Category: English Summary

We have decided to create the most comprehensive English Summary that will help students with learning and understanding. In this page, we are Providing Weathering The Storm In Ersama Summary.

Weathering the Storm Summary in English by Harsh Mander

Weathering the Storm by Harsh Mander About the Author

Harsh Mander is a social activist, author and a former officer of the Indian Administrative Services. He has founded and led many campaigns in the interest of social causes such as legal justice for survivors of communal violence, Dalit rights, the right to information, rehabilitation of street children and homeless people, among others. He serves as director in the Centre for Equity Studies and is also Special Commissioner to the Supreme Court in the Right to Food case. He has taught at many prestigious Indian as well as international institutions.

Some of his books include Ash in the Belly: India’s Unfinished Battle against Hunger and Unheard Voices: Stories of Forgotten Lives. He regularly contributes articles to leading newspapers, including The Hindu and Hindustan Times. Through his books and articles, Mander speaks of important social issues in India, such as communalism, poverty and caste discrimination, among others.

Author Name	Harsh Mander
Born	17 April 1955 (age 64 years), Shillong
Profession	Author, Columnist, Researcher, Teacher
Education	Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, St Stephen’s College

Weathering the Storm Summary in English

The story is set in the year 1999, in cyclone-effected Orissa. Seven years after his mother’s death, the protagonist, Prashant, goes to visit his friend in the coastal town of Ersama. That very evening, a menacing storm descends upon the town. Although Prashant’s friend’s house withstands the fierce wind, it is flooded with rainwater and also gets damaged by trees that crash onto its roof and walls. The devastation continues for 36 hours and Prashant and his friend’s family have to resort to taking refuge on the roof to escape the rising floodwater.

Prashant’s first glimpse of the situation outside conveys the horror caused by the super cyclone: only a few broken cement houses are visible in a sheet of brown water; there are animal and human corpses floating everywhere. Fortunately, the trees that had crashed onto Prashant’s friend’s house were coconut trees. The tender coconuts save the family from starvation during the next couple of days. Prashant and his friend’s family spend the next two days on the roof, exposed to constant rain. Prashant is anxious about the safety of his own family. After two days, the rain finally stops and he is determined to go back home.

With only a long sturdy stick for support, Prashant begins his 18-kilometer long journey home on foot, navigating the flooded roads. The floodwaters make the journey extremely difficult; at several points it is so deep that he has to swim to find the road. Fortunately, he is joined by two friends of his uncle’s, who are also returning to their village.

During their journey, Prashant and his companions come across horrific and painful sights: they move past floating carcasses of men, women, children and animals. These sights fill Prashant with despair about the fate of his family.

Upon reaching his village, Kalikuda, Prashant sees that his house has been destroyed and scraps of its belongings have been caught in the branches of trees. Prashant goes to the Red Cross shelter in the hope of finding his family. Once there, he finds his maternal grandmother who looks weak with starvation. He also meets his extended family, which includes his uncles, aunts, brother and sister. His family is extremely happy to see Prashant, as they had also feared him to be dead.

Next morning, Prashant decides to take stock of the desperate situation. Four days after the storm, there are 2500 people at the shelter; a total of eighty-six people have died and all ninety-six houses have been destroyed. The remaining stock of tender coconuts is too little to sustain this number of survivors. Prashant, who is only nineteen years old, takes on the role of a leader. He organises a group of young people and elders to secure rice from a merchant. It is suggested such an attempt had been made earlier but was unsuccessful. However, with Prashant leading the charge, this time they return to the shelter with food for everyone. He then decides to organise youth volunteers to clean the shelter and tend to the wounds of the injured survivors.

On the fifth day, a military helicopter drops some food parcels. After that however, no help seems to be coming their way. The youth volunteers ask children to lie on the ground with empty utensils on their stomach. This visual message communicates their hunger to passing helicopters, which then return regularly with parcels of food and basic necessities.

Prashant sets up shelters made of polythene sheets for the orphaned children. Women look after these children while the men secure food and materials for the shelters. Soon, the grief that the children and women are facing becomes apparent to Prashant. He asks the women to participate in the food-for-work programme started by an NGO. For the children, Prashant organises sporting events. The government plans to set up institutions for the orphans and widows. But Prsahant’s group resists this move as they feel that the best rehabilitation of the orphans and widows can happen within their own community. They want to set up foster families consisting of childless widows and orphans where they can resettle their lives with love and care.

Six months after the devastating super cyclone, Prashant has coped with his grief by helping the people of his community. To the widows and orphaned children of his village, he has come to symbolise the light of hope.

Weathering the Storm Title

The title can be interpreted on two levels—first, literally facing a cyclonic storm, and second, facing emotional upheavals. In this story, we find both aspects as we read the remarkable story of Prashant, a survivor of the super- cyclonic storm that struck coastal Odisha in 1999. He lost several family members and friends in the storm, but showed immense courage and resourcefulness to ensure that the survivors did not have to wit and depend on government help alone for survival, but took care of their own needs themselves.

Weathering the Storm Setting

The story is set in Odisha, against the backdrop of the aftermath of the cyclonic storm that hit the coast in 1999.

Weathering the Storm Theme

The story highlights the destructive powers of nature, and its repercussions on humans. It also showcases the courage and spirit of one young boy in bringing relief and comfort to the suffering villagers. ‘

Weathering the Storm Message

The message of the story is that even a single person is capable of bringing about a great change with courage, determination, and selflessness. It also highlights the importance of community in helping to deal with a calamity.

Weathering the Storm Characters

Prashant: He was a nineteen year old boy who lost his family and friends in a cyclonic storm. He was surrounded by devastation and loss, but chose to meet the challenges head-on instead of losing hope due to the situation he was in. Along with the rest of the villagers, he became a victim of the destruction caused by a cyclonic storm, but instead of crying about his fate, he decided to do something practical to reduce the suffering of his fellow survivors.

He showed remarkable leadership qualities by organizing the rest of the youngsters and elders into a group, providing food to the other victims, and helping them to work out a solution to their situation. He was very intelligent as he made the children lie down on the sand with utensils on their stomach to catch the attention of the rescue helicopters flying around with food supplies. He persuaded the women to start working to supply food for themselves and others, and most importantly, he brought the orphans and widows together to mutually benefit each other.

Weathering the Storm Summary Questions and Answers

Question 1.
Why had Prashant gone to Ersama? What happened there?
Answer:
He had gone to Ersama to spend a day with a friend. He was caught in a terrible cyclonic storm, the likes of which he had never been a witness to.

Question 2.
Describe the storm that hit Ersama on the 27th of October, 1999?
Answer:
It was a dark and menacing storm which had a terrific wind velocity of 350kms/hr. It was accompanied by heavy and incessant rain flooding the whole area.

Question 3.
How long did the cyclone last? How did Prashant and his friend’s family spend the stormy night?
Answer:
The cyclone continued for almost thirty six hours. They spent the night sitting on the roof of the house in the open, because water had filled into the house.

Question 4.
How was his friend’s family luckier than the rest of the villagers?
Answer:
His friend’s family had a strong house made of brick and mortar which was able to withstand the fury of the wind, even though coconut trees had fallen onto the roof, damaging it. However, these trees provided the family with food till they were rescued.

Question 5.
Describe the scene that met Prashant’s horrified eyes in the morning at Ersama?
Answer:
It was a devastating sight. A raging, deadly brown sheet of water covered everything as far as the eye could see. Only a few fractured cement houses still stood. Bloated human corpses and animal carcasses floated in every direction.

Question 6.
How long did Prashant stay at his friend’s house? What were the thoughts that kept disturbing him?
Answer:
He stayed at his friend’s house for two more days. The only thought that kept disturbing him was whether his family had survived the calamity or if he was going to lose his loved ones once again.

Question 7.
Why did the two days seem like two years to Prashant?
Answer:
As he sat on the rooftop of his friend’s damaged house, unable to venture back home through the rain and flooded roads, he felt helpless and worried about his family back in his village. He was so keen to return to them that the two days seemed like two years to him.

Question 8.
What made Prashant venture out from the safety of his friend’s house in the dangerous situation?
Answer:
Prashant was worried that his family may have been swept away in his village, and he was determined to find out what had happened to them without any further delay.

Question 9.
How did Prashant prepare himself for the long trek home?
Answer:
He took a sturdy stick and then started on his eighteen kilometre long expedition back to his village, wading through the swollen flood waters.

Question 10.
What were the dangers faced by Prashant on his way back to his village? How did he face them?
Answer:
The whole path back to his village was under water. He used his stick to determine the shallow parts that he could walk on. At places, he had to wade through waist deep water.

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Desert Animals Summary Class 6 English Honeysuckle

Desert Animals Summary in English

Deserts are the driest and the hottest places on earth. For long periods they get no rain and bear the hot sun. Still so many kinds of creatures live there. It is a wonder how they manage to get water and food there.

The fact is that every creature finds ways to fight the heat, hunger and thirst. The gerbils (a kind of desert rat) spend the hot day in cool underground holes. Dark beetles catch drops of water on their legs.

Not all deserts are seas of sand dunes. Some are rocky and dotted with small bushes while others are sprinkled with colourful flowers during the spring.

There are more than 2300 kinds of snakes around the world. Some are long or poisonous, others are small and harmless. In the deserts of America live rattlesnakes. They are very dangerous and poisonous. They can feel the movement of a person, butc cannot hear any sound. They live on mice, and squirrels. The large pythons can do without eating for a year.

The other animal in the desert is mongoose. Mongooses travel in groups and eat small creatures. They hunt together. They too have their enemies like hawks, eagles and large snakes. Mongooses are famous for killing snakes. The female mongooses raise their kitten inside hollow logs or old termite mounts.

Another notable animal found in the desert is the camel. Some are wild, but most are domesticated by people. A thirsty camel can drink upto thirty gallons of water at a time. Normally it meets its need of water from desert plants. It can survive for upto ten months without drinking any water.

There are two kinds of camel. The Dromedary camel has a single hump. The Bactrian camel has two humps. Humps act as storage containers. They are not used for storing water. They are full of fat which keeps them alive for several days. A camel’s mouth is so tough that no thorn can pierce into it.

Desert Animals Summary in Hindi

मरुस्थल धरती पर सर्वाधिक सूखे और गर्म स्थान हैं। दीर्घकाल तक वहाँ वर्षा नहीं होती और उन्हें सूर्य का ताप सहन करना पड़ता है। फिर भी अनेक प्रकार के जीव वहाँ रहते हैं। यह हैरानी की बात है कि वे वहाँ जल और भोजन किस प्रकार से प्राप्त करते हैं।

सच यह है कि हर जीव धूप, भूख और प्यास से जूझने का जुगाड़ बना लेता है। रेगिस्तानी चूहे तो गर्म दिन के समय धरती के नीचे बने ठण्डे बिल में चले जाते हैं। काले कीट अपनी टाँगों पर जल की बूंदें संग्रह कर लेते हैं।

सभी रेगिस्तान रेत के टीलों के समुद्र नहीं होते। कुछ पथरीले होते हैं और वहाँ छोटी-छोटी झाड़ियाँ उग आती है। कुछ रेगिस्तान तो वसंत ऋतु में रंग बिरंगे फूलों से जगमगा उठते हैं।

संसार में कोई 2300 से अधिक प्रजाति के साँप हैं। कुछेक लम्बे तथा विषैले होते हैं, अन्य छोटे और सुरक्षित होते हैं। अमरीका के मरुस्थल में खड़खड करने वाले साँप पाये जाते हैं। वे बहुत खतरनाक तथा विषैले होते हैं। वे व्यक्ति के निकट आने की आहट भी महसूस कर लेते हैं पर आवाज़ नहीं सुन सकते। वे चूहे तथा गिलहरी आदि जीव खाकर जीवित रहते हैं। विशालकाय अजगर तो एक वर्ष तक बिना भोजन के रह सकता है।

मरुस्थल का एक अन्य जीव है नेवला। ये झुण्ड में निकलते हैं और छोटे-मोटे जीवों का आहार करते हैं। ये एक साथ मिलकर ही शिकार करते हैं। ये बाज, गरुड़ तथा बड़े साँप जैसे जीवों का शिकार करते हैं। नेवले साँप को मारने में माहिर होते हैं। मादा नेवला अपने बच्चों को या तो लकड़ी के गड्ढे के खोल में अथवा दीमक के पुराने टीले में पालती है।

रेगिस्तान में पाया जाने वाला एक अन्य पशु है ऊँट। कुछ ऊँट जंगली होते हैं पर अधिकांश पालतू होते हैं। एक प्यासा ऊँट एक बार में 30 गैलन तक पानी पी सकता है। आमतौर से वह अपनी पानी की ज़रूरत रेगिस्तानी पौधों से पूरी करता है। वह 10 माह तक बिना जल के काम चला सकता है।

ऊँट दो किस्म के होते हैं। द्रोमेदरी ऊँट की पीठ पर एक ही कूबड़ होता है। बेक्ट्रियन ऊँट की पीठ पर दो कूबड़ होते हैं। ये कूबड़ भण्डारण के काम आते हैं। उनमें जल नहीं भरा होता है। उनमें चर्बी भरी होती है जो उन्हें कई दिनों तक जीवित रखती है। ऊँट का मुँह इतना कठोर होता है कि उसमें कोई भी काँटा नहीं घुस सकता।

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A Game of Chance Summary in English by Arthur Wright

A Game of Chance Summary in English

Every year a fair was held in Rasheed’s village. The occasion was Eid. Traders came there from far and wide to sell their goods.

Rasheed’s uncle took him to the fair. Their domestic help, Bhaiya, also went with them. There was a big crowd there. Uncle left them at one place and went away with his friends. He, however, warned the boy not to go far, and not to buy anything in his absence.

Rasheed was led by Bhaiya to different shops at the fair. He reached a shop, called the Lucky Shop. The shopkeeper was a middle-aged man. He urged the visitors to come and try their luck. It was a game of chance.

The player paid 50 paise and got six numbered discs. He was to add up the numbers on discs and find the total. He won the article marked with that number.

An old man played the game and won a lovely clock. But he had no need of it. The shopkeeper bought it back for 15 rupees. He was richer by 15 rupees.

Then a boy tried his luck. He won a comb, a fountain pen, a wrist watch and finally a table lamp. He sold all the items back to the shopkeeper. He went away happily with a good deal of cash.

The narrator also wanted to try his luck. But he was unlucky. He won only cheap items like pencils, a bottle of ink, etc. He lost all his money. He looked sad.

Presently Uncle came back. Bhaiya told him the story. Uncle was neither sad nor angiy. He took Rasheed to a shop and bought him so many gifts.

Back home, he explained to Rasheed the trick played by the shopkeeper. The old man and the boy were, in fact, the shopkeeper’s friends. They tempted the innocent people to try their luck. Uncle assured Rasheed that he was neither unlucky nor foolish.

A Game of Chance Summary in Hindi

हर वर्ष रशीद के गाँव में एक मेला लगा करता था। यह ईद के अवसर पर लगता था। वहाँ दूर दूर से दुकानदार अपना सामान बेचने आया करते थे।

रशीद के चाचा उसे मेला दिखाने ले गये। उनका घरेलू नौकर भैया भी उनके साथ गया। वहाँ बहुत भीड़भाड़ थी। चाचा उन दोनों को एक स्थान पर खड़ा करके अपने मित्रों के साथ चले गये। पर वह रशीद को सचेत कर गये कि यहाँ से दूर मत जाना और उनकी अनुपस्थिति में कुछ खरीदारी भी मत करना।।

रशीद को भैया मेले की कई दूकानों पर ले गया। रशीद एक भाग्यशाली दुकान पर गया’। दुकानदार अधेड़ आयु का था। वह आगन्तुकों को बुला रहा था कि आकर अपना भाग्य आजमा लो। उसका खेल एक जुआ जैसा था।

खिलाड़ी 50 पैसे देता था और उसे 6 चक्र मिल जाते थे। उसे उस संख्या को जोड़कर कुल योग बनाना होता था। वह उसी संख्या वाली वस्तु इनाम में जीत लेता था।

एक वृद्ध व्यक्ति ने खेल खेला। उसने एक सुन्दर घड़ी जीत ली। पर उसे घड़ी की ज़रूरत न थी। उसने दूकानदार को वह घड़ी 15 रुपये में बेच दी। वह 15 रुपये जीत गया।

फिर एक बालक ने अपनी किस्मत आजमाई। उसने एक कंघा, एक पेन, एक हाथ घड़ी तथा एक टेबल लैंप जीता। उसने सभी चीज़ों को दूकानदार के हाथ बेच दिया। वह काफी राशि लेकर खुशी-खुशी चला गया।

रशीद की भी इच्छा हुई कि वह अपनी किस्मत आजमाये। पर भाग्य ने उसका साथ नहीं दिया। उसने केवल सस्ती चीजें ही पायीं जैसे पेन्सिल, दवात आदि। अपना सारा पैसा वह हार गया। वह उदास हो गया।

शीघ्र ही चाचा वापिस आ गये। भैया ने उन्हें सारी घटना सुनाई। चाचा न तो उदास हुए न ही नाराज। वह रशीद को एक दुकान पर ले गये और उसे काफी उपहार खरीद दिये।

घर लौट कर चाचा ने रशीद को दुकानदार की चालबाजी स्पष्ट की। बूढ़ा व्यक्ति तथा लड़का दोनों वास्तव में दुकानदार के मित्र थे। वे नादान लोगों को अपनी किस्मत आजमाने का खेल खेलने का प्रलोभन देते थे। चाचा ने रशीद को विश्वास दिलाया कि वह न तो अभागा है न ही मूर्ख।

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Two Stories about Flying Summary Class 10 English First Flight

Two Stories about Flying Part 1 Summary

His First Flight Summary

‘His First Flight’ written by Liam O’ Flaherty is a story of a young seagull who is afraid of flying. A family of seagulls lived on a ledge. A young seagull is left alone as he is afraid to fly and is one among the slow learners. All that this young seagull needed was motivation. By way of punishment, his family left him alone on the ledge and flew away. They upbraided him, taunted him for cowardice and even threatened to let him starve. He remained hungry for twenty-four hours and was unable to shed off his fright of flight. He cried begging his mother to bring him some food.

She picked up a piece of fish in her beak and flew across him and stood just in front of him. The piece of fish in her beak was almost within the reach of his beak. The young seagull was mad with hunger. He dived at the fish. The next moment he found himself falling outwards and downwards into space. Instinctively, he spread his wings and flapped them. He soared upwards and all his fear is gone. It was a joyous moment for his family. He forgot that he was ever afraid of flying.

Two Stories about Flying Part 2 Summary

The Black Aeroplane Summary

The present story offers a psychological insight into a character under stress. It is an interesting account of the narrator’s encounter with the pilot of a black aeroplane who comes to his rescue in distress. It is a mystery built around the black aeroplane and its pilot.

A pilot was flying an old Dakota aeroplane at lO’clock at night. The stars were shining and there was not a trace of clouds. The sky was clear and the plane was flying over France and going back to England. The pilot was extremely happy. He was lost in the dreams of his holiday and family. Around 1:30 a.m. he called Paris Control Room to enquire about the route and location. The Control Room instructed him to turn twelve degrees west. The pilot checked the map and the compass, switched over to his second and last fuel tank and turned the plane twelve degrees west towards England. He expected to join his family for the breakfast.

When Paris was 150 km behind, the pilot saw the black storm clouds approaching the plane. He could not fly over them. Also he didn’t have enough fuel to fly around them south or north. Initially, he thought of going back to Paris but his strong urge to meet his family members led him straight into the storm. It was absolutely dark inside the clouds. The plane was jumping and twisting in the air. All the instruments had stopped working. The pilot lost his contact with the ground staff because his compass and radio had stopped functioning.

Suddenly he saw another aeroplane quite near him. That strange black aeroplane had no lights on its wings. The pilot of the black aeroplane asked him to follow him. The pilot flew in the clouds for half an hour. He had only fuel left to fly another fifteen minutes. The pilot was frightened. Suddenly the black aeroplane descended and the pilot followed him. Finally, the black aeroplane guided him to an airport for landing. The pilot was thrilled to see the runway but when he turned his head to thank the pilot of the black aeroplane he couldn’t see him anywhere.

After landing, the pilot immediately rushed to the Control Centre and enquired about the black aeroplane which guided him all the way to the airport. The woman on duty at the Control Centre told him that no other plane was seen flying that night. She had seen only his plane on the radar. The pilot was surprised to hear all this and kept on wondering who had helped him to arrive and land safely without a compass or a radio and without any more fuel left in his tank. He kept thinking abgut that strange black aeroplane and its mysterious pilot.

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The Sermon at Benares Summary in English by Buddha

The Sermon at Benares by Buddha About the Author

Author Name	Buddha
Born	8 April 563 BC, Lumbini, Nepal
Died	Kushinagar
Full Name	Siddhartha Gautama
Nationality	Nepali

The Sermon at Benares Summary in English

The story is about a moral lesson that Gautama Buddha gave to a grief-stricken woman. Buddha was very sensitive towards the sufferings of man. At a very young age he gave up all the worldly pleasures to seek enlightenment.

Once a woman named Kisa Gotami came to him after the demise of her son. She wanted Buddha to give her some medicine for her son. Gautama Buddha advised her to go and collect a handful of mustard seeds from a house where no one had lost a child, husband, parent or friend. When Gotami could not get such a house, she understood the secret of life and death—the very meaning of Buddha’s words.

The Sermon at Benares Questions and Answers

Question 1.
Why was Gautama known as Buddha?
Answer:
‘Buddha’ means ‘The Awakened’ or ‘The Enlightened’. After seven years of wandering Gautama attained wisdom. When he started sharing his new understandings with the suffering people, he was called ‘Buddha’.

Question 2.
Where did Gautama Buddha preach his first Sermon? What was it all about?
Answer:
Gautama Buddha preached his first sermon at Benares, the holiest city. It was about the ways to overcome our sorrows. It reflects Buddha’s wisdom about one inscrutable kind of suffering.

Question 3.
Why was Kisa sad? What advice was given to her?
Answer:
Kisa Gotami had lost her only son. He was dead. She loved him very much and wanted him to be alive. But she could not find any medicine so she was sad. She was advised to go to Buddha.

Question 4.
What did Kisa request her neighbours to give for her son? Did she get it?
Answer:
Kisa Gotami asked her neighbours to give her a medicine that could bring life back to her son. No, she could not get any.

Question 5.
How did Kisa Gotami realise that life and death is a normal process?
Answer:
Buddha asked Gotami to bring mustard seeds from a house which had never lost any member of the family. She was unable to get such a house only then she came to know that life and death is a normal process so as man is mortal and is bound to die.

Question 6.
When and where was Gautama Buddha born? Why did he decide to leave the palace?
Answer:
Gautama Buddha was born in 563 B.C. in Northern India. Buddha was away from all the sorrows of life. Once he saw a sick man, a beggar, an aged man and a funeral procession. He realised that the world was full of sorrow. He wanted to attain knowledge. So he decided to leave the palace to get enlightened.

Question 7.
How did ‘Bodhi Tree’ get its name?
Answer:
After seven years of wandering Gautama sat under a peepal tree. He attained knowledge under that tree and got enlightened. He renamed the tree as ‘Bodhi tree’ which means the tree of wisdom. ‘Bodhi’ means knowledge.

Question 8.
What kind of suffering is reflected in the Sermon?
Answer:
Grief over the death of a loved one is the main theme of this sermon. People fail to understand that death is common to all. All mortals have to die. There is no use of lamentation. One does not get peace of mind unless one overcomes the sorrows.

Question 9.
What were the greatest sorrows that pained Buddha?
Answer:
Poverty, illness and death were the greatest sorrows that pained Buddha. He saw a poor man begging, an old man and a funeral procession that changed his course of life. These sights moved him so much that he went out into the world to seek enlightment and truth.

Question 10.
Why did people think that Kisa had become mad?
Answer:
Kisa Gotami’s only son had died. She was not ready to accept the fact that once a mortal dies, he/she cannot be brought back to life. She went to her neighbours with her dead son to get some medicines to bring him back to life. People thought that Kisa had gone mad.

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The Black Aeroplane Summary in English by Frederick Forsyth

The Black Aeroplane by Frederick Forsyth About the Author

Author Name	Frederick Forsyth
Born	25 August 1938 (age 81 years), Ashford, United Kingdom
Years of service	1956–1958
Movies and TV shows	The Day of the Jackal, The Odessa File, MORE
Awards	Edgar Award for Best Novel, Cartier Diamond Dagger, MORE
Plays	Love Never Dies

The Black Aeroplane Summary in English

The present story offers a psychological insight into a character under stress. It is an interesting account of the narrator’s encounter with the pilot of a black aeroplane who comes to his rescue in distress. It is a mystery built around the black aeroplane and its pilot.

A pilot was flying an old Dakota aeroplane at lO’clock at night. The stars were shining and there was not a trace of clouds. The sky was clear and the plane was flying over France and going back to England. The pilot was extremely happy. He was lost in the dreams of his holiday and family. Around 1:30 a.m. he called Paris Control Room to enquire about the route and location. The Control Room instructed him to turn twelve degrees west. The pilot checked the map and the compass, switched over to his second and last fuel tank and turned the plane twelve degrees west towards England. He expected to join his family for the breakfast.

When Paris was 150 km behind, the pilot saw the black storm clouds approaching the plane. He could not fly over them. Also he didn’t have enough fuel to fly around them south or north. Initially, he thought of going back to Paris but his strong urge to meet his family members led him straight into the storm. It was absolutely dark inside the clouds. The plane was jumping and twisting in the air. All the instruments had stopped working. The pilot lost his contact with the ground staff because his compass and radio had stopped functioning.

Suddenly he saw another aeroplane quite near him. That strange black aeroplane had no lights on its wings. The pilot of the black aeroplane asked him to follow him. The pilot flew in the clouds for half an hour. He had only fuel left to fly another fifteen minutes. The pilot was frightened. Suddenly the black aeroplane descended and the pilot followed him. Finally, the black aeroplane guided him to an airport for landing. The pilot was thrilled to see the runway but when he turned his head to thank the pilot of the black aeroplane he couldn’t see him anywhere.

After landing, the pilot immediately rushed to the Control Centre and enquired about the black aeroplane which guided him all the way to the airport. The woman on duty at the Control Centre told him that no other plane was seen flying that night. She had seen only his plane on the radar. The pilot was surprised to hear all this and kept on wondering who had helped him to arrive and land safely without a compass or a radio and without any more fuel left in his tank. He kept thinking abgut that strange black aeroplane and its mysterious pilot.

The Black Aeroplane Summary Questions and Answers

Question 1.
Why was the pilot happy? Give two reasons.
Answer:
The pilot was happy for the following two reasons:
(i) He was alone high up above the sleeping countryside.
(ii) He was dreaming of his holiday and looking forward to being with his family.

Question 2.
(i) Why did the pilot call the Paris Control the first time?
(ii) What was the advice of the Paris Control?
Answer:
(i) The first time, the pilot called the Paris Control Room to enquire about the location of the plane and the route to be followed.
(ii) The Paris Control advised him to turn twelve degrees west towards England.

Question 3.
How many fuel tanks were there in the plane? How much fuel was left?
Answer:
There were two fuel tanks in the plane. The pilot had already switched over to second and the last tank so there was enough fuel only to fly back to England.

Question 4.
What did the pilot encounter while 150 km away from Paris?
Answer:
The pilot encounterd black stormy clouds, 150 kilometres away from Paris.

Question 5.
Why did the pilot fly straight into the storm instead of returning to Paris?
Answer:
The pilot had a strong desire to get back home and have breakfast with his family. That is why, pilot took the risk and flew straight into the storm instead of going back to Paris.

Question 6.
Did the Paris Control hear the pilot, the second time he called? Why?
Answer:
No, because when the pilot tried to contact the Paris Control Room, he failed to do so as his radio was dead.

Question 7.
Describe the black clouds from the point of view of the pilot.
Answer:
When Paris was about 150 kilometres behind me, I saw the black clouds in front of me. They were huge clouds looked like black mountains standing in front of me across the sky. They were stormy and I could not fly up and over them.

Question 8.
How did the black aeroplane rescue the first pilot?
Answer:
The pilot of the black aeroplane guided the first pilot and helped him arrive safely at the airport.

Question 9.
Was the pilot of the Dakota able to meet the pilot of the black aeroplane?
Answer:
No, the pilot of the Dakota could not meet the pilot of the black aeroplane. TheTirst pilot even went to the Control Room to find who the other pilot was, but he could not find him. The black aeroplane disappeared without being seen by anyone even on the ‘radar’.

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The Happy Prince Summary in English by Oscar Wilde

The Happy Prince by Oscar Wilde About the Author

Oscar Wilde (full name: Oscar Fingal O’Flahertie Willis Wilde) was an acclaimed poet and playwright. Bom in Dublin, Wilde attended Trinity College, Dublin and Magdalen College, Oxford. Throughout the 1880s, Wilde experimented with various forms of writing and established himself in the literary and artistic circles in London. During the 1890s, he became one of London’s most acclaimed playwrights. His unmatched wit and flamboyant style set him apart from his contemporaries. Some of his most popular plays include, A Woman of No Importance, Lady Windermere’s Fan and The Importance of Being Earnest (this was his most popular play).

Wilde wrote only one novel, The Picture of Dorian Gray. When it was first published, the novel was not well received by critics. However, over the years, it has come to be regarded as a classic. Wilde also wrote short stories and essays. Wilde was an important figure in the movement called ‘Aestheticism’ and remained committed to its principles throughout his life. His unconventional perspective on life and style of writing made him one of the most well known names in English literature.

Author Name	Oscar Wilde
Born	16 October 1854, Westland Row, Dublin, Ireland
Died	30 November 1900, Paris, France
Spouse	Constance Lloyd (m. 1884–1898)
Movies	Wilde, Dorian Gray, An Ideal Husband, A Good Woman

The Happy Prince Summary in English

Standing high above a city is a statue of the Happy Prince. The beautiful statue has sapphire eyes, is covered all over with thin leaves of fine gold, and has a large ruby on the hilt of his sword.

One night, a swallow sets out to join his friends in Egypt and flies over the city. Tired from having flown all day, he wonders where he can rest for the night. He sees the statue of the Happy Prince and decides to rest between the statue’s feet. Happy with his beautiful place of rest, he prepares to sleep. Just then, a large drop of water falls on him. He looks up to the sky but sees that it is clear of rain clouds. However, drops of water continue to fall on him. The swallow looks up at the statue and realises that its eyes are full of tears. He is filled with pity.

The swallow asks the statue who he is and the statue says he is the Happy Prince. The swallow asks him why he is crying. The Prince says that when he was alive and had a human heart, he did not know what sorrow was because it was not allowed to enter his palace. He lived and died in happiness. After he died, his courtiers placed his statue high above the city from where he can witness all its ugliness and misery. Even though his heart is made of lead, he cannot help but weep.

The Happy Prince says that on a little street far away is a poor house. Through its window, he can see a woman seated at a table. Her hands are red, coarse and pricked all over by needles because she is a seamstress. She is embroidering flowers on a gown for the most beautiful of the queen’s maids of honour, to wear to the Court ball. In a comer is a bed upon which lies her little boy who is ill with fever. He asks his mother for oranges; but as she has nothing to give except river water, the boy is crying. He asks the swallow to take the ruby from his sword and give it to the woman.

The Happy Prince’s sad face moves the swallow and he agrees. He takes the ruby out of the sword and flies over the city, past the cathedral and the palace. He sees a beautiful girl come to balcony of the palace with her lover. The swallow hears her say that he hopes her gown with the embroidered flowers is ready in time for the ball. She remarks that seamstresses are lazy.

When the swallow arrives at the woman’s house, he finds that the boy is tossing in bed with fever and the woman has fallen asleep, exhausted. He places the ruby on the table beside the woman’s thimble and on his way out, fans the boy’s forehead with his wings. The boy feels better instantly and goes off to sleep. The swallow flies back to the Prince and remarks that he feels quite warm, in spite of the cold weather. The Prince says it is because he has done a good deed. The swallow then falls asleep.

The next day, the swallow goes to the river for a bath. Happy at the prospect of going to Egypt that night, he visits all of the city’s monuments. At moonrise, he goes back to the Prince and announces that he is leaving for Egypt. The Happy Prince tells the swallow that far away in the city, he sees a young man in a garret, leaning over desk covered with papers. There is a bunch of withered flowers in a glass by his desk. The man is trying to complete writing a play for the Director of the Theatre but he is too cold and hungry to write anymore. The swallow offers to stay one more night to help. The Prince asks the swallow to take one of his sapphire eyes from his statue to the man. The man can then sell the sapphires to the jeweller and buy some firewood to keep warm. The swallow is sad to pluck out the Prince’s eye, but does as he is told.

The swallow flies to the man’s house and enters it through a hole in the roof. The man is resting with his head in his hands and does not hear the bird. When the man looks up, he finds the sapphire between the withered violets. He thinks that some admirer has left it for him and is happy that now he can finish writing his play.

The next night, the Prince again asks the swallow to stay for the night. The swallow says that soon it will begin to snow and he needs to go to Egypt where the weather is warm. The Prince, however, tells him that in the square below is a little matchgirl whose matches have fallen into the gutter. She is crying because if she goes home without money, her father will beat her. He asks the swallow to give the girl his other sapphire eye so that her father does not beat her.

The swallow plucks out the sapphire and drops it into the girl’s hands. She goes home happily, thinking that she has found a piece of beautiful glass. The swallow returns to the Prince and says that as the Prince is now blind, he will stay with him always. The next day, the Prince asks the swallow to fly over the city and tell him what he sees. The swallow follows this command and sees the rich making merry in their homes while the poor suffer in the streets. Under the archway of a bridge, he sees two little boys lying in an embrace to keep warm. The watchman drives the boys away into the rain. When he tells the Prince of his findings, the Prince orders him to take off the gold leaves, one at a time, and give it to the poor. The swallow picks the leaves one by one till the Prince begins to look dull and grey. The poor children however, grow happy because they now have food to eat.

Then it begins to snow and after the snow, the frost arrives. Though the swallow feels colder and colder, he does not leave the Prince. Eventually, he realises that he will die soon. He musters strength to fly to the Prince’s shoulder to bid him goodbye and asks to kiss his hand. The Prince says he is glad the swallow is finally going to Egypt. He thanks the swallow for staying so long and asks him to kiss his lips, as he loves the swallow very much.

The swallow says that he is not going to Egypt but to the House of Death. He then kisses the Prince and falls down dead at his feet. At that moment, the sound of something breaking comes from the statue: his heart of lead has broken. The next morning, the Mayor and Town Councillors notice that the statue of the Happy Prince looks shabby. They notice that the jewels and gold have been stripped off and the statue looks like that of a beggar. They notice the dead bird at its feet and make a note to declare that birds should not be allowed to die there.

The statue of the Prince is taken down. The Art Professor remarks that without its beauty, the statue is no longer useful. The statue is melted in a furnace but the broken leaden heart does not melt. The workmen in the foundry throw it on the heap of dust where the dead swallow is also lying.

God in Heaven asks an angel to bring Him the two most precious things in the city. The angel brings him the broken lead heart and the dead bird. God is happy and says that the little bird will forever sing in His garden of Paradise; and in His city of gold, the Happy Prince will praise God.

The Happy Prince Title

The title is an ironical one, as it suggests that the story is about a Prince who is happy. However, the readers soon realise that the Prince is not a human, but a statue. Since the statue is placed at a high point, he can see all the misery and sadness in the city, which makes him sad.

The Happy Prince Setting

The story is a fairy-tale set in a fictitious kingdom in Europe. The statue is set on a high point overlooking the city, and most of the events described take place outdoors.

The Happy Prince Theme

The story is based on the theme of charity and bridging the gap between the haves and the have-nots. It dwells upon the. way the rich perceive life as compared to the poor. It also highlights the fact that humans often value unimportant things, while ignoring valuable things like charity and kindness.

The Happy Prince Message

The message of the story is to become more sensitive towards those who are less privileged than us. It emphasises how one can lessen the suffering of others and bring about equality by sharing what one has. It also reminds us that having a warm, giving heart is more important than having a beautiful appearance.

The Happy Prince Characters

The Prince: The happy prince is not a real human being, but a handsome statue that sits high above the city. It is beautifully decorated with a golden coat and sapphire eyes. There are rubies on the hilt of his sword and he is admired by all. However, despite his wonderful appearance, the statue is unhappy. As a human, he rarely cried and never had a care in the world, but as a statue, he has the perfect vantage point from which to observe all the sadness and misery in the city. He is no longer the self-centred boy he used to be. Despite having a lead heart as a statue, he feels sorry to see the ugliness of human life that he had been oblivious to as a human. He is very charitable and giving, happily donating every part of his statue that has any value, such as the gold leaf, rubies and sapphires, so that it can help people in need.

The Swallow: The swallow is a happy-go-lucky bird at the beginning of the story, whose only concern is the journey he is looking forward to. He is in love with a reed (a river plant) and is disappointed when the reed doesn’t agree to fly away with him. However, he is a kind bird, and seeing the statue’s distress, he offers to help. In the process, he becomes the link between the prince and the people of the land. He helps the prince by taking each valuable item that the prince tells him to, and quietly giving it to people in need. He selflessly helps the prince, ignoring his own plans to fly to warmer climes for winter. As a result, he loses his life in the cold.

The Happy Prince Summary Questions and Answers

Question 1.
Describe the statue of the Happy Prince.
Answer:
The statue stood high above the city on a tall column. He was gilded all over with thin leaves of fine gold with two bright sapphires for eyes. A large red ruby glowed on his sword hilt.

Question 2.
Did the swallow belong to the city? How can you tell? Where was it going?
Answer:
No, the swallow did not belong to the city, as it is written that it flew over the city on its way to Egypt.

Question 3.
Where did the bird decide to stay for the night? Why?
Answer:
The bird decided to stay near the statue of the prince, because it was located on a tall column and the bird felt he would get plenty of fresh air there.

Question 4.
Why did the bird think he had a ‘golden bedroom’?
Answer:
The bird alighted near the feel of the statue of the Happy Prince, which was gilded all over with thin leaves of fine gold. That is why he felt that he had got a ‘golden bedroom’ to sleep in.

Question 5.
Why was the bird not able to sleep peacefully that first night?
Answer:
Just as the bird was about to sleep, he was disturbed by three tear drops that fell from the eyes of the statue. When he saw the tears running down the cheeks of the statue, he looked so beautiful in the moonlight that the bird was filled with pity and could not sleep.

Question 6.
Why was the statue of the Happy Prince weeping?
Answer:
The statue of the Happy Prince was weeping because when he had been alive, he had not known any sorrow. But after his statue had been erected, he was able to see all the ugliness and misery of the city, and even though he now had a heart of lead, he could still feel the pain, which made him cry.

Question 7.
Who does the Prince ask the swallow to deliver the red ruby to?
Answer:
The Prince asked the swallow to deliver the ruby to a poor seamstress whose son was very ill. The child was asking his mother for oranges, but she had nothing to give him but water. Since the statue’s feet were fixed to the pedestal, he could not deliver it himself, so he asked the swallow to do so.

Question 8.
Why did the swallow agree to deliver the ruby even though he wanted to join his friends in Egypt?
Answer:
The Prince looked so sad that the little swallow felt sorry for him and agreed to stay one night and be his messenger.

Question 9.
What were the things that the swallow saw on his journey to deliver the ruby?
Answer:
He saw the cathedral tower, the palace, the river, and the ships before coming to the poor woman’s house.

Question 10.
What made the sick boy fall into a deep, restful sleep?
Answer:
When the bird delivered the ruby, he flew gently around the bed of the sick boy, fanning the boy’s forehead with his wings. This soothed the boy and he fell into a deep, restful sleep.

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Fair Play Summary in English by Tove Jansson

Fair Play by Tove Jansson About the Author

Author Name	Tove Jansson
Born	9 August 1914, Helsinki, Finland
Died	27 June 2001, Helsinki, Finland
Artworks	Back of a Nude, Mysterious Landscape, Self-portrait, View to the Balcony, Still Life

Fair Play Summary in English

Part I

Jumman Shaikh and Algu Chowdhry were good friends. Both were respected in the village for their good friendship. Jumman had an old aunt. She had some property. Jumman got her property transferred in his name. He promised to look after her till her last breath. But in a year or two, Jumman and his wife started ill-treating the aunt. They insulted her when they offered her food.

The aunt wanted to cook her food separately. She demanded a monthly allowance. Jumman said ‘no’ to her shamelessly.

The aunt went to every house in the village to explain her case and get support. But nobody sided with her. Some laughed at her. Even Algu hesitated to support her. He dared not go against his friend. At this, the aunt requested him to come to the panchayat at least.

Part II

The Panchayat was held under a banyan tree. Jumman asked his aunt to nominate the head Panch. She named Algu Chowdhry. Jumman felt happy. He hoped to get a favourable decision from his friend. But Algu heard the voice of his conscience. He told Jumman either to pay monthly allowance or return the property to his aunt. This decision broke all relations between the two friends.

Part III

Jumman made up his mind to take revenge. He got that chance soon. Algu had sold his bullock to Samjhu Sahu. The animal died because of Sahu’s ill-treatment. So, he refused to pay the money to Algu. Now, Algu decided to refer the case to the Panchayat. So, the Panchayat was held for a second time. At the Panchayat, Sahu nominated Jumman to act as head Panch. Jumman was a changed person now on that seat. He gave the decision in favour of Algu. He announced that Samjhu Sahu should pay Algu the price of the bullock.

Algu shouted with joy. The two became good friends again. They agreed on one point. The voice of the Panch is the voice of God’. The Panch can do no wrong.

Fair Play Summary in Hindi

Part I

जुम्मन शेख तथा अलगू चौधरी अच्छे मित्र थे। दोनों को ही उनकी घनिष्ठ मित्रता के लिये गाँव में आदर मिलता था। जुम्मन की एक बूढ़ी चाची थी। उसकी कुछ जमीन थी। जुम्मन ने उसकी सारी सम्पदा,अपने नाम करवा ली। उसने वचन दिया कि वह चाची की देखभाल अंतिम साँस तक करेगा। पर एक-दो वर्ष बीतने पर जुम्मन तथा उसकी पत्नी ने चाची के साथ दुर्व्यवहार करना शुरू कर दिया। वे भोजन देते समय उसको अपमानित भी करते थे।

चाची ने सोच लिया कि अपना भोजन अलग पकायेगी। उसने जुम्मन से मासिक भत्ते की माँग की। जम्मन ने बेशरमी से उसे भत्ता देने से इन्कार कर दिया।

चाची गाँव के हर घर में अपनी माँग समझाने तथा समर्थन पाने के लिये गयी। परन्तु, किसी ने उसका पक्ष नहीं लिया। कुछ लोगों ने उसकी हँसी उड़ाई। अलगू ने भी समर्थन देने में आनाकानी की। उसका साहस न था कि अपने मित्र का विरोध करे। इस पर चाची ने उससे कहा कि वह कम से कम पंचायत में जरूर शामिल हो।

Part II

पंचायत बरगद वृक्ष के नीचे की गई। जुम्मन ने चाची को बोला कि सरपंच मनोनीत कर ले। चाची ने अलगू चौधरी का नाम ले दिया। जुम्मन बहुत खुश हुआ। उसे आशा थी कि उसके मित्र का निर्णय उसके पक्ष में जायेगा। पर अलगू ने अपनी अंतरात्मा की आवाज़ सुनी। उसने जुम्मन से कहा कि या तो वह चाची को मासिक भत्ता दे या उसकी भूमि उसे लौटा दे। इस निर्णय ने दोनों दोस्तों के बीच के सभी सम्बन्ध तोड़ डाले।

Part III

जुम्मन ने भी बदला लेने की ठान ली। उसे वह अवसर भी शीघ्र मिल गया। अलगू ने अपना एक बैल समझू साहू को बेचा था। वह जानवर साहू के क्रूर व्यवहार के कारण मर गया। फिर उसने अलगू को पैसा देने से इन्कार कर दिया। अलगू ने इस मामले को पंचायत में रखने का निर्णय कर लिया। एक बार फिर पंचायत लगी। पंचायत में साहू ने जुम्मन का नाम सरपंच के लिये प्रस्तावित किया। सरपंच की सीट पर बैठते ही जुम्मन का हृदय परिवर्तन हो गया। उसने निर्णय अलगू के पक्ष में दिया। उसने समझू साहु से कहा कि उसे बैल का पैसा अलगू को चुका देना चाहिए।

अलगू खुशी से झूम उठा। दोनों व्यक्ति पुनः घनिष्ठ मित्र बन गये। वे एक बात पर सहमत हो गये कि पंच के मुख से परमात्मा की आवाज़ निकलती है। पंच कभी गलत निर्णय नहीं दे सकता।

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Nelson Mandela Long Walk to Freedom Summary in English by Nelson Mandela

Nelson Mandela Long Walk to Freedom by Nelson Mandela About the Author

Author Name	Nelson Mandela
Born	18 July 1918, Mvezo, South Africa
Died	5 December 2013, Houghton Estate, Johannesburg, South Africa
Education	University of South Africa (1989)
Awards	Nobel Peace Prize, Bharat Ratna

Nelson Mandela Long Walk to Freedom Summary in English

Nelson Mandela, the first black President of South Africa, fought for the freedom of his people. In his autobiography, he describes in detail the pains he had to suffer from the time when he was young. He was discriminated against by the whites along with other black people. He was an enthusiastic young boy who considered staying away from his home to get freedom. He wanted to marry the person of his choice. But gradually he realised that freedom is more meaningful. He decided to bring freedom for his own people. On 10 May 1994 he was able to materialise his dreams long cherished by the black people who sacrificed their lives to give dignity to their coming generations.

He gives two contradictory pictures of his country: one, in which the black people were tortured and had to suffer quietly; second, when the blacks will be free to live a life of their own. In this extract, Mandela speaks about a historic occasion, ‘The Inauguration’.

Nelson Mandela Long Walk to Freedom Summary Questions and Answers

Question 1.
When did Nelson Mandela become the President?
Answer:
Nelson Mandela became the President of South Africa on 10 May 1994.

Question 2.
Where did the inauguration ceremony take place?
Answer:
The inauguration ceremony took place at Union Buildings amphitheatre in Pretoria.

Question 3.
What was the pledge taken by Nelson Mandela?
Answer:
To liberate all the black people from the continuing bondages of poverty, deprivation, suffering and racial discrimination.

Question 4.
Which colours were used in the new flag of South Africa?
Answer:
Black, red, green, blue and gold.

Question 5.
What were the two anthems sung on ‘that day’?
Answer:
‘Nikosi Sikelel Africa’ and ‘Die stem’.

Question 6.
Which party did Nelson Mandela join?
Answer:
Nelson Mandela joined African National Congress.

Question 7.
Nelson Mandela joined the African National Congress as a young man. It transformed his life. What made him join it? What does it show about his character?
Answer:
Nelson Mandela joined the African National Congress because even the basic freedom was not available to blacks. They could not live as human beings. They were punished and isolated from the society. He brought a transformation by achieving freedom for his people to live their lives with dignity and self-respect.

Nelson Mandela was a simple law abiding person but his people were not happy in a slave society. They were not given the basic rights of a citizen. They had to endure much pain and endure racial discrimination. They were not free on their own land. All these sufferings ignited the fire in Mandela. He left his home and began living like a monk. He taught boldly and fearlessly. Adherence to patriotism, self-respect and dignity transformed him completely. It shows that Mandela had a strong character. He was determined in his action. He had sympathy and compassion for his people.

Question 8.
Man is a social animal. He has some obligations to society. What twin obligations does Mandela mention? How can one fulfill these obligations?
Answer:
Man is a social animal and has some social obligations to society. Nelson Mandela understood the importance of being social. Mandela talks about twin obligations—obligation to his family, to his parents, to his wife and children. This is the first and the most important obligation that every man has to fulfil in his life. Another obligation is to his people, to his community and to his nation. He emphasises that in a civil society, each one of us should fulfil these obligations. It is the responsibility of the government to provide an atmosphere where a person can fulfil these obligations.

But in a country like South Africa, it was not possible to fulfil these obligations because of discrimination. It was an era of oppression and torture for the black Africans in their own country. They were not allowed even the basic freedom of living a dignified life.

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Mijbil the Otter Summary in English by Gavin Maxwell

Mijbil the Otter by Gavin Maxwell About the Author

Author Name	Gavin Maxwell
Born	15 July 1914, Elrig, United Kingdom
Died	7 September 1969, Inverness, United Kingdom
Education	Stowe School, Hertford College
Movies	Ring of Bright Water

Mijbil the Otter Summary in English

Gavin Maxwell depicts the humorous incidents of keeping an otter as his pet. In the beginning he delves deep into finding out an otter as a pet. His hard work paid at last when he was able to get an otter. A different and new phase started for the narrator with the entry of the otter. The way it came out of the sack and shook himself the floor of the room became dirty. He christened him Mijbil. The otter became quite friendly with the narrator, enjoying splashing and sloshing water in the bathtub. He amused himself with water by opening the tap and sometimes he lay on his back and juggled with small objects between his paws.

The narrator had to take Mij to England where he was to be packed in a very small box which was bitten to shreds by Mij. He took the air hostess into his confidence and shared the secret of the otter with her. She advised him to keep it on his knees from where the otter disappeared in the plane. It created a lot of chaos. Somehow the otter came under his control and the journey ended. In London the narrator had to face many problems as people were asking one or the other questions about this unusual pet.

Mijbil the Otter Summary Questions and Answers

Question 1.
When did Gavin Maxwell decide to have an otter as a pet?
Answer:
When Gavin Maxwell was in southern Iraq, he thought that he should keep an otter as a pet instead – of a dog. The place where he was living was suitable for that experiment.

Question 2.
What are the exclusive features/habits of an otter?
Answer:
An otter is a fun loving animal. They are found in abundance near the fresh water. They love the flowing water. An otter is an intelligent animal and capable of inventing new games.

Question 3.
Why did Gavin Maxwell stay in Basra for five days?
Answer:
Gavin Maxwell went to Basra to the Consulate General to collect and answer his mail from Europe. His mail did not arrive in time. He cabled to England, and when three days later, no response was received, he tried to telephone. But the exchange was closed for a religious holiday. His mail arrived five days later. So, he had to wait for a few days.

Question 4.
How did Maxwell get an otter?
Answer:
Maxwell expressed his desire to his friend to have an otter as a pet. His friend sent two Arabs with an otter at Basra. This is how he got an otter in Basra.

Question 5.
How did the otter look for the first time?
Answer:
The author got an otter through two Arabs who were sent by his friend. Initially, it looked very dirty due to mud. On the first day, the otter did not respond to any action of the narrator. It remained shy and indifferent. It remained aloof for twenty-four hours. It was only after twenty-four hours that the otter came closer to the author.

Question 6.
When did Maxwell realise that the otter loved water?
Answer:
One day Maxwell took the otter in the bathroom. The otter jumped with joy into the bathtub. It remained there for a long time. Seeing the otter’s movement, Maxwell realised that the otter loved water.

Question 7.
What did Mijbil, the otter, do in the bathroom after two days of his arrival?
Answer:
Mijbil, the otter, was a fun-loving intelligent animal. He loved water. On the first day, he went wild with joy in the water. Next day, Mijbil escaped from the bedroom and entered the bathroom. He struggled with the tap till it had a full flow of water.

Question 8.
What did Mijbil do to pass his time?
Answer:
Mijbil spent most of his time in playing with a rubber ball with its feet. He dribbled and threw it. He was a fun-loving animal. He played with a plastic ball too. He had invented his own game.

Question 9.
Why was Mijbil put in a box by Maxwell? Why was there silence in the box?
Answer:
The author had to come back to London. The British Airways did not allow the author to fly with an animal. So he had to go by another airline. This airline insisted that Mij should be packed in a box. When the author came, he found that there was complete silence in the box. He got scared. He saw blood coming out of the box. When he opened the box, he found Mij badly wounded. Mij had tried to come out of the box.

Question 10.
Why was the author not allowed to take a flight of the British airline?
Answer:
The British Airways had a rule that the passengers could not fly with their pets. Mijbil was an otter. The author could not be allowed to fly with Mijbil as the rules did not permit it.

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The Necklace Summary in English by Guy De Maupassant

The Necklace by Guy De Maupassant About the Author

Author Name	Guy De Maupassant
Born	5 August 1850, Château de Miromesnil, Tourville-sur-Arques, France
Died	6 July 1893, Passy, Paris, France
Short stories	The Necklace, Boule de Suif, The Horla, Two Friends
Movies	Bel Ami, Masculin Féminin, A Woman’s Life

The Necklace Summary in English

‘Matilda, the pretty young lady, was born in a family of clerks. She was married to a petty clerk in the office of the Board of Education. She felt that she was born for luxuries but she was suffering from poverty. This made her constantly unhappy and complaining. She wanted to have elegant dinners in shining silver, and to wear frocks and nice jewellery.

One day her husband Loisel got an invitation to a dance party from the Minister of Public Instruction for both of them. Monsieur Loisel was elated to receive it, but Matilda, his wife, was irritated and threw down the invitation card. Tears rolled down her cheeks. Her husband kept inquiring. Finally, she said that she did not have a proper dress or jewellery. She did not want to be singled out amidst the elite gathering.

Finally, after a lot of thinking, her husband gave her the money to buy a new dress for her. This money had been kept by him for buying a gun. The dress got ready, but Matilda was still not happy, because she did not have the jewels to go with it. She did not take to the idea of wearing natural flowers. Finally, her husband in desperation suggested that che should go to Mme Forestier, her friend and borrow some of her jewellery.

Matilda went to Mme Forestier and borrowed a diamond necklace. Madame Loisel danced at the ball (party) with enthusiasm and happiness. She turned out to be the prettiest of all — elegant, gracious, smiling and full of joy. All the men noticed her, asked her name and wanted to be presented. She went home at 4 a.m. fully satisfied. Her husband was tired and remembered that he had to go to office in the morning.

She removed the wraps from her shoulders before the glass, for a final view of herself jn her glory. Suddenly, she was shocked to see that the necklace was not there around her neck.

Monsieur Loisel and Mme Loisel looked in the folds of the dress and in the pockets. They could not find the necklace. He reported the matter to the police and put an advertisement in the newspapers without any result. They somehow deferred the plan of returning the necklace by a week – by writing to Mme Forestier that the clasp of the necklace had broken. They would get it repaired and return it. At the end of the week, it was not found. They decided to buy a new one.

In a shop of the Palaise-Royal, they found an exact looking necklace valued at forty thousand francs. They could get it for thirty-six thousand francs.

Loisel had only eighteen thousand francs, so he borrowed the rest from usurers and a whole race of lenders. They paid thirty six thousand francs to the shop to buy the necklace. It was soon given to Mme Forestier. The saving spree began. The Loisels sent away the maid, they lived in a rented room in an attic. Mme Loisel did all the household work. Monsieur Loisel also worked overtime to save money. It was a horrible life of necessity they were leading for the next ten years. Mrs. Loisel looked old.

One day Mme Loisel happened to meet Mme Forestier while she was taking a walk. She (Matilda) told her how they had replaced her necklace. They led a miserable life because they had to repay the loan they had taken to buy her diamond necklace which was lost by them. Mme Forestier revealed that her necklace was false and was worth only five hundred francs.

The Necklace Summary Questions and Answers

Question 1.
Why did Matilda not want to see her rich friends?
Answer:
Matilda did not want to see her rich friends because she did not have jewels, nothing to adorn herself with. Besides, she did not have any suitable dress for the party. She thought that without having these valuable things she would have a poverty-stricken look in the midst of rich friends.

Question 2.
What is the role of Mme Forestier in the story ‘The Necklace’?
Answer:
Mme Forestier is a rich lady. She is a good friend of Matilda. She agrees to lend her necklace to Matilda to be worn at a party. Her role in the story is very important. Had she not lent her necklace to Matilda, she (Matilda) would not have learnt her lesson in life.

Question 3.
What changes came in the lifestyle of Matilda after she had lost the necklace?
Answer:
After the loss of the necklace, Matilda had to sacrifice all her comforts and even all her needs to get money to buy a new necklace and give it to her friend. Because of overwork, tension and lack of care, she became a physical wreck. Happiness of one night changed her whole life’s ways and style.

Question 4.
Describe Mme Loisel’s experience at the ball.
Answer:
At the ball Mme Loisel was in the high world. She was looking absolutely beautiful. She was a great success at the ball. She smiled all the time and was full of joy. She was noticed by everyone present there. She danced with pleasure almost the whole night and returned home at four o’clock in the morning.

Question 5.
What were Matilda’s apprehensions when her husband brought her the invitation to the ball?
Answer:
When her husband brought an invitation, Matilda had two apprehensions’. Firstly, she didn’t have any suitable dress for the party. The second apprehension was that she didn’t have any suitable jewel to adorn herself. She thought that she would give a poverty-stricken look.

Question 6.
How did Monsieur Loisel manage to repay the debt and when?
Answer:
In order to repay the debt. Mr. and Mrs. Loisel had to go through several hardships. Mr. Loisel had to work overtime. Mrs. Loisel did away with the maid and did all the household chores herself. The Loisels left their lodgings and lived in a rented room. The Loisels led a very miserable life and repaid the debt in ten years.

Question 7.
Why did Matilda not like to visit her friend Mme. Forestier?
Answer:
Whenever Matilda visited her rich friend, she always felt frustrated and inferior. Her richness and luxuries made her feel more dissatisfied. Her display of clothes and jewels fascinated her.

Question 8.
Why did Matilda’s husband go out into the cold night minutes after returning from the ball? Was he successful in his efforts?
Answer:
Monsieur Loisel went out into the cold night minutes after returning from the ball in search of the lost necklace. No, he was not successful in his errand. He could not find the necklace anywhere.

Question 9.
What was the cause of Matilda’s ruin? How could she have avoided it?
Answer:
The cause of Matilda’s ruin was her constant discontentment with her circumstances. It was her sense of frustration which made her and her husband borrow the necklace for the party which was subsequently lost.
She could have avoided it by firstly, not borrowing the necklace and secondly by telling the truth to Mrs. Forestier.

Question 10.
Why did Jeanne not recognise her friend Matilda?
Answer:
Mme Loisel seemed old and haggard after undergoing a hectic work schedule with a lot of anxiety to pay the debt. Her hair and dress became shabby. Her hands became red, her tone of voice was loud and crude. Therefore, Jeanne could not recognise her.