Summary & Question-answers of The Chapter-1:Three Questions

There was this certain king who believed that he would not fail if he knew what was the right time for every action, who were the right people to be with and what was the most important thing to do.He proclaimed that he would give a great reward to the person who could answer his three questions.

A lot of  learned men went for their answers. Unfortunately, their answers did not satisfy the king. So the king decided to consult a wise hermit. He saw the hermit digging the ground and out of compassion, he did it for the hermit. He kept on asking the three questions but the hermit also kept silent.  Hours passed and it was already sunset.

The hermit saw a bearded man running and his hands on his stomach. He was wounded and dying; the hermit told the king about it and they helped the bearded man.

The next day, the king woke up and the bearded man saw him and apologized to him. He admitted that he was an enemy of the king. The bearded man said that he heard about the king going to the hermit so he tried to kill him when he was on his way back home but he failed.

The king asked the hermit once again . Then he answered all the questions:

1. Now is the time to do every action because now is the only time that we have power.

2. The right person is who are you with.

3. The most important thing to do is to do good for the person you are with.

Comprehension Check

Question 1:

Why did the king want to know answers to three questions?

Solution:

The king wanted to know answers to his three questions because he wanted to be a successful ruler.

Question 2:

Messengers were sent throughout the kingdom

to fetch wise men.

to find answers to the questions.

to look for the wise hermit.

to announce a reward for those who could answer the questions.

Solution:

2.to find answers to the questions.

Complete the following sentences by adding the appropriate parts of the sentences given in the box.

Many wise men answered the king’s questions  ……………….

Someone suggested that there should be a council of wise men  ……………….

Someone else suggested that the king should have a timetable  ……………….

The king requested the hermit  ……………….

The king washed and dressed the beared man’s wound  ……………….

Solution:

Many wise men answered the king’s questions, but their answers were so varied that the king was not satisfied.

Someone suggested that there should be a council of wise men to help the king act at the right time.

Someone else suggested that the king should have a timetable and follow it strictly.

The king requested the hermit to answer three questions.

The king washed and dressed the bearded man’s wound but the bleeding would not stop.

Working with the Text

Answer the following questions.

Question 1:

Why was the king advised to go to the magicians?

Solution:

Some of the wise men thought that in order to decide right time for doing something, one must look into the future and only magicians were able to do that. So, they advised the king to go to the magicians.

Question 2:

In answer to the second question, whose advice did the people say would be important to the king?

Solution:

In answer to the second question some people, suggested to seek advice of councillors, the priest or the doctors or the soldiers.

 

Question 3:

What suggestions were made in answer to the third question?

Solution:

For the third question some people said science was the most important business while there were others who believed it was fighting and then there were those who believed religious worship should take the first place.

Question 4:

Did the wise men win the reward? If not, why not?

Solution:

No, the wise men didn’t win the reward because their answers were so different from each other and the king was not satisfied with their answers.

 

Question 5:

How did the king and the hermit help the wounded man?

Solution:

The king washed the wound and covered the wound of the man with his handkerchief and kept on dressing it until the bleeding stopped completely.

The king also offered the wounded man water to drink. The hermit helped the king to bring the wounded man inside his hut and allowed the man to spend his night in the hut.

Question 6:

Who was the bearded man?

Why did he ask for the king’s forgiveness?

Solution:

The bearded man was an enemy of the king. He wanted to take revenge of his brother’s death by killing the king and taking away all his property.

The bearded man asked for the king’s forgiveness because he wanted to kill the king but the king has saved his life. He was grateful to the king now.

Question 7:

The king forgave the bearded man. What did he do to show his forgiveness?

Solution:

The king showed his forgiveness by promising the man that he will send his doctor and servants to look after him and also promised to return him all his property.

Question 8:

What were the hermit’s answers to the three questions? Write each answer separately. Which answers do you like the most and why?

Solution:

The most important time, the hermit said, is our present because it is the only moment when we have the power to act. The most important person at a moment is we ourselves because the future is unknown and we don’t know whether we will meet anyone in the future or not.

So, we should listen to ourselves.

The most important business is to be kind and good to others because we have been sent in this world to serve this noble cause.

I liked the third answer the most because helping someone in need is like serving God. It makes us a good person and brings a sense of satisfaction and contentment.

Summary & Question-answers of The Chapter-1: The Best Christmas Present in the World

The narrator of the story went to a junk shop and purchased a roll-top desk which was in bad condition. The narrator started its repairing on Christmas Eve and found a letter in its drawer. He read the letter. It was from Jim Macpherson to his wife Connie as written on top. After reading the letter, he found that Jim Macpherson was the leader of the England Army and he described that England and German were engaged in a war but on the Christmas morning a wonderful thing happened.First,Germans wish happy Christmas to English soldiers and same response was given by the English also. The leaders shared their ideas and feelings with each other and celebrated Christmas by eating, laughing, talking and drinking. After that they played football match in which Germans won. In the night both troops sang carols and had a peaceful Christmas.

The author decided to give this letter to Jim’s wife back. He went to the address which was written on the letter envelope where he found that  the house caught an accidental fire and she was in nursing home. He rushed to nursing home where he found Jim’s wife. As she was grown too old in the waiting of his husband ,he mistook the author forJim, her husband when narrator met him. She declared him as best Christmas present in the world.

Question 1: What did the author find in a junk shop?

Answer: The author found a roll-top desk made of oak wood in the junk shop. It was badly out of shape and needed lots of repair. But as a new one would have cost him a fortune he thought of buying it.

Question 2: What did he find in a secret drawer? Who do you think had put it in there?

Answer: The author found a letter written by a person named Jim. It was Jim’s last letter to the recipient Mrs. Macpherson. So, there is every chance that Mr. Macpherson had put it there.

Question 3: Who had written the letter, to whom, and when?

Answer: Jim Macpherson had written the letter to his wife Mrs. Macpherson on during December 1914. It was written during the First World War.

 

Question 4: Why was the letter written — what was the wonderful thing that had happened?

Answer: German and British army was fighting a battle. The soldiers were living in their trenches to fight enemy. For soldiers writing and receiving letter was the only way to be in touch with their family members. Nowadays telephone has taken over the role of letters. Think how painful and wonderful it would have been to wait for weeks for a letter to arrive. The wonderful thing was, in spite of enmity they celebrated Christmas together. This shows that festivals are above all personal enmity. In our country there is a saying that during Holi you should embrace your friends and foes alike.

Question 5: What jobs did Hans Wolf and Jim Macpherson have when they were not soldiers?

Answer: Hans Wolf was a musician playing cello in an orchestra and Jim Macpherson was a school teacher. During early 20th century it was common for people to get enrolled into army during wars. Even today certain countries, like Israel, make it mandatory for all adults to serve in military for a certain period.

Question 6: Had Hans Wolf ever been to Dorset? Why did he say he knew it?

Answer: Hans Wolf had never been to Dorset. He was fond of reading books and had good command over English language. He read so much about Dorset in books that he was familiar with Dorset. That is why he said that he knew Dorset.

Question 7: Do you think Jim Macpherson came back from the war? How do you know this?

Answer: The written statement on the letter saying that that was the last letter from Jim and that should be buried with Mrs. Macpherson indicates that Jim didn’t return from war.

Question 8: Why did the author go to Bridport?

Answer: The author wanted to ensure that the letter should reach the real owner and her last wish should be fulfilled. Even a criminal going to the guillotine is asked his last wishes and efforts are taken to fulfill those wishes. The address written on the envelope gave a hint to the author to try finding Mrs. Macpherson in Bridport.

Question 9: How old was Mrs Macpherson now? Where was she?

Answer: Mrs. Macpherson was now over hundred years old. She was in a nursing home.

Question 10: Who did Connie Macpherson think her visitor was?

Answer: Mrs. Macpherson thought the author to be Jim himself. Probably her old age, her poor health coupled with her sense of void after Jim’s death created such hallucination for her.

 

Question 11: Which sentence in the text shows that the visitor did not try to hide his identity?

Answer: Author’s statement about how he found the desk and ultimately the letter shows that he did not try to hide his identity.

Question 12: For how long do you think Connie had kept Jim’s letter? Give reasons for your answer.

Answer: Connie must have kept Jim’s letter till her last breath. This can be assumed on the basis of her reactions when she found the letter.

Question 13: Why do you think the desk had been sold, and when?

Answer: The desk must have been sold as junk. It may have been sold after the demise of Macpherson.

Question 14: Why do Jim and Hans think that games or sports are good ways of resolving conflicts? Do you agree?

Answer: Jim and Hans think that games or sports are good ways 

Summary of The Chapter-1:A Letter to God

A Letter to God

Summary: This story is written by G L Fuentes. This is a story about the great faith of a simpleton in  God. The story begins with Lencho hoping for rains so that his crops would give a better yield. The rain does come but is followed by a devastating hailstorm. Hailstorm destroys all the standing crops and leaves Lencho staring into the bleak future ahead. But Lencho is a strong believer in the God and decides to write a letter to God; asking for some monetary help. Lencho also wishes to repay the debt when the next crop would give him enough money. After seeing Lencho’s letter, the postmaster is deeply touched by the strong faith of Lencho in the God. The postmaster collects money from his colleagues and sends some money to Lencho. But the money sent by the postmaster is less than what the Lencho had demanded through his letter. Lencho once again writes a letter to God in which he expresses his doubts about the honesty of post office employees.

 

Question 1: What did Lencho hope for?

Answer: Lencho hoped for rains; because the crop in his field needed rains.

Question 2: Why did Lencho say the raindrops were like ‘new coins’?

Answer: As raindrops would have helped in getting a better harvest, resulting in more prosperity, so Lencho compared them with new coins.

Question 3: How did the rain change? What happened to Lencho’s fields?

Answer: The rain changed to hailstorm. All the crop in the field was destroyed.

Question 4: What were Lencho’s feelings when the hail stopped?

Answer: After the destruction caused by hail, Lencho was shattered. He could see a bleak future for him and his family. He was worried about lack of food for the coming year.

Question 5: Who or what did Lencho have faith in? What did he do?

Answer: Lencho had faith in God. He believed that God could see everything and would help him out. Lencho wrote a letter to the God, explained his situation and asked for some money from God.

Question 6: Who read the letter?

Answer: The postmaster read the letter.

Question 7: What did the postmaster do then?

Answer: Postmaster was deeply touched by Lencho’s faith in  God. The postmaster asked his colleagues to contribute some money so that they could send that to Lencho

.Question 8: Who does Lencho have complete faith in? Which sentences in the story tell you this?

Answer: The following sentences explain Lencho’s faith in God, “But in the hearts of all who lived in that solitary house in the middle of the valley, there was a single hope: help from God. “Don’t be so upset, even though this seems like a total loss. Remember, no one dies of hunger.”

Question 9: Why does the postmaster send money to Lencho? Why does he sign the letter ‘God’?

Answer: Postmaster was moved by Lencho’s complete faith in God. So, he decided to send money to Lencho. Moreover, the postmaster did not want to shake Lencho’s faith in God. So, he signed the letter ‘God’. It was a good ploy to convey a message that God had himself written the letter.

Question 10: Did Lencho try to find out who had sent the money to him? Why/Why not?

Answer: As Lencho had complete faith in God, so he did not try to find out the actual sender of money.

Question 11: Who does Lencho think has taken the rest of the money? What is the irony in the situation?

Answer: Lencho had all his doubts on people working in the post office. The irony of the situation is the finger pointing on those who had tried to help out Lencho. In real life also we come across such situations. Many a time you would have tried helping someone and he may get a wrong message.

Question 12: Was Lencho surprised to find a letter for him with money in it?

Answer: Lencho was not surprised to get the money.

Question 13: What made him angry?

Answer: The fact that he received half the amount he had requested for, made him angry.

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

Greedy, naïve, stupid, ungrateful, selfish, comical, unquestioning

Answer: In the real world it is almost impossible to find people, like Lencho. Lencho seems to be naïve and unquestioning. Naïve in the sense that he doesn’t even bother to think about who sent the money or if God would actually send the money. Probably his naiveté comes from his unquestioning belief in  God.

Question 15: There are two kinds of conflict in the story: between humans and nature, and between humans themselves. How are these conflicts illustrated?

Answer: In the initial part of the story the episode of rainfall turning into a hailstorm shows the conflict between man and nature. When it is a rainfall the man is very happy dreaming about happy days ahead. But once the rain turns into hail the man is ruing the happening of hailstorm. The way Lencho is feeling sad and gloomy after the storm appropriately projects the conflict of the nature and the man. In the later part of the story when Lencho blames post office people for stealing part of the money then it is showing the conflict between humans. Although nothing is written what happened after that, but anybody can imagine the mental situation when postmaster read the letter.

Irregular Forms of Verbs

Parts of Speech

Active & Passive Voice

Tenses