensing she was covering. “Yes — that.”

“Well-yes, I did.”

“You never did?” Jansie exclaimed.

Sophie glared at the ground. Damn that Geoff, this was a Geoff thing not a Jansie thing. It was meant to be something special just between them. Something secret. It wasn’t a Jansie kind of thing at all. Tell gawky Jansie something like that and the whole neighbourhood would get to know it. Damn that Geoff, was nothing sacred?

Inquisition: questioning

Nosey: curious

Startled: sudden shock

Frowned: angry

Glared: stare angrily

Gawky: graceless

Sophie was inquired by Jansie as to what was she telling everywhere. Sophie surprisingly asked her the reason for asking her this question. She then told her that her brother Geoff told Janise’s Brother, Frank that Sophie had met Danny Casey. Sophie got angry because she had never thought that her brother would disclose her secret. She was worried because Jansie had the habit of sharing secrets with the whole neighborhood which she didn’t want to happen. Sophie got angry with Geoff’s behavior.

“It’s a secret — meant to be.”

“I’ll keep a secret, Soaf, you know that.”

“I wasn’t going to tell anyone. There’ll be a right old row if my dad gets to hear about it.”

Jansie blinked. “A row? I’d have thought he’d be chuffed as anything.”

She realized then that Jansie didn’t know about the date bit — Geoff hadn’t told her about that. She breathed more easily. So Geoff hadn’t let her down after all. He believed in her after all. After all, some things might be sacred.

“It was just a little thing really. I asked him for an autograph, but we hadn’t any paper or a pen so it was no good.” How much had Geoff said?

“Jesus, I wish I’d have been there.”

“Of course, my dad didn’t want to believe it. You know what a misery he is. But the last thing I need is queues of people around our house asking him, “What’s all this about Danny Casey?” He’d murder me. And you know how my mum gets when there’s a row.”

Jansie said, hushed, “You can trust me, Soaf, you know that.”

Row: here, so much noise

Chuffed: cheerful

Misery: discomfort

Hushed: quiet

Sophie explained to Jansie that this was her secret and she didn’t want to share it because then people would line up outside their house and ask about this. Her dad would kill her for this. Jansie got surprised to hear this, she said that she thought that her father would be happy to hear this. But Sophie told her that it was not so and the continuous noise of the neighbors could disturb her mother too. She realized that Jansie was not aware of each and everything so she felt happy that her brother did keep some parts a secret. She then told her that she had met him and asked for an autograph but couldn’t get it because of a lack of pen and paper. She even tells Jansie that her dad did not believe her. Jansie promised her to keep her secret.

After dark, she walked by the canal, along a sheltered path lighted only by the glare of the lamps from the wharf across the water, and the unceasing drone of the city was muffled and distant. It was a place she had often played in when she was a child. There was a wooden bench beneath a solitary elm where lovers sometimes came. She sat down to wait. It was the perfect place, she had always thought so, for a meeting of this kind. For those who wished not to be observed. She knew he would approve. For some while, waiting, she imagined his coming. She watched along the canal, seeing him come out of the shadows, imagining her own consequent excitement. Not until some time had elapsed did she begin balancing against this the idea of his not coming.

Canal: waterway

Wharf: dock

Muffed: messed up

Solitary elm: single tree (elm is a tall tree)

Elapsed: pass, go by

After it was dark, Sophie went through a sheltered path along a waterway. It was far away from the noisy city. She used to play here as a child. She sat on a wooden bench that was under a long elm tree. According to her, it was the perfect place for lovers to meet. She sat there and started waiting for Casey. She got lost in her imagination of Casey coming to meet her. After a while, she realized that he was not coming and it was just her imagination.

Here I sit, she said to herself, wishing Danny would come, wishing he would come and sensing the time passing.

I feel the pangs of doubt stirring inside me. I watch for him but still, there is no sign of him. I remember Geoff saying he would never come, and how none of them believed me when I told them. I wonder what will I do, what can I tell them now if he doesn’t come? But we know how it was, Danny and me — that’s the main thing. How can you help what people choose to believe? But all the same, it makes me despondent, this knowing I’ll never be able to show them they’re wrong to doubt me. She waited, measuring in this way the changes taking place in her. The resignation was no sudden thing.

Pangs: sharp pain

Despondent: disheartened

Resignation: departure, leaving

Many thoughts came to Sophie’s mind. She waited for Danny to come but he didn’t come to meet her. She felt a deep pain inside her. She thought that people didn’t believe her story. If Danny came, she could tell them that she was not lying. Again she thought that it is not an easy thing to make everyone believe oneself. As so many thoughts were coming to her mind she felt like many changes were taking place inside her. All this was very painful and she wanted to leave now.

Now I have become sad, she thought. And it is a hard burden to carry, this sadness. Sitting here waiting and knowing he will not come I can see the future and how I will have to live with this burden. They of course will doubt me, as they always doubted me, but I will have to hold up my head remembering how it was. Already I envisage the slow walk home and Geoff’s disappointed face when I tell him, “He didn’t come, that Danny.” And then he’ll fly out and slam the door. “But we know how it was,” I shall tell myself, “Danny and me.” It is a hard thing, this sadness. She climbed the crumbling steps to the street. Outside the pub, she passed her father’s bicycle propped against the wall and was glad. He would not be there when she got home.

Envisage: predict

Crumbling: broken

Sophie became sad. She felt it to be very tough to bear the burden that Danny didn’t come to meet her. She had been waiting for him, though she knew that he would never come. She was also worried about how people would doubt her and disbelieve on what she said. She also thought that Geoff would beat hard against the door on knowing that Danny didn’t come to meet her. So she’s quite sad now. As she was walking back to her home, she saw her father’s bicycle in front of the pub. She felt happy that she would not have to face her father on reaching home.

“Excuse me, but aren’t you Danny Casey?” Coming through the arcade she pictured him again outside Royce’s.

He turns, reddening slightly. “Yes, that’s right.”

“I watch you every week, with my dad and my brothers. We think you’re great.”

“Oh, well now — that’s very nice.”

“I wonder — would you mind signing an autograph?”

His eyes are on the same level as your own. His nose is freckled and turns upwards slightly, and when he smiles he does so shyly, exposing teeth with gaps between. His eyes are green, and when he looks straight at you they seem to shimmer. They seem gentle, almost afraid. Like a gazelle’s. And you look away. You let his eyes run over you a little.

And then you come back to find them, slightly breathless.

Reddening: blush

Freckled: pale/brown spot on skin

Exposing: uncover

Gazelle: An Asian-African antelope

While Sophie was returning to her home, she passed through Royce’s boutique. She again imagined meeting Danny Casey. She again tried to initiate a talk with him by asking him if he was Danny Casey and also asked for an autograph

And he says, “I don’t seem to have a pen at all.” You realize you haven’t either.

“My brothers will be very sorry,” you say.

And afterward, you wait there alone in the arcade for a long while, standing where he stood, remembering the soft melodious voice, the shimmer of green eyes. No taller than you. No bolder than you. The prodigy. The innocent genius. The great Danny Casey.

And she saw it all again, last Saturday — saw him ghost past the lumbering defenders, heard the fifty thousand catch their breath as he hovered momentarily over the ball, and then the explosion of sound as he struck it crisply into the goal, the sudden thunderous eruption of exultant approbation.

Melodious: musical

Lumbering: moving in awkward way

Hovered: fly

Momentarily: briefly

Thunderous: so strong like thunder of cloud

Eruption: explosion

Exultant: overjoyed

Approbation: Approval, acceptance

When she asked for an autograph, they both realized that none of them had a pen or paper. She felt sad for her brothers. When Casey left, she kept standing there thinking of his sweet voice, green eyes, innocence and his geniuses. Then her imagination took her to the football match she had watched with her family last Saturday. She imagined Danny Casey striking the goal in such a heroic way that she felt an explosion on the football ground. She felt so overjoyed with the winning of the united team and with the heroic performance of Danny Casey, her hero.