The Eyes Have It by Ruskin Bond

Descriptive Type Questions & Answers from "The Eyes Have It" by Ruskin Bond

                      CLASS--12th

1) "...... my voice startled her."— Who is the speaker here? Who is mentioned as " her"? Why was she "startled" by the voice of the speaker? What did she do afterward? 

Ans- The speaker of the above mentioned line is the narrator of the short story "The Eyes Have It".

       The blind girl who was accompanying the narrator on the journey is mentioned as " her".

         The girl was "startled" by the voice of the narrator as she was unaware of anybody else's presence in the compartment. 

         The girl gave a little exclamation and said that she was unaware of anyone else's presence. As the girl was blind, she couldn't realise the presence of anyone until she heard the voice. 

2) "Yes, October is the best time"—Who is the speaker? On what occasion is the remark made and to whom? Why is October the best time? 

Ans- The speaker of the above mentioned line is the narrator. 

          When the girl who was travelling with the narrator in the same compartment asked the narrator about his destination, the narrator replied that his destination was Mussoorie. The girl then expressed her desire to visit Mussoorie. This marked the beginning of a conversation between the narrator and the girl regarding the hills and the narrator said that October is the best time to visit the hills. 

              October is the best time to visit the hills because at that time the hills are covered with wild dahlias, the sunshine is delicious and at night one can sit in front of a logfire and drink a little brandy. The roads also become quite and deserted as the tourist season gets over. 

3) "Then I made a mistake"—What 'mistake' did the speaker make? Why was it a 'mistake'? What removed the speaker's doubts? What did the speaker do then? 
Ans- The speaker made of asking the girl, his fellow-traveller, what it was like outside the train. 
          The speaker thought it to be a mistake as it was unusual of people with proper eyesight to ask such a question. The speaker was afraid that the girl might discover the truth that he was blind. 
               When the girl asked the speaker why he didn't look out of the window himself, it was then that the speaker's doubts were removed. 
                  To establish his lie as the truth, the speaker moved easily along the berth and felt for the window ledge. He faced the open window pretending to study the landscape like any other person with proper with proper eyesight and tried to convince the girl that he could see. 
4)"Do you see any animals? "— Who asked this and to whom? What was the reply? How could the person give the answer? 
Ans-     The blind girl who was travelling with the narrator asked this question to the narrator of the short story 'The Eyes Have It'. 
          In reply to this question, the narrator told no because he was pretty sure that there were hardly any animals left in the forests near Dehra. 
                    The narrator wanted to hide the matter that he was blind. So, when asked by the girl that whether he could see any animals outside, the narrator pretended to be looking out of the window before answering the girl's question. The narrator was very familiar with the surrounding areas of Dehra, so he replied confidently that he could not see any animals outside. 
5)"You have an interesting face"— Who said this? To whom was it spoken? When did the speaker make this remark? What was the reaction of the person spoken to? 
Ans- Above mentioned line is told by the narrator of Ruskin Bond's short story ' The Eyes Have It'. 
          The narrator said this to the girl who was travelling with him in the train. 
               The narrator faced the girl after turning from the window and sat in silence for a while before the narrator made this remark. 
                  In reply, the girl gave a clear, ringing laugh and said that as she was tired of hearing that her face was a pretty one the narrator's compliment was welcoming as a gallant young man. 
6) " I'm tired of people telling me I have a pretty face. "— Who said this, to whom and when? What did the person spoken to reply? 
Ans- The girl said this line to the narrator when the narrator praised her by saying that she had an interesting face. 
         At the time of the journey, the narrator was speaking carefully in order to prevent the girl from discovering that he was blind. Once he became quite daring and said to the girl, " You have an interesting face." Hearing it, like all other girls the girl failed to resist flattery. She laughed pleasantly and replied that the narrator's remark was nice to hear as she was tired of hearing that she has a pretty face. The girl also addressed the narrator as a very gallant young man. 
7) "The voice had the sparkle of a mountain stream"— Who thought so? Whose voice is referred to here? Why was the voice so special? 
Ans- The narrator thought so. 
        The voice referred to here is that of the girl who was travelling with the narrator in the same compartment. 
            The blind narrator on his journey met a girl whom he started to like from the very beginning. Since the short train journey didn't give him enough time to draw a mental image of the girl, he simply used his ears. The narrator considered the voice of the girl to be special as her voice reminded him of the sparkle of a mountain stream. He grew so fond of her voice that he was ready to sit with her for any length of time, just to listen to her talking. 
8) She would forget our brief encounter;" — Who said this and about whom? What is the brief encounter referred to here? Why did the speaker think so? 
Ans- The narrator said this about the girl who was travelling with him in the same compartment from Rohana to Saharanpur. 
           The lively and light-hearted conversation between the narrator and the girl about the beauty of the hills of Mussoorie in October and about the view of landscape from the train's window between Rohana and Saharanpur has been described as the brief encounter. 
                       When the narrator informed the girl that her station will arrive soon, she felt quite relieved. On the contrary, the narrator was ready to sit in the compartment for any length of time just to hear the girl talking. The journey that was cherished by him was of little importance to her. This differing emotion made the narrator feel that she would forget their brief encounter. 

9) " She was an interesting girl."— Who said this to whom and when? What else did the person say? What reply did he get? 
Ans- The narrator of Ruskin Bond's short story "The Eyes Have It" said this to the male co-passenger who boarded the train at Saharanpur. When the man told the narrator that he was not nearly as attractive a travelling companion as the one who had just left, then the narrator said the line quoted above. 
           The narrator asked his fellow-passenger, if he could tell him whether the girl, who departed a few minutes back kept her hair long or short. 
                  The man who broke into the narrator's reverie sounded bewildered hearing the question. He replied that he didn't remember the length of the girl's hair since it didn't catch his glimpse. He said that it were the beautiful eyes of the girl that attracted his attention. The twist in the tale got revealed when the man told the narrator that the girl's eyes were of no use to her as she was completely blind. 
10) 'She was completely blind'— Explain the irony in the given line. 
Ans- The climax of the story is the most exciting or important part of it. In this short story of Ruskin Bond it is at the climax, when the narrator learns that the girl he had been conversing with was 'completely blind'. His second fellow traveller informed him that the pretty girl's beautiful and attractive eyes were of no use to her. The shock made the narrator speechless. So long he had been continuously trying to conceal the fact from her that he was blind but now he had realized with disappointment that all his efforts to hide the truth had been vainly employed and fate had played a ruthless prank on him. 

My Own True Family by Ted Hughes( Class 10th)

Long Answer Type Questions

1) Where did the poet creep in? 

Ans- The poet crept in an oakwood. 

2) Who is 'I' here? 

Ans- Here the word 'I' refers to the poet, who has taken the form of a young boy in the poem. 

3) What was the poet looking for? 

Ans- The poet was looking for a stag.

4) Whom did the poet meet? 

Ans- The poet met an old woman. 

5) Describe the appearance of the old lady in the oakwood? 

Ans- The lady was old and unsteady. She held a stick in her hand and her dress was worn out like rags

6) What did the old woman say? 

Ans- The old woman said the poet that she hid his secret inside her little bag. 

7) What does the poet mean when he says 'I came twice awake'? 

Ans- The old woman had cast a spell on the poet and as he agreed to look inside her bag, he realized that he has been tricked and in no time, he found himself tied to a stake. The poet tried to convey the sense of shock and wonder through the above mentioned expression. 

8) By whom was the poet surrounded? 

Ans- The poet was surrounded by a strange looking tribe of the oak trees. 

9) When did the poet come twice awake? 

Ans- The poet came twice awake when the old woman opened her little bag. 

10) What would happen to the poet if he failed to make the promise? 

Ans- If the poet failed to make the promise, the black oak bark would wrinkle over him and root him amongst the oaks. 

Short Answer Type Questions & Answers from On Killing a Tree by Gieve Patel

1) What type of poem is " On Killing a Tree"? 

Ans- "On Killing a Tree" is an ironical poem of free verse. 

2) What kind of task is to kill a tree? 

Ans- Killing a tree is a hard and laborious task. 

3) How does a tree grow? 

Ans- The grows up slowly by drawing its essential needs from the earth's crust and sunlight, air, water from the atmosphere. 

4) What does the tree absorb from nature? 

Ans- The tree absorbs sunlight, air and water from the nature for growing up. 

5) Why is the bark of a tree is referred to as leprous hide? 

Ans- The bark of a tree is referred to as 'leprous hide' because the bark is rough and has marks similar to the skin of a leprosy patient. 

6) What sprouts out of the 'leprous hide'? 

Ans- Leaves sprout from the leprous hide. 

7) "But this alone won't do it"– What does 'this' refer to here? 

Ans- In the above line 'this' refers to the hacking and chopping of a tree. 
8) What causes the bark of a tree to bleed? 
Ans- Hacking and chopping cause the bark of a tree to bleed. 
9) What do you mean by 'bleeding bark'? 
Ans- As the poet compares the cutting of a tree to the killing of the same, the metaphorical expression ' bleeding bark' is used to depict the effect of hacking and chopping. 
10) From where would the curled green twigs rise? 
Ans- The curled green twigs would rise from the healed bark. 
11) How much time, according to Gieve Patel, does it take to kill a tree? 
Ans- According to Gieve Patel, killing a tree requires a lot of time. 
12) What does the phrase 'earth-cave' refer to? 
Ans- The phrase 'earth-cave' refers to the hollow that is formed when roots are pulled out of the earth. 
13) Which part of the tree is the most sensitive, white and wet? 
Ans- The root is, the most sensitive white and wet part of a tree. 
14) What scorch and choke the tree after it is pulled out? 
Ans- The sun and air scorches and chokes the tree after it's pulled out. 
15) 'And then it is done.'– Which act is referred to here? 
Ans- Here the act referred to is that of killing a tree. 

A Day in the Zoo (Gerald Durrell) 

         Short Answer Type Questions

1) What is the source of the piece ' A Day in the Zoo'? 

Ans- The piece ' A Day in the Zoo' is an extract from ' Menagerie Manor'. 

2) How long does a zoo owner have to work? 

Ans- A zoo owner has to perform his duty twenty- four hours a day. 

3) When does the day begin in a zoo?
Ans- In a zoo, the day begins just before dawn.
4) Whose song can be heard early in the morning?
Ans- The song of Robin can be heard early in the morning.
5) How has the author described the cries of the tauracos?
Ans- The cries of the touracos has been described as rich, fruity & slightly hoarse by the author.
6) What do the peahens do?
Ans- On the velvet green lawns the peahens search for food in the dewy grass.
7) How does a male peahen dance?
Ans- A male peahen dances with its burnished tail raised like a fountain.
8) When do the zoo staff arrive?
Ans- The zoo staff arrive at 8 o'clock in the morning.
9) How do the zoo staff start their day?
Ans- The zoo staff start their day by cleaning the zoo.
10) Where do the monkeys and other mammals live?
Ans- The monkeys and other mammals live in the long, two storied granite house. 

Write a paragraph about Aacharya Jagadish Chandra Bose. 

Ans- Acharya Jagadish Chandra Bose is one of the greatest scientists of all time. He was born on November 30, 1858 at Rarikhal, Dhaka( now in Bangladesh). His father's name is Bhagwan Chandra Bose. He started his early education from the village Pathshala at Faridpur. After coming to Calcutta, he got admitted in St. Xavier's School & later in St. Xavier's college. He earned his BSc & DSc degrees from the University of Cambridge, London. He started his career as a professor in Presidency College. Sir J. C. Bose researched on electromagnet & plant's life. They feel pain like human beings do. He also invented wireless telegraph. He set up the Bose Institute in Calcutta in 1917. This great scientist breathed his last on November 23, 1937.

    Asleep in the Valley by Arthur Rimbaud

1)  Justify the title of the poem ‘Asleep in the Valley’.

Ans- nding te soldier lay in the poem ‘Asleep in the   The title of the poem “Asleep In The Valley” tells us about someone who is sleeping in a calm, peaceful valley in close contact with Nature. The nature is very pleasant with its slow stream, the flood of sunlight, flowers, greenery and buzzing insects. In the title, the two main words represent different meaning other than their surface meaning. ‘Asleep’ denotes the eternal sleep i.e. (that is) death and ‘valley’ symbolizes a paradise like place. The title seems ironical. It brings out the futility and brutality of war in a gentle implicit way. Actually the title suggests that the soldier is not taking rest but has been brutally killed in the war. Thus the title is apt and suggestive to the theme of the poem.

2) Write the theme of the poem ' Asleep in the Valley'.                      Or

Consider ' Asleep in the Valley' as a war poem.

                                    Or

Discuss 'Asleep in the Valley' as an anti-war poem. 

Ans-The theme of the poem ' Asleep in the Valley' is the futility of war. Rimbaud, being himself a soldier had witnessed the horror of war, and in this poem he has expressed the pity of war. The poem presents before us a picture of a soldier who is resting in a valley amongst the flowers and humming insects. With one hand on his chest, the soldier lies open-mouthed smiling like an innocent child. This picture suddenly turns into a brutal one when we find the ' two red holes' in his side. The bullet marks at the side of his body sets the soldier in contrast with the whole landscape. The beauty of nature is abruptly changed because its warmth can't revitalize the young soldier whose life is destroyed before it was fully bloomed. The recurrent image of the sun is perhaps the remainder of its incapability to revive the dead soldier. The valley signifies the landscape transformed into a valley of death. With all these symbols and images the poet tries to show the futility of war which is the theme of this poem. 

3) Give a brief description of the surrounding the soldier lay in the poem ‘Asleep in the Valley’.

Ans-The poem is written like a telescope which focuses on different parts of the valley and zooms in on the details. The poet focuses on a panoramic view of the valley, from which he moves to the mountains and then the body of the soldier in the meadow. A small stream is flowing through the valley. There are various types of flowers and bushes in that valley. He zooms in on the soldier's feet which are among the flowers. His pillow is made of fern. Rimbaud waits until the last line of the poem to reveal that the soldier is dead. 

4) " A soldier, very young, lies open-mouthed, " —Where was the soldier found lying and how? How does the poet describe the soldier's face? Why, according to you, was he lying open-mouthed? 

Ans- The soldier was found lying in a small green valley under the open sky. 

          The young soldier was lying open-mouthed with his head placed on a pillow made of fern. His feet were covered with the flowers of the valley. He was sleeping peacefully in the warmth of the sun and one of his hands was upon his chest. 

           The soldier's face was looking pale against the brightness of the sun. There was a gentle and innocent smile on his face like an infant's smile. 

            According to me, the soldier was lying open-mouthed because he was dead and nothing could disturb his peaceful, eternal sleep. 

                    

Valley’

               Thank You Ma'am 

                                    -Langston Hughes

1) Justify the title of the story 'Thank You Ma'am'. 

Ans- The word 'thank you' expresses gratitude but the title expresses more than just gratitude. This story is about a boy named Roger who decides to steal a purse to buy a pair of blue suede shoes. But this attempt of stealing changes his life and helps to understand the worth achieving something through hard work. When he tries to snatch Mrs. Jones' purse, but he is caught and dragged to her house. Then she freshens him up, makes him comb his hair and offers him food. Moreover, she advises him never to engage himself again in any evil activities. She even gives him ten dollars so that he could buy suede shoes. So Roger's respect for her and his desire to express a lot as homage to the kind-hearted lady makes him utter ' Thank You Ma'am' . Thus, the title of the story is appropriate. 

2) " Do you need somebody to go to the store,....? " — Who is the speaker? To whom did the speaker say this? Why did the speaker want to go to the store? What did they have in supper? 

Ans- The speaker of the above quoted line is Roger, who attempted to snatch the purse of Mrs Jones.                                              The speaker said this to Mrs Luella Bates Washington Jones. 

          Roger was so moved by Mrs Jones' motherly affection that he wished to earn a place in her heart by becoming helpful and good. Hence, he asked her if she needed someone to go to the store maybe to get some milk or something. 

             Mrs Jones heated some lima beans and ham she had in the icebox, made cocoa out of canned milk and cut her ten-cent cake. The two had all these in supper. 

3) Why did the boy in "Thank You Ma'am" not run away though he found the door open? 

Ans- When Mrs Jones caught Roger, he pleaded with her to set him freed and looked for an opportunity to run away. Later after being taken to Mrs Jones' house, he got an opportunity to escape as the door was open but he did not feel the urge to. He got another chance to flee with Mrs Jones' purse when she was busy preparing supper, but he didn't do so. Mrs Jones' kindness, her caring attitude towards him, her addressing him as 'son' and above all the unfolding of her past, brought a change in Roger. He didn't want to lose her trust again. Hence he didn't run away despite getting a few opportunities to do so. 

4) " You ought to be my son. I would teach you right from wrong. "– Who speaks to whom? Did the speaker manage to teach what he/she claimed to teach? Give reasons for your answer. 

Ans- Here the speaker is Mrs Luella Bates Washington Jones and she is speaking to a boy named Roger. 

        The speaker, Mrs Luella Bates Washington Jones tried to teach Roger what is right and what is wrong. Roger wanted a pair of blue suede shoes and so he attempted to snatch her purse but got caught. Mrs Jones when came to know that he had nobody to teach him, took the responsibility of teaching him. She took him home, fed him like her own son and gave him ten dollars so that he could buy blue suede shoes. Her motherly affection moved him so much that he didn't try to escape from her house or steal money from her purse in spite of getting an opportunity to do so. Instead he wanted to help her in her work. Mrs Jones told him to avoid wrong means to fulfil his desires. Therefore, from the above discussion it can be said that the speaker managed to teach him what she claimed & reformed Roger.