Comprehension

I. Answer these questions in one or two words.

Q1. In which tree was a machan put up?
Answer: An oak tree

Q2. Where is Mokameh Ghat?
Answer: Eastern Bihar

Q3. Who is the ‘White Sadhu’?
Answer: Jim Corbett

Q4. Who is the bania’s first customer?
Answer: A small boy

Q5. How many pice make an anna?
Answer: Four

II. Answer these questions in a sentence or two.

Q1. How do the villagers plough the narrow fields?
Answer: The villagers plough the fields using a special plough with a short shaft and small, sure-footed cattle that have been bred on the hills.

Q2. Describe the dress of a high-caste hill woman.
Answer: The dress of a high-caste hill woman consists of a shawl, a tight-fitting bodice made of warm material, and a voluminous skirt. Their feet are bare, as wearing shoes denotes that the wearer is unchaste.

Q3. How did the tiger kill his first victim?
Answer: The tiger attacked a twelve-year-old girl who was reaping wheat. It struck at her, “severed her head from her body,” and carried off the body, leaving the head near her mother’s feet.

Q4. What items are sold by the bania in his stall?
Answer: The bania sells essential items like atta, rice, dal, ghee, salt, cigarettes, matches, kerosene oil, and some snacks like stale sweets, potatoes, and turnips.

Q5. How do the inhabitants of Kumaon villages get news of the outside world?
Answer: They get news from their occasional trips to Nainital and from wayfarers, especially the packmen who bring news from distant plains on their way in and from trading centers on their way back.

III. Answer these questions briefly.

Q1. Describe the episode involving the sportsman from the time of his arrival at the machan to his departure.
Answer: The sportsman from Nainital arrived by accident at the machan and told Corbett’s men to leave. He and his two companions sat on the machan, and an hour after dark, he lit a lantern. The string slipped, the lantern crashed to the ground and started a fire that burned “several square miles of forest.” After this frightening experience, he left the next morning, never to hunt a man-eater again.

Q2. Would you agree that through the bania and his customers, Corbett presents a snapshot of life in a typical Kumaon village? Write a reasoned answer.
Answer: Yes, I would agree. Through the bania’s shop, Corbett provides a detailed snapshot of daily life in a Kumaon village. We see the simple wares sold there, reflecting the basic needs of the villagers and wayfarers. The different customers—a young boy with one pice, a woman of the “depressed class” with two annas, and the packmen—show the social structure and economy of the village. The fact that the strongest drink available is milk also highlights the simple, non-alcoholic culture of the hill men.

Q3. Describe the two instances when the villagers display bravery and courage.
Answer: The villagers display bravery and courage on two occasions. First, when a woman is attacked by the tiger, the men of the village “assembled and with great gallantry drove away the tiger”. Second, after tying the body to a tree, they show “commendable courage” by following the tiger’s drag for half a mile even though they were unarmed, to find the body again and set up another machan.

Q4. Why did the villagers send Corbett a telegram? Why did it take him long to arrive at the village?
Answer: The villagers sent Corbett a telegram because they needed him to rid them of a man-eating tiger that had killed a twelve-year-old girl. It took him a week to arrive at the village because he had to travel a “thousand miles by rail and road, and the last twenty miles on foot.”

IV. Answer these questions in detail.

Q1. Do you think that ‘The Queen of the Village’ is an appropriate title? Discuss.
Answer: The title “The Queen of the Village” is very appropriate because it highlights the central figure of the essay and her unique role in the community. Although the essay starts with a story about a tiger hunt, it is the headman’s wife who embodies the dignity, tradition, and quiet authority of the village. Her “rule is never questioned” not because of power, but because of her “pure ancestry” and respected status as a Brahmin, the “salt of India’s earth.” She is a symbol of the old, traditional values of the region, and her warm hospitality and sense of pride make her a true “queen” in the eyes of the narrator, Jim Corbett.

Q2. It is generally held that Corbett was very sympathetic in his portrayal of the hill people. Do you agree? Write a reasoned answer.
Answer: Yes, I agree that Corbett was very sympathetic in his portrayal of the hill people. He shows deep respect for their hard work, describing the “infinite labour” they put into creating the terraced fields. He also highlights their “great gallantry” and “commendable courage” in confronting the man-eater. Corbett fondly refers to the people of the region as being part of “my India,” which shows his deep affection for them. He is also sensitive to their caste distinctions, hospitality, and pride, even calling himself the “White Sadhu.” His entire narrative is a testament to his admiration and respect for the people of the Kumaon hills.