THINK ABOUT IT

Page 18

Q1. In what way is Iswaran an asset to Mahendra?
Answer: Iswaran is a great asset to Mahendra in many ways. He is a skilled cook and a good companion. He cooks for Mahendra, washes his clothes, and tidies up their living quarters. Most importantly, he keeps Mahendra entertained with his captivating stories, which makes up for the absence of a television in his solitary life.

Q2. How does Iswaran describe the uprooted tree on the highway? What effect does he want to create in his listeners?
Answer: Instead of simply saying he saw an uprooted tree, Iswaran describes it with a sense of drama. He says he saw something that looked like “an enormous bushy beast lying sprawled across the road.” He uses dramatic gestures, arches his eyebrows, and holds out his hands to build suspense and surprise. He wants to create an effect of horror and adventure in his listeners.

Q3. How does he narrate the story of the tusker? Does it appear to be plausible?
Answer: Iswaran narrates the story of the tusker with great excitement and passion. He gets so caught up in his story that he jumps about, stamping his feet in emulation of the mad elephant. He claims to have brought down the beast with a cane by using a Japanese art form like Karate or Ju-Jitsu. The story is not plausible, as a cane could not possibly have such an effect on a wild elephant.

Q4. Why does the author say that Iswaran seemed to more than make up for the absence of a TV in Mahendra’s living quarters?
Answer: The author says this because Iswaran was a master storyteller who could weave out endless stories filled with adventure, horror, and suspense. His tales, delivered with great flair and dramatic effects, kept Mahendra thoroughly entertained. He captivated Mahendra’s attention so much that he made his lonely life interesting and lively, just like a TV would have done.

Q5. Mahendra calls ghosts or spirits a figment of the imagination. What happens to him on a full-moon night?
Answer: On a full-moon night, after hearing Iswaran’s ghost story, Mahendra is woken up by a low moan near his window. He first dismisses it as a cat, but when the moaning becomes louder, he looks out and sees a dark, cloudy form clutching a bundle. He breaks into a cold sweat and falls back on his pillow, panting in fear, even though he had earlier dismissed ghosts as a figment of the imagination.

Q6. Can you think of some other ending for the story?
Answer: This is a creative question, and the answer will vary depending on the student’s imagination. A possible ending could be:

When Mahendra hurries away to his office to hand in his papers, he accidentally drops his wallet. Iswaran, being a loyal servant, runs after him to give it back. As he catches up with Mahendra, he asks him what is wrong. Mahendra, still shaken by the experience, tells him everything. Iswaran, feeling guilty for having frightened him so much, confesses that he had put on a white sheet and made the moaning sound to play a joke on him. Mahendra, relieved and angry, decides to fire Iswaran, but ultimately forgives him, knowing that Iswaran’s storytelling was born out of his genuine desire to entertain him.