Chapter 6 of the novel ‘The Invisible Man’

Chapter 6 of the novel ‘The Invisible Man’

Summary

The Furniture That Went Mad

In the previous chapter, you have come to know about the theft in Mrs. And Mr. Bunting’s house. The stranger entered their house and stole money because day by day he was unable to meet out his daily expenditure.

In this chapter, we find that Mr. Hall and Mrs. Hall had woken up earlier than before. Then they went silently down in the cellar to take care of the beer that was under the process of preparation. The moment they entered the cellar, Mrs. Hall remembered that she had forgotten to bring a bottle of sarsaparilla (a kind sweet liquid prepared from this plant) from their room. Mr. Hall went upstairs to get it. While going upstairs, he found that the door of the stranger’s room was open, but he kept going on towards his room and found the bottle there. Picking up it, he started returning and suddenly he noticed that the front door was simply on the latch. He also remembered that the previous night it was properly closed by Mrs. Hall. His curiosity increased and he proceeded towards the stranger’s room to see something more there.  He rapped at the door of his room upstairs. There was no response. He rapped again. When he found no reply, he pushed the door in and entered. Mr. Hall found everything as he had expected. The bed and the room was also empty. His garments, the bandages were all lying scattered on the bedroom chair and along the rail of the bed.

In the meantime, Mrs. Hall became impatient as Mr. Hall was not going down with the bottle which she needed immediately. So she started calling him aloud from the cellar.

At this, Mr. Hall tried to tell Mrs. Hall by going downstairs that the stranger’s room was quite open at that time. At first, she could not understand the whole matter, but, at last, she decided to see the empty room for herself. Mr. Hall, still holding the bottle in his hand started moving upstairs first, followed by his wife. As both of them came up the cellar steps, they heard the front door open and shut, but seeing it closed, neither of them said any word to each other. Then, Mrs. Hall passed her husband in the passage and ran upstairs. She also heard someone sneeze. As she was going on first, she thought that it was Mr. Hall who was sneezing. She at once flung open the door and entered the room.

She heard a sniff close behind her head. She thought it might have been Mr. Hall just behind her. But the moment she turned behind ascertain it, she found that her husband was at a distance from her. But soon he came near her. She came near the bed and bent forward and touched the pillow and the bed clothes to feel the warmth on them. But she felt it all cold. It meant the stranger must have left his bed before one hour or more.

As she did all that, a most extraordinary thing happened. The bed-clothes gathered themselves together, leapt to one side as a heap. It all happened as if a person had rolled up the bed-clothes into a heap and then threw them to one side.

After that the stranger’s hat hopped off, and after a whirling flight in the air was it was hit straight at Mrs. Hall’s face. Then some other things like sponge from the wash-stand, chair, coat and trousers, etc. were all flung aside carelessly, and the chair suddenly started moving towards Mrs. Hall. Both the husband and the wife went out of the room in panic. The door was slammed violently from behind then and was locked from inside. After some time, everything became quiet and calm.

Mrs. Hall was so much petrified at this unusual scene she had ever seen in her life that she was almost fainted. With a great difficulty, Millie and Mr. Hall were able to bring her downstairs.

She became so much panicked that she started speaking as if she was in delirium. She was constantly saying that it was all done by the stranger and it was he who had stirred the spirits in the room by doing irreligious activities. He himself was irreligious and also he misused the furniture that was used by her mother, so the spirit of her mother got annoyed and started throwing the things into the air. She was also talking about his goggled eyes and bandaged head. She also wished that her husband must lock the stranger in the room and held him responsible for all the misdoings as he never visited the church on Sundays. She also mentioned that normally a person never kept such a big number of bottles in his possession as he had in the room.

Mr. Hall again tried to make her drink some more drops of a liquid so that her nerves would become steady.

After that, Millie was sent to call Mr. Sandy Wadgers, the blacksmith, who was told by Millie that Mrs. Hall’s furniture was behaving in a most extraordinary way. He soon reached the inn and Mrs. Hall and her husband wanted the blacksmith to lead him to the stranger’s room at once. But he seemed to be in no hurry as he wanted to study the facts before taking further step.   Therefore he talked with Mr. Hall about the case while passing through the passage. In the meantime, Mr. Huxtar also joined them. They could not reach a decision, so they decided to know the facts first.

As they were busy discussing all that, the door of the room upstairs opened itself and they were wonderstruck to see the stranger’s muffled figure stepping downstairs, perhaps staring more sternly than ever form under his those unreasonably large blue glasses of his goggles. He came down stiffly and slowly staring all the time while walking down the steps. The he stopped and said to them, “Look there!” At this, they all saw towards the point where he was indicating with his gloved finger. He was pointing towards the bottle of sarsaparilla that was left by Mr. Hall near the cellar door. Then he entered the parlour and suddenly, viciously slammed the door in.

They kept staring at one another without uttering any word until the sound created by the slammed door died down.  After that, Mr. Wadgers said that he would like to go I and ask for an explanation for all that he had done there. Mr. Hall took some time to give his approval to what Mr. Wadgers saying.

Then Mr. Wadgers went upstairs and knocked at the door, opened it and said, “Excuse me…”

“Go to the devil!” came a tremendous voice from the room and ordering him to shut the door.

Thus his brief interview was terminated!

The Summer of the Beautiful White Horse by William Saroyan for CBSE Class XI

The Summer of the Beautiful White Horse by William Saroyan

Synopsis of the Lesson

This is an interesting story about two boys. They belonged to a family, which was famous for its honesty. The boys had a craze for horse-riding. One day, the narrator’s cousin, Mourad, bought a beautiful white horse for riding. He had stolen it from some place. The narrator was shocked to think that Mourad had stolen the horse. Such a thing had never happened in their family. But the narrator also wanted to enjoy the ride. So he cooperated with his cousin in keeping the stealth a secret. They continued enjoy horse-riding for many days early in the morning. They used to hide the horse somewhere in a barn. One day, they came across the owner of that horse and he recognized it, but he could not blame the boys for the theft of his horse. It was because he knew that the boys belonged to a reputed family. The next morning, the narrator and his cousin left the horse at its usual place.

Main Points of the Story

One day, Mourad, the narrator’s cousin woke him up early in the morning at four o’clock. He was sitting on a beautiful horse. The narrator could not believe his eyes. He always longed for horse-riding. Mourad and the narrator belonged to a family that was very famous for its honesty. It was known as Garoghlanian family. They had been famous for the honesty for about eleven centuries. Every member of the family felt proud of being a Garoghlanian. They believed in the right and the wrong and never took advantage of anybody in the world.

The narrator could not believe that his cousin could steal the horse. But the reality was before his eyes, so he had to believe it. Then the narrator that stealing a horse only for a raiding was different from stealing money or for selling the horse for money. After that, the narrator jumped down on the yard from window of his room. He sat on the horse’s back behind Mourad, who was considered one of the craziest members of his family. He was considered the natural successor of the craziness found in his family.

His uncle Khosrove was also a crazy fellow. He was a big man with a big head and black hair on it. He had very long moustaches on his face. He was a man of irritable temple. He was also very impatient in his behaviour.  He would stop anybody by saying, “It is no harm; pay no attention to it.”

Once Khosrove’s own son, Arak, came running at a barber’s shop, where he was getting his moustaches trimmed. Arak told him that their house was on fire. Khosrove stood up at once and roared, “It’s no harm; pay no attention to it.

Thus Mourad was the natural descendant of Khosrove.

At present Mourad and his cousin were enjoying riding. Mourad was also singing while riding. After sometime, Mourad told the narrator to get down of the horse because he wanted to have the ride alone.

The narrator obyed and got down of the horse. He also told Mourad that he would also like to have a ride alone.

Mourad kicked the horse and it soon started galloping. The horse crossed a field of dry grass and then an irrigation ditch. He returned after five minutes.

Now it was the narrator’s turn to enjoy the ride alone.

He also leapt to the back of the horse and kicked it. The horse reared and snorted. Then it ran suddenly. Instead of running across the field and then to the irrigation ditch, it ran down road to the vineyard of Dikran Halabian. The horse threw the narrator on to the ground while jumping on the vines.

The narrator and Mourad made a search for it and after half an hour, Mourad came back with the horse. They thought of hiding the horse at a secret place.

The narrator also came to know that Mourad had been enjoying rides for the last many days. They went home and the narrator had his breakfast.

That afternoon, the narrator’s uncle Khosrove came to his house to sip coffee and smoke a cigarette.

Another visitor, named John Byro, also came there. He complained that his white horse had been missing for a month.

The narrator’s uncle Khosrov and John Byro had an argument on the loss of the horse. Khosrove advised John Byro to forget about the horse and not to give any importance to money.

John Byro got angry and went out of the house.

The narrator went to Mourad’s house and told him all about John Byro’s visit to his house. The narrator requested Mourad not to return the horse until he learnt how to ride. Mourad agreed not to return it for six months.

One morning, on the way, they came across John Byro, the owner of the white horse.

He recognized the horse and he knew that it was his own horse, but still, he could not make a claim over it because he knew the reputation of the narrator’s family. He just called the horse the twin of his horse.

Early next morning, the narrator and his cousin left the horse to John Byro’s barn.

That afternoon, John Byro came to the narrator’s house. He showed the horse to the narrator’s mother. He said that his horse had become stronger and better tempered than before. Then the narrator’s uncle became irritated. He shouted, “ Your horse has been returned. Pay no attention to it.”

Mrs. Packeltide’s Tiger by Saki: Comprehension Passages:

Passage 1:

“The compelling motive for her………………….that sort of thing.”

Q1. Name the lesson & its writer.

Ans. The lesson is Mrs. Packletide’s Tiger and its writer is Saki (Hecter Hugh Munro)

Q2. Who was Nimrod?

Ans. He was a famous legendary hunter.

Q3. What was Mrs. Packletide’s compelling motive for hunting?

Ans. She wanted to counter Loona Bimberton’s flight that she had with an Algerian aviator for eleven miles in an aeroplane.

Q4.What did Loona Bimberton boast of?

Ans. She boasted of her flight that she had with an Algerian aviator for eleven miles in an aeroplane.

Q5. What does ‘that sort of thing’ stand for?

Ans. The phrase stands for Loona’s flight with an Algerian aviator for eleven miles in an aeroplane.

Passage 2:

 “Not that the lust  to kill……………….an Algerian aviator.”

Q1. Who is ‘she’ in the above passage?

Ans. ‘She’ is  Mrs. Packletide in the passage.

Q2. What is meant by the phrase ‘the lust to kill’?

Ans It means the strong desire to kill.

Q3. What is her lust here?

Ans. It is to kill a tiger.

Q4. What was her motive and why was it called ‘compelling’?

Ans. Mrs’ Packletide’s motive was to outshine Loona Bimberton. It was compelling because she did not want to waste any time.

Passage 3: 

"Circumstances proved propitious…….antecedents.”

Q1. How had the circumstances become propitious?

Ans. An old tiger stayed in the forest of a village for feeding itself on domestic animals. Mrs. Packletide waited for such an opportunity.

Q2. Why did Mrs. Packletide offer a big prize for the villagers?

Ans. She offered it to lure the villagers so that they could arrange for her a safe and riskless tiger hunt.

Q3.What type of shooting did she want to have?

Ans. She wanted to have a shooting without much risk or exertion.

Q4. Who has been called the animal of ‘respectable antecedents’?

Ans. The tiger has been called so.

Q5. What became the favoured rendezvous of the animal?

Ans. A neibouring village.

Q6. What is the meaning of ‘rendezvous’?

Ans. Fixed meeting place

The Summary of the Chapter 4: The Invisible Man by H. G. Wells

The Summary of the Chapter 4

Mr. Cuss Interviews the Stranger

Dear students, up to now, you have made an impression about the stranger’s odd personality. He was an eccentric type of person, who remained busy for most of his time in doing experiments in his room usually locked from inside.

During this time, there were a number of quarrels with Mrs. Hall on the issue of breaking domestic discipline. But every time he settled the issue by paying her money as compensation.

Mr. Hall did not like the stranger since the day Teddy had created doubts in his mind. So he always tried to advise his wife, Mrs. Hall, to get rid of the stranger who was staying in her inn. He also tried to conceal his dislike for the stranger so that she would not think it interference in her matters. She also told Mr. Hall to wait till summer comes, when more guests start coming to the village.

The stranger remained so much busy in his experiments that he did not even visit the church. There was no difference for him between Sundays and the other days of the week. There was irregularity in his activities. Sometimes he would remain busy while some other day, he would rise late and walk in his room feeling weary, speaking to himself for hours together. He would smoke for some time and then sleep in his armchair. His temperament was also uncertain.

For once or twice, the things were snapped, torn, crushed or broken because of his deep chronic irritable nature. He also kept talking to himself in a very low voice. He avoided going out when it was broad daylight. He preferred going out muffled up after the sunset not caring for the weather hot or cold outside.

Q1. What irregularities do you notice in the Invisible Man’s activities as mentioned in the chapter 4 of the novel?

He chose the loneliest paths, overshadowed by trees and banks. His goggling spectacles and bandaged face seemed unusual to the home-coming labourers.

One night, Teddy Henfrey was scared to see the stranger’s skull-like head. He was walking lost in his thoughts by keeping his hat in his hand. Then suddenly the light came from the opened door of the inn fell on his head and revealed it. Thus he became the topic of the town.

The children who happened to see him started dreaming of ghosts in their sleep.

The opinion of the people was divided on the issue of his occupation. Mrs. Hall would very cautiously tell the people that he was an ‘experimental investigator.’ When asked by people as to what he experimented about, she would answer in a round-about way that he ‘discovered things’. She would also defend the stranger that he had met with an accident which temporarily discoloured his face and hands. As he is man of sensitive nature, he avoided showing himself to the people.

Mrs. Hall did not know that the people had also different opinions about the stranger.

According to a view which was generated by Teddy Henfrey, he was a criminal who was running away from being caught by the police. That was the reason he concealed his identity from the public.

Mr. Gould, the probationary assistant in the National School was of the view that the stranger was an anarchist in disguise preparing explosives and waiting for the appropriate time for his operation.

Mr. Fearenside, the cart-man, also created a group of people who believed in his piebald view in ditto or with the same view with some modifications.

Yet there was another view about the stranger. According to this view, people thought him a harmless lunatic.

Another group of people included the waverers and compromisers who had some superstitions about him. The idea was first whispered in the village of Iping after the events that happened in the early April.

Q1.What stories about the invisible Man were invented by Teddy Henfrey, Mr. Gould, Mr. Fearenside and some other people?

But the people in Iping on the whole disliked him. His irritable nature was also an amazing thing for these  quiet loving Sussex villagers. His strange activities i.e. his dramatic gestures and his walking after the nightfall were not acceptable to the public. People would close the doors, pull down the curtains, put out the candles and lamps if they saw him coming. If people met him on the way, they would get aside and let him pass by. The young boys humorously would keep their coat collars up in the same fashion as the stranger did. They also kept their hat brims down. They would also follow him nervously imitating his odd habits.

A song ‘The Bogey Man’ became very much popular in the village. Mrs. Statchel sang it at the school-room concert. Since then, whenever two or more villagers gathered at one place and the stranger appeared there, they whistled the tune of the song. Some children also started calling ‘Bogey man’ after him.

Q2. How did the young men and children of the village Iping do in imitation of the Invisible Man?

Now the stranger became the talk of the town. At this time a public practitioner, Mr. Cuss became curious to talk to him. The bandages excited his professional interest and also one thousand and one bottles also aroused his interest in the stranger.He had to wait for the opportunity to meet him through April and May, but could not get any. At last towards Whitsuntide (the seventh Sunday after Easter), he could not stop himself. He invented an excuse to meet the stranger. It was about collecting subscription for the village nurse.

Mr. Cuss was surprised to note that Mr. Hall did not know his guest’s name. At this, Mrs. Hall tried to defend her husband saying that the stranger had told her his name. But she had not heard it properly.Cuss was determined to interview the stranger, so he rapped at the door of the parlour and entered. There was a fairly audible curse that came from the room as he stepped in. Mr. Cuss, first of all, asked for forgiveness for entering the room in that way. But then, the door was closed and that made Mrs. Hall unable to listen to the rest of the conversation that went on between them. She could hear only the murmuring sound for some minutes. Then she heard a cry of surprise, a stirring of feet, a chair that was flung aside, a crazy laughter and the quick steps running towards the door. Cuss appeared out of the room quite white faced, his eyes staring back over his shoulders. He left the door opened behind him and without looking at Mrs. Hall, who was standing outside the room, walked across the hall taking long strides and went down the steps. Mrs. Hall also heard the sound of his feet hurrying along the road.

The stranger carried his hat in his hand stood behind the door, looking at the open door of the parlour. Then Mrs. Hall heard the stranger laughing quietly. She could not see the stranger’s face and then the parlour door was slammed and the place was silent again. After that Cuss went to the village priest, Mr. Bunting, to tell about his strange experience. He told the priest that he had entered the stranger’s room to get subscription for the Nurse Fund. He also told the priest that he saw bottles, chemicals, test tubes and other equipments everywhere in his room. Then he asked the stranger if he would subscribe for the fund. At this, he replied in positive. After that, he asked the stranger a direct question if he had been researching. He again replied in yes. Then the stranger accidentally took his hand out of his pocket and then he was able to see down the empty sleeve to the elbow. Next he questioned the stranger if he was moving the empty sleeve. At this he had laughed and then extended his empty sleeve towards his face and pinched his nose. After hearing this Bunting began to laugh.

Q3. Who was Mr. Cuss? Why was he so much curious about meeting the stranger? Tell something about his experience of meeting with the stranger and what story did he tell to Mr. Bunting about his interview with the Invisible Man?

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After Twenty Years by O Henry

After Twenty Years by O Henry

(About the author: William Sydney Porter known as O Henry was an American writer. His short stories are well known for their wit, characterization, and suspenseful endings. Some of these are: The Last Leaf,  The Gift of the Magi, and The Cop and the Anthem.)

As the chapter opens, we find a policeman moving up the street of his beat (area of duty) in a very impressive manner. It was his natural style, not an artificial one to make a show-off because at that time people were very few. The time was hardly 10 p.m., but the chilly (very cold) gusty (blowing hard) winds prevented people from making a rush in the streets.

The policeman’s duty was to ensure protection to the houses and shops there in the street, so he was checking the doors of the houses if they were properly closed or locked.

He also kept twirling (spinning) his staff (stick) in a very artistic way while doing his duty i.e. moving from one door to the other.

Also, he was keeping his alert eyes at the people’s movements on the main road. His strong figure with a slight swagger (to walk in a very showy and proud manner) made him a fine picture of a guardian of peace.

After that, the writer tells that the lights of a cigar store and of an all-night lunch counter were on, but the majority of the business stores were closed because of the chilly weather conditions at that time.

After sometime, the policeman again became visible and his eyes fell on a man who stood in the doorway of a hardware store with an unlighted cigar in his mouth. The policeman went to him and before he could make a question, the man assured the cop that he was not going to do any illegal activity there. He was just waiting for a friend who had made a promise to meet him there after twenty years back. He also told the policeman that it might seem funny to him and he also spoke about a restaurant “Big Joe” Brady’s restaurant’ that used to be at that place where a store stood at that time.

The policeman told him that it was demolished (pulled down) five years ago. At that very time, the man in the doorway struck a match and lit his cigar. The light showed a pale square-jawed face with keen (curious/eager) eyes. There was a little white scar near his eyebrow. He wore a scarf that had an oddly set pin.

After this, the man in the doorway started telling about himself and his friend.

He said that both of them dined together twenty years ago at “Big Joe” Brady’s restaurant. He added that Jimmy Wells was his best friend and the finest person in the world. Both of them were raised (brought up) in New York. They were like brothers and he was eighteen and Jimmy was twenty years at that time. 

The man in the doorway continued saying that the next morning, he was to start for the West to make his fortune. He added that his friend Jimmy did not want to leave New York, so he remained there. Before leaving, both of them agreed that they would meet there at 10 p.m. after twenty years on the same day without caring for any condition.

The policeman said that the whole story was very interesting to him, but the gap of twenty years was a very long time set for a meeting. He also asked the man in waiting if he had any communication with his friend during that period.

The man said that it continued for one year or two, but after that, the connection between them snapped. He also told the policeman that his friend Jimmy would surely fulfill his promise to meet him at that spot if he was alive because he was always truthful. He also said that he had come after covering the distance of thousands of miles and it would be of any value if he met his old friend Jimmy

Then the man in wait pulled out a handsome watch having the lid set with small diamonds. He also said that only three minutes were left for the watch to strike ten.

The policeman asked him if he had done pretty well in the West.

The man didn’t give a straightforward reply to it. Rather he said that he could bet with him on Jimmy’s economical condition by saying that it would be half as compared to that of him because his friend was slow although a good fellow.

The police man moved his stick in the same way as he was doing in the beginning and took a step or two and said that he would be on his way then and he also hoped that his friend would come that night.

The other man said that he would give half an hour more to his friend to reach there.

The policeman bade him goodbye and went away doing his duty of checking the doors in his beat.

After that, a cold drizzling started falling and the wind also started blowing steadily. It made the passengers move hurriedly to their destinations turning their coat collars up and putting their hands in pockets. The man who had come a thousand miles to fill an appointment with his friend of youth smoked cigar and waited there alone.

After twenty minutes, a tall man in a long overcoat with collars turned up to his ears came hurriedly across from the opposite side of the street. He went straight to the waiting man.

“Is that you Bob?” he asked doubtfully.

“Is that you Jimmy wells? cried the man in the door.

Then the new arrival grasped (caught tightly) the other’s hands in his own and said that he was sure that he would certainly find his friend. He added that twenty years was a long time. He also spoke that the old restaurant was not there and wished it would have been there so that both of them could dine again thereafter twenty years. He also inquired of him as to how the West treated him.

The other man waiting in the door told him that the West gave him what he desired and also told the new arrival that he had changed a lot as he grew in height two to three inches more.

The new arrival told the man in wait (Bob) that he grew a little bit in height at the age of twenty. Bob also asked his as to how he was doing in New York.

The new arrival replied that he was doing moderately and he had a job in one of the city departments. Then he suggested to Bob to move to another place where they could talk more about a long time.

The man from the West was showing his egotism (thinking you are better and important) enlarged by success while the other was submerged (not showing off) in his overcoat and listened with interest.

There was a drug store brilliant with electric lights at a corner. When they came in the light, each of them tried to gaze upon the other’s face. The man from the West stopped suddenly and pulled his arm from the other’s grip.

“You’re not Jimmy Wells!” he snapped (spoke suddenly in a sharp tone).

‘Twenty years is a long time, but not long enough to change a man’s nose from a Roman to a pug (small & upturned like that of a small dog of a type).

The tall man replied, “It sometimes changes a good man into a bad one.”

“You’ve been under arrest for ten minutes, “Silky’ Bob. Chicago thinks you may have dropped over and wired us she wants to have a chat with you.

 Going quietly, are you? That’s sensible. Now, before we go on to the station here’s a note. I was asked to hand you. You may read it here at the window. It’s from Patrolman Wells.’

The man from the West unfolded the piece of paper he got from the tall man. When he began to read, his hand was steady, but it trembled a little by the time he had finished. The note was rather short.

Bob: I was at the appointed place on time. When you struck the match to light your cigar I saw it was the face of the man wanted in Chicago. Somehow I couldn’t do it myself, so I went around and got a plain-clothes man to do the job.

A Nation's Strength by Ralph Waldo Emerson:

A Nation's Strength by Ralph Waldo Emerson:

Class VIII

Stanza 1: “What makes a nation’s pillar high

And its foundations strong?

What makes it mighty to defy

The foes that round it throng”

In this poem, the poet makes several questions to clarify what he wants to say. In the very beginning he equates a country to a big building. Then he puts a question as to what are the things which make its pillars high and foundation very strong. What are the things that can challenge its enemies who have crowded around it?

Paraphrase: What are the things that make a nation’s pillars high and its foundation strong? What are the things that make a nation strong enough to defy or challenge its enemies that have surrounded it in a large number?

Stanza 2

“It is not gold. Its kingdoms grand

Go down in battle shock;

Its shafts are laid on sinking sand,

Not on abiding rock.”

Paraphrase : In the second stanza, the poet himself answers. He says that it is not gold that makes a country great.  Here gold stands for material progress of a nation. A nation may have large treasures of gold, money, natural resources. It may be having very high per ca-pita income. Material progress is not permanent. Wealth is also not permanent. It may come and it may go. The riches also make a person or a nation proud and rash.  So any battle can ruin the material progress of a person or a nation. We have so many examples in modern world in this context. Even the mighty and richer country may be destroyed. So the riches and material progress do not provide strong foundation to a nation. The building which stands on weak foundation may fall any time. The foundation made on the basis of wealth is like that made on sinking sand, not on durable rock. It may fall any time. It may be defeated by its enemies any time.

Stanza 3

Is it the sword? Ask the dust

Of empires passed away;

The blood has turned their stones to rust,

Their glory to decay.

Paraphrase: In this stanza, the poet again puts a question. Is it the sword that makes a nation strong? Here the sword stands for power. The people who are economically strong threaten others of dire consequences. They even fight and terrorize them to accept their supremacy. Similar is the case with the nations who are strong and powerful. They bully other nations to accept defeat. History is replete (full of) with examples of the fierce battles fought between such rulers. The poet suggests to us to ask the dust of the empires which are no more now about the result of such fierce battles. The bloodshed made the strong pillars of those empires weak as rust forces iron to decay.  The glory of the powerful empires never lasted for long.

Stanza 4.

And is it pride? Ah, that bright crown

Has seemed to nations sweet;

But God has struck its luster down

In ashes at his feet.

Paraphrase: After explaining that battles never made a nation strong, the poet proceeds to say that the pride of wearing glittering crowns also never made their nations powerful. Emperors and kings in the past had been very fond of wearing bright crowns on their heads. They also felt proud of being powerful and owning great empires. But their pride had to fall down. Their glory had to fade away with the passage of time. Kingdoms may have achieved glory by making victories over weak kingdoms. But that glory was not permanent.

Stanza 5.

Not gold but only men can make

A people great and strong;

Men who for truth and honour’s sake

Stand fast and suffer long. Brave men who work while others sleep,

Who dare while others fly…

They build a nation’s pillars deep

And lift them to the sky.

Paraphrase: In stanza five, the poet explains his points clearly in a straight forward manner. He says that it is not gold or wealth that makes a nation strong. Only the people who can stand by truth and honesty and who can suffer long for these great virtues can make their country great and strong.

These are the brave men who are always alert and active. These are the men who sacrifice their sleep for the safety and security of their country. These are the men who dare to challenge the enemies of their country and never run away from their duty. These are the men who make the pillars of their nation’s deep, strong and take them high in the sky. They provide strong foundation to the edifice of their nation. 

Television: What can a television do to children…

Television: What can a television do to children…

Class VIII:

Stanza 1: “The most important thing…..the idiot thing at all.” The poet Ronald Dahl appeals to the parents in the most emphatic manner that the children should not be allowed to watch television. It would be better if a TV set is not installed in the house.

Stanza 2: In almost every house, the children are seen glued to the screen of the TV. They are so much lost in watching the programmes that their mouths remain gaping and eyes fixed to the screen until they seem to be popping out of their sockets. The children watch TV in different postures, i.e. in half-lying position while relaxing and in some odd manner also. In the last line of this stanza, the poet humorously points out the seriousness of the matter by saying that a dozen eyeballs were found scattered on the floor in a house the previous week.

Stanza 3: They sit and keep on staring until they get fully lost in the visuals. They sit fixedly at one place as if they were hypnotised by some power. The parents feel and think that they have relief from their children as they would not jump from the window sill if they watch TV. They would not make any disturbance in the house and the parents feel relaxed and peaceful. The poet asks the parents if they know what damage actually they are causing to their beloved tots (little children).

Stanza 4: It gradually stops the progress of their power of understanding and imagining things around them. Watching TV fills their mind with so much with material and other stuff that they hardly think and imagine freely of their own. The originality of their thoughts is completely lost. A child’s mind becomes blocked to the natural world. They no more enjoy the natural scenery. They fail to enjoy the world of fantasy and fairyland.

Stanza 5: In this stanza, the poet replies to the parents question as to what they should do to entertain their children if they do not allow their children to watch TV. To reply this, the poet makes another question to them as to what they used to do to make their children busy before the invention of TV.

Stanza 6: In this stanza, the poet himself explains as to what the children did before the invention of TV. The poet repeats the word READ to make its effect on the mind of the reader. He says that the children used to read a lot. They used to read about great poets like Scott and Gadzooks. They passed half of their lives reading wonderful tales of dragons, gypsies, queens, whales, treasure islands, distant shores (the edge of the sea) where smugglers rowed their boats with muffled (without creating sound, hushed-up) oars and  sea-pirates (sea robbers) would come to loot ships wearing purple-coloured pants.

The young ones had with them the famous book of Beatrix Potter and they read the famous characters like Mr. Rat, Mr. Ted and Mr. Mole in Kenneth Grahame’s book ‘The Wind in the Willows.’ They also read Rudyard Kipling’s popular stories like ‘How the Camel got his ump’ and ‘How the monkey lost His Rump’. Those were the wonderful books for the children.

In the last four lines the poet ends the poem making an appeal again to the parents to throw away the TV and in its place a lovely bookshelf is to be installed.

Questions:

1.     What is the most important thing the poet has learnt?

Ans. The poet has learnt that the children should not be allowed to watch television. It would be better if a TV set is not installed in the house.

2.     How does the television keep the children still?

Ans. In almost every house, the children are seen glued to the screen of the TV. They are so much lost in watching the programmes that their mouths remain gaping and eyes fixed to the screen until they seem to be popping out of their sockets.

3.     What should the parents do for the entertainment of their children?

Ans. In the last four lines the poet ends the poem making an appeal again to the parents to throw away the TV and in its place a lovely bookshelf is to be installed.

4.     Name some of the things that the poet has seen in houses which have televisions.

Ans. The poet humorously points out the seriousness of the matter by saying that a dozen eyeballs were found scattered on the floor in a house the previous week.

Page 101:  Exercise B

1.     IT ROTS THE SENSE IN THE HEAD!  

IT KILLS IMAGINATION DEAD!

a.     What has been referred to as ‘it’ here?

Ans. The television has been referred to as ‘it’ here.

b.     Whose imagination and the head the poet is talking about here?

Ans. The poet is talking about the children’s imagination and head.

c.      Why has the poet used capital letters? How do you think he is feeling?

Ans. The poet has used capital letters in the above lines to highlight the damage done to the children by watching television. The poet feels concerned or worried about the children.

2.     How used they keep themselves contented

Before this monster was invented?

a.     What has been referred to as monster here?

Ans. The television has been referred to as monster here.

b.     Why has the poet called it a monster?

Ans. The poet calls the television a monster because it does a huge damage to the mind and imagination of the children.

c.      Who are they? How did ‘they’ keep themselves busy earlier?

Ans. ‘They’ are the children of the earlier time before the invention of television. They kept themselves busy in reading books of great writers.

Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain

Detailed Simplified Summary:Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain 

This lesson is an extract from a novel ‘Adventures of Tom Sawyer’ written by Mark Twain.

Tom Sawyer lives with his Aunt Polly and his half brother Sid. Tom Sawyer has been punished by his Aunt for dirtying his clothes in a fight.

The characters in this one act plat are Tom, Jim, Ben, Joe and Aunt Polly.

The scene is at the pavement (roadway) near the fence (boundary wall)  made up of wooden boards and it is morning time. Some boys are passing from that way laughing, shouting, playing tag, etc. They go away and then a boy hurries along the pavement with a fishing rod slung (hung) over his shoulder. Two more boys were also playing leap-frog across the pavement. After that Sid also comes through the gate, then crossing the yard reaches the pavement and he also goes off rolling a hoop (ring) happily.

Then Tom enters through the gate carrying a large bucket of white paint and a broad brush. He puts the bucket down on near the fence and has a look on the long-spread (expanse) of the fence which he was to white-wash as punishment. He seems to be very sad and hopeless about his freedom from the punishment.

He dips the brush in the white-wash and passes it along a part of the topmost part of it. He steps back and surveys the painted streak (line) that was quite unimportant for him and compares it with the rest of the unpainted part.

Feeling unhappy and disappointed, he sits down on an upturned barrel (drum).

Then Jim comes through the gate with an empty pail (bucket).

Tom asked him where he was going.

Jim told him that he was going to the pump to fetch (bring) water. He also told him that if he finished his task early, Miss Polly would allow him to watch Big Ho (awesome person, here it may be something interesting) draw up and then he laughs in delight.

Tom offered to Jim that he could do the work of bringing water if he white-washed some part of the fence.

Jim shook his head rejecting the offer and said that he could not do it because he was told by Miss Polly that he would fetch water and not stop anywhere. She had already expected that Tom would ask him to white wash, so she advised him to go along and mind his own business.

Tom was very clever and he tried to bribe Jim by showing him a marble which he took out from his pocket. Jim was influenced. He began to waver.

Jim was afraid of Miss Polly. Tom assured him that she would never come to know about it. He also promised to show him his sore toe. After some hesitation, Jim got ready to help him. He puts down his pail and collects marbles from Tom and bends over the sore toe. *His eyes widens with interest as Tom starts unwinding the bandage.

In the meantime, Aunt Polly, clutching (holding tightly) a slipper appeared on the scene and gave a powerful blow to Jim and he picked up his pail and giving out a startled (full of surprise) ran away quickly. Tom jumps towards the fence and began whitewashing it.

Aunt Polly went back from the scene feeling victorious. Now Tom was whitewashing at a good speed.

In the distance, he heard a whistle which gave a long mournful (full of sadness) sound. It was the whistling sound of a steam-boat called Big Missouri. Tom felt excited and he looked wishing that he should have been there to see the steam-boat. Then he took a long breath feeling helpless. The whistle was repeated.

After some time, Ben Rogers, a strongly built boy approached (reached) there. He was of Tom’s age. He was eating an apple and imitating the sound and movement of the steamboat as he walked along the pavement.

In the next lines, Ben was speaking some words that showed the sounds created by the moving steam-boat.

Tom looked at Ben and then he looked at the brush and then to the fence. An idea was forming in his mind. He started quickly dipping the brush and beginning the work showing full determination (strong decision).

Ben is speaking the same type of words.

After sometime, Ben noticed Tom doing work and he asked him if he was in a difficult situation.

Tom did not pay any heed (attention) to him. He started doing his work as if he were an artist and was very much interested in it. He wanted to impress Ben. So he surveyed his last touch like an artist who surveys ( watches carefully) his painting or drawing. Then he gave a gentle sweep with the brush and watched it in the same way.

Ben stopped near him and watched Tom doing work and also enjoyed eating his apple.

Then Ben asked him if he was given a work to do.

Tom pretended that he did not noticed (see) him.

Ben told him that he was going to enjoy swimming till he heard the sound of the steamboat. He asked if he did not wish to accompany (go with) them. Then he in a taunting way said that he would prefer work to enjoyment.

After saying that he laughed in a suppressed way and took another bite of the apple. Tom stared (gazed, looked in a fixed way) at the apple as if feeling entranced (involved, willing to eat), but soon he turned his eyes away from it..

Then he asked Ben as to what he called work.

He also told him that it was not work that he was doing at that time. It suited him and he liked it very much.

Ben Got more interested in it and Tom began to do his work showing more interest. Tom kept creating interest in Ben for the work he was doing.

Ben stopped biting the apple and Tom swept the brush back and forth delicately (softly), stepped back to notice the effect, added a touch here and there, criticized the effect again. Ben stood watching getting more and more interested in the work. Tom pretended not to see Ben.

At last Tom won and Ben asked him to allow him to whitewash a little. In the beginning Tom wanted to give him the brush at once, but then he controlled himself.

He made some excuses. The more Tom refused, the more Ben became interested in it.

Ben became so much interested in the task that he was ready to give his apple to him.

Showing reluctance (hesitation), Tom gave the brush to him and took the half eaten apple. Ben started white-washing and Tom sat on a drum and took a full bite of the apple.

In between, he also kept giving warnings to Ben to remain careful in his work.

Then another boy, named Joe Harper reached there. He was carrying a kite with him.

He talked about the steamboat and suggested to Tom to go together to watch it.

But Tom told him that he and Ben had more important things to do than watching the steamboats.

Then Joe started asking about the white-washing and Tom applied the same method to attract him to it.

Ben asked Tom if he had given Ben something for doing whitewashing for him. Tom told him that he did not give him anything rather Ben gave him his apple.

Tom also created a spirit of competition in Joe and Ben told him that he could whitewash as good as Ben could.

Tom made the work more difficult for Ben by saying that he could not take brush from Ben. Then Joe ran to his house to fetch his father’s brush for doing white-wash.

Joe also promised to give his kite to Tom.

Tom again sat on the barrel (drum), holding the kite given to him by Joe. Joe and Ben stood side by side while white-washing the fence. The steamboat Big Mo sounded again.

Tom looked anxiously (worriedly) at the unpainted fence and wanted to get more victims to help him in his work.

Then another boy of Tom’s age came down picking up a dead rat swinging and held by a string. Soon a crowd of boys came down the pavement Tom collected a big treasure for him I addition to the kite and the dead rat, a window sash (that holds glass in a window), six marbles, a piece of chalk, a glass stopper from a decanter (bottle, vessel), a tin soldier, a couple of tadpoles (frog or a toad), six firecrackers, a kitten with only one eye, a brass door knob, a dog’s collar, a knife handle, etc.

In addition to Joe and Ben, a number of boys joined in whitewashing the fence. Some were whitewashing, some mixing more whitewash, some waiting their turns at the brushes or mixing buckets. Tom learnt feeling lazy against the barrel. He was surrounded by the valuable things and watching the boys idly (doing nothing) white-washing and sweating due to the work.

Ben wanted to do more work. He said that there was only one board left. Joe also wanted to whitewash on that. In a way they argue for that. The other boys also gathered round and asked for a chance to paint the last board. Tom told them to line up and take their turn in a disciplined way.

Tom gave all the boys their turn till they finished whitewashing.

Aunt Polly was in the kitchen knitting something. She roes and moved out muttering to herself that she should see how much work Tom had done. She had expected only one quarter of it and she decided to be satisfied at it.

Tom was sitting on the barrel and was arranging his wealth. The other boys had gone. Aunt Polly came through the gate spying him. She did not notice the fence and reached near him.

She asked him if he could do whitewashing in that way lying about in the sun and playing with his small things of little value.

Tom informed her happily that it was all done.

She was amazed to see all that. She asked him doubtfully as to how he managed complete all that.

Tom said that he did it without taking any break. She had to believe him and then she caught his wrist and led him inside the house. She promised him to give him doughnut (daonut: a kind of cake) as he had earned a treat.