Lesson-1

The Lost Child

By Mulk Raj Anand

The Lost Child Introduction

The Lost Child tells the storey of a small child who becomes disoriented while attending a fair. He had gone to the fair with his parents, but he loses them when he becomes engrossed in looking at a roundabout swing. The storey emphasises the child's bond of love and affection with his parents. Prior to losing them, he had been demanding various items such as sweets, balloons, flowers, swings, and so on. He is picked up by a stranger after he loses them. The stranger tries to calm the child down by offering him everything he had demanded from his parents, but the child no longer wants them. He prioritises his parents.

The Lost Child Summary

It was the spring season. The villagers emerged from their homes, dressed brightly, and made their way to the fair. A child, accompanied by his parents, was very excited and happy to be going to the fair. He was drawn to the toy and candy stalls. His father became enraged, but his mother calmed him down and diverted his attention to other things. The child moved forward but lagged behind because his eyes were caught by something every now and then.

As they moved forward, the child expressed an interest in the various items on the stalls. When he saw sweets with gold and silver leaves, his mouth watered. He wanted his favourite burfi but knew his parents would say no because he was greedy, so he walked ahead. Then he saw beautiful Gulmohar garlands but didn't ask for them, then he saw balloons but knew his parents would deny him because he was too old to play with balloons, so he walked away.

He then came across a snake charmer and a roundabout swing. To his surprise, there was no response when he stopped to ask his parents for permission to use the swing. Neither his father nor mother were present. The child now realised he was lost. He looked everywhere but couldn't find them. The place was suffocatingly crowded. He became terrified, but then a kind-hearted man picked him up in his arms and consoled the bitterly weeping child. He invited him on a joyride, but the child sobbed, "I want my father, I want my mother." The man offered him candy, balloons, and a garland, but the child continued to sob, "I want my father, I want my mother."

The Lost Child Lesson Explanation

IT was the festival of spring. From the wintry shades of narrow lanes and alleys emerged a gaily clad humanity. Some walked, some rode on horses, others sat, being carried in bamboo and bullock carts. One little boy ran between his father’s legs, brimming over with life and laughter.

wintry shades of narrow lanes and alleys: in the winter season, the narrow lanes were full of shade.

• Emerged: came out
• Brimming over: to be full of something

The storey takes place in the springtime. Because the winter season had just ended, everyone came out of their homes. They were upbeat now that the bitter cold had passed. People were transported by foot, horses, bamboo carts, and bullock carts. A small child and his parents accompanied him. He ran around excitedly, frequently colliding with his father's legs. He was brimming with energy, excitement, and laughter.

“Come, child, come,” called his parents, as he lagged behind, fascinated by the toys in the shops that lined the way.

• Lagged behind: was left behind
• Fascinated by: attracted to
• Lined the way: were set up along the way.

The child was attracted to the toys on display at the various stalls. When he was left behind, his parents would call him and ask him to accompany them.

He hurried towards his parents, his feet obedient to their call, his eyes still lingering on the receding toys. As he came to where they had stopped to wait for him, he could not suppress the desire of his heart, even though he well knew the old, cold stare of refusal in their eyes.

• Lingering: lasting for a long time
• Receding: left behind as he walked ahead
• Suppress: put an end to
• Cold: without any feelings, emotions

The child was obedient and would walk towards them when called, but his gaze was drawn to the toys he desired. As he approached them, he couldn't stop himself from buying a toy. He was used to the reactions they would give. He knew they'd stare at him, indicating their refusal to buy him the toy. The child was aware of their emotionless stares at him.

“I want that toy,” he pleaded.

The child was unable to control his desire any longer. He said that he wanted to buy the toy.

His father looked at him red-eyed, in his familiar tyrant’s way.

• Tyrant: a cruel and oppressive ruler

The father's face turned bright red with rage. He regarded the child as if he were a cruel ruler attempting to oppress him.

His mother, melted by the free spirit of the day was tender and, giving him her finger to hold, said, “Look, child, what is before you!”

• Melted: became tender and loving

Because of her cheerful mood, the mother became emotional. She gently guided the child to a location by giving him her finger to hold. She requested that he look at what was in front of him.

It was a flowering mustard-field, pale like melting gold as it swept across miles and miles of even land. A group of dragonflies were bustling about on their gaudy purple wings, intercepting the flight of a lone black bee or butterfly in search of sweetness from the flowers. The child followed them in the air with his gaze, till one of them would still its wings and rest, and he would try to catch it. But it would go fluttering, flapping, up into the air, when he had almost caught it in his hands. Then his mother gave a cautionary call: “Come, child, come, come on to the footpath.”

• Pale: dull, colorless
• Gaudy: extremely bright and showy

A vast field was covered in bright yellow mustard flowers. They appeared to be flowing gold streams and were widespread. A swarm of dragonflies, black bees, and butterflies buzzed around the flowers, sucking the nectar. As they flew around, the child looked at them. He tried to catch them when one of them sat somewhere, but the tiny creatures flew away the next time. As they began walking down the path, his mother called out to him.

He ran towards his parents gaily and walked abreast of them for a while, being, however, soon left behind, attracted by the little insects and worms along the footpath that were teeming out from their hiding places to enjoy the sunshine.

• Abreast: side by side and facing the same way
• Teeming out: to pour or empty out

The kid dashed towards his parents. He walked alongside them, but after a few steps, he came to a halt to observe the insects emerging from the soil. Once again, the child was abandoned.

“Come, child, come!” his parents called from the shade of a grove where they had seated themselves on the edge of a well. He ran towards them.

• Grove: a small wood or group of trees

His parents called. They sat in the shade of the trees, next to a well. The child fastened and rejoined his parents.

A shower of young flowers fell upon the child as he entered the grove, and, forgetting his parents, he began to gather the raining petals in his hands. But lo! he heard the cooing of doves and ran towards his parents, shouting, “The dove! The dove!” The raining petals dropped from his forgotten hands.

A shower of flowers greeted the child as he entered the shady forested area. He forgot about his parents and began collecting fallen petals. He was surprised to hear doves cooing and excited to see them. He began chasing the birds, and the petals fell from his hand as a result. (This demonstrates that as the child's attention was drawn to the next thing, he forgot what he had been doing previously.)

“Come, child, come!” they called to the child, who had now gone running in wild capers round the banyan tree, and gathering him up they took the narrow, winding footpath which led to the fair through the mustard fields.

• Capers: a playful skipping movement

The parents summoned the child who was running and playing in the nearby of a banyan tree. They lifted him and walked down a narrow, twisting lane that crossed the mustard fields and brought them to the fair.

As they neared the village the child could see many other footpaths full of throngs, converging to the whirlpool of the fair, and felt at once repelled and fascinated by the confusion of the world he was entering.

• Throngs: huge crowds
• Converging: gathering

As they approached the fair, the child noticed large crowds of people walking in all directions. The dense crowd scared him and he took a step back, but the next thing he knew, he was drawn to the mind-boggling crowd of humanity.

A sweetmeat seller hawked, “gulab-jaman, rasagulla, burfi, jalebi,” at the corner of the entrance and a crowd pressed round his counter at the foot of an architecture of many coloured sweets, decorated with leaves of silver and gold. The child stared open-eyed and his mouth watered for the burfi that was his favourite sweet. “I want that burfi,” he slowly murmured. But he half knew as he begged that his plea would not be heeded because his parents would say he was greedy. So without waiting for an answer he moved on.

• Heeded: paid attention to

A sweetmeat vendor had set up shop near the fair's entrance, on one of the fair's corners. He was selling gulab jamun, rasgulla, burfi, and jalebi, among other things. The sweets were displayed at various heights and were covered in gold and silver foils. When he saw his favourite burfi, the boy's mouth watered. He expressed his desire to obtain one in hushed tones, knowing that his request would be denied by his parents. They'd say he was greedy for the burfi. He walked further because he did not expect his demand to be met.

A flower-seller hawked, “A garland of Gulmohar, a garland of Gulmohar!” The child seemed irresistibly drawn. He went towards the basket where the flowers lay heaped and half murmured, “I want that garland.” But he well knew his parents would refuse to buy him those flowers because they would say that they were cheap. So, without waiting for an answer, he moved on.

The following stall was that of a flower vendor. He announced that he was selling Gulmohar flower garlands. One of those piqued the child's interest. He walked over to the basket of lowers and expressed his desire for one in hushed tones, knowing that his request would not be met. They would refuse to buy him flowers because they were too cheap. Again, the boy proceeded without waiting for a response from his parents.

A man stood holding a pole with yellow, red, green and purple balloons flying from it. The child was simply carried away by the rainbow glory of their silken colors and he was filled with an overwhelming desire to possess them all. But he well knew his parents would never buy him the balloons because they would say he was too old to play with such toys. So he walked on further.

• Overwhelming: a very strong emotion

The child then came across a balloon vendor who was selling balloons in various rainbow colours. The boy was drawn to the bright colours of the balloons and wanted to collect them all. He was aware that his parents would refuse to purchase balloons for him on the grounds that he was too old to play with them. As a result, the child walked a little further.

A snake-charmer stood playing a flute to a snake which coiled itself in a basket, its head raised in a graceful bend like the neck of a swan, while the music stole into its invisible ears like the gentle rippling of an invisible waterfall. The child went towards the snake-charmer. But, knowing his parents had forbidden him to hear such coarse music as the snake-charmer played, he proceeded farther.

• Forbidden: not allowed
• Coarse: unpleasant

Then he came to a halt in front of a snake charmer who was playing the flute and the snake was twisting its neck in time to the music. The snake had wrapped itself in a basket and poked its head out. Like a swan, it bowed and moved its neck gracefully. Because it swayed its neck in a similar manner, it appeared that the music of the flute was heard by the snake's invisible ears and created the effect of a waterfall on it. The boy approached the snake charmer, but because his parents had warned him to avoid the unpleasant music played by such men, he continued walking.

There was a roundabout in full swing. Men, women and children, carried away in a whirling motion, shrieked and cried with dizzy laughter. The child watched them intently and then he made a bold request: “I want to go on the roundabout, please, Father, Mother.”

He then noticed the roundabout swing. It was packed with men, women, and children who were having a good time. The boy observed the people on the roundabout and then bravely expressed his desire to ride on the roundabout.

There was no reply. He turned to look at his parents. They were not there, ahead of him. He turned to look on either side. They were not there. He looked behind. There was no sign of them.

He turned to face his parents when they did not respond. He noticed that they were nowhere to be found. He looked around and behind him, but he couldn't find his parents.

A full, deep cry rose within his dry throat and with a sudden jerk of his body he ran from where he stood, crying in real fear, “Mother, Father.” Tears rolled down from his eyes, hot and fierce; his flushed face was convulsed with fear. Panic-stricken, he ran to one side first, then to the other, hither and thither in all directions, knowing not where to go. “Mother, Father,” he wailed. His yellow turban came untied and his clothes became muddy.

• Hither and thither: here and there

The boy screamed, jerked his body, and ran around, calling out for his parents. He was terrified, and tears streamed down his cheeks. His turban opened and his clothes became muddy as he wailed and ran around.

Having run to and fro in a rage of running for a while, he stood defeated, his cries suppressed into sobs. At little distances on the green grass he could see, through his filmy eyes, men and women talking. He tried to look intently among the patches of bright yellow clothes, but there was no sign of his father and mother among these people, who seemed to laugh and talk just for the sake of laughing and talking.

• Intently: carefully

He eventually gave up. Mild sobs replaced the loud cries. He noticed some people standing and talking and wondered if his parents were among them. People's laughter and conversations were meaningless to the child. He was just looking for his parents.

He ran quickly again, this time to a shrine to which people seemed to be crowding. Every little inch of space here was congested with men, but he ran through people’s legs, his little sob lingering: “Mother, Father!” Near the entrance to the temple, however, the crowd became very thick: men jostled each other, heavy men, with flashing, murderous eyes and hefty shoulders. The poor child struggled to thrust a way between their feet but, knocked to and fro by their brutal movements, he might have been trampled underfoot, had he not shrieked at the highest pitch of his voice, “Father, Mother!” A man in the surging crowd heard his cry and, stooping with great difficulty, lifted him up in his arms.

• Congested: full of
• Hefty: large and heavy
• Thrust: push
• Knocked: hit
• Brutal: harsh, rough
• Trampled: crushed
• Surging: powerful

The boy dashed towards a temple that was crowded with people. He ran through men's legs, yelling for his parents. As he approached the temple's entrance, the crowd pushed against him. The boy was terrified of huge strong men who stared at people with murderous eyes and pushed them with their massive shoulders. If a man in the crowd had not heard the boy's cries, he would have been crushed under the feet of the men. He helped the child up.

“How did you get here, child? Whose baby are you?” the man asked as he steered clear of the mass. The child wept more bitterly than ever now and only cried, “I want my mother, I want my father!”

As the man helped the child out of the crowd, he inquired about how he reached  here and the names of his parents. The boy sobbed even more and stated repeatedly that he wished to see his parents.

• Soothe: relax, comfort

By taking the child to the roundabout swing, the man attempted to calm him down. He offered him a ride, but the child screamed and sobbed that he missed his parents.

The man headed towards the place where the snake-charmer still played on the flute to the swaying cobra. “Listen to that nice music, child!” he pleaded. But the child shut his ears with his fingers and shouted his double-pitched strain: “I want my mother, I want my father!” The man took him near the balloons, thinking the bright colours of the balloons would distract the child’s attention and quieten him. “Would you like a rainbow coloured balloon?” he persuasively asked. The child turned his eyes from the flying balloons and just sobbed, “I want my mother, I want my father!”

• Pleaded: requested
• Double – pitched strain: usage of a lot of force

The man began walking back along the same path that the child had taken. As a result, he took the child to the snake charmer. He requested that he listen to the pleasant music being played by the snake – charmer. The child covered his ears with his fingers and screamed angrily, "I want my parents!" The man led the child to the brightly coloured balloons, hoping that seeing them would cheer him up. He offered the child a balloon, but he turned away and wept for his father.

The man, still trying to make the child happy, bore him to the gate where the flower-seller sat. “Look! Can you smell those nice flowers, child! Would you like a garland to put round your neck?”

• Bore: carried

The man attempted to make the child happy by taking him to the flower vendor. He invited him to smell the flowers and offered him a garland.

The child turned his nose away from the basket and reiterated his sob, “I want my mother, I want my father!”

• Reiterated: repeated

The child refused to smell the flowers he had wanted to buy earlier because his priority at the time was to find his parents.

Thinking to humour his disconsolate charge by a gift of sweets, the man took him to the counter of the sweet shop. “What sweets would you like, child?” he asked. The child turned his face from the sweet shop and only sobbed, “I want my mother, I want my father!”

• Disconsolate: very unhappy and unable to be comforted
• Charge: a person or thing entrusted to the care of someone

Finally, the man took him to a sweet meat vendor and offered to buy him sweets. Nonetheless, the child desired his parents rather than his favourite sweet.

About the Author

Mulk Raj Anand (born December 12, 1905 in Peshawar, India [now in Pakistan]—died September 28, 2004, Pune), was a prominent Indian author of novels, short stories, and critical essays in English, best known for his realistic and sympathetic portrayal of India's poor. He is regarded as the father of the English-language Indian novel.

Lesson-2

The Adventure of Toto

By Ruskin Bond

The Adventure of Toto Introduction

This is a humorous and exciting storey about a mischievous monkey named 'Toto.' The monkey was purchased by the writer's grandfather from a tonga driver. Toto's pranks have been described in an engaging manner, making the storey a must-read for us.

The Adventure of Toto Summary

The writer's grandfather collected animals and kept a zoo at home. He once paid five rupees to a tonga driver for a monkey named Toto.

Because the grandmother disliked animals, Toto was kept hidden. Toto was a devious character. When the writer and his grandfather locked Toto in a cupboard and tied him to a hook, he broke the hook and wrecked the room. When he was kept in the servants' room with other animals the next day, he did not let them sleep all night.

Because grandfather needed to go to Saharanpur for work, he decided to bring the monkey with him. He carried Toto in a strong canvas bag and nicely closed the zip so Toto couldn't escape. Toto tried unsuccessfully to get out of the bag, causing the back to jump and roll. This attracted the attentions of fellow passengers at the train station. When grandfather was getting his ticket checked at the Saharanpur railway station, Toto peeked out of his bag and smiled at the ticket collector. Due to the ticket collector's declaration that it was a dog, grandfather was forced to purchase a ticket for 3 rupees, much to his great annoyance.

When grandmother accepted Toto, he was given a place in the stable with Nana, the donkey. Toto had a difficult relationship with Nana.

During the winter, Toto enjoyed taking baths in warm water. He nearly boiled himself one day when he jumped into a kettle of boiling water. Toto ate the family meal of pulao one afternoon. He thrown the empty dish from the tree, shattering it into several pieces. Toto's misbehaviour grew worse by the day, and grandfather realised they couldn't keep him at home any longer. Finally, he contacted the same Tongan driver and returned Toto to him for three rupees.

The Adventure of Toto Lesson Explanation

GRANDFATHER bought Toto from a tonga-driver for the sum of five rupees. The tonga-driver used to keep the little red monkey tied to a feeding-trough, and the monkey looked so out of place there that Grandfather decided he would add the little fellow to his private zoo.

• Feeding-trough: a large container for feeding animals
• Tonga: horse cart

The writer's grandfather paid a tonga driver five rupees to buy a monkey named Toto. To prevent the little red-colored monkey from fleeing, the tonga driver had tied him to a feeding trough. When the writer's grandfather saw the monkey, he wanted to add him to his collection of animals in his home zoo.

Toto was a pretty monkey. His bright eyes sparkled with mischief beneath deep-set eyebrows, and his teeth, which were a pearly white, were very often displayed in a smile that frightened the life out of elderly Anglo-lndian ladies. But his hands looked dried-up as though they had been pickled in the sun for many years. Yet his fingers were quick and wicked; and his tail, while adding to his good looks (Grandfather believed a tail would add to anyone’s good looks), also served as a third hand. He could use it to hang from a branch; and it was capable of scooping up any delicacy that might be out of reach of his hands.

• Anglo-lndian: a person relating to both britain and india
• Pickled: food that is preserved in vinegar
• scooping up: lifting

Toto is described by the author. He had bright, gleaming eyes that were brimming with mischief. His brows were firmly set on his face. His teeth were as white as pearls. Many ladies from the Anglo-Indian community were terrified when they saw his teeth when he smiled. Toto's hands were wrinkled and dry, as if they had been sun-dried like pickled vegetables. He had a very long tail. The tail, according to the writer's grandfather, added to an animal's good looks. Toto's tail served as a third hand for him. It enabled him to dangle from a tree branch. He also used it to lift objects that were out of reach of his hands.

Grandmother always fussed when Grandfather brought home some new bird or animal. So it was decided that Toto’s presence should be kept a secret from her until she was in a particularly good mood. Grandfather and I put him away in a little closet opening into my bedroom wall, where he was tied securely — or so we thought — to a peg fastened into the wall.

• Peg: a hook

The grandfather's attitude of bringing new pets – birds and animals – was opposed by the writer's grandmother. So the grandfather reasoned that they would keep this information from her until she was in a good mood. They would tell her about it at the time. Toto was secured in a small cupboard in the writer's room by the writer and his grandfather. To prevent Toto from escaping, they tied him to a hook in the wall.

A few hours later, when Grandfather and I came back to release Toto, we found that the walls, which had been covered with some ornamental paper chosen by Grandfather, now stood out as naked brick and plaster. The peg in the wall had been
wrenched from its socket, and my school blazer, which had been hanging there, was in shreds. I wondered what Grandmother would say. But Grandfather didn’t worry; he seemed pleased with Toto’s performance.

• Ornamental: decorative
• Naked: uncovered
• Wrenched: broke
• Socket: attachment
• Shreds: cut into thin slices

After a few hours, the writer and his grandfather went to Toto. The scene was horrifying. The decorative wallpaper had been ripped by Toto. He'd broken the hook and gotten free of his shackles. He also ripped the writer's balzer into thin pieces.

“He’s clever,” said Grandfather. “Given time, I’m sure he could have tied the torn pieces of your blazer into a rope, and made his escape from the window!”

The grandfather was overjoyed to witness Toto's adventure. Toto, he thought, was very clever. He claimed that if they had given him more time, he would have made a rope out of the thin pieces of the writer's torn blazer and escaped through the window.

His presence in the house still a secret, Toto was now transferred to a big cage in the servants’ quarters where a number of Grandfather’s pets lived very sociably together — a tortoise, a pair of rabbits, a tame squirrel and, for a while, my pet goat. But the monkey wouldn’t allow any of his companions to sleep at night; so Grandfather, who had to leave Dehradun next day to collect his pension in Saharanpur, decided to take him along.

• Sociably: in a friendly manner

Toto was relocated to the servant quarters. He was placed in a cage. He'd live in grandfather's zoo with the other animals. The zoo included a tortoise, two rabbits, a squirrel, and the writer's pet goat. Toto was a devious character. He refused to allow the animals to sleep at night. The next day, the writer's grandfather had to leave for Saharanpur. He decided to bring Toto because he was uncontrollable.

Unfortunately, I could not accompany Grandfather on that trip, but he told me about it afterwards. A big black canvas kit-bag was provided for Toto. This, with some straw at the bottom, became his new abode. When the bag was closed, there was no escape. Toto could not get his hands through the opening, and the canvas was too strong for him to bite his way through. His efforts to get out only had the effect of making the bag roll about on the floor or occasionally jump into the air — an exhibition that attracted a curious crowd of onlookers on the Dehra Dun railway platform.

• Abode: home

The writer was disappointed because he was unable to accompany his grandfather and Toto on their trip. Later, his grandfather recounted the events of the trip to him. He'd gotten Toto a special bag. It was made of a tough material called canvas. He stuffed some dry grass into the bag's bottom. Toto's home on the trip would be the bag, as he would live in it. The bag had a zipper on the top. Toto would not be able to escape from the bag once it was closed, according to the writer's grandfather. He couldn't get out of the opening because it was closed with a zipper, and it couldn't escape by biting the strong canvas material. Despite this, Toto made several unsuccessful attempts to escape from the bag. As a result, the bag would frequently roll on the floor or leap into the air. The people on the railway platform were attracted by these movements and wanted to know what was inside the bag.

Toto remained in the bag as far as Saharanpur, but while Grandfather was producing his ticket at the railway turnstile, Toto suddenly poked his head out of the bag and gave the ticket collector a wide grin.

• Turnstile: a mechanical gate consisting of revolving horizontal arms fixed to a vertical post, allowing only one person at a time to pass-through

Toto remained safe in his grandfather's bag until they arrived in Saharanpur. The writer's grandfather was preparing to cross the turnstile at the Saharanpur railway station. Toto peeks out of the bag and smiled at the ticket collector at the time.

The poor man was taken aback; but, with great presence of mind and much to Grandfather’s annoyance, he said, “Sir, you have a dog with you. You’ll have to pay for it accordingly.”

• Annoyance:  to anger someone

The ticket collector was astonished when he noticed a monkey in grandfather's back. He quickly recovered and asked his grandfather to pay the ticket cost for travelling with a dog.

In vain did Grandfather take Toto out of the bag; in vain did he try to prove that a monkey did not qualify as a dog, or even as a quadruped. Toto was classified a dog by the ticket-collector, and three rupees was the sum handed over as his fare.

• Vain:  an unsuccessful attempt
• Quadruped:  an animal which has 4 feet
• Fare:  ticket price

Grandfather was unable to convince the ticket collector that Toto was a monkey, not a dog. He insisted that Toto was not even a four-legged animal. However, the ticket collector was adamant that Toto belonged in the category of dogs. Toto's ticket cost, Grandfather had paid three rupees.

Then Grandfather, just to get his own back, took from his pocket our pet tortoise, and said, “What must I pay for this, since you charge for all animals?”

• To get his own back (idiom):  to take revenge

Grandfather was disappointed, so he took his pet tortoise from his pocket to exact revenge on the ticket collector. He inquired as to whether he, too, was required to purchase a ticket.

The ticket collector looked closely at the tortoise, prodded it with his forefinger, gave Grandfather a pleased and triumphant look, and said, “No charge. It is not a dog.”

• Prodded:  pushed

The ticket collector examined the tortoise closely, pushed it slightly, and announced that grandfather did not need to purchase a ticket for it because it was not classified as a dog.

When Toto was finally accepted by Grandmother he was given a comfortable home in the stable, where he had for a companion the family donkey, Nana. On Toto’s first night in the stable, Grandfather paid him a visit to see if he was comfortable. To his surprise he found Nana, without apparent cause, pulling at her halter and trying to keep her head as far as possible from a bundle of hay.

• Stable:  building set apart  and adapted for keeping horses
• Halter:  a strap or loop placed around the head of a horse or other animal,  used for leading or tethering it

Toto's presence in the house was finally discovered by the writer's grandmother. She gave him a space in the stable, alongside the family donkey Nana. Grandfather paid Toto a visit on his first night in the stable. Nana was restless, pulling on its rope to keep away from the haystack.

Grandfather gave Nana a slap across her haunches, and she jerked back, dragging Toto with her. He had fastened on to her long ears with his sharp little teeth.
Toto and Nana never became friends.

• Haunches: back

Grandfather hit Nana on the back to put a stop to it. Nana jerked back, and Toto was dragged along with her.

A great treat for Toto during cold winter evenings was the large bowl of warm water given him by Grandmother for his bath. He would cunningly test the temperature with his hand, then gradually step into the bath, first one foot, then the other (as he had seen me doing), until he was into the water up to his neck. Once comfortable, he would take the soap in his hands or feet, and rub himself all over. When the water became cold, he would get out and run as quickly as he could to the kitchen-fire in order to dry himself. If anyone laughed at him during this performance, Toto’s feelings would be hurt and he would refuse to go on with his bath. One day Toto nearly succeeded in boiling himself alive.

Toto loved taking warm baths during the winter. He'd pretend to be selfish and check the temperature of the water before starting his bath. He followed the writer's example and stepped into the tub one foot at a time. Finally, he would sit in the water with his face above the surface. He'd then rub himself with soap. When the water became cold, he would dash to the stove in the kitchen to dry himself. Toto became irritated when he was laughed at, and he refused to take a bath as a result. The author recalls an incident in which Toto nearly boiled himself.

A large kitchen kettle had been left on the fire to boil for tea and Toto, finding himself with nothing better to do, decided to remove the lid. Finding the water just warm enough for a bath, he got in, with his head sticking out from the open kettle. This was just fine for a while, until the water began to boil. Toto then raised himself a little; but, finding it cold outside, sat down again. He continued hopping up and down for some time, until Grandmother arrived and hauled him, half-boiled, out of the kettle.

• Hauled him:  pulled him out

On the stove, water was boiling in a large kettle. Toto climbed to the top of the stove and removed the lid. He thought the water was warm enough to take a bath in. With his head out of the kettle, he entered it. Toto became hot when the water began to boil. He considered getting out of the kettle, but the temperature outside was too cold for him, so he stayed in it. For a while, Toto continued to jump in the cattle. When the writer's grandmother arrived, she took the half-baked monkey from the kettle.

If there is a part of the brain especially devoted to mischief, that part was largely developed in Toto. He was always tearing things to pieces. Whenever one of my aunts came near him, he made every effort to get hold of her dress and tear a hole in it.

If there is a part of our brain that governs our ability to cause mischief, Toto's brain had a highly developed part because he had a great capacity for mischief. He was always busy doing mischief. He tried to tear the writer's aunts' dresses whenever they passed him.

One day, at lunchtime, a large dish of pullao stood in the centre of the dining-table. We entered the room to find Toto stuffing himself with rice. My grandmother screamed — and Toto threw a plate at her. One of my aunts rushed forward — and received a glass of water in the face. When Grandfather arrived, Toto picked up the dish of pullao and made his exit through a window. We found him in the branches of the jackfruit tree, the dish still in his arms. He remained there all afternoon, eating slowly through the rice, determined on finishing every grain. And then, in order to spite Grandmother, who had screamed at him, he threw the dish down from the tree, and chattered with delight when it broke into a hundred pieces.

• Spite:  a desire to hurt,  annoy or offend someone
• Chattered:  the sound made by the monkey

The author recalls another incident in which Toto caused a lot of trouble. A dish of rice was placed on the dining table at lunchtime. When the family went to eat, they discovered Toto eating it. Toto screamed by the writer's grandmother, and in response, he threw a plate at her. When Toto's aunts tried to apprehend him, he threw a glass of water in their faces. When the grandfather arrived, Toto exited through a window, carrying the dish of rice with him. Toto was gone the entire afternoon. He sat on a Jackfruit tree branch, determined to consume all of the rice.

Obviously Toto was not the sort of pet we could keep for long. Even Grandfather realised that. We were not well-to-do, and could not afford the frequent loss of dishes, clothes, curtains and wallpaper. So Grandfather found the tonga-driver, and sold Toto back to him — for only three rupees.

Finally, grandfather realised that Toto could not be kept at home. They couldn't afford the frequent losses he inflicted on them. He ripped clothes, curtains, wallpaper, and dishes. As a result, the grandfather sold Toto to the same Tongan driver for three rupees.

About the Author

Ruskin Bond is a well-known contemporary Indian writer of British origin. He wrote numerous inspiring children's books and was honoured with the Sahitya Akademi Award for his literary work. He was born on May 19, 1934, in Kasauli, India, to Edith Clarke and Aubrey Bond.

Lesson-3

Iswaran the Storyteller

By RK Laxman

Iswaran the Story Teller Introduction

"Iswaran the storyteller" indicates that this is a storey about Iswaran. He is known as the storyteller because storytelling is an art form that he excels at. Iswaran uses special effects, voice modulation, and body language to make the storey realistic, so that the listener, Mahendra, is attracted in and captivated by it. The writer wishes to emphasise Iswaran's ability to tell stories so convincingly that they appeared to be true. Mahendra found his stories to be entertaining.

Iswaran the Story Teller Summary

Mahendra, a junior supervisor at various construction sites, told Ganesh about Iswaran's storey. Mahendra was able to live in the construction company's temporary shelters because he was unmarried. Mahendra was always accompanied by Iswaran. He was useful to him because he entertained him, cooked for him, and even washed his clothes. Mahendra claims that Iswaran will quickly gather all of the ingredients needed to prepare a meal. Every morning, Mahendra would get ready, eat breakfast, pack his lunch, and leave for work.Meanwhile, Iswaran would clean the house, wash his clothes, take a bath, eat his lunch, read his favourite Tamil storey book, and nap. Iswaran would entertain Mahendra with his stories in the evening. He possessed the gift of storytelling, as he used body gestures, facial expressions, and voice modulation to bring his characters to life. Despite the fact that the stories appeared to be false, Iswaran told them in such a unique way that Mahendra listened to him with interest. Iswaran would begin a storey with an introduction, then lay out the character's backstory, followed by the storey. He described a simple incident in such detail, including actions, that the listener was left with a sense of suspense.

He once told Mahendra about an elephant that had escaped from the jungle and entered town. The beast made its way to Iswaran's school. Because it destroyed the school property, all of the students were locked in the classroom. Iswaran was in one of the junior classes at the time. From the rooftop, he was observing the incident. He took a stick from the teacher and stepped the stairs, landing on the ground. As the elephant threatened to attack him, he walked towards it. Iswaran was unafraid of it. He gathered all of his strength and pounced on the elephant's toe. This attack stunned the elephant, causing it to faint and fall to the ground.

He went to get dinner, but Mahendra was intrigued by what happened next. Mahendra had to remind Iswaran of the story's conclusion because he did not continue with it. Then Iswaran announced that a veterinary doctor had been summoned. He reawakened the elephant, and after two days, a mahout was summoned to return the elephant to the jungle. Mahendra inquired of Iswaran how he managed to overcome the giant beast. Iswaran responded that he used a Japanese martial art technique called Karate or Jujitsu. He'd read somewhere that the martial art could render a person unconscious by paralysing the nervous system.

Every day, Iswaran would narrate a storey that he found entertaining and filled the void left by the lack of a television in his living quarters. Iswaran asked permission to cook a special dinner one morning because it was the day they cooked for the family's deceased elders. That evening, Mahendra ate a delicious meal and complimented Iswaran on his cooking abilities. To Mahendra's chagrin, Iswaran began narrating a storey about ghosts and supernatural powers as he was relaxing after the meal. He claimed that the factory area where they lived was once a burial ground. He'd seen a human skull lying around on the first day.

He went on to say that he was not afraid of ghosts and had seen a lot of bones and skulls. He saw an ugly ghost of a woman with a shrunken face, matted hair, and an unborn baby in its arms on a full moon night. Mahendra was uneasy and taunted Iswaran for his nonsense. He denied the existence of ghosts and ordered him to be examined because he suspected he had gone insane. Mahendra had been feeling uneasy since that day, and he would peer out the window to check for the presence of any ghosts. Mahendra awoke from his sleep one night when he heard someone crying. At first, he thought it was a cat looking for mice.Mahendra couldn't ignore the sound as it became more harsh and deep, and he succumbed to the desire to peer out the window. He noticed the white moonlight and a dark shadow holding a bundle in its arms as he looked out the window. As soon as he saw the ghost, he began sweating and breathing heavily, and he collapsed back onto the bed. After a while, Mahindra realised that his subconscious mind was probably playing a trick on him and that there was no ghost. He got ready the next morning, having forgotten the previous night's incident. Iswaran smiled and handed him his lunch bag.He stated that Mahendra had taunted him a few days ago for talking about the ghost, but that he had seen it himself last night. Iswaran had overheard Mahendra crying in the middle of the night. It was confirmed that Mahendra had seen the ghost the night before and that it was not a trick of his mind. Mahendra was terrified once more, so he left quickly and resigned from his job. He couldn't stay in a haunted house for a single day.

Iswaran the Story Teller Lesson Explanation

The story was narrated to Ganesh by a young man, Mahendra by name. He was a junior supervisor in a firm which offered on hire supervisors at various types of construction sites: factories, bridges, dams, and so on. Mahendra’s job was to keep an eye on the activities at the work site. He had to keep moving from place to place every now and then as ordered by his head office: from a coal mining area to a railway bridge construction site, from there after a few months to a chemical plant which was coming up somewhere.

• Supervisor: a person whose job is to check the work of all the other people

Mahendra told Ganesh a storey about his cook, Iswaran. Mahendra worked as a junior supervisor for a company that rented out junior supervisors to various construction firms. He was assigned to various construction sites such as factories, bridges, and dams. Mahendra's job was to keep track of all the workers on the job site. He had to relocate frequently and worked in a variety of places, including a coal mine, a railway bridge construction site, and a chemical plant construction site.

He was a bachelor. His needs were simple and he was able to adjust himself to all kinds of odd conditions, whether it was an ill equipped circuit house or a makeshift canvas tent in the middle of a stone quarry. But one asset he had was his cook, Iswaran. The cook was quite attached to Mahendra and followed him uncomplainingly wherever he was posted. He cooked for Mahendra, washed his clothes and chatted away with his master at night. He could weave out endless stories and anecdotes on varied subjects.

• Bachelor: a person who is unmarried
• Makeshift: temporary
• Quarry: mine
• Asset: advantage
• Anecdote: A short amusing or interesting story about a real incident or person

Mahendra was able to live in these temporary quarters provided at construction sites because he was unmarried and did not have a family. He adjusted well in the circuit houses, which lacked basic amenities, and even in the tents, which were only temporary. Mahendra had an advantage: he was accompanied by Iswaran, his cook. Iswaran was close to Mahendra and accompanied him wherever he went. He never complained about the difficult circumstances under which he had to live. He cooked for him, washed his clothes, and gave him company at night by talking to him. Iswaran had a quality in that he was good at telling stories, and he entertained Mahindra with his stories about various subjects.

Iswaran also had an amazing capacity to produce vegetables and cooking ingredients, seemingly out of nowhere, in the middle of a desolate landscape with no shops visible for miles around. He would miraculously conjure up the most delicious dishes made with fresh vegetables within an hour of arriving at the zinc sheet shelter at the new workplace.

• Desolate: uninhabited, empty
• Conjure up: to gather or create with magic
• Zinc sheet shelter:  a temporary place to live with the roof made of metallic sheets

Mahendra mentions to Ganesh that Iswaran was a fantastic cook. Whenever they moved to a new location, he would quickly gather all of the vegetables and other ingredients he needed to cook. Because they lived in remote areas, in temporary shelters with metallic sheet roofs, it appeared as if he would perform some sort of magic and summon all the ingredients from nowhere.

Mahendra would be up early in the morning and leave for work after breakfast, carrying some prepared food with him. Meanwhile Iswaran would tidy up the shed, wash the clothes, and have a leisurely bath, pouring several buckets of water over his head, muttering a prayer all the while. It would be lunchtime by then. After eating, he would read for a while before dozing off. The book was usually some popular Tamil thriller running to hundreds of pages. Its imaginative descriptions and narrative flourishes would hold Iswaran in thrall.

• Muttering: speaking in a low voice
• Dozing off: falling asleep
• Narrative flourishes: detailed descriptions
• In thrall: The state of being in someone’s power

Mahendra would get up early in the morning, dress, and leave for work after eating breakfast. He would bring his lunch with him. After he left, Iswaran would clean their house, wash Mahendra's clothes, and take a nice bath. He'd take several buckets of water and pour it on his head while mumbling a prayer. After that, he would eat his lunch and read his favourite Tamil book. Iswaran was carried away by the details and descriptions in the books he read. He'd then drift off to sleep.

His own descriptions were greatly influenced by the Tamil authors that he read. When he was narrating even the smallest of incidents, he would try to work in suspense and a surprise ending into the account. For example, instead of saying that he had come across an uprooted tree on the highway, he would say, with eyebrows suitably arched and hands held out in a dramatic gesture, “The road was deserted and I was all alone. Suddenly I spotted something that looked like an enormous bushy beast lying sprawled across the road. I was half inclined to turn and go back. But as I came closer I saw that it was a fallen tree, with its dry branches spread out.” Mahendra would stretch himself back in his canvas chair and listen to Iswaran’s tales uncritically.

• Arched: curved
• Gesture: A movement of hands for head to indicate something
• Deserted: empty
• Enormous:  huge

Iswaran narrated stories with detailed descriptions in the same way he read them. Mahendra recollects that he would narrate even minor incidents with suspense and surprise, making it very interesting for the listener. Then he gives an example in which, instead of saying that he was walking down the highway when he came across a tree that had broken and fallen on the road, Iswaran would narrate it using his facial expressions and bodily gestures. He would claim that the road was deserted and that he was all alone. The listener's mind would be filled with suspense as a result of this. Then he'd say something like, "All of a sudden, I saw a huge beast lying across the road." His mind was telling him to turn around and go back as he walked ahead. As he got closer, he realised it was a tree that had fallen and was lying on the road. The tree's branches had spread out, making it appear to be a massive beast. Iswaran's talent, according to Mahendra, made the simple storey very interesting and captivated him. Although he was aware that some of the stories were not true, the manner in which Iswaran told them was so captivating that Mahendra remained silent and listened to him quietly.

“The place I come from is famous for timber,” Iswaran would begin. “There is a richly wooded forest all around. The logs are hauled on to the lorries by elephants. They are huge well fed beasts. When they turn wild even the most experienced mahout is not able to control them.” After this prologue Iswaran would launch into an elaborate anecdote involving an elephant.

• Timber:  wood that has been processed for commercial purposes
• Hauled:  transported
• Prologue:  an introductory speech
• Elaborate:  detailed

Mahendra recalls another storey Iswaran told him. Iswaran stated that his native village was surrounded by a vast forest densely forested with trees. The massive timber logs were sold for commercial purposes. Elephants were used to transport them to the vehicles. They were massive elephants, and if they became agitated, they would become uncontrollable, and the mahout would be unable to tame them. This warm-up session was followed by a detailed storey about an elephant.

“One day a tusker escaped from the timber yard and began to roam about, stamping on bushes, tearing up wild creepers and breaking branches at will. You know, sir, how an elephant behaves when it goes mad.” Iswaran would get so caught up in the excitement of his own story that he would get up from the floor and jump about, stamping his feet in emulation of the mad elephant.

• Tusker:  an elephant
• roam  about: move around
• Stamping:  hitting with force
• Emulation: Effort to match or surpass a person by imitation or copying

The following is how the storey was told. An elephant escaped from the timber yard and roamed the forest one day. It crushed the bushes, tore the creeper plants, and broke the branches of trees that got in its way. Iswaran inquired of Mahendra whether he was familiar with the antics of a crazed elephant. To make his storey more interesting, Iswaran stood up and jumped around the room, hitting his foot on the ground in imitation of the mad elephant's actions.

“The elephant reached the outskirts of our town; breaking the fences down like matchsticks,” he would continue. “It came into the main road and smashed all the stalls selling fruits, mud pots and clothes. People ran helter skelter in panic! The elephant now entered a school ground where children were playing, breaking through the brick wall. All the boys ran into the classrooms and shut the doors tight. The beast grunted and wandered about, pulling out the football goal post, tearing down the volleyball net, kicking and flattening the drum kept for water, and uprooting the shrubs. Meanwhile all the teachers had climbed up to the terrace of the school building; from there they helplessly watched the depredations of the elephant. There was not a soul below on the ground. The streets were empty as if the inhabitants of the entire town had suddenly disappeared.

• Outskirts:  outer area
• helter skelter: here and there
• Panic:  sudden fear causing unthinkable behaviour
• Grunted:  Made a loud sound
• Depredations: Attacks which are made to destroy something

The elephant tore down the fences as it approached the town's outskirts. The fences appeared to be matchsticks for the massive elephant. When the elephant arrived at the main road, it destroyed all of the stalls selling various items such as fruits, mud pots, and clothing. People were caught off guard and fled here and there. Then it smashed through a school's wall and into the playground where the students were playing. All of the students dashed back into their classrooms and shut the doors behind them. The elephant made loud noises and roamed the school grounds. It broke the goal post in the football field, tore the net in the volleyball court, stepped on the water drum and broke it, and tore many plants. The teachers had climbed onto the school's roof and did stand helpless as the elephant destroyed the school's property. There was not a single person to be seen anywhere. Because everyone was terrified of the rogue elephant, the streets of town were deserted.

“I was studying in the junior class at that time, and was watching the whole drama from the rooftop. I don’t know what came over me suddenly. I grabbed a cane from the hands of one of the teachers and ran down the stairs and into the open. The elephant grunted and menacingly swung a branch of a tree which it held in its trunk. It stamped its feet, kicking up a lot of mud and dust. It looked frightening. But I moved slowly towards it, stick in hand. People were watching the scene hypnotized from nearby housetops. The elephant looked at me redeyed, ready to rush towards me. It lifted its trunk and trumpeted loudly. At that moment I moved forward and, mustering all my force, whacked its third toenail on the quick. The beast looked stunned for a moment; then it shivered from head to foot — and collapsed.”

• Hypnotize: to influence, control or direct completely as by personal charm, words or domination
• Mastering: putting together
• whacked:  hit noisily
• Collapsed: fell

Iswaran was in one of the school's junior classes at the time of the incident. From the rooftop, he was watching the elephant. Suddenly, he grabbed a stick from one of the teachers and dashed downstairs to the schoolyard. When the elephant saw a small boy approaching it, he made a loud noise. It lifted a tree branch in its trunk, landed on the ground, and threw a lot of mud and dust into the air. The elephant was threatening Iswaran, but the boy was unfazed. He moved slowly towards the elephant, holding the stick in his hand. Many people had climbed onto the roofs of their homes to observe the incident. They were stunned and stood motionless, waiting to see what would happen next. Iswaran noticed the elephant's red – coloured eyes, which were filled with rage. It lifted its trunk once more and made a loud trumpet sound as it prepared to attack Iswaran. Iswaran quickly gathered his strength and struck the elephant's third toenail. The elephant was taken aback by what had occurred, and it reacted by shivering all over, fainting, and collapsing unconscious on the ground.

At this point Iswaran would leave the story unfinished, and get up mumbling, “I will be back after lighting the gas and warming up the dinner.” Mahendra who had been listening with rapt attention would be left hanging. When he returned, Iswaran would not pick up the thread of the story right away. Mahendra would have to remind him that the conclusion was pending. “Well, a veterinary doctor was summoned to revive the animal,” Iswaran would shrug casually. “Two days later it was led away by its mahout to the jungle.”

• rapt attention: completely fascinated or absorbed by what one is seeing or hearing
• pick up the thread of the story: would not restart the story from where he left in order to arouse curiosity
• veterinary doctor: a doctor who specializes in treating animals
• Summoned: called
• Shrug: to raise one’s shoulders slightly and momentarily to express doubt, ignorance, or indifference

Iswaran would then leave the storey unfinished. He would say in hushed tones that he would return after lighting the gas stove to warm the dinner because they were going to be late for the meal. Mahendra would be interested to learn what happened next and would be disappointed that Iswaran had left the storey unfinished. When he returned, he would not continue with the storey because he wanted to arouse Mahendra's interest. Mahendra, who is curious about the ending, would ask Iswaran to wrap up the storey. Iswaran would simply state that a veterinary doctor had been summoned to bring the elephant back to consciousness, and that the mahout would return the elephant to the jungle after two days.

“Well, how did you manage to do it, Iswaran — how did you bring down the beast?”

Mahendra was intrigued as to how the young Iswaran managed to overcome the massive elephant.

“It has something to do with a Japanese art, I think, sir. Karate or jujitsu it is called. I had read about it somewhere. It temporarily paralyses the nervous system, you see.”

Iswaran claimed to have practised a Japanese martial art. It was either Karate or Jujitsu, he said. He'd read somewhere that martial arts could render a person unconscious by disrupting the nervous system.

Not a day passed without Iswaran recounting some story packed with adventure, horror and suspense. Whether the story was credible or not, Mahendra enjoyed listening to it because of the inimitable way in which it was told. Iswaran seemed to more than make up for the absence of a TV in Mahendra’s living quarters.

• Credible: able to be believed; convincing
• Inimitable: Unique

Every day, Iswaran would tell a storey full of adventure, horror, and thrills. Mahendra had the impression that the storey was a work of fiction at times, but he enjoyed listening to it because of the unique way Iswaran narrated it. Mahendra was entertained by these stories because there was no television set in the house where they lived.

One morning when Mahendra was having breakfast Iswaran asked, “Can I make something special for dinner tonight, sir? After all today is an auspicious day — according to tradition we prepare various delicacies to feed the spirits of our ancestors today, sir.”

• Auspicious: good
• Delicacies: tasty food
• Spirits: souls of the dead
• Ancestors: elders of the family

Mahendra was eating breakfast one morning. As it was a good day, Iswaran asked him if he could prepare a special meal for dinner. He went on to say that on that day, they prepared special food for the souls of the family's deceased elders.

That night Mahendra enjoyed the most delicious dinner and complimented Iswaran on his culinary skills. He seemed very pleased but, unexpectedly, launched into a most garish account involving the supernatural.

• culinary skills: related to cooking
• Garish: something which is too colourful and fancy that it is disliked
• Supernatural: related to ghosts and spirits

Mahendra praised Iswaran's cooking skills after he had prepared a delicious dinner. Iswaran was pleased to be praised, but then began narrating a detailed storey about ghosts and supernatural powers, which Mahendra disliked.

“You know, sir, this entire factory area we are occupying was once a burial ground,” he started. Mahendra was jerked out of the pleasant reverie he had drifted into after the satisfying meal. “I knew on the first day itself when I saw a human skull lying on the path. Even now I come across a number of skulls and bones,” Iswaran continued.

• Reverie: a state of being pleasantly lost in one’s thoughts; a daydream

Iswaran informed Mahendra that the factory site was previously a cemetery for the dead. After the delicious meal, Mahendra jerked out of his pleasant thought. Iswaran went on to say that on the first day, he saw a human skull lying on the ground on his way back from buying vegetables. Even later, he discovered a number of skulls and bones scattered around the place.

He went on to narrate how he sometimes saw ghosts at night. “I am not easily frightened by these things, sir. I am a brave fellow. But one horrible ghost of a woman which appears off and on at midnight during the full moon… It is an ugly creature with matted hair and a shrivelled face, like a skeleton holding a foetus in its arms.”

• Shrivelled: wrinkled and shrunken
• Foetus: unborn baby

Iswaran also mentioned seeing ghosts at night. Although he was not afraid of them because he was a brave person, he once saw a horrifying ghost of a woman. It appeared at 12 a.m. on a full moon night. It was ugly, with matted hair and a shrunken, withered face. It appeared to be a skeleton holding an unborn child in its arms.

Mahendra shivered at the description and interrupted rather sharply, “You are crazy, Iswaran. There are no such things as ghosts or spirits. It is all a figment of your imagination. Get your digestive system examined — and maybe your head as well. You are talking nonsense.”

• Figment: production

Mahendra was dissatisfied with the storey and abruptly interrupted. He scolded Iswaran and stated that he had gone insane. Ghosts, according to Mahendra, do not exist. He went on to say that it was all in Iswaran's head. He told Iswaran to get himself checked out – to have his digestive system and brain examined because he was talking nonsense. (Mahendra advised him to have his digestive system checked because constipation causes nightmares and dreams of ghosts and supernatural powers.)

He left the room and retired for the night, expecting Iswaran to sulk for a couple of days. But the next morning he was surprised to find the cook as cheerful and talkative as ever.

• Sulk: be silent, morose, and bad-tempered out of annoyance or disappointment

Mahendra had expected Iswaran to be quiet for a few days after scolding him the night before. The next morning, he was surprised to see a cheerful and talkative Iswaran.

From that day on Mahendra, for all his brave talk, went to bed with a certain unease. Every night he peered into the darkness outside through the window next to his bed, trying to make sure that there was no movement of dark shapes in the vicinity. But he could only see a sea of darkness with the twinkling lights of the factory miles away.

• Vicinity: nearby area

Mahendra demonstrated great bravery, but he was uneasy because of the storey Iswaran had told. Every night before going to bed, he peered out the window next to his bed to make sure there was no ghost nearby. He didn't see any ghosts, just darkness and the factory's twinkling lights.

He had always liked to admire the milk – white landscape on full moon nights. But after hearing Iswaran’s story of the female ghost he avoided looking out of his window altogether when the moon was full.

Before to hearing the insurance storey Mahendra light was watching the White coloured landscape on a full moon night because Iswaran had told me that on a full moon night a female ghost haunted place, but he stopped looking out on that night because he was afraid of bumping into the Ugly ghost.

One night, Mahendra was woken up from his sleep by a low moan close to his window. At first he put it down to a cat prowling around for mice. But the sound was too guttural for a cat. He resisted the curiosity to look out lest he should behold a sight which would stop his heart. But the wailing became louder and less feline. He could not resist the temptation any more. Lowering himself to the level of the windowsill he looked out at the white sheet of moonlight outside. There, not too far away, was a dark cloudy form clutching a bundle. Mahendra broke into a cold sweat and fell back on the pillow, panting. As he gradually recovered from the ghastly experience he began to reason with himself, and finally concluded that it must have been some sort of auto suggestion, some trick that his subconscious had played on him.

• Moan: crying sound
• Prowling: searching
• guttural: sound produced in the throat; harsh sounding
• Wailing: crying sound
• Feline: relating to cats or other members of the cat family
• Panting: breathing heavily
• Ghastly: causing horror and fear
• auto suggestion: subconscious adoption of an idea which one has originated oneself

Mahendra was sleeping one night when he was awakened by the sound of someone crying. He tried to go back to sleep, thinking it was a cat looking for mice. The sound became harsher and resembled a human voice. Mahendra wanted to look out the window but stopped himself because he was afraid he would die if he saw a ghost. The crying sound became more audible, and it did not appear to be that of a cat. Mahendra couldn't help himself, so he knelt down and lifted his head slightly to peer out. Mahendra noticed the ghost in the white moonlight. It held a bundle in one hand. Mahendra panicked, his breathing became unsteady, and he slumped back onto the bed. After a while, he recovered from the terrifying experience and reasoned that his subconscious mind was probably showing him the ghost as he was thinking about it. He convinced himself that there was no ghost and that his mind was playing a trick on him.

By the time he had got up in the morning, had a bath and come out to have his breakfast, the horror of the previous night had faded from his memory. Iswaran greeted him at the door with his lunch packet and his bag. Just as Mahendra was stepping out Iswaran grinned and said, “Sir, remember the other day when I was telling you about the female ghost with a foetus in its arms, you were so angry with me for imagining things? Well, you saw her yourself last night. I came running hearing the sound of moaning that was coming from your room…”

• Grinned: smiled broadly
• Resolving: deciding
• haunted place: visited by ghosts

Mahendra had forgotten the ghostly experience of the previous night by the time he awoke, took his bath, and went out for breakfast. Iswaran greeted him and handed him his lunch and bag. As Mahendra was about to leave, Iswaran smiled and said that the other day, Mahendra had scolded him for talking about the ugly ghost, but last night, Mahendra saw it himself. Iswaran had heard Mahendra's cries the night before.

A chill went down Mahendra’s spine. He did not wait for Iswaran to complete his sentence. He hurried away to his office and handed in his papers, resolving to leave the haunted place the very next day!

• Spine: back bone
• Resolving: deciding
• Handed his papers: resigned

Iswaran's remark frightened Mahendra once more. He didn't say anything else and dashed off to his office. He made the decision to resign from his job and leave the haunted location. He couldn't continue to live there.

About the Author

R.K. Laxman , Rasipuram Krishnaswami Laxman (born October 24, 1921, Mysore [now Mysuru], India—died January 26, 2015, Pune), Indian cartoonist who created the daily comic strip You Said It, which chronicled Indian life and politics through the eyes of the "common man," a bulbous-nosed bespectacled observer dressed in a dhoti and a distinctive checked coat who served as a silent point-of-view character for readers.

 Lesson-4

In the Kingdom of Fools

A Kannada folktale from A.K. Ramanujan’s Folk Tales from India

In the Kingdom of Fools Introduction

Kannada is a regional language spoken primarily in the state of Karnataka. This is a Kannada folk tale. A folktale is a storey that is passed down from generation to generation. It is taken from AK Ramaujan's book 'Folk Tales from India.'

First and foremost, consider the title of the storey, 'In the Kingdom of Fools,' which refers to a state in which people are not as wise or intelligent. The king, his ministers, and his advisers are all fools in this storey. This implies that they are not wise or intelligent. When people like this rule the kingdom, everything that happens is described in this storey.

In the Kingdom of Fools Summary

'In the Kingdom of Fools' is an intriguing storey about a kingdom ruled by a fool. A saint and his disciple arrived in the kingdom one day. The saint was astounded to see that the people slept during the day and worked at night. He was perplexed to discover that all food in the kingdom cost the same—one duddu. He concluded that it was a kingdom of fools and told his disciple to leave. The disciple did not accompany his guru because he was lured by the abundance of cheap food.

One day, a man came to the king seeking justice. He claimed that his brother was engaging in his ancient trade of theft when the wall of a man's house collapsed on him and he died. He requested that the king compensate him. Because the king was a moron, he failed to recognise that the deceased was a criminal. On the contrary, he tried everyone who was involved in the thief's death: the rich merchant who owned the house whose wall had broken, the man who built the wall, the dancing girl who caused the builder to build a weak wall, and the Goldsmith who caused the dancing girl to move around in the street that day. Finally, the king determined that the merchant's father was the true culprit. Because he was no longer alive and his son had inherited all of his property, he would be punished in his father's place.

Another twist occurs when the minister believes that the merchant is too frail to be burned at the stake. The king directs his men to find a fat person to punish in place of the merchant. The men took the disciple to the king because he had become very fat. The helpless man begged his guru for assistance. The guru sees his disciple in distress and rushes to his aid. He employs his intelligence and wisdom to catch the erroneous king. Finally, in place of the Guru and his disciple, the king and his minister are burned at the stake.

The kingdom's people beg the guru and his disciple to become their new king and minister. The guru agreed on the condition that the kingdom operate normally, as all other kingdoms do.

In the Kingdom of Fools Lesson Explanation

In the Kingdom of Fools, both the king and the minister were idiots.

• Idiots: the people who are not intelligent

The king and his minister were both stupid in the Kingdom of Fools.

They didn’t want to run things like other kings, so they decided to change night into day and day into night.

The king and his minister did not want to run their kingdom in the manner of other kings. So they decided to try something new. They began to regard night as day and day as night. They directed that any work completed at night be completed during the day, and any work completed during the day be completed at night.

They ordered that everyone should be awake at night, till their fields and run their businesses only after dark, and go to bed as soon as the sun came up. Anyone who disobeyed would be punished with death.

• Till: here, to cultivate land for farming

They issued an order requiring everyone in the kingdom to work at night. Nobody would be able to sleep at night. Farmers would farm at night, and business owners would conduct business at night. Everyone would go to bed as soon as the sun rose. If someone disobeyed the order, he would be sentenced to death.

The people did as they were told for fear of death. The king and the minister were delighted at the success of their project.

People were afraid that if they did not obey the king's order, they would be sentenced to death, so they obeyed even though it was strange. The king and his minister, both fools, were overjoyed that everyone in the kingdom was obeying their orders.

One day a guru and his disciple arrived in the city. It was a beautiful city, it was broad daylight, but there was no one about. Everyone was asleep, not a mouse stirring. Even the cattle had been taught to sleep by day.

• Stirring: moving around
• guru: saint

One day, a saint and one of his disciples arrived in the kingdom of fools. He noticed that it was a beautiful city and that it was a sunny day, but he couldn't find anyone. They were taken aback. Nobody was awake, according to the author, and not even a mouse was stirring. (Stirring means to move around.) They couldn't find a single mouse moving, implying that it was so quiet because everyone, including the tiniest creatures, the mice, were sleeping. People had trained their cattle to sleep during the day. As a result, both humans and animals were sleeping.

The two strangers were amazed by what they saw around them and wandered around town till evening when suddenly the whole town woke up and went about its nightly business.

• amazed: shocked and surprised

These two strangers to the kingdom of fools had no idea that such an order had been issued in the city. As a result, they were taken aback to discover that everyone was sleeping during the day. They continued to wander around the city until it was dark, at which point everyone awoke and went to work. Farmers were farming and businessmen were doing business.

The two men were hungry. Now that the shops were open, they went to buy some groceries. To their astonishment, they found that everything cost the same, a single duddu — whether they bought a measure of rice or a bunch of bananas, it cost a duddu.

• duddu – money in Kannada language

The guru and his disciple were hungry. They went grocery shopping after the stores opened at night. They were surprised to discover that everything they purchased from the shop cost one duddu. There was a lot of cheap stuff out there. Whether you bought a large bunch of bananas or a large bag of rice, it only cost one duddu. Everything in the Kingdom of Fools was the same price!

The guru and his disciple were delighted. They had never heard of anything like this. They could buy all the food they wanted for a rupee.

The guru and his disciple were overjoyed because food was so cheap in this kingdom. For a rupee, you could buy a lot of food

When they had cooked and eaten, the guru realized that this was a kingdom of fools and it wouldn’t be a good idea for them to stay there.

When the guru and his disciple were cooking and eating their food, the guru realised that the kingdom was a kingdom of fools and decided to leave because it was dangerous for them.

“This is no place for us. Let’s go,” he said to his disciple.

The wise guru told his disciple that the place was not suitable for them and asked him to leave immediately.

But the disciple didn’t want to leave the place. Everything was cheap here. All he wanted was good, cheap food.

This disciple was a foodie, he loved to eat, and he didn't want to leave because the food was cheap there.

The guru said, “They are all fools. This won’t last very long, and you can’t tell what they’ll do to you next.”

Guru tried to make his disciple understand by telling him that everyone out there was a fool and that the situation was extremely dangerous. The kingdom would not last long, and they could harm them as well.

But the disciple wouldn’t listen to the guru’s wisdom. He wanted to stay.

This disciple, who lacks the foresight of his guru, was unable to comprehend what his guru was attempting to convey. He only wanted to live there and eat cheap food.

The guru finally gave up and said, “Do what you want. I’m going,” and left.

Finally, the guru departed on his own, leaving the disciple behind.

The disciple stayed on, ate his fill every day — bananas and ghee and rice and wheat, and grew fat like a street-side sacred bull.

The disciple remained in the kingdom of fools. He ate a lot of food every day, and as a result, he became as fat as a huge bull.

One bright day, a thief broke into a rich merchant’s house. He had made a hole in the wall and sneaked in, and as he was carrying out his loot, the wall of the old house collapsed on his head and killed him on the spot.

A thief broke into a merchant's home one day. To gain access, he drilled a hole in the wall. When he was about to leave the house after looting everything, the wall broke and fell on his head, killing him instantly.

His brother ran to the king and complained, “Your Highness, when my brother was pursuing his ancient trade, a wall fell on him and killed him. This merchant is to blame. He should have built a good, strong wall. You must punish the wrongdoer and compensate the family for this injustice.”

• pursuing: follow
• ancient trade: refers to theft there

The thief's younger brother complained to the king that his brother was engaging in his ancient trade (although robbing is a crime). He died when a wall fell on his head while he was working. The thief's brother took advantage of the king's foolishness. He claimed that the culprit was the merchant whose wall had collapsed on his brother. He should have built a solid wall. He asked the king to punish the merchant and compensate his family.

The king said, “Justice will be done. Don’t worry,” and at once summoned the owner of the house.

• summoned – To call upon someone

The king was so foolish that he overlooked the fact that the deceased was committing theft at the time of his death. He only thought the man died because a wall fell on him, and that the owner of the house whose wall fell on him should be punished. So he called the merchant.

When the merchant arrived, the king questioned him.

“What’s your name?”

“Such and Such, Your Highness.”

“Were you at home when the dead man burgled your house?”

“Yes, My Lord. He broke in and the wall was weak. It fell on him.”

“The accused pleads guilty. Your wall killed this man’s brother. You have murdered a man. We have to punish you.”

The king inquired about the merchant's name as soon as he appeared. The king then asked him if he was at home when the dead man, the thief, broke into his house. The merchant replied that he was only at home. The thief drilled a hole in the wall and entered his home; however, when he attempted to exit, the wall collapsed on him due to its weakness. The king then informed the merchant that he was guilty, that he had done wrong, that the thief had died as a result of his weak wall, and that he would now be punished.

“Lord,” said the helpless merchant, “I didn’t put up the wall. It’s really the fault of the man who built the wall. He didn’t build it right. You should punish him.”

“Who is that?”

“My Lord, this wall was built in my father’s time. I know the man. He’s an old man now. He lives nearby.”

The merchant begged the king, saying, "My lord, it was not my fault." The wall was weak because the person who built it did not do so properly. As a result, you should punish him. He went on to say that the wall was built during his father's time, and that the person who built it was very old. He recognised him because he lived nearby.

The king sent out messengers to bring in the bricklayer who had built the wall. They brought him, tied hand and foot.

• Bricklayer: is a person who lays the bricks and built the walls

As a result, the king sends his soldier to approach the bricklayer who built the wall. They bound his hands and feet and led him into the king's palace.

“You there, did you build this man’s wall in his father’s time?”

“Yes, My Lord, I did.”

The king then asked him if he built the wall, to which he replied that he did.

“What kind of a wall is this that you built? It has fallen on a poor man and killed him. You’ve murdered him. We have to punish you by death.”

The king claimed that the man had constructed a poorly constructed wall. The poor thief was killed when the wall fell on his head. The bricklayer would be executed for his actions.

Before the king could order the execution, the poor bricklayer pleaded, “Please listen to me before you give your orders. It’s true I built this wall and it was no good. But that was because my mind was not on it. I remember very well a dancing girl who was going up and down that street all day with her anklets jingling, and I couldn’t keep my eyes or my mind on the wall I was building. You must get that dancing girl. I know where she lives.”

Everyone is shifting the blame to someone else. He requested that the king listen to him as the king was about to issue an order to execute the bricklayer. He admitted that he did not construct the wall properly. It was caused by a girl who was wandering around the street with her anklets jingling. He couldn't concentrate on his work because her anklet jingled, so he built a weak wall. It was not his fault; it was the girl's fault. He went on to say that he knew where this dancing girl lived. Instead of him, she should be punished.

“You’re right. The case deepens. We must look into it. It is not easy to judge such complicated cases. Let’s get that dancer, wherever she is.”

The explanation provided by the bricklayer satisfied the king. He was convinced by him. He explains that this case is very complicated and will not be solved easily. He directed his messenger to go find the dancer girl.

The dancing girl, now an old woman, came trembling to the court.
“Did you walk up and down that street many years ago, while this poor man was building a wall? Did you see him?”

“Yes, My Lord, I remember it very well.”
“So you did walk up and down, with your anklets jingling. You were young and you distracted him, so he built a bad wall.
It has fallen on a poor burglar and killed him. You’ve killed an innocent man. You’ll have to be punished.”

The dancing girl had grown up and was trembling as she entered the court. Many years ago, the king asked her if she was dancing and roaming around in the lane while the bricklayer was constructing the wall. Her movement diverted his attention. He was confirmed by her. He told her that the bricklayer was distracted by her anklets jingling as she walked around. As a result, he was unable to complete his work properly. He erected a faulty wall, which collapsed on the thief, killing him. The thief died as a result of her actions, and she would be executed.

She thought for a minute and said, “My Lord, wait. I know now why I was walking up and down that street. I had given some gold to the goldsmith to make some jewellery for me.
He was a lazy scoundrel. He made so many excuses, said he would give it now and he would give it then and so on all day. He made me walk up and down to his house a dozen times.

• Goldsmith is a person who makes ornaments out of gold.
• scoundrel: a dishonest person

The dancing girl shifted the blame to someone else. She claimed that she kept returning to this lane because she needed to visit the goldsmith's shop. She had given him some gold to make jewellery out of. He was untrustworthy. He was making excuses for not being able to complete her ornaments on time. He kept asking her to come back later. As a result, she had to visit his house at least a dozen times. So the dancing girl claimed that it was the goldsmith's fault.

That was when this bricklayer saw me. It’s not my fault, My Lord, it’s the damned goldsmith’s fault.”

This dancing girl goes on to say that when the bricklayer saw her and became distracted, it was the fault of the goldsmith, who was the reason she kept roaming down the lane.

“Poor thing, she’s absolutely right,” thought the king, weighing the evidence.
“We’ve got the real culprit at last. Get the goldsmith, wherever he is hiding. At once!”

The king now claims that the poor dancing girl was completely correct. He deliberated for a long time before declaring that they now knew who the true culprit was. He gave the order to bring the goldsmith.

The king’s bailiffs searched for the goldsmith, who was hiding in a corner of his shop. When he heard the accusation against him, he had his own story to tell.

• accusation: to blame someone
• bailiffs: a law officer who makes sure that the decisions of a court are obeyed.

The king's bailiffs went in search of the goldsmith and brought him to the court. The goldsmith was hiding inside his shop because he was afraid he would be arrested. When he was brought before the king, he told the king his side of the storey.

“My Lord,” he said, “I’m a poor goldsmith. It’s true I made this dancer come many times to my door. I gave her excuses because I couldn’t finish making her jewellery before I finished the rich merchant’s orders. They had a wedding coming, and they wouldn’t wait. You know how impatient rich men are!”

He agreed that the dancing girl was correct. He made numerous excuses and forced her to return to his shop several times. However, it was not his fault. He had an order from a wealthy merchant, and they were in a hurry to get their order, which was why the dancing girl's work was being delayed.

“Who is this rich merchant who kept you from finishing this poor woman’s jewellery, made her walk up and down, which distracted this bricklayer, which made a mess of his wall, which has now fallen on an innocent man and killed him? Can you name him?”

The king then requested that the goldsmith name the wealthy merchant.

The goldsmith named the merchant, and he was none other than the original owner of the house whose wall had fallen. Now justice had come full circle, thought the king, back to the merchant. When he was rudely summoned back to the court, he arrived crying, “It wasn’t me but my father who ordered the jewellery! He’s dead! I’m innocent!”

The goldsmith identified the merchant as the same merchant whose house wall had collapsed. The phrase "justice has come full circle" refers to the fact that the storey ended with the same person from whom it began. The thief was killed beneath the wall of the merchant whose jewellery this goldsmith was creating. The merchant was summoned once more. He was crying, knowing that the king was a fool and that he would sentence him to death. He claimed that it was his father who had ordered the jewellery, not him. His father had died, and it was not his fault.

But the king consulted his minister and ruled decisively: “It’s true your father is the true murderer. He’s dead, but somebody must be punished in his place. You’ve inherited everything from that criminal father of yours, his riches as well as his sins. I knew at once, even when I first set eyes on you, that you were at the root of this horrible crime. You must die.”

The king conferred with his minister and determined that the merchant's father was the murderer. Because of him, the thief died. Because the merchant's father was no longer alive and someone had to be punished for the crime, he stated that the merchant's son, who had inherited everything from his father, would also have to bear the consequences of his wrongdoing. He went on to say that when he first saw the merchant, he had a strong suspicion that he was the guilty. The merchant would now have to die, according to the king.

And he ordered a new stake to be made ready for the execution.
As the servants sharpened the stake and got it ready for the final impaling of the criminal, it occurred to the minister that the rich merchant was somehow too thin to be properly executed on the stake. He appealed to the king’s common sense. The king too worried about it.

• stake: a post with a sharp, pointed end used to pierce through something
• execution: an official killing of someone
• impaling: to push a sharp pointed post through something

When this new weapon was being prepared, the minister realised that the merchant was thin and could not be executed in this manner. When he told the king about it, the king became concerned.

“What shall we do?” he said, when suddenly it struck him that all they needed to do was to find a man fat enough to fit the stake.

The king had the bright idea that they should apprehend a man who was large enough to be burned at the stake. The merchant would not be executed because he was too thin to be buried alive with a stake. They considered punishing someone else instead of the merchant – someone who was large enough to be executed with a stake.

The servants were immediately sent all over the town looking for a man who would fit the stake, and their eyes fell on the disciple who had fattened himself for months on bananas and rice and wheat and ghee.

Finally, the king sent his servants throughout the kingdom in search of a man who was large enough to be burned at the stake. They discovered the guru's disciple, who had become extremely obese as a result of overeating.

“What have I done wrong? I’m innocent. I’m a sanyasi!” he cried.
“That may be true. But it’s the royal decree that we should find a man fat enough to fit the stake,” they said, and carried him to the place of execution.

• decree: order

The disciple stated that he was a sanyasi, that he had done nothing wrong, that he was innocent, and that they should not have taken him. The king's servants claimed that he was innocent, but they had been ordered to apprehend a fat man who could be executed with the stake, and he was fit for it, which is why they were accompanying him.

He remembered his wise guru’s words: “This is a city of fools. You don’t know what they will do next.”

The disciple recalls his guru. Guru ji, a wise man, had warned him that it was a city of fools who could harm him. They were now moving him to the execution site.

While he was waiting for death, he prayed to his guru in his heart, asking him to hear his cry wherever he was. The guru saw everything in a vision; he had magic powers, he could see far, and he could see the future as he could see the present and the past.

The helpless disciple prayed to his guru, pleading with him to come to his aid. Because of his magical abilities, the Guru was able to visualise the disciple's message. He was able to see everything. In the vision, he could see the future, the present, and the past.

He arrived at once to save his disciple, who had got himself into such a scrape through love of food.

• scrape: a difficult situation that one has got into

The guru arrived to help his disciple. The disciple was in a difficult and dangerous situation. They were about to execute him despite the fact that he had done nothing wrong. As a result, the guru arrived to rescue him from his situation.

As soon as he arrived, he scolded the disciple and told him something in a whisper.

When the guru saw his disciple, he scolded him for not obeying him and staying back. In his ears, he whispered something.

Then he went to the king and addressed him, “O wisest of kings, who is greater? The guru or the disciple?”
“Of course, the guru. No doubt about it. Why do you ask?”
“Then put me to the stake first. Put my disciple to death after me.”

In his words, the guru attempted to trap the king. He asked him who was more powerful, a guru or his disciple. The king responded that, of course, the guru was superior. As a result, the guru stated, the king must execute him before executing his disciple.

When the disciple heard this, he understood and began to clamour, “Me first! You brought me here first! Put me to death first, not him!”

• clamour: to Insist on something

When the disciple heard his guru's words, he began shouting that he wanted to be the first to die.

The guru and the disciple now got into a fight about who should go first. The king was puzzled by this behaviour. He asked the guru, “Why do you want to die? We chose him because we needed a fat man for the stake.”

When the guru and disciple began arguing about who would die first, the king became perplexed. He inquired of the guru as to why he desired to die. They had apprehended the disciple because he was fat, and they were looking for a fat man who could be burned at the stake.

“You shouldn’t ask me such questions. Put me to death first,” replied the guru.

The guru did not respond. He stated that he wished to die before the death of his disciple.

“Why? There’s some mystery here. As a wise man you must make me understand.”

The king suspected there was some sort of mystery behind it. The guru desired to die before his disciple and was eager to do so. There must be a reason for this.

“Will you promise to put me to death if I tell you?” asked the guru.

The guru requested that the king promise him that he would execute him first if he revealed the secret of why he desired to be executed first.

The king gave him his solemn word. The guru took him aside, out of the servants’ earshot, and whispered to him, “Do you know why we want to die right now, the two of us? We’ve been all over the world but we’ve never found a city like this or a king like you. That stake is the stake of the god of justice. It’s new, it has never had a criminal on it.

The king promised that he would be the first to be executed. The guru then took the king aside and slowly told him that they had travelled all over the world but had never seen a city or a king like him. He went on to say that the stake they'd use to kill the disciple was the stake of justice. It had not yet killed any criminals because it was so new.

Whoever dies on it first will be reborn as the king of this country.

He went on to say that whoever died first on this stake would be reborn as King of the Kingdom. (By telling all of this, he hopes to trap the king.)

And whoever goes next will be the future minister of this country. We’re sick of our ascetic life. It would be nice to enjoy ourselves as king and minister for a while. Now keep your word, My Lord, and put us to death. Me first, remember?”

• Ascetic life is the life of a sanyasi, a strict life, life of discipline

The next person to die would be reborn as a minister of the kingdom. The guru also expressed his dissatisfaction with the life of a sanyasi. He and his disciple wished to live the lives of a king and a minister, respectively. So he says that the king should execute him first so that he can be reborn as a king, and then his disciple should be executed so that he can be reborn as a minister.

The king was now thrown into deep thought. He didn’t want to lose the kingdom to someone else in the next round of life. He needed time. So he ordered the execution postponed to the next day and talked in secret with his minister.

• postpone: to put off something for a later time

The king was deep in thought after hearing the guru. He did not want his kingdom to be taken away from him in the next life. He talked about it with his minister.

“It’s not right for us to give over the kingdom to others in the next life. Let’s go on the stake ourselves and we’ll be reborn as king and minister again. Holy men do not tell lies,” he said, and the minister agreed.

The king told his minister that he did not want his kingdom to be taken away in the next life. He went on to say that the individual was a holy man, and holy men did not tell lies. He claims that they must die first in order to be reborn as king and minister of the kingdom.

So he told the executioners, “We’ll send the criminals tonight. When the first man comes to you, put him to death first. Then do the same to the second man. Those are my orders. Don’t make any mistake.”

The king instructed his executioners that the criminals would be sent at night. They should first execute the person who came first, followed by the execution of the second person. They must be cautious and avoid making any mistakes.

That night, the king and his minister went secretly to the prison, released the guru and the disciple, disguised themselves as the two, and as arranged beforehand with loyal servants, were taken to the stake and promptly executed.

• disguised: a different appearance in order to hide one’s identity

The king and his minister went to the prison where the guru and his disciple were being held late at night. They dressed in the clothes of the guru and his disciple in order to resemble them. They came and took them along and put them in the stake for execution, as told to the servants. As a result of his intelligence, the guru was able to execute his foolish king and minister.

When the bodies were taken down to be thrown to crows and vultures the people panicked.

• panic: fright

When the dead bodies of the king and his minister were taken away to be thrown, the people trembled at the sight of their king and minister's bodies.

They saw before them the dead bodies of the king and the minister. The city was in confusion.

Everyone was trembling because the dead bodies were not those of the guru and his disciple, but of the king and his minister.

All night they mourned and discussed the future of the kingdom. Some people suddenly thought of the guru and the disciple and caught up with them as they were preparing to leave town unnoticed.

Everyone in the kingdom was distraught over the deaths of their king and his minister. Some people felt compelled to visit the guru and his disciple first thing in the morning. The people prevented the guru and his disciple from leaving the kingdom.

“We people need a king and a minister,” said someone. Others agreed. They begged the guru and the disciple to be their king and their minister.

The people of the kingdom decided that they needed a king and a minister, so they asked the guru and his disciple to be the kingdom's new king and minister.

It didn’t take many arguments to persuade the disciple, but it took longer to persuade the guru.

• persuade: convince

The disciple agreed quickly, but it took some time for the guru to agree.

They finally agreed to rule the kingdom of the foolish king and the silly minister, on the condition that they could change all the old laws.
From then on, night would again be night and day would again be day, and you could get nothing for a duddu. It became like any other place.

So the guru agreed to be king of the kingdom on the condition that everyone work during the day and sleep at night from then on. Also, the cost of items would vary rather than being one duddu for everything as was previously the case. It'd be like any other place where everything was priced differently. Finally, the guru transformed the kingdom of fools into a regular kingdom.

About the Author

A.K. Ramanujan was born in Mysore, India, and is a poet, translator, folklorist, and philologist. He received his undergraduate and graduate degrees from the University of Mysore and Deccan College in Pune, as well as his PhD from Indiana University. Ramanujan's poetry is known for its thematic and formal engagement with modernist transnationalism, and he wrote in both English and Kannada. 

Lesson-5

The Happy Prince

By Oscar Wilde

The Happy Prince Introduction

This is a storey about a Prince. The prince was very happy when he was alive. Following his death, a large statue of him was erected on a pedestal. The Prince's statue could see the entire city from there, and he witnessed the people's miseries at the time. He saw the poor and homeless people, as well as their hunger and starvation. The Prince was saddened to see all of these people's miseries. So, in this chapter, we will look at the life of this prince.

The Happy Prince Summary

A prince once lived in a town. He was known as the Happy Prince because he had been happy his entire life. Following his death, a statue of him was erected on a tall pedestal in the centre of town. The statue was gold-plated, with two precious sapphire stones embedded in the eyes. His sword's handle had a ruby stone set into it. From there, he could see all over the place and realised how poor and miserable the people were. This sight saddened the prince, and because he was helpless, he would weep when he saw his people's plight.

A swallow bird was flying through the city one day, on its way to Egypt to meet up with its friends. It stopped for the night at the feet of the statue of the happy prince on the way. The bird noticed that the statue was weeping and, upon further investigation, discovered the prince's plight. The helpless prince asked the bird to assist him by acting as its messenger. Following an initial refusal, the bird agreed and removed the ruby stone from the sword hilt, delivering it to a poor seamstress. The next morning, as he was about to leave, the statue convinced him to stay another day.

On that particular day, the bird was tasked with removing a sapphire stone from one of the statue's eyes and delivering it to a young playwright. In addition, on the third day, the bird had to retrieve the second sapphire stone for a poor match girl. The weather had turned cold by this point, and the bird had developed an attachment to the statue. The bird refused to leave the statue, which had now gone blind. The happy prince asked the bird to fly around the city and report back to him on the state of the people who lived there. The bird informed him that the rich were having a good time while the poor were suffering. Because the happy prince had no more precious stones, he instructed the bird to remove the gold foils from his body and distribute them among the living who needed money to survive. The prince's statue gradually lost its gold coating and became dull and grey. The poor, on the other hand, were overjoyed because they now had bread to eat. The swallow bird was now unable to withstand the cold weather and realised death was on its way. It informed the statue that it had to leave, and the statue, who loved the bird, requested that it kiss him.

As the bird died and fell at the statue's feet, a strange sound emitted from the statue – the sound of its heart breaking. Although the heart of the statue was made of lead, it broke as it was overcome with love for the bird. The heart did not melt when the statue was melted in the furnace and was thrown away. It landed near the body of the swallow. God's angels brought the dead swallow and the broken heart to him because they were the most valuable things on earth.

The Happy Prince Lesson Explanation

HIGH above the city, on a tall column, stood the statue of the Happy Prince. He was gilded all over with thin leaves of fine gold, for eyes he had two bright sapphires, and a large red ruby glowed on his sword-hilt.

• gilded: to covered with something,  coating of something
• hilt: the handle of a weapon or tool, especially a sword, dagger, or knife

A prince statue stood on a high platform overlooking the city. This prince was known as the Happy Prince because he was always cheerful when he was alive. Following his death, a large statue of him was erected in his honour in the city centre. This happy prince's statue was covered in thin layers of gold, and instead of eyeballs, there were two bright, gleaming sapphire stones. A brilliant ruby stone was set in the handle of his sword.

One night there flew over the city a little swallow. His friends had gone away to Egypt six weeks before, but he had stayed behind; then he decided to go to Egypt too.

• swallow: a tiny bird

Swallow is a small bird. Despite the fact that it is not a human being, the writer refers to it as 'he' and 'his'. He claims that all of this swallow's friends flew away to Egypt six weeks ago. This bird did not accompany them. However, it later considered going to Egypt with his friends. As a result, it was on its way to Egypt.

All day long he flew, and at night time he arrived at the city.
“Where shall I put up?” he said. “I hope the town has made preparations.”

• Put up means where to live for the night

This bird continued to fly towards Egypt, and at night it arrived in the city of the Happy Prince. It desired to spend the night somewhere. It considers where to spend the night. The bird expresses hope that the city has made arrangements for it to stay. Obviously the bird does not mean what it is saying. We can conclude that the bird is most likely humorous himself.

Then he saw the statue on the tall column.
“I will put up there,” he cried. “It is a fine position with plenty of fresh air.” So he alighted just between the feet of the Happy Prince.

• Alighted: descended

When this tiny bird saw the huge statue of the Happy Prince, it decided to spend the night there.

So the bird decided it was a good place to spend the night. There was cover and plenty of fresh air. As a result, the bird arrived and landed. It stopped and sat between the feet of the Happy Prince statue.

“I have a golden bed-room,” he said softly to himself as he looked round, and he prepared to go to sleep; but just as he was putting his head under his wing a large drop of water fell on him.  “What a curious thing!” he cried. “There is not a single cloud in the sky, the stars are quite clear and bright, and yet it is raining.”
Then another drop fell.

• curious: strange

When the bird sat between the happy prince's feet, it was surrounded by gold. As a result, it mistook its bedroom for one made of gold because it was surrounded by gold all around. A large drop of water fell on it as it was about to sleep, as it was putting its head under the wing. The bird was surprised when a drop of water fell on it unexpectedly. It thought it wasn't raining or that the rainy season was over. The swallow couldn't believe it because the sky was clear and the stars sparkled. Then another drop of water landed on it.

“What is the use of a statue if it cannot keep the rain off ?” he said. “I must look for a good chimney pot,” and he determined to fly away.

The swallow thought the statue was useless because it couldn't protect it from the rain. As a result, he decided not to sleep beneath the statue. The swallow reasoned that it would be safer to take shelter in a house chimney. And decided to get away from there because the statue couldn't keep the rain out.

But before he had opened his wings, a third drop fell, and he looked up, and saw — Ah! What did he see?

The third drop of water fell on him before the bird flew away, and he looked up. What did he notice? Let us investigate.

The eyes of the Happy Prince were filled with tears, and tears were running down his golden cheeks. His face was so beautiful in the moonlight that the little swallow was filled with pity.
“Who are you?” he said.
“I am the Happy Prince.”

When the bird looked up, he noticed that the Happy Prince's statue's eyes were filled with tears. These drops of water were teardrops falling from the golden cheeks of the statue. When Swallow looked at Happy Prince's face in the moonlight, it was stunning. The little bird's heart was broken for the weeping statue. It inquired of the statue as to its identity. It was the 'Happy Prince,' said the statue.

“Why are you weeping then?” asked the swallow.  “You have quite drenched me.”

• drenched: soaked with water

The swallow mistook the statue for the Happy Prince, but it was crying. The bird inquired as to why the statue was crying. It went on to say that it had soaked it with its tears.

“When I was alive and had a human heart,” answered the statue, “I did not know what tears were, for I lived in the Palace, where sorrow is not allowed to enter. My courtiers called me the Happy Prince, and happy indeed I was. So I lived, and so I died. And now that I am dead they have set me up here so high that I can see the ugliness and all the misery of my city, and though my heart is made of lead yet I cannot choose but weep.”

• misery: sadness

The Happy Prince told the swallow his storey. The Happy Prince stated that when he was alive and had a human heart, which means the heart that beats and is alive, he was unaware of what tears and sorrow were because he lived in a palace where there was happiness all around. All the people who worked in his court used to call him Happy Prince because he was always happy and had never seen sorrow. And he claimed to have lived and died only in happiness. He never cried when he had a human heart. He didn't know what tears were because he had only seen happiness and had never experienced sorrow. Now that he was dead, they had elevated him to the level of a statue on a pedestal, from which he could see the entire city and its ugliness. He could see how many people were suffering from a lack of food, hunger, money, and homelessness. When the statue's heart was made of lead – a metal – even though it had no feelings, it became sad and wept when it saw all the sadness.

 

‘What! Is he not solid gold?’ said the swallow to himself. He was too polite to make any personal remarks.

 

The swallow was thinking about something else while the Happy Prince was telling his sad storey. The bird was perplexed that the prince's statue was not made of solid gold. It was surprised. It appeared from the outside that the statue was covered in gold, but as it was stated, the heart was made of lead rather than gold. It recognised that it was hollow and not solid gold. He did not make any personal remarks because he saw that the statue was sad and crying. It made no comments about the statue because it valued the feelings of the statue.

 

“Far away,” continued the statue in a low musical voice, “far away in a little street there is a poor house. One of the windows is open, and through it I can see a woman seated at a table. Her face is thin and worn, and she has coarse, red hands, all pricked by the needle, for she is a seamstress.

• coarse: rough
• seamstress: a woman who makes a living by sewing.

The storey was continued by the statue. It said in a very musical voice that there was a poor woman's house far away. Her house's window was open, and it could see through it that she was sitting near the table. Her skin was thin and she looked tired. Her hands were rough and red from having been pricked by the needle. The woman worked as a seamstress.

She is embroidering flowers on a satin gown for the loveliest of the Queen’s maids of honour, to wear at the next Court ball. In a bed in the corner of the room her little boy is lying ill. He has a fever, and is asking his mother to give him oranges. His mother has nothing to give him but river water, so he is crying. Swallow, Swallow, little Swallow, will you not bring her the ruby out of my sword hilt? My feet are fastened to this pedestal and I cannot move.”

• sword hilt: the handle of the sword
• pedestal: raised platform

The woman was embroidering flowers on the Queen's maid's gown, which she would wear as she walked with the Queen during the court ball. According to the statue, the lady who was embroidering the gown had a sickly child. He had a fever and begged his mother to give him oranges. His mother was impoverished. She did not have any money. She could only give him river water, which was why the little boy was crying. So the statue of the Happy Prince asked the swallow to take the ruby stone from the handle of its sword and give it to the lady. It went on to say that its feet were stuck to the platform and that it couldn't move.

“I am waited for in Egypt,” said the swallow. “My friends are flying up and down the Nile, and talking to the large lotus flowers. Soon they will go to sleep.”

The swallow replied that it needed to travel to Egypt. Its companions were waiting for it. The swallow stated that it had friends in Egypt. They were flying near the Nile and talking with the large lotus flowers that grew there. They were about to fall asleep, so it needed to get to Egypt as soon as possible.

The Prince asked the swallow to stay with him for one night and be his messenger. “The boy is so thirsty, and the mother so sad,” he said.

The statue asked the swallow to spend the night with him. He requested that he serve as his messenger and work on his behalf. He stated that the boy was extremely thirsty, and that his mother was extremely depressed. So it should go and give her the ruby stone.

“I don’t think I like boys,” answered the swallow. “I want to go to Egypt.”

Once again, the swallow objected to his request, claiming that it did not like boys and thus had no reason to assist that boy. Furthermore, it had to travel to Egypt.

But the Happy Prince looked so sad that the little swallow was sorry. “It is very cold here,” he said. But he agreed to stay with him for one night and be his messenger.
“Thank you, little Swallow,” said the Prince.

Swallow felt sorry for the Happy prince because he was sad. It said it was very cold there, but it would stay with him for one night and do his work the next morning. He was thanked by the Happy Prince.

The swallow picked out the great ruby from the Prince’s sword and flew away with it in his beak over the roofs of the town.

Finally, the swallow extracted the ruby stone from the Happy Prince's sword, and the bird flew over the town with the ruby in its beak.

He passed by the cathedral tower, where the white marble angels were sculptured. He passed by the palace and heard the sound of dancing.

The Cathedral was passed by this swallow on its way to the poor woman's house. (Cathedral is a church, and white marble angels were sculpted on the church's tower.) Then he arrived at the palace, crossed it, and heard dancing coming from inside.

A beautiful girl came out on the balcony with her lover.
“I hope my dress will be ready in time for the State ball,” she said. “I have ordered flowers to be embroidered on it, but the seamstresses are so lazy.”

When this swallow flew over the palace, a girl and her lover emerged from the balcony. She hoped that the gown she had given to the seamstress for embroidery would be finished on time. She was referring to the same gown on which that lady was embroidering and to whom the bird was obligated to give the ruby stone.

He passed over the river, and saw the lanterns hanging on the masts of the ships. At last he came to the poor woman’s house and looked in.

• mast: sail of the ship

Ships passed along the river as the swallow flew over it. Lanterns hung from their sails. Finally, the swallow arrived at the woman's home.

The boy was tossing feverishly on his bed, and the mother had fallen asleep, she was so tired.

• tossing: turning left and right

The boy was ill, and as a result, he was unable to sleep. So he was turning left and right on his bed, and his mother was exhausted from a long day's work and had fallen asleep.

In he hopped, and laid the great ruby on the table beside the woman’s thimble.

• thimble :a metal or plastic cap with a closed end, worn to protect the finger and push the needle in sewing

The swallow placed the ruby stone near the thimble on the table.

Then he flew gently round the bed, fanning the boy’s forehead with his wings. “How cool I feel!” said the boy, “I must be getting better;” and he sank into a delicious slumber.

• slumber: sleep
• sank: drown but here it means the boy in going to sleep

After placing the ruby stone on the table, the swallow approached the boy because his mother was sleeping and no one was looking after him. It shook its wings near him, allowing the boy to feel the cool air and feel better. The boy fell asleep, believing that he was getting better. We can conclude from this that the swallow was a kind-hearted bird.

Then the swallow flew back to the Happy Prince, and told him what he had done.

The swallow returned to the statue of Happy Prince and told him everything he had done.

“It is curious,” he remarked, “but I feel quite warm now, although it is so cold.”

The bird was now feeling warm. It says it was very strange that it was feeling a little warm despite the fact that the weather was very cold.

“That is because you have done a good action,” said the Prince.

The prince stated that it was warm because it had performed a good deed. Someone had benefited from it.

And the little swallow began to think, and then fell asleep. Thinking always made him sleepy

After listening to the happy prince, the swallow began to think, and when he began to think, he felt sleepy because he used to feel sleepy whenever he thought.

When day broke he flew down to the river and had a bath. “Tonight I go to Egypt,” said the swallow, and he was in high spirits at the prospect.

• prospect: thought of something

The next morning, the swallow bird went to the river and took a bath, believing that he would arrive in Egypt that night. He was overjoyed.

He visited all the monuments and sat a long time on top of the church steeple.

• Steeple: high tower of the church

So the swallow bird visited all of the city's monuments before landing on the high tower of the church.

When the moon rose he flew back to the Happy Prince. “Have you any commissions for Egypt?” he cried. “I am just starting.”

When it got dark and the moon rose in the sky, the swallow went to Happy Prince and asked for permission to fly to Egypt.

“Swallow, Swallow, little Swallow,” said the Prince, “will you stay with me one night longer?”
“I am waited for in Egypt,” answered the swallow.

Happy Prince asked swallow to stay with him for another night, but swallow said he needed to go to Egypt because his friends were waiting for him.

“Swallow, Swallow, little Swallow,” said the Prince, “far away across the city I see a young man in a garret.
He is leaning over a desk covered with papers, and in the glass by his side there is a bunch of withered violets.

• garret: small dark room at the top of the house
• withered: worn out
• violet: kind of flower

The Happy Prince is now telling the swallow about his second work. He claims that far away, across the city, I could see a young man sitting in a small dark room at the top of the house. He was sitting on a desk that was strewn with papers. And he was making an effort to work hard. He had a glass next to him with withered flowers in it.

His hair is brown and crisp, and his lips are red as a pomegranate, and he has large and dreamy eyes.

• pomegranate: is a fruit

The Happy Prince went on to describe that boy. He stated that his hair was brown and crisp, implying that he had not bathed in a long time. His lips were pomegranate red, and he had big dreamy eyes. That means this young man was ambitious and hardworking.

He is trying to finish a play for the Director of the Theatre, but he is too cold to write any more. There is no fire in the grate, and hunger has made him faint.”

• faint: weak
• grate: fireplace

The Happy Prince went on to say that this boy needed to finish writing a play because he was a writer. And after finishing the play, he had to hand it over to the director. But he didn't have the energy to write anymore because he was so cold. The boy didn't have any money, so there was no fire in his fireplace, and he was also very hungry, which made him feel very weak.

“I will wait with you one night longer,” said the swallow, who really had a good heart. He asked if he should take another ruby to the young playwright.

What Happy Prince was trying to tell him was understood by the swallow. He knew Happy Prince wanted to assist this boy, so he agreed to stay another night. The swallow then asked Happy Prince if he should take another ruby stone and give it to the young playwright (the one who writes plays), as he had done with the old lady.

“Alas! I have no ruby now,” said the Prince.

Prince expressed regret that he did not have any more ruby stones with him.

“My eyes are all that I have left. They are made of rare sapphires, which were brought out of India a thousand years ago.”

Happy Prince stated that he now had his eyes, which were made of extremely valuable and rare sapphire stones purchased thousands of years ago in India.

He ordered the swallow to pluck out one of them and take it to the playwright.

So the Happy Prince instructed Swallow to take out one sapphire and deliver it to the boy.

“He will sell it to the jeweller, and buy firewood, and finish his play,” he said.
“Dear Prince,” said the swallow, “I cannot do that,” and he began to weep.

When the swallow learned that the Happy Prince wished to gaze upon that boy, he burst into tears. He informed Happy Prince that he was unable to do so.

“Swallow, Swallow, little Swallow,” said the Prince, “do as I command you.”
So the swallow plucked out the Prince’s eye, and flew away to the young man’s garret. It was easy enough to get in, as there was a hole in the roof. Through this he darted, and came into the room. The young man had his head buried in his hands, so he did not hear the flutter of the bird’s wings, and when he looked up he found the beautiful sapphire lying on the withered violets.

• darted: pushed himself inside

The Happy Prince then told the swallow to do what he had told him to do. So the swallow finally extracted one eye, one sapphire from the prince's eye, and flew to the young man's garret. The room's roof had a hole in it. As a result, the swallow entered the room through the hole. Because the boy was sitting with his head on his hands, he didn't notice the flutter of the bird's wing. When he looked up, he noticed the sapphire stone on the dried flowers.

“I am beginning to be appreciated,” he cried. “This is from some great admirer. Now I can finish my play,” and he looked quite happy.

• appreciate: to praise someone

When the boy saw the beautiful stone, he felt that someone who admired him, someone who praised him, had sent him a gift. So he reasoned that he could now finish his play with this.

The next day the swallow flew down to the harbour. He sat on the mast of a large vessel and watched the sailors working. “I am going to Egypt,” cried the swallow, but nobody minded, and when the moon rose he flew back to the Happy Prince.

• harbor: sea port

The next morning, the swallow bird flew down to the harbour and sits on a ship's mast. He announced loudly that he was leaving for Egypt. When it got dark, he flew back to Happy Prince.

“I have come to bid you goodbye,” he cried.

Swallow informed the Happy Prince that the time had come to say good-by. He was on his way to Egypt.

“Swallow, Swallow, little Swallow,” said the Prince, “will you not stay with me one night longer?”

And Happy Prince asked Swallow to stay with him for one more night.

“It is winter,” answered the swallow, “and the snow will soon be here. In Egypt the sun is warm on the green palm trees, and the crocodiles lie in the mud and look lazily about them.”

The swallow informed the Happy Prince that the winter season had begun and that it would soon begin to snow. The weather in Egypt was pleasant, and even the crocodiles lazed on the mud. As a result, he told him to let him go to Egypt.

“In the square below,” said the Happy Prince, “there stands a little matchgirl. She has let her matches fall in the gutter, and they are all spoiled. Her father will beat her if she does not bring home some money, and she is crying. She has no shoes or stockings, and her little head is bare. Pluck out my other eye, and give it to her, and her father will not beat her.”

This was the third of three assignments. The Happy Prince mentioned a match girl, who was a little girl whose matchsticks had all fallen into the gutter (sewage) and gotten wet. Because all of her match sticks were ruined, she couldn't sell them and wouldn't be able to earn any money. And if she returned home without money, her father would become enraged and beat her. As a result, the girl was crying. Furthermore, the Happy Prince stated that she was not wearing shoes or stockings, nor was she wearing a head covering. She was poor. So he told the swallow to take another sapphire from his eyes and give it to her so her father wouldn't beat her.

“I will stay with you one night longer,” said the swallow, “but I cannot pluck out your eye. You would be quite blind then.”

Swallow agreed to stay with him for one more night, but he refused to take out another sapphire because doing so would blind Happy Prince.

“Swallow, Swallow, little Swallow,” said the Prince, “do as I command you.”

Happy Prince told Swallow once more to do what he had told him to do.

So he plucked out the Prince’s other eye, and darted down with it. He swooped past the match girl, and slipped the jewel into the palm of her hand.
“What a lovely bit of glass!” cried the little girl; and she ran home, laughing.

• swooped: fly very low

So, at long last, the swallow obeyed the Happy Prince's command. He flew to the little match girl with another sapphire stone from his eye. When he saw the match girl, he knelt down and placed the sapphire stone on the little girl's hand. The little girl was overjoyed to see the stone, and she happily returned home.

Then the swallow came back to the Prince. “You are blind now,” he said, “so I will stay with you always.”

When Swallow returned to the Happy Prince, he told him that he was now blind and that he would remain with him forever.

“No, little Swallow,” said the poor Prince, “you must go away to Egypt.”

But Happy Prince advised the swallow to travel to Egypt.

“No, I will stay with you always,” said the swallow, and he slept at the Prince’s feet.

But Swallow refused, saying he would only stay with him, and she slept on the Prince's feet.

All the next day he sat on the Prince’s shoulder, and told him stories of what he had seen in strange lands.

The swallow used to accompany Happy Prince at all times, telling him stories about the various places he had visited.

“Dear little Swallow,” said the Prince, “you tell me of marvellous things, but more marvellous than anything is the suffering of men and women. There is no Mystery so great as Misery. Fly over my city, little Swallow, and tell me what you see there.”

The Happy Prince told the swallow that he should tell him wonderful things, but that nothing was more wonderful than people's suffering. There was no greater mystery than sadness, and he wanted to know who was sad in his kingdom. So he asked the swallow to fly over the city and report back to him on what he saw.

So the swallow flew over the great city, and saw the rich making merry in their beautiful houses, while the beggars were sitting at the gates. He flew into dark lanes, and saw the white faces of starving children looking out listlessly at the black streets.

So the swallow flew around the city, seeing the rich people living happily in their beautiful homes and partying while the poor people were begging and sitting outside the gates. Then he went to the dark lanes where there was no light and where the poor lived. He noticed that the children's faces had turned white because they were hungry.

Under the archway of a bridge two little boys were lying in each other’s arms to try and keep themselves warm.

The swallow also noticed two young boys beneath the bridge's archway. They were lying very close to each other in order to keep warm. They were so poor that they didn't have food and had to rely on each other to stay warm.

“How hungry we are!” they said. “You must not lie here,” shouted the watchman, and they wandered out into the rain.

Two children were starving and wondering how they could possibly be so hungry. A watchman appeared and scolded them. He yelled and ordered them to leave. Because they were homeless, the poor children continued to wander in the rain.

Then he flew back and told the Prince what he had seen.

Swallow returned to Happy Prince and told him about his explorations in the city.

“I am covered with fine gold,” said the Prince. “You must take it off, leaf by leaf, and give it to the poor; the living always think that gold can make them happy.”

The Happy Prince revealed to Swallow that his entire body was covered in fine gold. He could extract tiny pieces of gold from his body and distribute them to the poor. All living things required money, and when they received gold, they were overjoyed.

Leaf after leaf of the fine gold the swallow picked off, till the Happy Prince looked quite dull and grey.

Slowly, the swallow peeled away the gold layers from the Happy Prince statue, and as he did so, the Happy Prince's statue began to look dull and grey.

Leaf after lead of the fine gold he brought to the poor, and the children’s faces grew rosier, and they laughed and played in the street. “We have bread now!” they cried.

The children became happier as the statue of Happy Prince became dull and grey because it provided them with food.

Then the snow came, and after the snow came the frost.

Finally, it began to snow, and when a large amount of snow fell, everything froze.

The streets looked as if they were made of silver. Everybody went about in furs, and the little boys wore scarlet caps and skated on the ice.

Everyone was dressed in fur clothing. Small children were dressed in red caps and wandering around. They were skating on the ice.

The poor little swallow grew colder and colder, but he would not leave the Prince, he loved him too well.

Swallow bird was cold, but he continued to sit near the Happy Prince's statue. He didn't want to leave him because he adored the Happy Prince.

He picked up crumbs outside the baker’s door when the baker was not looking, and tried to keep himself warm by flapping his wings.

The bird didn't want to die, so he went to the bakery where the baker baked the bread, ate the bread crumbs, and flailed his wings to keep warm.

But at last he knew that he was going to die. He had just enough strength to fly up to the Prince’s shoulder once more.

The swallow realised he was about to die. He only had enough energy to return to the Happy Prince statue. And he adds –

“Goodbye, dear Prince!” he murmured. “Will you let me kiss your hand?

When the swallow is about to die, he asks the happy prince, "Can I kiss your hand?"

“I am glad that you are going to Egypt at last, little Swallow,” said the Prince.

Happy The swallow, according to Prince, desired to travel to Egypt. So he expressed his delight that the bird was finally on its way to Egypt.

“You have stayed too long here but you must kiss me on the lips, for I love you.”

The happy prince told the swallow that it had been there for a long time and that it should now go to Egypt. Because the statue adored the bird, it desired that the bird kiss its lips rather than its hands.

“It is not to Egypt that I am going,” said the swallow. “I am going to the House of Death. Death is the brother of Sleep, is he not?”
And he kissed the Happy Prince on the lips, and fell down dead at his feet.

The Happy Prince was informed by the swallow bird that he was not going to Egypt, but rather to the House of Death. He went on to say that death was a sibling of sleep. He kissed the Happy Prince on the lips before falling to his death at the feet of the Happy Prince.

At that moment a curious crack sounded inside the statue, as if something had broken. The fact is that the leaden heart had snapped right in two. It certainly was a dreadfully hard frost.

The statue made an unusual sound as soon as the bird died on the Happy Prince's feet. The sound was caused by the breaking of the lead heart of the statue. His heart was broken by the loss of his beloved bird. However, it is said that the heart broke into two pieces due to the extreme cold.

Early the next morning the Mayor was walking in the square below in company with the Town Councillors. As they passed the column he looked up at the statue. “Dear me! How shabby the Happy Prince looks!” he said.

• shabby (untidy)

The next morning, the Mayor of the city, along with his councillors, was walking around the area where the Happy Prince statue had been erected, and when he crossed the statue and looked up at it, he commented that it looked untidy.

“How shabby, indeed!” cried the Town Councillors, who always agreed with the Mayor and they went up to look at it.

The councillors always agreed with what the Mayor said, so they also asserted that the statue was untidy.

“The ruby has fallen out of his sword, his eyes are gone, and he is golden no longer,” said the Mayor.

The Mayor noticed that the ruby stone that was placed in the sword's handle was missing, as were the sapphires from the statue's eyes and the layer of gold from its body.

“In fact, he is little better than a beggar!
“Little better than a beggar,” said the Town Councillors.

The Mayor stated that it appeared to be a beggar statue, and the town councillors agreed.

“And here is actually a dead bird at his feet!” continued the Mayor. “We must really issue a proclamation that birds are not to be allowed to die here.” And the Town Clerk made a note of the suggestion.

• proclamation: order, rule

The Mayor noticed a dead bird lying on the statue's feet. Then he told the town councillors to pass an ordinance prohibiting birds from dying on the statue's feet, and the town clerk took note of his suggestion.

So they pulled down the statue of the Happy Prince. “As he is no longer beautiful he is no longer useful,” said the Art Professor at the University.

The University's Art Professor stated that the statue of the Happy Prince was no longer beautiful and was no longer useful, and that it should be demolished.

Then they melted the statue in a furnace.

• furnace: is a fire place where metal are melted

As a result, they melted the lead statue in a furnace.

“What a strange thing!” said the overseer of the workmen at the foundry.

• overseer: supervisor
• foundry: workshop for casting metals

The foundry's supervisor noticed something strange.

“This broken lead heart will not melt in the furnace. We must throw it away.”

The broken heart of the Happy Prince's statue was not melting in the furnace. As a result, they threw it in the dust heap as is.

So they threw it on a dust heap where the dead swallow was also lying.

Coincidentally, they threw the Happy Prince's heart where the dead swallow was also lying.

“Bring me the two most precious things in the city,” said God to one of His Angels; and the Angel brought Him the leaden heart and the dead bird.

God sent one of his Angels to bring him the city's two most valuable items. The Angel delivered the two pieces of the statue's heart and the dead swallow bird.

“You have rightly chosen,” said God, “for in my garden of Paradise this little bird shall sing for ever more and in my city of gold the Happy Prince shall praise me.”

God told the Angel that it had brought the right item. It had chosen the right things, which were indeed the city's most valuable assets. He claimed that the bird would always sing in his Paradise's garden, and that the Happy Prince would stay in his gold city and admire him.

About the Author

Oscar Fingal O'Flahertie Wills Wilde was born on October 16, 1854, in Dublin. His father was a successful surgeon, and his mother was a literary hostess and writer. Wilde attended Trinity College in Dublin and Magdalen College in Oxford. Wilde became involved in the aesthetic movement while at Oxford. He moved to London after graduation to pursue a literary career.

Lesson-7

The Last Leaf

By O Henry

The Last Leaf Introduction

Sue and Johnsy, two friends, share a rented apartment. Johnsy becomes ill with pneumonia and loses her desire to live. She declares that she will die when the last leaf falls from the ivy creeper visible through the window. When the last leaf falls from the tree, their neighbour, Mr Behrman, goes out into the storm to paint one. This gives Johnsy hope. Mr. Behrman, on the other hand, develops pneumonia and dies.

The Last Leaf Summary

O. Henry's popular story is 'The Last Leaf.' It's a heartwarming story. Sue and Johnsy were two young artists who were close friends. They shared a home. Once, Johnsy became ill. Outside the window, there was an ivy creeper. Its leaves were starting to fall. Johnsy had a premonition that she would die when the last ivy leaf fell. She was concerned. Behrman, an elderly painter, lived downstairs. He treated the girls as if they were his daughters. Sue told Bohrman about Johnsy's crush. He promised to assist her. It was snowing that night. The last leaf also dropped. Behanan, on the other hand, worked all night and painted a leaf on the wall.

The next morning, Johnsy was surprised to see that the ivy still had a leaf on it. Her desire to live had returned. She quickly recovered. However, old Behrman became ill with pneumonia and died. As a result, he gave up his own life to save Johnsy's. Art is a valuable asset that provides hope even in the most difficult situations. It possesses the ability to heal the human spirit. "The Last Leaf" exemplifies the value of art by saving a young life. Despite the fact that the artist gives up his own life in the process, his masterpiece immortalises him.

The Last Leaf Lesson Explanation

SUE and Johnsy, two young artists, shared a small flat. The flat was on the third storey of an old house.

Two girls named Sue and Johnsy, shared a small flat. They were talented artists. The apartment was situated on the third floor of an old house.

Johnsy fell very seriously ill in November. She had pneumonia. She would lie in her bed without moving, just gazing out of the window. Sue, her friend, became very worried. She sent for the doctor. Although he came every day there was no change in Johnsy’s condition.

• Pneumonia: a disease caused due to the infection of the lungs
• Gazing: looking

Johnsy became ill with pneumonia in November. She stayed in bed and stared out the window. Sue was concerned about Johnsy and made a call to the doctor. The doctor came by every day, but Johnsy's health did not improve.

One day the doctor took Sue aside and asked her, ”Is anything worrying Johnsy?”

Sue was secretly asked by the doctor if something was wrong with Johnsy.

“No,” replied Sue. “But why do you ask?”

Sue responded that there was nothing to be concerned about and inquired as to why the doctor thought so.

The doctor said “Johnsy, it seems, has made up her mind that she is not going to get well. If she doesn’t want to live, medicines will not help her.”

According to the doctor, it appeared that Johnsy had decided not to live and did not want to recover from his illness. Medications would not work on her in this situation.

Sue tried her best to make Johnsy take an interest in things around her. She talked about clothes and fashions, but Johnsy did not respond. Johnsy continued to lie still on her bed. Sue brought her drawing-board into Johnsy’s room and started painting. To take Johnsy’s mind off her illness, she whistled while working.

Sue attempted to cheer up Johnsy. She talked about interesting things like clothes and fashion with her, but Johnsy was unaffected. She was lying in bed. Sue sat beside her and began painting to catch her interest and distract her from her illness. Sue would whistle from time to time to cheer up Johnsy.

Suddenly Sue heard Johnsy whisper something. She quickly rushed to the bed and heard Johnsy counting backwards. She was looking out of the window and was saying, “Twelve!” After sometime she whispered “eleven”, then “ten”, then “nine”, “eight”, “seven”. Sue anxiously looked out of the window. She saw an old ivy creeper climbing half-way up the brick wall opposite their window. In the strong wind outside, the creeper was shedding its leaves.

Sue noticed Johnsy was speaking softly. While looking out the window, Johnsy was doing a backward count. Sue was intrigued and went outside to investigate. She noticed an ivy creeper plant beside the room's window. The leaves of the creeper were falling as strong winds blew.

“What is it, dear?” Sue asked.

Sue inquired as to the nature of the problem.

“Six,” whispered Johnsy. “They are falling faster now. Three days ago there were almost a hundred leaves. There are only five left now.”

"Six," said Johnsy. Then she mentioned that the leaves were falling faster than usual. She went on to say that three days ago, there were nearly a hundred keaves on the ivy creeper, but now there were only five.

“It is autumn,” said Sue, “and the leaves will fall.”

Sue responded that it was autumn, and it was natural for the creeper's leaves to fall.

“When the last leaf falls, I will die,” said Johnsy with finality. “I have known this for the last three days.”

Johnsy predicted that she'd die when the last leaf fell. She went on to say that she had known this for three days.

“Oh, that’s nonsense,” replied Sue. “What have old ivy leaves to do with your getting well? The doctor is confident that you will get better.”

Sue responded that this made no sense. Her health had nothing to do with the leaves. The doctor was confident in her recovery.

Johnsy did not say anything. Sue went and brought her a bowl of soup.

Johnsy was deafeningly quiet. Sue went to get a bowl of soup for Johnsy.

“I don’t want any soup,” said Johnsy. “I am not hungry… Now there are only four leaves left. I want to see the last one fall before it gets dark. Then I will sleep forever.”

The soup was refused by Johnsy. She had no desire to eat. Then she mentioned that the ivy plant still had four leaves on it. She wished to see the last leaf fall before sunset and then die peacefully.

Sue sat on Johnsy’s bed, kissed her and said, “You are not going to die. I can’t draw the curtain for I need the light. I want to finish the painting and get some money for us. Please, my dear friend,” she begged Johnsy, “promise not to look out of the window while I paint.”

Sue attempted to be affectionate toward Johnsy. She insisted that Johnsy would not die. She kept the curtain open because she required light to finish the painting. She'd sell it to make money for them. Sue requested that Johnsy not look out the window.

“All right,” said Johnsy. “Finish your painting soon for I want to see the last leaf fall. I’m tired of waiting. I have to die, so let me go away peacefully like one of those poor, tired leaves.”

Johnsy agreed and asked Sue to finish the painting in time to see the last leaf fall from the ivy plant. She was sick of waiting for it to fall. She was tired and wanted to die, just like the poor tired ivy leaves.

“Try to sleep,” said Sue. “I have to paint an old miner. I will call Behrman up to be my model.”

Sue requested that she try to sleep. She would use their neighbour, Behrman, as a model for her painting of an old miner.

Sue rushed down. Behrman lived on the ground floor.

Sue went downstairs to the ground floor of Behrman's house.

He was a sixty-year-old painter. His lifelong dream was to paint a masterpiece but that had remained a dream. Sue poured out her worries to Behrman. She told him how Johnsy was convinced that she would die when the last leaf fell.

Behrman was a painter who was 60 years old. He wished to create a masterpiece. Sue spoke with Johnsy about his condition. She stated that Johnsy was sure she would die when the last leaf of the ivy plant fell.

“Is she stupid?” asked Behrman. “How can she be so foolish?”

Behrman commented that Johnsy was being silly.

“She is running a high temperature,”complained Sue. “She refuses to eat or drink and that worries me a lot.”

Sue reported that Johnsy had a high fever. She wasn't eating either. Sue was concerned for her.

“I will come with you and see Johnsy,” Behrman said.

Behrman paid a visit to Johnsy.

They tiptoed into the room. Johnsy was sleeping. Sue drew the curtains together and they went to the next room. She peeped out through the window. There was only one leaf on the creeper. It was raining heavily and an icy-cold wind was blowing. It seemed as though the leaf would fall any minute now. Behrman did not say a word. He went back to his room.

They walked into the room quietly. Johnsy was fast asleep. Sue drew the curtains, and they proceeded to the adjacent room. Sue cast a look out the window. The creeper plant had only one leaf left. There was heavy rain, as well as strong, cold winds. The leaf was about to fall at any time. Behrman returned to his room without saying anything.

Johnsy woke up next morning. In a feeble voice she asked Sue to draw the curtains. Sue was nervous. She drew back the curtains very reluctantly.

• Feeble: weak

The next morning, Johnsy awoke and asked Sue to open the curtains in a weak voice. Sue was concerned and drew back hesitantly.

“Oh!” Sue exclaimed as she looked at the vine creeper. “Look, there is still one leaf on the creeper. It looks quite green and healthy. In spite of the storm and the fierce winds, it didn’t fall.”

Sue was relaxed when she announced that there was still one leaf on the creeper. It appeared to be healthy and green. Despite the storm, it hadn't fallen.

“I heard the wind last night,” said Johnsy. “I thought it would have fallen. It will surely fall today. Then I’ll die.”

Johnsy stated that she had heard the winds the night before. She had assumed that the leaf would undoubtedly fall. She went on to say that it would undoubtedly fall that day, and she would die as well.

“You won’t die,” said Sue energetically. “You have to live for your friends. What would happen to me if you die?”

Sue insisted that Johnsy would not die. She had no choice but to live for her friends. She went on to say that if Johnsy died, she would be lonely.

Johnsy smiled weakly and closed her eyes. After every hour or so she would look out of the window and find the leaf still there. It seemed to be clinging to the creeper.

Johnsy closed her eyes and smiled. She was weak. Almost every hour, she would check to see if the leaf was still there. The leaf appeared to be affixed to the creeper.

In the evening, there was another storm but the leaf did not fall. Johnsy lay for a long time looking at the leaf. Then she called out to Sue.

That evening, there was another storm, but the leaf did not fall. Johnsy continued to examine it before calling out to Sue.

“I have been a bad girl. You have looked after me so lovingly and I have not cooperated with you. I have been depressed and gloomy. The last leaf has shown me how wicked I have been. I have realised that it is a sin to want to die.”

She had been a bad girl, according to Johnsy. Sue cared for her while she refused to cooperate and remained depressed. The final leaf had made her realise her error. She stated that the desire to die was incorrect.

Sue hugged Johnsy. Then she gave her lots of hot soup and a mirror. Johnsy combed her hair and smiled brightly.

Sue was relieved to see Johnsy's transformation. She brought her soup and a mirror to help her with her hair. Johnsy was cheerful and bright.

In the afternoon the doctor came. After examining his patient he told Sue, “Johnsy now has the will to live. I am confident she’ll recover soon. Now I must go downstairs and see Behrman. He is also suffering from pneumonia. But I am afraid, there is no hope for him.”

The doctor came by that afternoon and said that Johnsy's desire to live had returned. He was confident she would recover. He went downstairs to check on Behrman, who was suffering from pneumonia and had no chance of recovery.

The next morning Sue came and sat on Johnsy’s bed. Taking Johnsy’s hand in hers she said, “I have something to tell you. Mr Behrman died of pneumonia this morning. He was ill for only two days. The first day the janitor found him on his bed. His clothes and shoes were wet and he was shivering. He had been out in that stormy night.”

• Janitor: a person whose job is to look after a building

Sue sat next to Johnsy the next morning and told her that Behrman had died that morning. He had been sick for the previous two days. The building's caretaker had found him in his bed. His clothes and shoes were soaked, and he shivered. He had gone out in the middle of the night during the storm.

Then they found a ladder and a lantern still lighted lying near his bed. There were also some brushes and green and yellow paints on the floor near the ladder. “Johnsy dear,” said Sue, “look out of the window. Look at that ivy leaf. Haven’t you wondered why it doesn’t flutter when the wind blows? That’s Behrman’s masterpiece. He painted it the night the last leaf fell.”

Near his bed was a ladder and a lantern. Paint brushes and green and yellow paint were also nearby. Sue requested that Johnsy observe the leaf. When the wind blew, it did not flutter. It was the masterpiece to which Behrman aspired. He painted this one after the last leaf fell at night.

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