CBSE Class 12

NCERT Solutions for Class 12 English Flamingo Chapter 4 The Rattrap is a detailed account of what you will learn in The rattrap Chapter 4 Class 12 English. To successfully pass CBSE Class 12 English exam and get an excellent grade on your report card at the end of it all you need a thorough understanding and comprehension of NCERT Solutions for Class 12 English Flamingo Chapter 4 The Rattrap which we have made sure covers everything important! Check out The Rattrap Class 12 English sample questions.

The Rattrap NCERT Solutions for Class 12 English Flamingo Chapter 4

The Rattrap NCERT Text Book Questions and Answers

The Rattrap Think as you read

Question 1.
From-where did the peddler get the idea of the world being a rattrap?
Answer:
The peddler once got lost in the woods, and thought of his rattraps, when the idea of the world being a rattrap struck him.

Question 2.
Why was he amused by this idea?
Answer:
The peddler believed that the world with all its riches and joys, food and shelter appears as a rattrap to tempt people. He was amused to think of many other people he knew, who were already caught in the trap, and some others who were circling around the bait.

Question 3.
Did the peddler expect the kind of hospitality that he received from the crofter?
Answer:
The peddler did not expect to receive the kind of hospitality he received from the crofter. He usually used to meet sour faces and was turned away without even a word of kindness.

Question 4.
Why was the crofter so talkative and friendly with the peddler?
Answer:
The crofter was so talkative and friendly with the peddler because he always lived alone and he needed company. He wanted to share his feelings with somebody. The peddler had sufficient time and he had to pass the night, so he listened peacefully.

Question 5.
Why did he show the thirty kronors to the peddler?
Answer:
The crofter felt proud of the cow that gave him enough milk to support him. So he told the peddler that he had got thirty kronors from the creamery as the payment of previous month’s supply. However, he felt that the peddler did not believe him. Thus, he showed the money to convince him.

Question 6.
Did the peddler respect the confidence reposed in him by the crofter?
Answer:
The peddler had no respect for the crofter’s confidence reposed in him. In fact, he came back, smashed the windowpane, and stole the money.

Question 7.
What made the peddler think that he had indeed fallen into a rattrap?
Answer:
After stealing the crofter’s money, the peddler believed that it was not safe to walk along the public highway. So he went into the woods. He walked there but could not get out of it. So he thought that he had fallen into a rattrap. The forest with its trunks, branches and under growths appeared to him like an impenetrable prison.

Question 8.
Why did the iron master speak kindly to the peddler and invite him home?
Answer:
The ironmaster considered the peddler as an old regimental comrade, who had fallen on evil days. So he invited the peddler to come home with him.

Question 9.
Why did the peddler decline the invitation?
Answer:
The peddler was afraid as he was carrying stolen money with him. The peddler knew that the ironmaster had mistaken him for an old regimental comrade and feared that the ironmaster would send him to the police. He felt it was like walking into a lion’s den.

Question 10.
What made the peddler accept Edla Willmansson’s invitation?
Answer:
The peddler accepted her invitation as she spoke kindly to him. She realised that he was afraid. Thus, she assured him that no harm would come to him and he was at liberty to leave whenever he wanted.

Question 11.
What doubts did Edla have about the peddler?
Answer:
Edla was kind, trusting and compassionate. She had promised joy and festivities to
the peddler on Christmas eve. Therefore, she entertains the peddler even after she knew the truth about him. Edla thought that the peddler had stolen something or had escaped from jail. She did not believe him to be educated, thus, she did not think of him as her father’s old regimental comrade.

Question 12.
When did the ironmaster realise his mistake?
Answer:
The ironmaster had seen the peddler in the dim light of the furnace. When the peddler came well-groomed in the broad daylight, the ironmaster realised that he was mistaken.

Question 13.
What did the peddler say in his defence when it was clear that he was not the person ‘the ironmaster had thought he was?
Answer:
The peddler told that he never pretended to be what he was not. He only desired to be permitted to sleep in the forge for the night. He had declined the ironmaster’s invitation, again and again. He even wanted to put on his rags again, and go away.

Question 14.
Why did Edla entertain the peddler even after she knew the truth about him?
Answer:
Edla served him not as her father’s old comrade. She always thought him to be a homeless poor tramp. She wanted to feed supper to the poor man on Christmas eve. Thus, she let him stay.

Question 15.
Why was Edla happy to see the gift left by the peddler?
Answer:
Edla was the daughter of the ironmaster. She had invited the peddler to her house, but when she was in church, she came to know that the peddler had stolen the money from the crofter’s house. She was worried that he might have stolen things from her house too. But later, she was overjoyed to see the gift and all things untouched.

Question 16.
Why did the peddler sign himself as Captain von Stahle?
Answer:
The ironmaster had been mistaken when he took the peddler for his old comrade. In reality, he felt he was Captain von Stahle, and signed his name on the letter as that. All this was due to Edla’s behaviour, who made him feel like a real captain.

The Rattrap Understanding the Text

Question 1.
How does the peddler interpret the acts of kindness and hospitality shown by the crofter, the ironmaster and his daughter?
Answer:
The peddler had been a man selling small rattraps made of wire. All around, he led a sad and monotonous life of a vagabond. He knocked at the door of the house of the crofter, who was an old man without a wife and children. He showed kindness and hospitality unexpected by the peddler. Still, the rattrap peddler stole his thirty kronor. So he betrayed the confidence reposed in him by the crofter. Later, the ironmaster thinking him to be an old acquaintance invited him to his house. The peddler went to his house thinking that the ironmaster might give him a couple of kronors. He did not reveal his true identity.

Edla Willmansson, the ironmaster’s daughter asked him to come to her home in a very compassionate and friendly manner. He agreed to go to their home. But while he was riding to the manor house, he had “evil forebodings”. He felt guilty for stealing the crofter’s money. The ironmaster, after realising that he was not the captain, told him to go out of the house immediately. However, the insistence of Edla allowed him to spend the Christmas evening in their house. The peddler wondered about it. However, he interpreted it to be her nobleness, kindness and generosity.

Question 2.
What are the instances in the story that show that the character of the ironmaster is different from that of his daughter in many ways?
Answer:
There are several instances in the story to prove that the ironmaster’s character is different from his daughter’s in many ways. The ironmaster mistook the peddler to be an old acquaintance. So he invited him to his house to spend Christmas evening. The peddler, however, declined his invitation. So the ironmaster sent his daughter with the hope that she would have better ways of persuasion. The compassionate manner of the daughter won the confidence of the peddler, who agreed to go to her home.

However, as the valet bathed the peddler, cut his hair and shaved him, and dressed him in a good-looking suit, the ironmaster had the realisation that he was someone else. The ironmaster, who could be called impulsive, told him to get out of his house immediately. However, his daughter said that he should stay with them that day, for Christmas. She felt sympathetic towards ‘the poor hungry wretch’. She believed that he could have a day of peace with them just once in the whole year. She even told him to take his father’s suit as a Christmas gift. Her attitude changed the peddler who left with her the money he had stolen.

Question 3.
The story has many instances of unexpected reactions from the characters to others’ behaviour. Pick out instances of these surprises.
Answer:
In ‘The Rattrap’, there are instances of unexpected reactions from the characters to others’ behaviour. Walking along with the road one evening, the peddler saw a light grey cottage by the roadside. He sought shelter for the night. Usually, he was met by ‘sour faces’. However, unexpectedly the house owner, the crofter, an old man without a wife or children, greeted him. He showed hospitality by serving food and taking care of him. Then the peddler was entrapped in the forest. Over there, he sought shelter at the Ramsjo Ironworks. However, he met the ironmaster who insisted that he spends the Christmas evening at his home.

The ironmaster mistook him for an old regimental comrade. When the peddler declined the offer, Edla, the ironmaster’s daughter, went there to persuade him to come to their house. Later, the ironmaster realised that he had mistaken the stranger’s identity and told him to leave his house immediately. But Edla unexpectedly convinced her father to let him stay for Christmas in the house. The most surprising reaction, however, was the transformation of the peddler that was a result of the behaviour of Edla towards him.

Question 4.
What made the peddler finally change his ways?
Answer:
The peddler, in addition to selling small rattraps of wire, was even a petty thief. From the house of the crofter, he stole thirty kronors. This was in spite of the fact that the crofter sheltered him in his house for a night and gave him the best possible hospitality. However, the kind and generous behaviour of Edla Willmansson, the ironmaster’s daughter, finally changed him.

The ironmaster invited him to his house, mistaking him for an old regimental comrade. But realising that the peddler was not his old acquaintance but someone else, he told him to leave his house immediately. However, Edla showed pity on him and persuaded her father to permit him to spend Christmas with them. Her behaviour changed his conscience and while giving her the gift of a rattrap, she requested him to return the thirty kronors of the crofter which he had stolen. A complete transformation takes place in the peddler due to Edla.

Question 5.
How does the metaphor of the rattrap serve to highlight the human predicament?
Answer:
In the story, ‘The Rattrap’, the peddler sells small rattraps of wire. Thinking of his rattraps, he was suddenly struck by the idea that the whole world around him lands and seas, its cities and villages—was a big rattrap. He believed that the world existed for no other purpose but to set baits for people. The world was full of riches and joys, shelter and food and clothing, just as the rattrap offered food. When anyone was tempted to touch the bait, it trapped him, and it brought everything to an end. Thus, the metaphor of the rattrap serves to highlight the human predicament. The more we are allured by the worldly things, the more we are entrapped by them. There is no way out.

Question 6.
The peddler comes out as a person with a subtle sense of humor. How does this serve in lightening the seriousness of the theme of the story and also endear him to us?
Answer:
The peddler had a great sense of humour. He contrasts the whole world with a rattrap. It sets bait for people. Since the world was never kind to him, he got ‘unwanted joy’ to think ill of it this way. His pastime was to think about people he knew who had been caught in the dangerous web, and of others who were waiting to be caught in the bait. It depicts his sense of humour. With stolen money of the crofter, he felt “quite pleased with his smartness”. Entrapped in the forest, he thought about the world and the rattrap. He believed that ‘his own turn had come’. It shows his sense of humour. He believed that he had been fooled by a bait and had been caught.

He did not tell his real identity to the ironmaster as he thought that thinking him as an old acquaintance, the ironmaster may ‘throw him a couple of kronors’. Going to the manor house, he believed that he was sitting in the trap and would never get out of it. As the ironmaster came to know that he was not his old acquaintance and threatened to call the sheriff, he replied that the whole world was nothing but a big rattrap and the ironmaster began to laugh. His sense of humour serves in lightening the seriousness of the theme of the story. It also evokes our sympathy for him.

The Rattrap Talking about the Text

Discuss the following in groups of four. Each group can deal with one topic. Present the views of your group to the whole class.

Question 1.
The reader’s sympathy is with the peddler right from the beginning of the story. Why is this so? Is the sympathy justified?
Answer:
The rattrap seller has been shown as a victim of his situation and not as an evil character from the beginning of the chapter. The peddler’s business was not profitable enough to make both ends meet, so he had to resort to beggary and stealing. Moreover, he had no friends to guide him to the right path. The sympathy is justified because the peddler is capable of appreciating genuine goodness and hospitality. When he is treated with respect and kindness, he reciprocates the same in the best way he can, as shown in the end of the chapter.

Question 2.
The story also focuses on human loneliness and the need to bond with others?
Answer:
The chapter deals with the issues of loneliness and companionship. Not only the peddler, but also other characters like the crofter, the ironmaster, and Edla are lonely. The peddler had been lonely for a long time, but Edla’s kindness and hospitality changed him. On the other hand, the crofter was also a lonely old man whose craving for companionship leads him to give shelter to the peddler, and he ends up getting robbed.

The other two characters in the chapter the ironmaster and his daughter also suffer from loneliness. They crave company on Christmas Eve and are excited when they get the opportunity to serve a guest.

Question 3.
Have you known/heard of an episode where a good deed or an act of kindness has changed a person’s view of the world?
Answer:
(Answers may vary.)

Question 4.
The story is both entertaining and philosophical.
Answer:
The story provides us with glimpses of human nature and the reactions of people in various situations. The actions of the peddler after stealing thirty kronors are quite Amusing. The change in the ironmaster’s attitude towards the stranger reveals how selfish and ignorant human beings can be, and the reactions of the blacksmith to the tramp’s request for shelter show how casual and indifferent human beings can be. The ironmaster mistakes the vagabond for his old regimental comrade and asks him to spend Christmas with them at their home.

When the peddler refuses, he sends his daughter to convince with her persuasive power, she makes him follow her to the house. When the ironmaster sees the strange in broad daylight, he is annoyed. Instead of realising his own mistake, he puts blame on the peddler. The metaphor of the world being a rattrap saves the situation for the tramp, but the ironmaster wants to turn him out. But the daughter wants the tramp to enjoy a day and moreover, she does not want to chase away a person who they invited home. The ironmaster’s comments are quite entertaining and philosophical.

The Rattrap Extra Questions and Answers

The Rattrap Short Answer Questions

Question 1.
“Edla sat and hung her head even more dejectedly than usual.” Which two reasons forced her to behave in that manner?
Answer:
Edla was sad and upset as she had heard that a crofter of ironworks had been robbed. This led her to think that the peddler to whom she gave shelter was responsible for this misdeed. Her father also added to her doubts by saying that he had heard the peddler was a thief.

Question 2.
Why was the peddler surprised when he knocked at the door of the cottage?
Answer:
The peddler was surprised as he was not only welcomed at night time but was also provided food and shelter. He was treated like a guest and not as a beggar. The crofter was a lonely man, he also needed company.

Question 3.
What made the peddler finally change his ways?
Answer:
The peddler changed his way of living because of the love and hospitality shown by Edla, daughter of the ironmaster. He lived a pathetic life, but when he was respected and cared for, he changed his way of life. He began to live with dignity and respect.

Question 4.
Why did the peddler keep to the woods after leaving the crofter’s cottage? How did he feel?
Answer:
The peddler kept to the woods after leaving the crofter’s cottage because he wanted to avoid the police. He was afraid as he had stolen the crofter’s money. If he took to the road, he might be caught or seen by policemen or the crofter.

Question 5.
Who was the owner of Ramsjo iron mill? Why did he visit the mill at night?
Answer:
The owner of that mill was a very prominent ironmaster. His greatest ambition was to ship out good iron to the market. He insisted on quality and kept a watch on the work round the clock. He came to the forge on one of his nightly rounds of inspection.

Question 6.
How did the ironmaster react on seeing the stranger lying close to the furnace?
Answer:
The ironmaster adjusted his hat to see the stranger very carefully. He seemed to him as one of his acquaintances, so he offered to take him home.

Question 7.
Why didn’t the stranger tell the ironmaster that he was not Nils Olof?
OR
How did the peddler react when he saw that the ironmaster had recognised him as Nils Olof, an old regimental comrade?
Answer:
The peddler was mistaken by the ironmaster to be an old acquaintance from the regiment. He assumed that the ironmaster would hand him a few kronors and therefore, made no attempts to deny the reference being made. He replies by saying that things had gone down hill for him. However, when the ironmaster said that he should not have resigned and suggested that “Nils Olof” should accompany him to the manor, he flatly refused to do so, for fear of being recognised.

Question 8.
Why did Edla invite the peddler to stay with her family?
Answer:
Edla was a kind and compassionate young lady. It was Christmas and she wanted the peddler to be a guest for the occasion and share all the goodies that were prepared for Christmas. She had also sensed his fear, but she wanted him to spend some time in her house without any fear and relax in comfortable security.

Question 9.
Why did the peddler think that the world was a rattrap?
Answer:
The peddler was a very poor man. He earned his living by selling rattraps made out of material bought by begging. Suddenly, he realised that the whole world was a rattrap. The riches and luxuries and comforts are the baits. Like rats, people allow themselves to be tempted by these baits. Once caught, everything is lost and even struggles would not let anyone escape.

Question 10.
What did the gift of the rattrap signify?
Answer:
In the story ‘The Rattrap’, the peddler leaves a small rattrap with thirty kronors and a note for Edla. He confesses his mistake and asks Edla to return the money to the crofter. He admits that he got caught in his own rattrap. He also thanks her for treating him as a real captain and for giving him another chance.

Life is one big rattrap, one gets trapped by his own deeds. The gift of the rattrap signified that the peddler was releasing himself from the trap he had very nearly got into. It was an expression of gratitude to Edla, for enabling him get out of it because of her behaviour towards him. It is important that everyone gets a second chance to improve oneself, and Edla had given him his chance.

Question 11.
Why was the peddler amused at the idea of the world being a rattrap?
Answer:
The peddler believed that the world with all its riches and joys, food and shelter appears as a rattrap to tempt people. He was amused to think of many other people he knew, who were already caught in the trap, and some others who were circling around the bait.

Question 12.
What hospitality did the peddler receive from the crofter?
Answer:
The peddler was surprised as he was not only welcomed at the night time but was also provided food and shelter. He was treated like a guest and not as a beggar. The crofter was a lonely man, he also needed company.

Question 13.
What do we learn about the crofter’s nature from the story, ‘The Rattrap’?
Answer:
he crofter was lonely and trusting. He was hospitable and gullible. Without any doubt on the peddler, he invites the peddler inside his house at night and shares not only his food but also the whereabouts of his hard-earned money. He was friendly and talkative. He felt proud of his cow that gave him enough milk to support him and talks a lot about it.

Question 14.
Why did the crofter show the thirty kronors to the peddler?
Answer:
The crofter felt proud of the cow that gave him enough milk to support him. So he told the peddler that he had got thirty kronors from the creamery as the payment of previous month’s supply. However, he felt that the peddler did not believe him. Thus, he showed the money to convince him.

Question 15.
Why did the ironmaster speak kindly to the peddler and invite him home?
Answer:
The ironmaster mistook the peddler to be “Nils olof ”, his old regimental comrade. He goes on to tell him that he would not have allowed him to resign if he had been in service. As if to make amends for what had happened, the ironmaster tells the peddler to accompany him to the manor, so that he can be received honourably like an old regimental comrade.

Question 16.
Why was Edla happy to see the gift left by the peddler?
Answer:
Edla was happy to see the gift as it was a Christmas Eve and her mother was dead and
brothers were abroad. On this festival, a stranger left a gift for her and shared the feelings of happiness and bonding as she was feeling lonely.

Question 17.
What was the content of the letter written to Edla by the peddler?
Answer:
The peddler had left a packet behind for Edla which contained a rattrap, as a Christmas gift. Inside the packet, there was a letter and thirty kronors. In the letter, he has thanked Edla for her kindness and hospitality towards a stranger. He also repented for his crimes in the letter.

Question 18.
What did Edla notice about the stranger?
Answer:
Edla noticed that the stranger was very scared. He seemed to be either a thief or a runaway from a prison. As per her observation, he did not seem to be educated to be a captain.

The Rattrap Long Answer Questions

Question 1.
Describe the events which led to the change in the peddler’s way of life.
Answer:
The peddler had been living a despicable life of poverty, despair and frustration. His only aim in life was to accomplish things in life. He did not care about the means he chose to acquire the material substances in life. Be it beggary, theft or cheating someone, he did not shy away from anything. His view towards the society was in fact shaped by the apathetic and indifferent attitude of the society towards him. He was never shown any understanding, respect or kindness by anyone. He did not have any respect for any one and viewed the whole world as a rattrap.

He felt that the riches and luxuries of life were baits to entice people into a vicious cycle of struggles, from which there was no escape. Neither the crofter’s hospitality nor the ironmaster’s invitation to his house brought about any change in him. It was only when he met the ironmaster’s daughter, Edla that his outlook towards life changed. Edla’s warmth, kindness, compassion and genuineness touched him. He left a rattrap as a Christmas gift for Edla and enclosed a letter thanking her for her kindness.

He also confessed to stealing money from the crofter and left the money to be restored to the owner. This way, he redeemed himself from his dishonest ways and emerged as an altogether transformed person. In this transformation process, he behaved like a real captain, the way Edla addressed him.

Question 2.
Do you think the title, ‘The Rattrap’ is appropriate? Give examples from the text in support of your view.
Answer:
Selma Lagerlof gives a very apt and logical title to the story. The metaphor of the rattrap is very effectively used. The whole world is nothing but a big rattrap. All riches, joys, food and shelter are just baits. These baits make people restless, helpless and powerless. The moment anyone touches the bait, the rattrap closes in on him. Then everything comes to an end.

The story revolves around the vagabond, who, though philosophises about the world being a rattrap, falls into its trap. Though the crofter shows him kindness by offering him food and shelter, he robs him. His greed for money makes him fall in the rattrap. Further, when the ironmaster mistakes him to be an old friend, he does not correct him. He decides to cheat him of his money. So even though the peddler tries hard not to fall into the rattrap or worldly riches and materialistic benefits, he ultimately falls into one.

Question 3.
Attempt a character sketch of the peddler in the story, ‘The Rattrap’.
OR
The peddler enjoys the sympathy of readers right from the beginning of the story. Draw a character sketch of the peddler, justifying the sympathy he generates among the readers.
Answer:
Selma Lagerlof draws the character of the peddler with all sympathy and understanding. Selma wants to give a definite message. The peddler represents some human weaknesses. He is in fact the product of circumstances. But he is never devoid of basic human goodness. Only it lies in hibernation for some time. The essential goodness in him is awakened through love and understanding of Miss Edla Willmansson.

The peddler is so many things, all rolled in one. He is a vagabond cum beggar cum etty thief. At moments, he can raise himself to a philosopher. He philosophises life and compares the world to a big rattrap. Finally, he transforms himself into a ‘gentleman’. The peddler is a pragmatist. He finds his business not quite profitable. He doesn’t mind resorting to both begging and petty thievery. Nor is he above temptations. He steals 30 kronors of his generous host, the old crofter.

The peddler raises himself above petty worldly temptations in the end. His essential human qualities raise him to heroic heights. He is witty and humorous. He knows how to deal with men and tricky situations. He thanks Miss Edla for her kindness and hospitality. She gives a little cry of joy when he decides to return 30 kronors to the rightful owner. She is requested to return the money to its rightful owner, the old crofter. The readers forgive him for his little human weaknesses. They develop sympathy and appreciation for him.

Question 4.
Describe the peddler’s meeting with the ironmaster. Why did he decline his invitation?
Answer:
It was by chance that the peddler found himself at the Ramsjo Ironworks. It was a dark evening before Christmas. The peddler opened the gate and stood close to the furnace. It was nothing unusual for poor vagabonds to have night shelter in the winter in front of the fire. The ironmaster noticed the peddler.

He walked close up to him and looked him over very carefully. He mistook him for Captain Stahle, an old comrade of his regiment. He felt sorry that he had resigned from the regiment long ago. The ironmaster invited the peddler home as their special guest on Christmas. The peddler was not amused. He didn’t want to be received by the owner like an old regimental comrade. He looked quite alarmed and declined the invitation.

Going to the manor house appeared like throwing himself voluntarily into the lion’s den. He didn’t want to go there. He only wanted to spend the night in the forge. He wanted to sneak away in the morning unnoticed. Then he thought of the thirty kronors. They were a bait and he couldn’t resist the temptation. Now again the bait had been thrown at him. He had to resist the temptation and decline the invitation. The ironmaster only assumed that the peddler felt embarrassed because of his miserable clothing.

Question 5.
Edla proved to be much more persuasive than her father while dealing with the peddler. Comment.
OR
The peddler declined the invitation of the ironmaster but accepted the one from Edla. Why?
Answer:
The peddler was afraid as he was carrying stolen money with him. The peddler knew that .the ironmaster had mistaken him for an old regimental comrade and feared that the ironmaster would send him to the police. He felt as if he were walking into a lion’s den. He didn’t want to go there. He only wanted to spend the night in the forge. He wanted to sneak away in the morning unnoticed. Then he thought of the thirty kronors.

They were a bait and he couldn’t resist the temptation. However, he accepted Edla’s invitation as she spoke kindly to him. She realised that he was afraid. Therefore, she assured him that no harm would come to him and he was at liberty to leave whenever he wanted. The compassionate manner of the daughter won the confidence of the peddler who agreed to go to her home.

Question 6.
Why did the crofter repose confidence in the peddler? How did the peddler betray that and with what consequences?
OR
How did the peddler betray the confidence reposed in him by the crofter in ‘The Rattrap’?
Answer:
The peddler did betray the confidence reposed in him by the crofter. He considered this world nothing but a big rattrap. It sets baits for people. The peddler unwillingly allowed himself to be tempted to touch the bait. Those thirty kronors which the crofter stuffed into the pouch proved to be bait. He stole the money. By doing so, he committed a breach of trust. It was nothing but simple moral degeneration. One dark evening, as he was walking along the road, he saw a gray cottage by the roadside. He knocked on the door to ask shelter for the night. He was well received there.

The owner was an old man (crofter) without wife or child. He was happy to find a man to talk to in his loneliness. The old crofter served him supper, gave him tobacco and played a game of cards with him. The old man went to the window and took down a leather pouch. He counted thirty kronors and put it into the pouch. It provided a big bait. The peddler was tempted to steal them. In this way, he betrayed the confidence that was reposed in him by the host.

Question 7.
The story ‘The Rattrap’ focuses on human loneliness and the need to bond with others. Explain.
OR
The story also focuses on human loneliness and the need to bond with others.
Answer:
In this story, the author tells us that as normal human beings, we always like to share something with others, be it joy or sorrow. It means that humans do not want to be lonely and they want company of others. In this story, first the peddler is lonely, and to overcome this, he sells rattraps. The crofter is lonely, so he welcomes the peddler to have a conversation with him. The ironmaster and his daughter are also lonely. They are rich and have a big house, but they do not have anybody to give them company. Hence, they request the peddler to spend Christmas eve with them. The author has very subtly focused on the loneliness of humans and how they strive hard to get a good companion.

Question 8.
How can we transform and clean an evil doing person? Give example from the story.
OR
Have you known/heard of an episode where a good deed or an act of kindness has changed a person’s view of the world?
Answer:
The writer has highlighted a universal theme in this story. It is that we can arouse the goodness in the life of a man by love, understanding, sympathy and respect. Once upon a time, there was a man who went around selling self-made small rattraps of wire. His condition was too miserable to beg and do petty thefts. He was in rags with sunken cheeks and hungry eyes.
One day, an idea flashed into his mind. He thought that the whole world around him was a big rattrap. It offered riches, joys, food, shelter, clothing like a bait offering cheese

and pork in a rattrap for the rats. Those who were tempted to touch the bait, fell. It closed on them bringing an end to everything. One dark evening, while staying at the crofter’s cottage, he was given food and lodging. But the next morning, the tramp stole his thirty kronors. He kept on walking the same path in the forest. On hearing the sound of hammer strokes, he reached the iron mill and lay near the furnace.

The ironmaster mistook him to be his old acquaintance and invited him for Christmas cheer but he refused. He sent his daughter Edla, who persuaded him to their house. After having him well dressed, the ironmaster found that he mistook him as Captain ‘Nils Olof.’ So he ordered him to get out at once. The young girl interceded for him and said that she wanted him to stay as they promised him Christmas cheer. He was treated like a real captain with food. In their absence, when they were at church, he left. In the church, they learnt that the rattrap seller had robbed the old crofter. So they became worried.

When they returned, the valet told that he had taken nothing with him and had rather left behind a Christmas gift for Miss Willmansson. She found a small rattrap, thirty kronors and a letter in it. The letter stated that she had taken him as if he were a captain, so he would be nice to her as a captain. It had given him power to cleanse himself.

Question 9.
Greed is the greatest evil force that has tempted man into doing a lot of misdeeds. It is greed that has led to so much corruption, violence and mayhem in the world. The peddler in ‘The Rattrap’ is not conscientious nor does he think twice before robbing a crofter. Bearing these thoughts in mind, write an article discussing the qualities that are required for overcoming the Evil of Greed.
Answer:
Value Points:

• Greed is the greatest evil that paralyses the goodness of man.
• It spreads like wildfire and makes a man immune to goodness and kindness.
• Money, fame, power and property acquired by unfair means is like a vicious cycle never lets anyone rest in peace.
• The consequences of greed are deep and never-ending.
• Meditation, consultations, keeping the company of good and honest people can keep the bridle on such men.
• It is most important that the desire to overcome greed should come from within.

Question 10.
The peddler thinks that the whole world is a rattrap. This view of life is true only of himself and of no one else in the story. Comment.
Answer:
The Swedish peddler is a victim of retrenchment that occurred with machines taking over man, in the second half of the 19th century. Industrialisation made him a travelling rattrap salesman. Even the crofter and the ironmaster of Ramsjo Ironworks are fellow sufferers, the peddler’s own experience, perhaps makes him conclude ‘the world with its lands and seas, its cities and villages-was nothing but a big rattrap’. It existed for no other reason than as baits for everybody.

‘It offered riches, joys, shelter and food, heat and clothing exactly as the rattrap offered cheese and fork, and as soon as anyone let himself be tempted to touch the bait, it closed in on him, and everything came to an end.’ The peddler was likewise trapped into stealing the thirty kronors; he gives into Edla and accepts the invitation for a stay and Christmas dinner, but he is able to save himself in the end by leaving the thirty kronors behind, along with a rattrap and a touching letter to Edla.

Question 11.
Very soon after stealing the crofter’s money, how did the peddler realise that he was himself caught in a rattrap?
Answer:
After stealing the crofter’s money, the peddler started walking towards the forest to stay safe. He tried to walk in a definite direction, but the paths were strangely twisted. He kept on walking without coming to the end of the woods. Finally, he realised that he had been walking around the same part of the forest. He then realised that the whole forest, with its trunks and branches, its thickest and fallen logs, closed in upon him like an impenetrable prison from which he could never escape. This time he was trapped in a rattrap.

Question 12.
Edla’s empathetic and compassionate behaviour changed the life of the rattrap seller. Do you think that an act of kindness can change a person’s view of the world?
Answer:
An act of kindness does change a person’s perspective and nature as well as his view of the world. The peddler had been living a despicable life of poverty, despair and frustration. Everywhere he was not welcomed and had the fear of being caught. No one was there in his life who would love him. Edla’s hospitality and kindness deeply touched him.

He never received such kind treatment being a stranger to Edla. It was her generosity which made Peddler to confess his mistake and he repaid for his wrong doings by behaving like a real captain. He left rattrap as a Christmas gift for her and wrote a letter of thanks leaving behind the stolen money. This way he redeemed himself from a thief to real captain and emerged altogether as a transformed person.

 

A learner needs to read stories thoroughly and accurately to score better in CBSE Class 12 English exams. NCERT Solutions for Class 12 English Flamingo Chapter 4 The Rattrap has been answered by experts to ensure that the story can be easily understood. 

English is a difficult subject for many people to learn. Some students may become frustrated and give up, but NCERT Solutions for Class 12 English Flamingo Poem 3 Keeping Quiet can help you maintain your momentum! This Class 12 English Flamingo Poem 3 Keeping Quiet will provide all necessary information needed in order to study Class 12 English successfully at home or school. 

Keeping Quiet NCERT Solutions for Class 12 English Flamingo Poem 3

Keeping Quiet NCERT Text Book Questions and Answers

Keeping Quiet Think it out

Question 1.
What will counting upto twelve and keeping still help us achieve?
Answer:
This exercise of counting upto twelve will help us to sit still, away from the humdrum of life, meditate, reflect and introspect in silence. It will help us achieve a sense of togetherness away from the mundane activities of life. It will also help us save the world from disasters and wars.

Question 2.
Do you think the poet, Pablo Neruda advocates total inactivity and death? Why/Why not?
Answer:
No, the poet Pablo Neruda does not advocate total inactivity or death. He wants inhuman and destructive activities, specially those which are involved in war, to be stopped. He wants the human race to live in peace and harmony, perserve nature and the environment.

Question 3.
What is the ‘sadness’ that the poet refers to in the poem?
Answer:
The sadness that the poet refers to is the sadness of isolation, of which the modern man has become a victim. This sadness has made man selfish. Man forgets the needs of his fellow men.

Question 4.
What symbol from Nature does the poet invoke to say that there can be life under apparent stillness?
Answer:
The earth has been personified as a teacher. Like a teacher, the earth teaches us the best lesson in silence. It sends us a strong message that when everything on earth seems silent and quiet, it nurtures so much life underneath. Life moves on, like an ongoing process, and the cycle of birth and death, decay and renewal continues.

Keeping Quiet Extra Questions and Answers

Keeping Quiet Short Answer Questions

Question 1.
In the poem ‘Keeping Quiet’, what is the appeal made by the poet?
Answer:
The poet appeals the people to keep quiet for a short time. This would help them take stock of their mindless activities and conduct self-analysis. All this will help save mankind from its imminent doom.

Question 2.
“Under the apparent stillness there is life.” Justify this statement giving an example from the poem, ‘Keeping Quiet’.
Answer:
The poet says that just as there will be life below the snow once it melts, similarly, there will be life even in the apparent stillness.

Question 3.
What are the different kinds of wars mentioned in the poem? What is Neruda’s attitude towards these wars?
Answer:
Green wars – cutting the trees, war with environment; war with gas—chemical or nuclear; war with fire, and war with ammunition. Every type of war is useless and must be given up. Whenever there is victory after a war, there are no survivors. War is only destructive.

Question 4.
When everything seems dead, what remains alive?
Answer:
When everything seems dead, only the earth remains alive.

Question 5.
What is ‘the fisherman’ symbolic of?
Answer:
The fisherman symbolises man’s indiscriminate exploitation of nature for his vested interests.

Question 6.
How can suspension of activities help?
Answer:
The poet believes that suspension of activities will allow men to introspect, which can help them by solving many of the problems based on caste, religion and nationality.

Question 7.
According to the poet, what is that human beings can learn from nature?
Answer:
Life under apparent stillness in attitude is important. Just like nature carries on its work even when there is stillness all around, similarly, stillness in attitude will help in retrospection.

Question 8.
‘Life is what it is all about; How is keeping quiet related to life?
Answer:
Keeping quiet helps people pursue their goals single-mindedly. They need to understand that silence is productive and stillness is progress.

Question 9.
Why does one feel ‘a sudden strangeness’ on counting to twelve and keeping quiet?
Answer:
The absence of hustle and bustle of life would create feeling of peace and quietness, which would make us united in our natural commitment. It will create a strange feeling of universal brotherhood.

Question 10.
How will ‘keeping quiet’ protect our environment?
Answer:
Keeping quiet will stop man’s indiscriminate exploitation of nature for his vested interests. In this moment of inactivity, fishermen will not harm the whales.

Question 11.
How would keeping quiet affect life in and around the sea?
Answer:
Keeping quiet will prevent sea life from being harmed and the person collecting salt would look at his hurt hands. It will thus, help in maintaining an ecological balance and give everyone some time to introspect.

Question 12.
How is the earth a source of life when all seems dead on it?
Answer:
The seeds that lie dormant throughout winter germinate or spring to life with the arrival of spring. It appears as if nature is celebrating life.

Question 13.
According to Pablo Neruda, how would keeping quiet be an exotic moment?
Answer:
According to Pablo Neruda, when everything comes to a standstill, it would be a rare moment. No one would rush, no engines running. No one would harm any other organism. All would be calm and quiet reflecting upon their lives and introspecting.

Question 14.
What are green wars? Who wage them and with what result?
Answer:
Green wars mean war against environment or environmental degradation. It is waged by the people who exploit the nature for commercial use and the soldiers. It results in damage to the environment and ultimately harming humans.

Question 15.
According to Pablo Neruda, what do we not do when we keep quiet?
Answer:
When we keep quiet, we will not be in any rush, the people will not harm any other living organisms and will not harm the environment. When we keep quiet, we will not do anything.

 

It is important for a learner to read stories thoroughly and accurately in order to score better in Class 12 English exams. NCERT Solutions for Class 12 English Flamingo Poem 3 Keeping Quiet has been given by experts to ensure that the poem can be easily understood. 

English is a difficult subject for many people to learn. Some students may become frustrated and give up, but NCERT Solutions for Class 12 English Flamingo Poem 2 An Elementary School Classroom in a Slum can help you maintain your momentum! This Class 12 English Flamingo Poem 2 An Elementary School Classroom in a Slum will provide all necessary information needed in order to study Class 12 English successfully at home or school. 

An Elementary School Classroom in a Slum NCERT Solutions for Class 12 English Flamingo Poem 2

An Elementary School Classroom in a Slum NCERT Text Book Questions and Answers

An Elementary School Classroom in a Slum Think it out

Question 1.
Tick the item which best answers the following.

(a) The tall girl with her head weighed down means The girl
(i) is ill and exhausted
(ii) has her head bent with shame
(iii) has untidy hair

(b) The paper-seeming boy with rat’s eyes means The boy is
(i) sly and secretive
(ii) thin, hungry and weak
(iii) unpleasant looking

(c) The stunted, unlucky heir of twisted hones means The boy
(i) has an inherited disability
(ii) was short and bony

(d) His eyes live in a dream, A squirrel’s game, in the tree room, other than this means The boy is
(i) full of hope in the future
(ii) mentally ill
(iii) distracted from the lesson

(e) The children’s faces are compared to ‘rootless weeds’ This means they
(i) are insecure
(ii) are ill-fed
(iii) are wasters
Answer:
(a) (i) is ill and exhausted
(b) (ii) thin, hungry and weak
(c) (i) has an inherited disability
(d) (iii) distracted from the lesson
(e) (ii) are ill-fed

Question 2.
What do you think is the colour of ‘sour cream’? Why do you think the poet has used this expression to describe the classroom walls?
Answer:
The poet has used the expression ‘sour cream’ to describe the dull and pale walls of the classroom in order to bring forth the prevalent neglect of these slum classrooms. ‘Sour-cream’ is of an off-white or yellowish colour. It expresses the sick and repulsively morbid atmosphere of the classroom. It echoes the grim situation of the students in the class and the hopelessness engulfing them.

Question 3.
The walls of the classroom are decorated with the pictures of‘Shakespeare’, ‘buildings with domes’, ‘world-maps’ and ‘beautiful valley’. How do these contrast with the world of these children?
Answer:
‘Shakespeare’ symbolises the study of classical literature, wealth and power, symbolised by ‘building with domes’, the world away from the reach of the children of the slums, symbolised by ‘world-maps’ and the ‘beautiful valleys’ are symbolic of beauty of nature and landscapes.

All these things are far removed from the lives of the slum children. Surely, education has failed to open ‘doors’ or ‘windows’ to the other worlds for these children. It has also failed to liberate them from their physically cramped malnourished existence. In contrast to the highly intellectual embellishments on the walls of the classroom, the impoverished exasperated condition of the schools in the slums has not anyhow improved.

Question 4.
What does the poet want for the children of the slums? How can their lives be made to change?
Answer:
The poet wants the children of the slum to get rid of the dull and morbid state of affairs of the school. They should be provided with basic civic amenities, proper educational infrastructure, and opportunities to explore the world outside along with its gifts and bounties. He appeals to the people in power to rescue these slum dwellers from this vicious circle of poverty and oppression. He also encourages them to liberate themselves and be able to run on ‘gold sand’ and create history, so that they too can become part of the mainstream.

An Elementary School Classroom in a Slum Extra Questions and Answers

An Elementary School Classroom in a Slum Short Answer Questions

Question 1.
How does the poet describe the classroom walls?
Answer:
According to the poet, the walls of the classroom are discoloured and have a faded look which looks like sour cream. The poet compares the faded walls to that of the faces of the children who look pale.

Question 2.
“So blot their maps with slums as big as doom,” says Stephen Spender. What does the poet want to convey?
Answer:
The poet is requesting to provide a clean atmosphere. The world maps create just an illusion. He is telling that the teachers and rulers must take these children out in the open green fields and golden beaches.

Question 3.
What does the poet want for the children of the slums?
OR
What does Stephen Spender want to be done for the children of the school in a slum?
Answer:
The poet wants the children of the slum to get rid of the dull and morbid state of affairs of the school. They should be provided with basic civic amenities, proper educational infrastructure, and great accessible opportunities to explore the world outside with its gifts and bounties. The poet wishes good education for the children of the slums as he thinks that it is only education that can free these children from the shackles of poverty.

Question 4.
In spite of despair and disease pervading the lives of the slum children, they are not devoid of hope. How far do you agree?
Answer:
The burden of poverty and disease crushes the slum children physically. They are denied basic amenities of food, shelter and education. Despite living in deprivation, these children fight the battle of life courageously. They still dream and hope for a better future.

Question 5.
The poet says, ‘And yet, for these children, these windows, not this map, their world…’ Which world do these children belong to? Which world is inaccessible to them?
Answer:
In these words, the poet wants to convey that the slum children have never gone out of the slum, so the world map was meaningless in the classroom. It was only through the open window of the classroom, that they could see the world outside. So he wants the window to be made bigger and the children should be able to come out and see the outside world for themselves.

Question 6.
What is the theme of the poem, ‘An Elementary School Classroom in a Slum’?
Answer:
The poem, ‘An Elementary School Classroom in a Slum’ highlights the theme of social injustice and class inequalities in the society. The meaninglessness of having such schools in the slums is brought out. The poet wants meaningful education for the slum children which will liberate their minds and pave a way for them for a better future.

Question 7.
What is the irony in ‘run azure on gold sands?’
Answer:
Gold sands refer to the sand of deserts while azure is the colour of the nature in spring season. Nothing grows in the desert. The world of the poor children is also like the desert sand. The irony in the expression is the impossibility of spring in the desert land.

Question 8.
Explain; ‘From fog to endless night.’
Answer:
It describes the miserable life of the slum children. From morning till night, these children make desperate attempts to live life despite all odds. Their life is full of misery, hopelessness and suffering.

Question 9.
What is the message that Stephen Spender wants to convey through this poem?
OR
What message does Stephen Spender convey through the poem, ‘An Elementary School Classroom in a Slum’?
Answer:
The need is to free these children, liberate them and bring them into the mainstream by bringing meaningful changes to improve the standard of life and education in the slums. The poet deals with the theme of social injustice and class inequalities. There are two different worlds. Art, culture and literature have no relevance to the slum children. They live in dark, narrow, cramped holes and lanes. Unless the gap between the two worlds is abridged, there can’t be any real progress or development. The children will have to be made mentally and physically free to lead happy lives.

Question 10.
How does the poem, ‘An Elementary School Classroom in a Slum’ portray the children?
Answer:
The slum children in an elementary school look pathetic. They are undernourished and diseased. Their unkempt and dull hair has been compared to rootless weeds. One of the girls is apparently burdened with the miseries of poverty. Another boy has inherited his father’s diseases and has stunted growth.

Question 11.
How is ‘Shakespeare wicked and the map a bad example’ for the children of the school in a slum?
Answer:
Both represent a beautiful world and high values which the slum children will have never experienced. Since the slum children cannot relate to these things, there was no point in giving such examples.

Question 12.
What does Stephen Spender want for the children of the slums?
Answer:
Stephen Spender wants that slum children should be taken care of by providing them facilities to make their survival fit and to gift them the fruits of literacy. He urges people to help these slum children come out of poverty and oppression of the power.

 

It is important for a learner to read stories thoroughly and accurately in order to score better in Class 12 English exams. NCERT Solutions for Class 12 English Flamingo Poem 2 An Elementary School Classroom in a Slum has been given by experts to ensure that the poem can be easily understood. 

NCERT Solutions for Class 12 English Flamingo Chapter 3 Deep Water is a detailed account of what you will learn in Deep Water Chapter 3 Class 12 English. To successfully pass CBSE Class 12 English exam and get an excellent grade on your report card at the end of it all you need a thorough understanding and comprehension of NCERT Solutions for Class 12 English Flamingo Chapter 3 Deep Water which we have made sure covers everything important! Check out Deep Water author, William Douglas (1898 – 1980).

Deep Water NCERT Solutions for Class 12 English Flamingo Chapter 3

Deep Water NCERT Text Book Questions and Answers

Deep Water Think as you read

Question 1.
What is the “misadventure” that William Douglas speaks about?
Answer:
William Douglas had just begun to learn swimming. One day, an eighteen-year-old boy, for fun, picked him up and tossed him into the deep end of the Y.M.C.A. pool. He hit the water surface in a sitting position. He nearly died in this misadventure.

Question 2.
What were the series of emotions and fears that Douglas experienced when he was thrown into the pool? What plans did he make to come to the surface?
Answer:
Douglas started going down gradually into the water. He was petrified, so he decided to jump as soon as his feet touched the bottom of the pool. However, as he jumped, he did not spring upwards. Rather he went down. There was water all around. Only his nose was out of water. He started his downward journey once again. An irresistible force brought him down.

He felt afraid and was paralysed with fear. Terror seized him, and he trembled with fright. He called for rescue but no one came. After that, blackness swept over him. He lost fear. There was no panic. He felt relaxed and lost consciousness.

Question 3.
How did this experience affect him?
Answer:
The near-death experience of drowning had a very strong impact on his psychology. He was deeply perturbed and shaken by the whole experience. A haunting fear of water took control of his physical strength and emotional balance for many years. As he couldn’t bear being surrounded by water, he was deprived of enjoying any water-related activity.

Question 4.
Why was Douglas determined to get over his fear of water?
Answer:
Douglas was determined to get over his fear of water because he believed in what Roosevelt has said, “All we have to fear is the fear itself.” Douglas regretted being deprived of enjoying water activities like canoeing, boating, swimming, fishing, etc. The wish to enjoy them and the craving to regain his lost confidence, while being in water, made him try every possible means to get rid of his fear. He was finally able to overcome this mental handicap by getting himself a swimming instructor and further ensuring that no residual fear was left.

Question 5.
How did the instructor “build a swimmer” out of Douglas?
Answer:
The instructor built a swimmer out of Douglas piece by piece. For three months, he held him high on a rope attached to his belt. He went back and forth across the pool. Panic seized the author every time. The instructor taught Douglas to put his face underwater and exhale and to raise his nose and inhale. Then Douglas had to kick with his legs for many weeks till they relaxed. After seven months, the instructor told him to swim the length of the pool.

Question 6.
How did Douglas make sure that he conquered the old terror?
Answer:
When Douglas was alone in the pool, the remnants of the old terror would return. He would stare at and rebuke it, then go for another length of the pool. He was not satisfied. Even after the swimming training was over, Douglas wasn’t confident about his swimming or about the fact that he had overcome the fear. He was determined to get rid of it forever. He swam alone in the pool.

There he tried every possible stroke he had learnt. He went to Lake Wentworth to dive and dived off a dock at Triggs Islands and swam two miles. He tried every possible stroke he had learnt. He fought back the tiny vestiges of terror that gripped him in middle of the lake. Finally, in his diving expedition in the warm lake, he realised that he had truly conquered his old terror. Now, he could laugh away the terror.

Deep Water Understanding the Text

Question 1.
How does Douglas make clear to the reader the sense of panic that gripped him as he almost drowned? Describe the details that have made the description vivid.
Answer:
Douglas used to feel scared of water due to his childhood experience. But he decided to learn how to swim. He chose the Y.M.C.A. pool for this purpose as it was safe. However, unfortunately, one day, while he sat on the edge of the pool, a young man tossed him into the water, just for fun. Douglas had a horrific experience. He fell into the water in a sitting position. He was scared as he sank into the depth. Though only nine feet deep, still it appeared to be bottomless. Terrified, he decided his next move. When he touched the bottom of the pool, he jumped. However, he did not spring to the surface. He came up gradually.

His eyes and nose came out of the water. He saw nothing besides water. He wanted to catch a rope but failed. Though he kept on beating the water with his arms, nothing helped him. His legs remained stiff and hung as dead weights. Finally, he felt being sucked into the water again. His lungs were about to burst. His head pulsated, and fear seized him. Terror struck him like an electric charge. He trembled with fear. He shouted for help but no one could listen to him. He came up and gasped for breath, but he swallowed water. Gradually, his mind blacked out and he became unconscious.

Question 2.
How did Douglas overcome his fear of water?
Answer:
The panic that Douglas had experienced in the pool, haunted him. Its remembrance made him sick. As he went boating, fishing, or bathing, fear gripped him. He was unable to enjoy canoeing, boating, fishing or swimming. Douglas thus wanted to overcome this fear. He hired an instructor to learn swimming without fear. The instructor put a belt around Douglas. The rope went through a pulley that ran on an overhead cable. The instructor caught the end of the rope.

This way, they went back and forth across the pool. Each time the instructor loosened the rope, Douglas was afraid. Three months later, however, his terror began to leave him. So the instructor taught him to put his face under the water and then exhale. Further, he held Douglas at the side of the pool and made him kick with his legs. All of this exercise was repeated hundreds of times till it was done perfectly. Thus, piece by piece, the instructor turned Douglas into a good swimmer who could swim independently using different strokes. But Douglas still felt ‘ dissatisfied. He did not feel fearless completely.

To get confidence, he went to Lake Went worth. There he dived off a dock at Triggs Island. He swam two miles using all types of strokes. Only once, memories of old terror came back. But Douglas overcame them with a laugh. So he was able to get over his fear of water totally.

Question 3.
Why does Douglas as an adult recount a childhood experience of terror and his conquering of it? What larger meaning does he draw from this experience?
Answer:
Douglas underwent a horrific experience in the water. His first experience came at the sea beach with his father. A powerful wave passed over him, almost drowning him. The other experience was in the Y.M.C.A. pool. A strong wave hurled him to the deepest part of the pool. Douglas did not know swimming. He was scared. He went up and down, his head ached, his lungs were about to burst, and an overwhelming terror seized him. In fact, he was nearly drowned.

This experience left a permanent impression on Douglas’mind. Experiencing something of this sort makes people feel like narrating it to others. So it was natural for Douglas to share his experience with the readers. But there are some other experiences too. It was the experience of total peace, with no fear of death. Here, Douglas finds that there is the terror of death. But death is not terrible.

Later, Douglas was able to overcome it. Getting terrible fear and having conquered it, his will to live became intense.  He started enjoying every minute of living. His experience and ultimate conquest of his fear is a lesson for all the readers.

Deep Water Talking about the Text

Question 1.
“All we have to fear is fear itself.” Have you ever had a fear that you have now overcome? Elaborate.
Answer:
Roosevelt has appropriately said, “All we have to fear is fear itself.” These words have a deeper meaning for all of us. It implies that we fear, fear the most. Those who have undergone this experience of fear can only appreciate its worth. William Douglas had faced it twice in life. He had a terrible fear of water. He could not go, swimming, canoeing, boating, rafting, etc. He realised that it would ruin his life since it was following and haunting him wherever he went. Fear is our hardcore enemy.

We must get rid of it at the earliest like Douglas. I too had a terrible experience in my life. Once I went to a snake park in Kerala. Seeing all the snakes trying to crawl up the oily well wasn’t a pleasing sight and in fact, brought the terror of snakes in my life. One day, when I was walking on the road, I saw a small snake crossing the road. My friend, who knew about my fear, asked me to run away. This, however, had the opposite effect on me and made me confront it. I went near it and found that it didn’t harm me. Though even now, I get scared of seeing huge snakes and avoid watching them on TV and newspaper, my fear for snakes has reduced. All because I decided to fight my fear.

Deep Water Extra Questions and Answers

Deep Water Short Answer Questions

Question 1.
When Douglas realised that he was sinking, how did he plan to save himself?
Answer:
Douglas did not lose hope. He planned that as soon as he would hit the bottom of the pool, he would push himself up. He sprang up as he planned and came slowly to the surface.

Question 2.
What sort of terror seized Douglas as he went down the water with a yellow glow? How could he feel that he was still alive?
Answer:
Douglas was seized with extreme terror and panic. He tried to shriek underwater and felt absolutely paralysed with fear. He felt stiff and rigid, and the screams seemed to freeze in his throat. The beating of his heart and the pounding in his head were the only reminders that he was still alive.

Question 3.
Why did Douglas go to Lake Wentworth in New Hampshire?
Answer:
Douglas went to Lake Wentworth in New Hampshire to get rid of his fear of water. He took training from a coach in a swimming pool. Though his fear for water decreased, it had not completely left him. Then he went to the lake to test his fear to swim all alone. He swam two miles in the lake. Thus, he conquered his phobia of water.

Question 4.
Which factors led Douglas to decide in favour of the Y.M.C.A. pool?
Answer:
Douglas decided in favour of Y.M.C.A. pool, as it was an ideal place to learn swimming. It was safe as it was only two-three feet deep at the shallow end. Though it was nine feet deep at the other end, the drop was gradual.

Question 5.
Why did Douglas go to Lake Wentworth in New Hampshire? How did he make his terror flee?
Answer:
Douglas was not sure whether all the terror had left even after the training from October to April and practice till July. So he went to Lake Wentworth and swam two ‘miles. Terror returned only once when he was in the middle of the lake. He had put himself under water and saw nothing but bottomless water. The old sensation returned,but only at a smaller magnitude. He laughed and rebuked terror.

Question 6.
What efforts did Douglas make to get over his fear of water?
Answer:
Douglas hired an instructor who taught him to face water and exhale. He taught Douglas
various techniques to handle water and learn swimming. Eventually, to ensure that his fear was completely off his mind, Douglas swam two miles across the lake went worth, and for any residual fear to be cleared, he hurried west to the Conrad Meadows and dived into the warm lake from on top of the Gilbert peak. He had finally conquered his fear of water.

Question 7.
How did the instructor turn Douglas into a swimmer?
Answer:
Douglas wanted to overcome his fear of water. For this, he took the help of an instructor who taught him all the strokes of swimming. He taught him to practise every part of his body separately – his limbs, his hands, how to exhale and inhale when out of water and inside water. After perfecting each part, he integrated the whole and built a complete swimmer out of Douglas.

Question 8.
What was the author’s early childhood fear of the water? How did it affect him the rest of his life?
Answer:
The author and his father once went to the beach of California when the former was three or four. While playing in the surf of the sea, the author was knocked down by the water and was buried under it. He lost his breath and a deep fear developed in his mind.

Question 9.
Why did Douglas’ mother recommend that he should learn swimming at the Y.M.C.A. swimming pool?
Answer:
Douglas’ mother recommended that he should learn swimming at the Y.M.C.A. swimming pool because it was much safer than the river where a lot of drownings had taken place. It was only 2-3 feet deep at the shallow end and 9 feet deep at the other end.

Question 10.
Mention any two long term consequences of the drowning incident on Douglas.
Answer:
After the drowning incident, Douglas always felt terrified near water. He was deprived of enjoying water activities like canoeing, boating, swimming, fishing, etc. Fear gripped him and all this spoiled his holidays.

Question 11.
What deep meaning did his experience at the Y.M.C.A. swimming pool have for Douglas?
Answer:
After his near death experience at the Y.M.C.A. pool, Douglas started fearing water. He could not enjoy any water sports or go fishing. He decided to overcome his fear and learnt swimming again. He became confident and understood that ‘all that we have to fear is fear itself’.

Question 12.
‘All we have to fear is fear itself’. When did Douglas learn this lesson?
Answer:
These words mean that we fear, fear the most. Those who have undergone this experience of fear can only appreciate its worth. Douglas faced it twice in life. He had a terrible fear of water. He could not go for swimming, canoeing, boating, rafting, etc. He realised that it would ruin his life since it was following and haunting him wherever he went. Fear is our hard core enemy.

Question 13.
How does Douglas develop an aversion to water at the age of three or four?
Answer:
The author and his father once went to the beach of California when the former was three or four. While playing in the surf of the sea, the author was knocked down by the water and was buried under it. He lost his breath and a deep fear developed in his mind. At the Y.M.C.A. pool, a strong boy threw him in the deep end of the pool. Douglas hit the water in a sitting position and slowly went to the bottom. Although he was saved later but the terror stayed with him.

Question 14.
Douglas’ mother thought that Y.M.C.A. pool was safe for learning to swim. What are your views?
Answer:
Although the Y.M.C.A. pool was only two or three feet deep, but it lacked safety measures for learners. The pool remained open for hours, but there was no security. There were no ropes or ladders in the pool to help if someone happens to drown.

Question 15.
How did Douglas hope to come out when he was thrown into Y.M.C.A pool?
Answer:
Douglas planned that he would spring from the bottom of the pool and would push himself up, lie flat on the water, strike out with his arms and thrash with his legs. Then he would get to the edge of the pool and be safe.

Question 16.
What shocking experience did Douglas have at Y.M.C.A. pool?
Answer:
When Douglas was alone one day and the place was quiet, the water looked still and he observed all this sitting on the side of the pool, waiting for others, a big bruiser of a boy probably eighteen years old. A beautiful physical specimen, according to him yelled at him, picked him up and tossed him into the nine feet deep end of the pool, making him land in a sitting position, swallowing water and going straight to the bottom. Douglas unfortunately did not know to swim. He almost died.

Question 17.
How did Douglas’ introduction to Y.M.C.A. pool revive his childhood fear of water?
Answer:
Douglas remembered his experience on the beach of California when he was just three or four years old. He recalled how the waves overpowered him and though his father was with various instead of helping Douglas, he kept on laughing and enjoying his plight.

Question 18.
Why was Douglas determined to get over his fear of water?
Answer:
He was determined to get rid of his fear of water because he had suffered a lot, depriving himself from various water sports like boating, fishing and canoeing, etc.

Deep Water Long Answer Questions

Question 1.
“…there was terror in my heart at the overpowering force of the waves.” When did Douglas start fearing water? Which experience had further strengthened its hold on his mind and personality?
Answer:
Once Douglas was thrown into the swimming pool by a boy. He did not know swimming by that time. He could not come out of it by himself and was nearly drowned. Therefore, he became very much afraid of water. He dropped the idea of swimming and developed the fear of water. He made many efforts but went in vain. He could not control his feeling of terror. The writer had near death experience in the pool.

The writer made one more effort to come out but that also failed. Ife could not forget his first experience of drowning when he was swept away by a sea wave. At that time, he was with his father but he was afraid.Now, the author was so afraid of water that he could not even wade into it. He could not bathe in the river and could not enjoy any water sports.

Question 2.
How did the misadventure in Y.M.C.A. swimming pool affect Douglas? What efforts did he make to conquer his old terror?
Answer:
The misadventure at the Y.M.C.A. swimming pool affected Douglas for life. He was eleven at the time. When he was a learner and sat alone on the edge of the Y.M.C.A. pool, a young man, just for fun, threw him into the deep end of the pool.

He almost drowned. This experience left a deep scar on his mind. For days, the panic and fear kept haunting him. He began to fear water. He was possessed by it completely. It deprived him of the joy of canoeing, boating, fishing, bathing and swimming all water sports. So he decided to conquer it.

He got the services of an instructor, who trained him. First, every part of his body and then bit by bit, he built a swimmer out of Douglas. A rope was attached to the belt around the waist of Douglas and the rope went through a pulley, the other end was held by the instructor. First, the fear came back every time the instructor let go the rope. Gradually, the fear became less. Later, the instructor was no more needed.

He tried to swim alone to test himself. So he went to Lake Went worth and dived off. He swam using all the strokes that he had learnt. The traces of fear that frightened him have brushed aside. He could now laugh it all away. The fear was gone. He could swim fearlessly.

Question 3.
How did the instructor make Douglas a good swimmer?
Answer:
The haunting fear of the water followed Douglas in his fishing trips, swimming, boating and canoeing. He used every way he knew to get rid of this fear, but it held him firmly in its grip. So he finally engaged an instructor to learn swimming.
The instructor made him practise five days a week, an hour each day. He held one end of the rope in his hands and the other end through a pulley overhead of Douglas was tied to the belt. Thus, the instructor relaxing his hold on the rope made Douglas swim back and forth in the pool.

After three months of this much training, the instructor taught Douglas to put his face underwater and breathe out and to raise his nose and breathe in. He repeated this breathing-out and breathing-in exercise hundreds of times. Bit by bit, he got rid of part of the terror which had gripped him. Next, the instructor held Douglas at the side of the pool and made him kick the water with his legs. After weeks of practice, he could command his own legs for swimming in water. Thus, piece by piece, the instructor built a swimmer. When he had perfected each piece, he put them into an integrated whole in the seventh month of the training.

Question 4.
How did Douglas try to save himself from drowning in the Y.M.C.A. pool?
Answer:
Douglas was tossed into the Y.M.C.A. pool by an older boy. He was frightened out of his wits, but on his way down, he planned how to rescue himself. He decided that when his
feet would hit the bottom, he would jump upwards and be able to come to the surface, ‘‘lie flat and paddle to the edge of the pool. He tried to do so several times.

However, it seemed difficult because his lungs seemed to burst, he was not able to push himself upwards with force. He tried to reach a rope which also he failed to do. He tried to call out for help, but his voice failed him. His legs failed to paddle, he was surrounded by water and he drafted into a state of unconsciousness. Though all his efforts to save himself failed, he was rescued by the folks at Y.M.C.A. But the incident aggravated his fear for water.

Question 5.
How did Douglas develop an aversion to water?
Answer:
Douglas developed an aversion to water first as a child when he went to the beach in
California with his father. It so happened that when he was three or four years old, he went to the beach with his father. The waves knocked him down and swept over him. He was buried in the water and his breath was gone. He was frightened and there was terror in his heart at the overpowering force of the waves.

At the Y.M.C.A. pool, a strong boy threw him in the deep end of the pool. Douglas hit the water in a sitting position and slowly went to the bottom and fainted. Although he was saved later, the terror stayed with him. As a result, he could not sleep or eat for days and did not go near the water for years. He developed a strong aversion to water bodies.

Question 6.
‘Practice makes a man perfect
Douglas tried hard to reach to the level of perfection by perseverance. Comment.
Answer:
Practice means constant use of one’s intellectual and aesthetic powers. Perfect means ‘ideal, complete and excellent’. Proper planning and practice promote perfect performance. Practice depends on training and it means repeating an activity. Constant practice also sharpens talent.

One has to follow certain qualities to be perfect. These are hard work, strong willpower, faith, tolerance, a positive approach, self-confidence and dedication. The quality that prepares one for all other qualities is practice. One should not stop practising and be satisfied until one achieves perfection.

Practice is the best way by which one can achieve perfection. Practice makes one feel and understand the same idea or thing again and again. The more one practices, the more errorless one becomes. One doesn’t repeat the errors that were done previously. Practice begins in the cradle and ends in the grave. Right from childhood, man practices various activities like talking, reading, writing, eating, cooking, etc. For learning an art or any activity, one needs constant practice.

A child practices speaking first by learning the alphabet, then the words, sentences, and finally the speech. A child through repeated practice reaches perfection in speaking. One can’t ride a bicycle or a motorbike or drive a car at the very first instance. One needs to practice till one achieves perfection in the same. The same method applies to other areas too. Be it fine arts, cooking, or writing. Determined to overcome his phobia of water, Douglas got trained under an instructor. He conquered this terror with an adamant determination, patience, undeterred single-mindedness, and relentless efforts. He became fearless and courageous.

Practice enables a person to reach the heights of success in all walks of life. Practice develops outstanding qualities in one’s character. Practice not only brings perfection but also helps in building character. Thus, it is a practice that makes a man perfect and helps a human being who faces every challenge in life.

Question 7.
Fear is mankind’s greatest handicap. Do you agree? Give reasons in support of your views.
Answer:
People often hesitate from trying something new because of fear. Fear of failure; fear of not being able to complete something; fear of poor outcome; fear of change; fear of making mistakes—this fear of taking risks in life impedes the progress of a lot of people, especially those who have tasted success in the past. Successful people like to win and achieve high standards, so they become deeply interested in only achieving continuous success.

They don’t care to put their reputation as a ‘winner’ at stake—so they stay in their comfortable cocoon, missing all kinds of opportunities for an even brighter future. Yet again, childhood fears and phobias also act as deterrents in our way of progress. Fear of darkness, may prevent a person from enjoying the beauty of the right sky. Fear of heights, the view of the world below, and fear of water will deprive one of enjoying various pleasures that are provided by water sports. Fear of failure prevents us from trying to move towards success. In short, fear of every nature is a handicap.

• Change needs resilience, and resilience is born of confidence. One’s confidence is highest when things are going well. You’ll cope with any setbacks far better when you’re doing so from a position of strength.
• If you wait until life has dealt you some bad blows, those necessary changes will need to be made under time, pressure and stress. That’s a bad time to make decisions. The more stressed and frantic you are, the more likely you are to make mistakes and the less you’ll be able to recover from them.

Corporations often make the same error. They get complacent when the product line is selling well and profits are high, only thinking about new ways to please their customers when those customers are already going elsewhere. Achievement is a powerful value for many successful people. Each fresh achievement adds to the drive to achieve in their lives. Failure becomes the supreme nightmare: a lurking horror that they must avoid at any cost. And the simplest way is never to take a risk.

It is important to understand that failure is in fact the pillar to success. Be it J.K. Rowling, Steve Jobs, Thomas Alva Edison, Albert Einstein, King Bruce or William Douglas from the chapter ‘Deep Water’, all of them had failed multiple times to achieve success in life. In fact, constant failure was what pushed them towards success. A little failure is essential to preserve everyone’s perspective on reality.

Fear is the greatest destroyer of human life and happiness. If you’re successful, but constantly afraid of failing, all your success hasn’t brought you what matters the most— peace of mind in the face of life’s constant unpredictability.

Question 8.
A big boy pushed Douglas into the deep end of the swimming pool which could have led to his death. Concerns regarding bullying and ragging persist in many teenage groups. Quoting examples from the text, discuss the problem of bullying and its effects on the victims. Also, suggest ways to deal with this problem.
Answer:
Bullying or ragging creates many physiological problems for victims. It may or may not lead to physical harm, but psychologically it harms the victim. Douglas was also a victim of a similar incident. At the Y.M.C.A. pool, a bully threw him in the deeper end of the pool. Although he was saved, the terror stayed with him. As a result, he could not sleep or eat for days and did not go near the water for years. He also started avoiding water for a long time. Simple activities like fishing and boating, which he wanted to enjoy, couldn’t be done.

To deal with this problem, especially in schools and colleges, committees for monitoring teenagers should be set up. Once the prospective bullies know that they are being watched, they would not dare to do such actions. Equally important is the support of parents and the community. Children need to be aware to understand what bullying is and report any incidents of bullying. Bullies should be severely punished and not just left with a warning. Unless some stringent measures are taken, the problem of bullying and ragging cannot be resolved.

Question 9.
Fear is something that we must learn to overcome if we want to succeed in life. How did Douglas get over his fear of water?
Answer:
Douglas had a very bad experience with water when he was very young, and the fear of water haunted him very significantly. He felt sick whenever he remembered the incident. His fear prevented him from enjoying water sports, fishing, canoeing, and swimming. He made up his mind to overcome this fear. He hired an instructor to enable him to do so. The instructor put a belt around Douglas that was connected safely to a pulley that ran on an overhead cable.

The end of the rope was in the instructor’s hand. The training began very systematically. Three months later, his confidence began increasing. All the techniques like breathing, paddling, and different strokes were introduced and perfected gradually. Though he began swimming, he had not lost his fear totally. He, therefore, went to Lake Wentworth, dived from the dock at Triggs Island, and swam for two miles. He finally shut off his fears with a laugh. He made a definite attempt at overcoming his fears and succeeded in doing so.

 

A learner needs to read stories thoroughly and accurately to score better in CBSE Class 12 English exams. NCERT Solutions for Class 12 English Flamingo Chapter 3 Deep Water has been answered by experts to ensure that the story can be easily understood. 

NCERT Solutions for Class 12 English Vistas Chapter 2 The Tiger King is a detailed account of what you will learn in Class 12 English Vistas Chapter 2 The Tiger King. To successfully pass CBSE Class 12 English exam and get an excellent grade on your report card at the end of it all you need a thorough understanding and comprehension of NCERT Solutions for Class 12 English, Vistas Chapter 2 The Tiger King which we have made sure covers everything important!

The Tiger King NCERT Solutions for Class 12 English Vistas Chapter 2

The Tiger King NCERT Text Book Questions and Answers

The Tiger King Read and Find out

Question 1.
Who is the Tiger King? Why does he get that name?
Answer:
Jilani JungJung Bahadur, the King of Pratibandapuram, is known as the Tiger King. At the time of his birth, the astrologers declared that the prince would have to die one day. The ten-day-old prince asked the astrologers to reveal the manner of his death. The wise men were baffled at this miracle. The chief astrologer said that his death would come from a tiger. The young prince growled and uttered terrifying words: ‘Let tigers beware!’ He decided to kill one-hundred tigers. He thus, got the name ‘Tiger King’.

Question 2.
What did the royal infant grow up to be?
Answer:
The royal infant grew up to be the King of Pratibandapuram, who was obsessed with the idea of killing one-hundred tigers. He wanted to do so to disprove the prophecy which said that his death would come from the hundredth tiger. This made him kill all the tigers of Pratibandapuram. He even married to achieve this ambition. He came to be known as the Tiger King.

Question 3.
What did the Maharaja do to find the required number of tigers to kill?
Answer:
To get the required number of tigers to kill, the Maharaja asked his Dewan to find a suitable girl for him to marry. A suitable girl for matrimonial alliance would be one who would not only come from a royal family but also belong to a state with a large tiger population. As Pratibandapuram had no more tigers left, a province that belonged to his father-in-law would certainly provide him with an opportunity to kill more tigers and help him reach his aim of killing one-hundred tigers.

Question 4.
How did the Maharaja prepare himself for the hundredth tiger which was supposed to decide his fate?
Answer:
The Maharaja wanted to be extremely careful while dealing with the hundredth tiger which was supposed to be the reason for his death. On encountering the hundredth one, he took a careful aim at the tiger and shot at it. When it fell in a crumpled heap, he was overcome with joy and left the place hastily because he thought that he had successfully disproved the prophecy.

Question 5.
What will now happen to the astrologer? Do you think the prophecy was indisputably disproved?
Answer:
The astrologer dies before the King of Pratibandapuram gets an opportunity to kill one-hundred tigers. Disproving his prophecy seems to be the sole reason for the King’s existence. Except for killing one-hundred tigers, everything else takes a backseat for the King.

The prophecy cannot be indisputably disproved as the King was ultimately killed by a tiger, though neither by a real one nor by the hundredth one. Looking at the weak, old and almost lifeless tiger that was the hundredth one, no one would have thought that it would escape the king’s bullet by fainting at the shock of the bullet whizzing past. It was the “tiny little wooden tiger” from the toy shop that caused the death of the Tiger King.

The Tiger King Reading with Insight

Question 1.
The story is a satire on the conceit of those in power. How does the author employ the literary device of dramatic irony in the story?
Answer:
The story, ‘The Tiger King’ is a supreme example of dramatic irony. The character acts in a way grossly inappropriate to the actual circumstances or expects the opposite of what fate holds in store for him. Kalki has used a very dexterous use of dramatic irony in the story. After killing the first tiger, the King flaunts its dead body before the astrologer to show that he is more powerful than the tiger. However, the astrologer warns the King that he should be ‘careful with the hundredth tiger’.

The King chooses to prove the astrologer wrong once again and makes frantic efforts to kill hundred tigers. Thus, having shot at the old tiger, the Tiger King believes that he has killed the hundredth tiger. But the reader as well as the King’s officers soon come to know that the emaciated tiger does not get killed but only gets faint. The King feels happy about killing the tiger, but in reality, he is ignorant of his ironical fate. The prediction proves right and a mere splinter from a wooden tiger’s body causes his dramatic death. Quite ironically, the hundredth tiger kills the King instead and the astrologer’s prediction stands vindicated.

Question 2.
What is the author’s indirect comment on subjecting innocent animals to the wilfulness of human beings?
Answer:
Through this satirical story, the author has rightly portrayed how human beings have subjected innocent animals to untold torture and death, merely to fulfil their own whims and fancies. The Maharaja’s indiscriminate killing of tigers led to their extinction in some states, but the Maharaja was oblivious to the grave consequences, his action was leading to. In order to prove the astrologer wrong, the Maharaja went on a killing spree, proving his dominance over the hapless animals.

Question 3.
How would you describe the behaviour of the Maharaja’s minions towards him? Do you find them truly sincere towards him or are they driven by fear when they obey him? Do we find a similarity in today’s political order?
Answer:
Maharaja’s minions were subservient sycophants. Most of them were scared of the Maharaja and tried to keep him in good humour by obeying his orders. They did not dare to disobey him as his displeasure could mean loss of their jobs or even loss of their lives.
The astrologer was afraid of predicting his death, till the Maharaja told him to ‘speak Vithout fear’. The Dewan, who should have advised the King not to kill the tigers, did not dare to go against his wishes and aided his marriage by finding a princess whose father’s kingdom possessed a large number of tigers.

When the Maharaja could not find the hundredth tiger, being afraid of losing his job, he presented an old tiger to satisfy the whims of his Maharaja. Likewise, the hunters chose not to inform him of the survival of the hundredth tiger and instead, killed it themselves fearing that they might lose their jobs. Even the shopkeeper, who sold the King a cheap wooden toy tiger, quoted a higher price lest he should be punished for selling something cheap to the King.

So, it is evident that the King’s minions were driven by fear rather than any feeling of sincerity towards their ruler. Today’s political order is no different. We know too well that many of the people are in power because of their influence and clout. Moreover, others indulge them for their own vested interests, rather than for the good of the country.

Question 4.
Can you relate instances of game-hunting among the rich and the powerful in the present times that illustrate the callousness of human beings towards wildlife?
Answer:
There have been some instances of game-hunting in the present times. Even the affluent have been involved in instances that illustrate the callousness of human beings towards wildlife. Salman Khan – Black Buck poaching case; Nawab Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi—Antelope case.

Question 5.
We need a new system for the age of ecology a system which is embedded in the care of all people and also in the care of the Earth and all life upon it. Discuss.
Answer:
Man has been destroying life on the earth. Since time immemorial, great wars have taken a heavy toll on human life. Man has even deprived nature of its flora and fauna in the name of development. He has endlessly been cutting down trees and clearing forests to meet his needs for more land to construct home. It has severely affected the ecosystem.

Towards wildlife, in particular, man’s attitude has been most callous. He has hunted wild animals for food, fun and sport. As a result, several species of animals have become extinct, and many are on the verge of extinction. Therefore, we need to create a new system for ecology which takes care of people and all life upon earth. If man continues to exploit irrationally, life on earth will be a nightmare. Nature’s fury will be unabated. Man should learn to coexist with each other and all the other living beings/ things to maintain ecological balance.

The Tiger King Extra Questions and Answers

The Tiger King Short Answer Questions

Question 1.
When did the Tiger King stand in danger of losing his kingdom? How was he able to avert the danger?
Answer:
Tiger King, to disprove the astrologer’s prediction, started to hunt and kill tigers. He also banned tiger hunting by anyone except the Maharaja. Anyone who disobeyed him was punished and all his wealth and property was confiscated. A British high-ranking officer wished to hunt tigers. The Maharaja told that the officer could hunt any other

animal except the tiger. The British officer’s secretary wanted the Maharaja to allow the British officer to take a photograph of himself holding a gun and standing over a tiger’s , carcass. The Maharaja refused permission because he did not want anybody to kill a tiger. At this, the Maharaja stood in danger of losing his kingdom. Hence, he offered a bribe of 50 diamond rings worth three lakhs, to the wife of the British officer. By this act, the Maharaja was able to avert the danger.

Question 2.
What did the British officer’s secretary tell the Maharaja? Why did the Maharaja refuse permission?
Answer:
The British officer’s secretary told the Maharaja to allow him to shoot the tigers in his kingdom. But the Maharaja did not allow him because he thought that the number of tigers would decrease and he would not be able to complete the desired number.

Question 3.
Why, do you think, was the Maharaja in danger of losing his throne?
Answer:
A high-ranking British official came to the state. He desired to hunt tigers. The Maharaja did not give permission. The officer sent a word to get himself photographed holding a gun beside a tiger’s dead body. However, the Maharaja refused even that. As the Maharaja had prevented a British officer from fulfilling his desire, he was in danger of losing his kingdom.

Question 4.
What led the Maharaja to start out on a tiger hunt?
Answer:
When the Maharaja of Pratibandapuram was born, an astrologer predicted that his death would be caused by a tiger. So the Maharaja started out on a tiger hunt.

Question 5.
What was the astrologer’s reaction, when the Maharaja told him that he had killed his first tiger?
Answer:
On being told that the Maharaja had killed his first tiger, the astrologer announced that he could kill ninety-nine tigers, but he must be very careful with the hundredth one.

Question 6.
How does the hundredth tiger take its final revenge upon the Tiger King?
Answer:
Few days after killing the hundredth tiger, the Maharaja gifted a wooden tiger to his son on his third birthday. A tiny splinter on the surface of the wooden tiger pierced the Maharaja’s right hand, leading to a sore, followed by the Maharaja’s death. Hence, the hundredth tiger took its final revenge upon the Tiger King.

Question 7.
Why did the Maharaja decide to get married?
Answer:
As the Maharaja occupied the throne at the age of twenty, he went on a tiger hunting campaign. He was excited to kill his first tiger, and within ten years, he killed seventy tigers. Soon, tigers became extinct in his own state. So he decided to get married to the . royal family of a state that had a large number of tigers.

Question 8.
Why was the Maharaja so anxious to kill the hundredth tiger?
Answer:
The Maharaja had killed ninety-nine tigers. If he could kill just one more tiger, he would have no fear left. Then he could give up tiger hunting altogether. Moreover, he had to be extremely careful with the last tiger.

Question 9.
What sort of hunts did the Maharaja offer to organise for the high-ranking British officer? What trait of the officer does it reveal?
Answer:
For the high-ranking British officer, the Maharaja was prepared to organise any other hunt a boar hunt, a mouse hunt, a mosquito hunt. But a tiger hunt was impossible.The officer was a big show-off. He actually did not wish to hunt or kill the tiger himself, he just wanted to be photographed with a gun in his hand, standing over a dead tiger.

Question 10.
Why was it a celebration time for all the tigers inhabiting Pratibandapuram?
Answer:
It was a celebration time for all the tigers inhabiting Pratibandapuram because the ,Maharaja banned tiger hunting in the state. Except the Maharaja, no one was allowed to hunt tigers. It was proclaimed that if anyone was found hunting a tiger, all his property and wealth would be seized.

Question 11.
The manner of his (the Tiger King’s) death is a matter of extraordinary interest. Comment.
Answer:
The Maharaja had vowed to kill hundred tigers to ensure his longevity. As soon as he was born, astrologers had foretold that one day, the Tiger King would be killed by a tiger. Even after the Maharaja killed hundred tigers, he was killed by a tiger. It is quite ironical because eventually, he was killed by a tiger, though a wooden one.

Question 12.
How did the Tiger King’s Dewan prove to be resourceful?
Answer:
After the Tiger King had killed ninety-nine tigers, no more tigers were left. After some time, there were indications of the presence of a tiger in the forest of a village. The King went there but did not find the tiger. Then he asked the Chief Minister to find the tiger or he would remove him from his job. The Dewan had hidden in his house an old tiger which had been brought from the People’s Park in Madras. He took that hundredth tiger to the forest to be killed by the King.

Question 13.
How did the ten-day-old baby (the future Tiger King) react to the prediction about his future made by the astrologer?
Answer:
On hearing the prediction, the ten-day-old prince spoke in his squeaky voice that ‘everyone who is born has to die one day’. He was told that he would be killed by a tiger. To this, he responded, ‘Let Tigers Beware’.

Question 14.
What kind of life was enjoyed by crown prince Jung Bahadur, till he reached the age of twenty?
Answer:
The royal infant grew upto be the King of Pratibandapuram, who was obsessed with the idea of killing one-hundred tigers. He wanted to do so to disprove the prophecy which said that his death would come from the hundredth tiger. This made him kill all the tigers of Pratibandapuram. He even married to realise this ambition. He came to be known as the Tiger King.

Question 15.
‘From that day onwards, it was celebration time for all tigers inhabiting Pratibandapuram’. Bring out the irony in this statement.
Answer:
It was a celebration as killing tigers was banned by the state. It is ironical because the state head, the Maharaja had full right to kill tigers.

Question 16.
Why was the Maharaja once in danger of losing his kingdom?
Answer:
The Maharaja was on the verge of losing his throne when he refused the British officer to hunt tigers in Pratibandapuram. He not only refused to permit him to do so but did not allow him to be photographed standing over a dead tiger. However, he compromised by presenting 50 diamond rings to his wife costing him three lakhs of rupees.

Question 17.
How did Maharaja deal with a high-ranking British Officer who wanted to shoot a tiger?
Answer:
The Maharaja was firm in his resolve of not to give him permission. He encouraged him to hunt a boar, mouse or even a mosquito; because of this, there was a risk of losing his kingdom. So he agreed to gift a diamond ring but ended up giving some fifty diamond rings worth three lakh of rupees to retain his kingdom.

Question 18.
Why did the Maharaja have to pay a bill of three lakh rupees to the British jewellers? [
Answer:
The Maharaja refused to grant permission to the British Officer to hunt tigers in his kingdom of Pratibandapuram and also refused to take a picture with a dead tiger. Instead, he thought of pacifying his wife, the duraisani with a diamond ring. Orders were placed with a famous British company of jewellers in Calcutta to send samples of rings of different designs. They sent fifty rings which were all taken by her and the Maharaja had to pay three lakhs in turn.

Question 19.
Why did the Maharaja decide to get married?
Answer:
The Maharaja decided to get married to fulfil his aim of killing one-hundred tigers. He had killed only seventy tigers and no tiger was left in the forest of Pratibandapuram. He, therefore, wanted to marry a princess from a kingdom with many tigers.

Question 20.
When did the Maharaja decide to double the land tax for a village?
Answer:
When the Tiger King with just one tiger to reach his target of one-hundred, someone reported about a tiger near the village. The Maharaja was desperate to kill, but no one could find the tiger, so he became furious and doubled the land tax.

Question 21.
How did the hundredth tiger reach the forest?
Answer:
The King’s Dewan had a tiger hidden in his house, which had been brought from the
People’s Park in Madras. At midnight, when the entire town was sleeping, the Dewan and his aged wife dragged the tiger into their car and took him to the forest.

Question 22.
What happened to the hundredth tiger?
Answer:
On the day of hunt, the hundredth tiger wandered in Maharaja’s presence and stood in humble supplication. The Maharaja took an aim at him and the tiger fell in a crumpled heap. But when the hunters looked at the tiger, they realised that he was not dead as the bullet missed the mark rather, it had fainted.

Question 23.
Did the prophecy of the astrologer come true at the end of the story?
Answer:
Yes, the prophecy did prove true as his death came out of the hundredth tiger, i.e., the wooden tiger. He thought that he had killed the hundredth tiger, but actually, he missed its mark and was killed by one of the ministers. The destiny played its role as the hundredth tiger was the wooden tiger

Question 24.
Which problem did the Maharaja face when he had killed seventy tigers? How did he solve it?
Answer:
The Maharaja had to kill one-hundred tigers on the whole. After killing seventy of the one-in Pratibandapuram, no more tigers were left in the forest there. But he had to kill thirty more, so he decided to get married to a princess of a state with large tiger population.

The Tiger King Long Answer Questions

Question 1.
Who was the Tiger King? What is the story associated with the birth of the Tiger King?
Answer:
The Maharaja of Pratibandapuram was called the Tiger King. At his birth, astrologers predicted that one day, he would actually have tp die. They further said that he would grow up to become a great warrior, a great hero, a great champion, but would die one day. Surprisingly, a miracle took place. The ten-day-old prince spoke in his squeaky voice that “everyone who is born has to die one day. So it would make sense if they could ‘ tell the manner of the death”. Everyone present there was tongue-tied.

A baby of ten days not only opened its lips but even asked an intelligent question. The chief astrologer then said that since the prince was born in the hour of bull, and the bull and the tiger are enemies, the death of the prince would result from a tiger. The royal infant was not afraid to hear these words. He grumbled asking the tigers to beware.

Question 2.
Giving a bribe is an evil practice. How did the Tiger King bribe the British officer to save his kingdom? How do you view this act of his?
Answer:Tiger King wanted to disprove the astrologer’s prediction and therefore, started to hunt and kill tigers. Anyone who disobeyed him would be punished and all his wealth and property would be confiscated. In order to have enough tigers to hunt, he had banned hunting tigers in his kingdom. A high-ranking British official came to the state. He desired to hunt tigers. The British officer was also not allowed to hunt. The officer sent a word to get himself photographed holding a gun beside the tiger’s dead body.

However, the Maharaja refused even that. As the Maharaja had prevented a British officer from fulfilling his desire, he was in danger of losing his kingdom. Hence, he offered a bribe of 50 diamond rings, worth three lakhs to the wife of the British officer. By this act, the Maharaja was able to avert the danger.

In my view, this reveals the corrupt attitude of both the King and the British official. It also shows how blinded the King was in his ambition (to prove the astrologer wrong) that he wasted the people’s money to appease his ego. He was ready to relinquish people’s hard-earned money to ensure that his longevity is ensured by proving the astrologer wrong.

Question 3.
Even today, so many among us believe in superstitions. An astrologer predicted about ‘the Tiger King’ that he would be killed by a tiger. He ‘killed’ one-hundred tigers, yet was himself ‘killed’ by a tiger. How did the superstitious belief prevail?
Answer:
A few days after the Maharaja killed the hundredth tiger, it was the third birthday of his son. The Maharaja desired to give him some special gift on this occasion. He purchased a wooden tiger from a toy shop and gifted it to his son.

That day, the Maharaja and his son were playing with the wooden tiger. The surface of the toy was rough, since it had been carved by an unskilled carpenter. A tiny sliver pierced into the Maharaja’s right hand. He pulled it out. But the next day, the infection spread even in the Maharaja’s right arm. Within four days, it developed into a pus forming sore, spreading all over the arm. Three famous surgeons were called from Chennai. They performed the operation. Even though the operation was successful, the Maharaja passed away. Thus, the hundredth tiger took its revenge on the King.

This shows that the prophecy did eventually prevail. The hundredth tiger was not killed by the King. However, it died. But with regard to the King, the hundredth tiger, appeared in the form of the inanimate tiger, that caused the death of the King.

Question 4.
The Tiger King’s quest for tigers was full of hurdles and challenges. Justify the statement.
Answer:
Though the Tiger King was reputed to have fought tigers with bare hands, he had to kill hundred tigers for the sake of his life. His refusing permission to hunt in Pratibandapuram to Durai, or even being photographed with a dead tiger, costed him fifty diamond rings of three lakhs worth.

He had to marry a princess with at least 30 tigers in her father’s kingdom, to complete his quota for killing a hundred tigers. After the 99th tiger, searching for the hundredth proved to be difficult, till Dewan managed an old one from the People’s Park in Madras. Ironically, the Maharaja could not kill it, but his hunters did from a one-foot distance. What a wastage of time, manpower, money and energy, when the Maharaja finally died because of an unskilled wooden tiger’s sliver in his finger.

Question 5.
How did Tiger King succeed in killing hundred tigers?
Answer:
The Tiger King banned the hunting of tiger in the kingdom of Pratibandapuram. When he came of age, he wreaked havoc on the tiger population in an attempt to hunt a hundred tigers as soon as it was possible. Seventy tigers were killed within ten years. Then he got married in the kingdom where tigers were to be found. At his every visit to his in-laws, he used to kill them.

Thus, ninety-nine were killed. But the hundredth one was nowhere to be found. He became infuriated and doubled the land tax. Then Dewan Saheb arranged the hundredth tiger from People’s Park in Madras. It was brought in a van by Dewan. He left it in the forest. The King was informed about its presence. He took an aim and shot it. But to everyone’s surprise, the bullet whizzed past his ear and was only killed by one of the ministers of the King.

 

A learner needs to read stories thoroughly and accurately to score better in CBSE Class 12 English exams. NCERT Solutions for Class 12 English Vistas Chapter 2 The Tiger King has been answered by experts to ensure that the story can be easily understood. 

NCERT Solutions for Class 12 English Vistas Chapter 1 The Third Level is a detailed account of what you will learn in Class 12 English Vistas Chapter 1 The Third Level. To successfully pass CBSE Class 12 English exam and get an excellent grade on your report card at the end of it all you need a thorough understanding and comprehension of NCERT Solutions for Class 12 English Vistas Chapter 1 The Third Level which we have made sure covers everything important!

The Third Level NCERT Solutions for Class 12 English Vistas Chapter 1

The Third Level NCERT Text Book Questions and Answers

The Third Level Read and Find out

Question 1.
What does the third level refer to?
Answer:
The third level refers to a medium of escape from present into past. One day, Charley wanders down into third level at Grand Central Station where there are only two, and finds himself in the year 1894.

Question 2.
Would Charley go back to the ticket-counter on the third level and buy two tickets for him and his wife to Galesburg?
Answer:
In fact, there is no third level. Charley may continue his search for a while, but we don’t think he would ever be able to find the corridor that leads to the third level at Grand Central Station. So there is no possibility of his going back to the ticket-counter on the third level and buying two tickets for him and his wife to Galesburg.

The Third Level Reading with Insight

Question 1.
Do you think that the third level was a medium of escape for Charley? Why?
Answer:
Perhaps the third level was a medium of escape for Charley. When he got into a tunnel there, he came into the lobby of the Roosevelt Hotel. Later, he came up in an office building. And yet another time, he escaped into the past. He travelled back into time and found himself in 1894.

Question 2.
What do you infer from Sam’s letter to Charley?
Answer:
Charley discovered Sam’s letter among his grandfather’s first-day covers. The envelope bore an old stamp. The envelope was genuine as it was received by Charley’s grandfather. However, the letter appears to be Charley’s escape into the past, like his visit to the third level.

Question 3.
“The modem world is full of insecurity, fear, war, worry and stress.” What are the ways in which we attempt to overcome them?
Answer:
We attempt to escape into a world—real or imaginary. Here, we feel secure and safe. Many people read books, some write books, others take to painting. Quite a few find shelter in music, some people undertake a hobby to divert their mind from their present-day world.

Question 4.
Do you see an intersection of time and space in the story?
Answer:
There is no doubt about a definite intersection of time and space in the story. Charley goes to the third level. He travels back into time. Even though the place is the same, yet it appears as a different place. It is as it was in 1894. Likewise, Sam reaches Galesburg. But it is not modern Galesburg. But the Galesburg of 1894.

Question 5.
Apparent illogicality sometimes turns out to be a futuristic projection. Discuss.
Answer:
There is no doubt that whatever man has achieved began with an idea. In the beginning, the idea appeared to be a dreamer’s dream. However, later it becomes a reality. We hear about men travelling to other planets. It appears highly unrealistic. But today, it appears a possibility. It was only a flight of imagination to talk to any person anywhere in the world a few years ago. But today, it is reality. H.G. Wells gives an idea of Time Machine. It looks illogical. But it may be possible to travel in time at some stages in future.

Question 6.
Philately helps keep the past alive. Discuss other ways in which this is done. What do you think of the human tendency to constantly move between the past, the present and the future?
Answer:
Past is kept alive by many ways. One way is photography. The photos showing past, or scenes of nature tell us how things were in the past. Old monuments have been preserved. In museums, we keep things that people used in past. Diaries and coins are preserved. There are several other ways in which past can be preserved.

The Third Level Extra Questions and Answers

The Third Level Short Answer Questions

Question 1.
Why did Charley meet a psychiatrist?
Answer:
Charley met a psychiatrist, since he was in a dilemma. He felt sure that he had been on the third level of the Grand Central Station, which everyone knows has only two levels. Even the Presidents of the railroads would swear on a stack of timetables that there were only two levels.

Question 2.
What was the psychiatrist’s diagnosis?
Answer:
The psychiatrist said that Charlie was unhappy. The modern world, full of insecurity, fear, war and worry oppressed him, and he just wanted to escape.

Question 3.
What proof did the psychiatrist provide?
Answer:
Charley’s psychiatrist and his friends said that his stamp-collecting was an indication of his desire to seek “a temporary refuge from reality”, as was his collection of first-day covers.

Question 4.
What was Charley’s argument when the psychiatrist told him that the stamp collection was a temporary refuge from reality?
Answer:
Charley argued that his grandfather lived in nice and peaceful times, yet he was the one . who had started the stamp collection. He did not need any “temporary refuge from reality”. He added that President Roosevelt collected stamps too.

Question 5.
How does Charley describe Galesburg, Illinois, 1894?
Answer:
Charley describes it as a wonderful town with a leisurely way of life with big old frame houses, huge lawns, tremendous trees and a peaceful and tranquil world. During summer evenings, people sat in their lawns, with men smoking cigars and women waving palm-leaf fans. The first World War was twenty years away and the second World War was forty years into the future.

Question 6.
What is a first-day cover?
Answer:
When a new stamp is issued, stamp collectors buy some and use them to mail envelopes to themselves on the very first day of sale and the postmark proves the date. The envelope is called a first-day cover. They are never opened. You just put a blank paper inside the envelope.

Question 7.
What role does the first-day cover play in the story?
Answer:
One night,while fussing with his stamp collection, Charley comes across a first-day cover that should not have been there. It had been mailed to his grandfather at his home in Galesburg in July 18, 1894. However, instead of a blank paper, it contained a letter for Charley from Sam. It urged him to come back to the third level with Louisa, and keep looking for it till he found it.

Question 8.
What was the content of the note that Sam wrote to Charley?
Answer:
Sam said that he had found the third level, that he had already been there for two weeks, that life was peaceful, calm and tranquil. He urged Charley and Louisa to go back to the third level and keep looking for it till they found it.

Question 9.
How was Charley often lost on the Grand Central Station?
Answer:
Cllarley had went to the Grand Central Station hundreds of times. However, at times, he was always lost in new doorways and corridors. Once, he entered a tunnel and came out in the lobby of a hotel. Another time, he reached in an office building.

Question 10.
How did Charley compare the Grand Central to a huge tree? Why?
Answer:
Charley always found new tunnels and staircase at the Grand Central. He began to suspect that Grand Central was like a huge tree. It used to push out new corridors and tunnels like the roots of a tree.

Question 11.
How did Charley reach the third level?
Answer:
Charley had been late to his office. He desired to reach home early. So he went to Grand Central to catch a suburban train. He was lost in a corridor. He thought it was the second level. But he had reached the third level.

Question 12.
How did Charley realise that he was on the third level?
Answer:
Charley realised this as there were fewer ticket windows; the information booth was of wood and old-looking. The lights were flickering as they were open-flame gaslights. There were brass spittoons on the floor. The locomotive had a funnel-shaped stack.

Question 13.
How did Charley make sure that he had actually travelled in the past?
Answer:
Charley went to a news stand. He saw the stack of newspapers. It was The World which was not published any longer. The lead story was about President Cleveland. Later, he discovered in the public library files that it was printed on June 11, 1894.

Question 14.
Why did Charley rush back from the third level?
Answer:
Charley wanted two tickets for Galesburg. But when he offered the fare, his money was different-looking from the money of those days. The clerk thought the money was fake. He threatened to get Charley arrested. Charley rushed back to escape.

Question 15.
How did Charley learn that his psychiatrist friend had reached Galesburg of 1894?
Answer:
One day, Charley discovered a first-day cover in his stamp collection. It was addressed
to his grandfather at his Galesburg address. In it, he found a letter of July 18, 1894 addressed to him by Sam. This proved that Sam had reached Galesburg of 1894.

Question 16.
What did Sam write to Charley from Galesburg?
Answer:
Sam had written to Charley that he had discovered the third level and reached Galesburg. He found Galesburg to be peaceful and friendly as Sam had described to him. He exhorted Charley to keep looking for the third level and reach Galesburg.

Question 17.
How do you find the ending of the story surprising?
Answer:
Sam was a psychiatrist. He got worried about Charley as he told Sam that he reached the third level. He firmly believed it did not exist. However, he himself was not only convinced but also escaped to Galesburg.

The Third Level Long Answer Questions

Question 1.
Discuss the importance of Sam’s letter to Charley.
Answer:
Charley, the protagonist of the story, gives up hope of ever finding the third level again and resumes his hobby of collecting stamps. It is then that he comes across the first- day cover which he had not seen before and should not have been there. It carried the stamp of July 18, 1894, and had been posted from Galesburg, Illinois. As he reads the content of the letter, a shocked Charley realises that it was from Sam, his psychiatrist friend. Though he had earlier hoped that the third level existed, now he had actually found it and been there for two weeks.

Very different from the modern world full of stress, worry and insecurities, Sam describes it as a peaceful place, full of warm and friendly people and an old-world charm. He urges Charley and Louisa not to stop their search and not give up, till they find the third level. Thus, Sam reaffirms Charley’s conviction about the existence of the third level.

Question 2.
‘The Third Level’ explores an intersection of time and space. Discuss.
Answer:
In ‘The Third Level’ Jack Finney gives ‘time travel’ a new dimension through his protagonist, Charley. The third level is the point where the past and the present meet. One evening, on his way back from work, Charlie finds himself in the third level of the Grand Central Station in New York. He discovers that things were different and realises that he is back in 1894.

It was the period that Charley would love to be in. An excited Charley wants to buy two tickets to Galesburg, a peaceful town in the pre-war period, which Sam, Charley’s psychiatrist friend, interprets as his desire to escape the stress of modern living. Later, Sam himself withdraws all his savings and exchanges it for 1894 currency. He thus, is able to cross time and reach a quiet and peaceful past where his services as a psychiatrist would not be required. Louisa believes that one can cross the time dimension only after Sam’s letter of affirmation. Thus, the happiness of all the three characters of the story revolve around the third level.

Question 3.
Charley wanted to go home quickly but he reached the third level. How did he get there?
Answer:
One summer night, Charley was late at the office. As he wanted to get home quickly, he decided to take the subway from Grand Central. He went into the Grand Central and went to the steps of the first level. Then he went down another flight of stairs to reach the second level. He found an arched doorway and was lost in the corridor where he was slanted downwards. He thought it to be wrong. But he continued walking. He found nobody on the way. From there, the tunnel took a sharp turn to the left.

He went down a short flight of stairs. For a moment he perceived, he had once again come back to the second level. However, everything there was different and old-fashioned. There were fewer ticket windows. The information booth in the centre was made of wood and looked very old. It was then he realised . suddenly that he had reached the third level.

Question 4.
What was the third level like? How did Charley know he had bumped into the past?
Answer:
There was no third level at the Grand Central. It was only Charley’s journey into the past. The third level appeared to be railway station of about a century ago. The rooms were smaller and ticket windows were few. The information booth in the centre was of wood and old-fashioned. The man in the booth wore sleeve protectors and a green eyeshade.

Lights were flickering as they were open-flame gaslights. Brass spittoons were found on the floor. Most people bore beards and side burns and fancy moustache. He saw a man had a gold watch. A woman wore a dress with leg-of-mutton sleeves and high buttoned shoes. The locomotive was small with a funnel-shaped stack. A newsboy had stack of The World. It was published on June 11, 1894. It made Charley sure that he had bumped into the past.

 

A learner needs to read stories thoroughly and accurately to score better in CBSE Class 12 English exams. NCERT Solutions for Class 12 English Vistas Chapter 1 The Third Level has been answered by experts to ensure that the story can be easily understood. 

English is a difficult subject for many people to learn. Some students may become frustrated and give up, but NCERT Solutions for Class 12 English Flamingo Poem 1 My Mother at Sixty-six can help you maintain your momentum! This Class 12 English Flamingo Poem 1 My Mother at Sixty-six will provide all necessary information needed in order to study Class 12 English successfully at home or school. Check out the Poem 1 My Mother at Sixty-six author, Kamala Das.

My Mother at Sixty-six NCERT Solutions for Class 12 English Flamingo Poem 1

My Mother at Sixty-six NCERT Text Book Questions and Answers

My Mother at Sixty-six Think it out

Question 1.
What is the kind of pain and ache that the poet feels?
Answer:
The childhood fear of separation and the sadness associated with the thought of losing her mother is what the poet feels. While leaving her native place, the poet feels the guilt of not being able to take good care of her mother in her old age, and hence, she is sad and pained. The mother’s aged, weak and pale frame is of great concern for the daughter, and the nagging fear of her old mother departing in her absence ravages her mind.

Question 2.
Why are the young trees described as ‘sprinting’?
Answer:
The young trees are quite opposite to the poet’s old mother who is pale and aged. A tree symbolises youth and is full of life. Trees seem to be sprinting while her mother is in the last stage of her life.

Question 3.
Why has the poet brought in the image of the merry children ‘spilling out of their homes?’
Answer:
The poet, while returning from her native place, sees the joyous children rushing out of their homes, into the open, to play. These young children, full of energy and life are a sharp contrast to the ashen visage of her mother who is weak, dull, and lifeless at the age of sixty-six. The enthusiasm and vitality of the children bring home, more emphatically, the painful realisation that her mother may breathe her last any day in the near future.

Question 4.
Why has the mother been compared to the ‘late winter’s moon’?
Answer:
The dull, weak, pale, and aged visage of the mother is compared to a late winter’s moon which looks hazy, obscure, and lacks shine and strength. Hence, the comparison is quite appropriate and the simile used is apt and effective. The mother has also lost the glow, vigour, and vitality of her youth as she is sixty-six years old now.

Question 5.
What do the parting words of the poet and her smile signify?
Answer:
The poet had to leave her mother and her native place to go to her own home. She felt guilty to leave her mother, all by herself, alone, at this ripe age. Her mother needed love, respect, affection, and togetherness, which the poet is unable to give her in plenty. Hence, to cover up her agony and pain of separation and loss, she puts on a long and cheerful smile on her face. She puts on a brave front to hide her fear behind a smile.

Before leaving, she says to her mother, ‘see you soon, Amma’ which definitely brought a faint ray of hope in the mother that she would survive long enough for the two to meet again. The smile, even if it was a hollow one, must have comforted both the mother and the daughter.

My Mother at Sixty-six Extra Questions and Answers

My Mother at Sixty-six Short Answer Questions

Question 1.
What were Kamala Das’ fears as a child? Why do the fears surface when she is going to the airport?
Answer:
Kamala Das fears that her mother would leave her alone and go away. These fears surface now as she looks at her old mother doze with her mouth open in the car.

Question 2.
How can suspension of activities help?
Answer:
The poet wants to prove that there can be life under apparent stillness. The poet invokes the earth as a living symbol to prove his point. The earth never attains total inactivity. Nature remains at work even under apparent stillness.

Question 3.
How does the poet describe her mother?
Answer:
Kamala Das describes her mother as old, pale and senile. As she was asleep, the poet noticed that her mother looked as pale and colourless as a dead body. She seemed to have lost the vitality of life.

Question 4.
Explain ‘pale as a late winter’s moon.’
Answer:
This is an example of a simile. The poet has compared her mother’s face to a winter’s moon. Winter symbolises death and a waning moon symbolises decay. Just like winter loses its magnificence and beauty when covered with fog and mist, similarly the poet’s mother has lost her youth and vitality, and has become inactive and withered.

Question 5.
Why did the poet promise her mother of a meeting in the near future?
Answer:
The poet was doubtful of seeing her mother again. She knew that the mother was also aware of the same. Yet, to encourage her mother, to leave a hope in her mind, to make herself strong, the poet promised a futile reunion in the future.

Question 6.
The poet’s repeated smile seems out of the place in a way. In which way is that appropriate?
Answer:
The poet had no reason to smile at the time of separation from her aged mother. She was deeply distressed and pained to separate from her mother when she was so old. Yet, to make the mother feel ‘there is nothing to worry,’ the poet attempted to be glad, cheerful and reassured her by her extended smile.

Question 7.
Why does the poet look at her mother again?
Answer:
The poet looks at her mother again for the last time to reassure herself that her mother is well. She drove away her thoughts of pain and fear which had surfaced on seeing her mother. It was a look of reassurance to meet her again.

Question 8.
What different images does the poet use to convey the idea of her mother’s old age?
Answer:
Late winter’s moon. Her pale, bloodless and wrinkled face resembles that of a corpse. She has no vigour and energy left in her. She looks wan and pale. The sprinting trees and merry children are happy and young. They present a contrast to the mother’s pain and old age and the poet’s worry and fear. They symbolise youth, vigour and spring, whereas the mother is old, decaying and frail.

Question 9.
What kind of pain does Kamala Das feel in ‘My Mother at Sixty-six’?
Answer:
Kamala Das has a childhood fear of her mother ageing and while going to the airport, she sees her ageing mother looking like a corpse as she slept open mouthed and pale.

Question 10.
Why are the youngsters described as springing?
Answer:
The youngsters are described as springing as they are full of life. Merry children were joyfully coming out in numbers from their houses and were a contrast to her ageing mother beside her in the car.

Question 11.
Having looked at her mother, why does Kamala Das look at the young children?
Answer:
After having looked at her mother, Kamala Das was in pain. She had a fear of separation from her mother. The children outside were symbolic of dynamism, joy and life. Hence, she wanted to divert her thoughts of her ageing mother.

Question 12.
In the last line of the poem, ‘My Mother at Sixty-six’, why does the poet use the word ‘smile’ repeatedly?
Answer:
Kamala Das wanted to make her mother feel that everything was fine. She wanted her to believe that they would meet soon. She also wanted to hide her fears about not meeting her next time. In fact, she wanted to put a brave front.

Question 13.
Why does the poet look at ‘young tree’ and ‘merry children’?
Answer:
The poet looks at ‘young trees’ and ‘merry children’ to divert her attention from the
gloomy thoughts of losing her mother. Looking at them was a ray of hope distracting her mind from the negative thoughts.

Question 14.
What does the poet’s smile in the poem, ‘My Mother at Sixty-six’ show?
Answer:
The smile on the poet’s face was an attempt to reassure her mother. She was masking the fear of separation. She was also trying to hide her concerns regarding the possibility of her mother’s demise. Besides, she was also trying to hide her guilt and sorrow for having to leave her mother at a time in her life when she needs the poet the most.

 

It is important for a learner to read stories thoroughly and accurately in order to score better in Class 12 English exams. NCERT Solutions for Class 12 English Flamingo Poem 1 My Mother at Sixty-six has been given by experts to ensure that the poem can be easily understood. 

These NCERT Solutions for Class 12 Maths Chapter 5 Continuity and Differentiability Ex 5.8 Questions and Answers are prepared by our highly skilled subject experts.

NCERT Solutions for Class 12 Maths Chapter 5 Continuity and Differentiability Exercise 5.8

Question 1.
Verify Rolle’s theorem for the function
f(x) = x² + 2x – 8, x ∈ [- 4, 2]
Solution:
Now f(x) = x² + 2x – 8 is a polynomial
∴ It is continuous and derivable in its domain x ∈ R.
Hence it is continuous in the interval [- 4, 2] and derivable in the interval (- 4, 2)
f(-4) = (- 4)² + 2(- 4) – 8 = 16 – 8 – 8 = 0,
f(2) = 2² + 4 – 8 = 8 – 8 = 0
Conditions of Rolle’s theorem are satisfied.
f'(x) = 2x + 2
∴ f’ (c) = 2c + 2 = 0
or c = – 1, c = – 1 ∈ [- 4, 2]
Thus f’ (c) = 0 at c = – 1.

Question 2.
Examine if Rolle’s theorem is applicable to any of the following functions. Can you say some thing about the converse of Rolle’s theorem from these example?
(i) f(x) = [x] for x ∈ [5, 9]
(ii) f (x) = [x] for x ∈ [-2, 2]
(iii) f (x) = x² – 1 for x ∈ [1, 2]
Solution:
(i) In the interval [5, 9], f (x) = [x] is neither continuous nor derivable at x = 6, 7, 8 Hence Rolle’s theorem is not applicable
(ii) f (x) = [x] is not continuous and derivable at – 1, 0, 1. Hence Rolle’s theorem is not applicable.
(iii) f(x) = (x² – 1), f(1) = 1 – 1 = 0,
f(2) = 22 – 1 = 3
f(a) ≠ f(b)
Though it is continous and derivable in the interval [1,2].
Rolle’s theorem is not applicable.
In case of converse if f (c) = 0, c ∈ [a, b] then conditions of rolle’s theorem are not true.
(i) f (x) = [x] is the greatest integer less than or equal to x.
∴ f(x) = 0, But fis neither continuous nor differentiable in the interval [5, 9].

(ii) Here also, theough f (x) = 0, but f is neither continuous nor differentiable in the interval [- 2, 2].

(iii) f (x) = x² – 1, f'(x) = 2x. Here f'(x) is not zero in the [1, 2], So f (2) ≠ f’ (2).

Question 3.
If f: [- 5, 5] → R is a differentiable function and if f (x) does not vanish anywhere then prove that f (- 5) ≠ f (5).
Solution:
For Rolle’s theorem
If (i) f is continuous in [a, b]
(ii) f is derivable in [a, b]
(iii) f (a) = f (b)
then f’ (c) = 0, c ∈ (a, b)
∴ f is continuous and derivable
i.e., f'(c) ≠ 0. Hence \(\frac{f(5)-f(-5)}{10}\)
but f (c) ≠ 0 ⇒ f(a) ≠ f(b)
⇒ f(-5) ≠ f(5)

Question 4.
Verify Mean Value Theorem, if
f (x) = x² – 4x – 3 in the interval [a, b], where a = 1 and b = 4.
Solution:
f (x) = x² – 4x – 3. It being a polynomial it is continuous in the interval [1, 4] and derivable in (1,4), So all the condition of mean value theorem hold.
then f’ (x) = 2x – 4,
f'(c) = 2c – 4
f(4) = 16 – 16 – 3 = – 3,
f(1) = 1 – 4 – 3 = – 6
∴ f'(c) = 0 \(\frac{f(b)-f(a)}{b-a}\) = \(\frac{f(4)-f(1)}{4-1}\)
⇒ 2c – 4 = \(\frac{-3-6}{4-1}\)
⇒ 2c – 4 = 1 ⇒ c = \(\frac{5}{2}\) ∈ (1, 4)
∴ Mean Value Theorem is verified for f(x) on (1, 4)

Question 5.
Verify Mean Value Theorem, if f (x) = x³ – 5x² – 3x in the interval [a, b], where a = 1 and b = 3. Find all c ∈ (1, 3) for which f’ (c) = 0.
Solution:
f (x) = x³ – 5x² – 3x
f'(x) = 3x² – 10x – 3
Since f'(x’) exists, f(x) is continous on [1, 3]
f(x) is differentiable on (1, 3)
f'(c) = 3c² – 10c – 3
f(b) = f(3) = – 27
f(a) = f(1) = – 7
∴ f'(c) = 0 \(\frac{f(b)-f(a)}{b-a}\)
⇒ 3c² – 10c – 3 = \(\frac{-27-7}{3-1}\)
⇒ 3c² – 10c – 3 = – 10
⇒ 3c² – 10c + 7 = 0
⇒ (c – 1)(3c – 7) = 0 ⇒ c = 1 or c = \(\frac{7}{3}\)
\(\frac{7}{3}\) ∈ (1, 3)
∴ Mean Value Theorem is verified for f(x) on (1, 3)

Question 6.
Examine the applicability of Mean Value theroem for all three functions given in the above Question 2.
Solution:
(i) F (x)= [x] for x ∈ [5, 9], f (x) = [x] in the interval [5, 9] is neither continuous, nor differentiable.
(ii) f (x) = [x], for x ∈ [-2, 2],
Again f (x) = [x] in the interval [-2, 2] is neither continous, nor differentiable.
(iii) f(x) = x² – 1 for x ∈ [1,2], It is a polynomial.
Therefore it is continuous in the interval [1,2] and differentiable in the interval (1,2)
f (x) = 2x, f(1) = 1 – 1 = 0 ,
f(2) = 4 – 1 = 3, f'(c) = 2c
∴ f'(c) = 0 \(\frac{f(b)-f(a)}{b-a}\)
2c = \(\frac{3-0}{2-1}\) = \(\frac{3}{1}\)
∴ c = \(\frac{3}{2}\) which belong to (1, 2)

These NCERT Solutions for Class 12 Maths Chapter 5 Continuity and Differentiability Ex 5.4 Questions and Answers are prepared by our highly skilled subject experts.

NCERT Solutions for Class 12 Maths Chapter 5 Continuity and Differentiability Exercise 5.4

Question 1.
\(\frac { { e }^{ x } }{ sinx } \)
Solution:
\(y=\frac { { e }^{ x } }{ sinx } \)
\(for\quad y=\frac { u }{ v } ,\)
\(\frac { dy }{ dx } =\frac { { e }^{ x }{ sin }x-{ e }^{ x }cosx }{ { sin }^{ 2 }x } \)
\(or\frac { dy }{ dx } =\frac { { e }^{ x }{ sin }x-{ e }^{ x }cosx }{ { sin }^{ 2 }x } ,where\quad x\neq n\pi ,x\in z \)

Question 2.
\({ e }^{ { sin }^{ -1 }x }\)
Solution:

Question 3.
\({ e }^{ { x }^{ 3 } }\) = y
Solution:
Let y = \({ e }^{ { x }^{ 3 } }\)
Differentiating w.r.t. x,
\(\frac{d y}{d x}=\frac{d}{d x}\left(e^{x^{3}}\right)\) = \(e^{x^{3}} \cdot \frac{d}{d x}\left(x^{3}\right)\)
= \({ e }^{ { x }^{ 3 } }\).3x² = 3x²\({ e }^{ { x }^{ 3 } }\)

Question 4.
\(sin\left( { tan }^{ -1 }{ e }^{ -x } \right)\) = y
Solution:
\(sin\left( { tan }^{ -1 }{ e }^{ -x } \right)\) = y
\(\frac { dy }{ dx } =cos\left( { tan }^{ -1 }{ e }^{ -x } \right) \frac { d }{ dx } \left( { tan }^{ -1 }{ e }^{ -x } \right) \)
\(=cos\left( { tan }^{ -1 }{ e }^{ -x } \right) \frac { 1 }{ 1+{ e }^{ -2x } } \frac { d }{ dx } \left( { e }^{ -x } \right) \)
\(=-cos\left( { tan }^{ -1 }{ e }^{ -x } \right) \frac { 1 }{ 1+{ e }^{ -2x } } .\left( { e }^{ -x } \right) \)

Question 5.
\(log(cos\quad { e }^{ x })\) = y
Solution:
\(\frac { dy }{ dx } =\frac { 1 }{ cos\quad { e }^{ x } } \left( -sin{ e }^{ x } \right) .{ e }^{ x }\quad =-tan\left( { e }^{ x } \right) \)

Question 6.
\({ e }^{ x }+{ e }^{ { x }^{ 2 } }+\)…\(+{ e }^{ { x }^{ 5 } }\) = y(say)
Solution:

Question 7.
\(\sqrt { { e }^{ \sqrt { x } } }\), x > 0
Solution:

Question 8.
log(log x), x > 1
Solution:
y = log(log x), x > 1
Differentiating w.r.t. x,
\(\frac{d y}{d x}\) = \(\frac{1}{\log x} \cdot \frac{d}{d x}\)(log x)
= \(\frac{1}{\log x} \cdot \frac{1}{x}\) = \(\frac{1}{x \log x}\), x > 1

Question 9.
\(\frac { cosx }{ logx }\) = y(say),x>0
Solution:

Question 10.
cos(log x + ex), x > 0
Solution:

These NCERT Solutions for Class 12 Maths Chapter 5 Continuity and Differentiability Ex 5.3 Questions and Answers are prepared by our highly skilled subject experts.

NCERT Solutions for Class 12 Maths Chapter 5 Continuity and Differentiability Exercise 5.3

Question 1.
2x + 3y = sinx
Solution:
2x + 3y = sinx
Differentiating w.r.t x,
\(2+3\frac { dy }{ dx } =cosx \)
⇒ \(\frac { dy }{ dx } =\frac { 1 }{ 3 } (cosx-2)\)

Question 2.
2x + 3y = siny
Solution:
2x + 3y = siny
Differentiating w.r.t x,
\(2+3.\frac { dy }{ dx } =cosy\frac { dy }{ dx } \)
⇒ \(\frac { dy }{ dx } =\frac { 2 }{ cosy-3 } \)

Question 3.
ax + by² = cosy
Solution:
ax + by² = cosy
Differentiate both sides w.r.t. x,

Question 4.
xy + y² = tan x + y
Solution:
xy + y² = tan x + y
Differentiate both sides w.r.t. x,

Question 5.
x² + xy + y² = 100
Solution:
x² + xy + y² = 100
Differentiate both sides w.r.t. x,

Question 6.
x³ + x²y + xy² + y³ = 81
Solution:
x³ + x²y + xy² + y³ = 81
Differentiate both sides w.r.t. x,

Question 7.
sin² y + cos xy = π
Solution:
sin² y + cos xy = π
Differentiate both sides w.r.t. x,

Question 8.
sin²x + cos²y = 1
Solution:
Given that
sin²x + cos²y = 1
Differentiating both sides, we get

Question 9.
y = \({ sin }^{ -1 }\left( \frac { 2x }{ { 1+x }^{ 2 } } \right)\)
Solution:

Question 10.
y = \({ tan }^{ -1 }\left( \frac { { 3x-x }^{ 3 } }{ { 1-3x }^{ 2 } } \right) ,-\frac { 1 }{ \sqrt { 3 } } <x<\frac { 1 }{ \sqrt { 3 } } \)
Solution:

Question 11.
y = \({ cos }^{ -1 }\left( \frac { 1-{ x }^{ 2 } }{ 1+{ x }^{ 2 } } \right) ,0<x<1\)
Solution:
y = \({ cos }^{ -1 }\left( \frac { 1-{ x }^{ 2 } }{ 1+{ x }^{ 2 } } \right) ,0<x<1\)
put x = tanθ
y = \({ cos }^{ -1 }\left( \frac { 1-tan^{ 2 }\quad \theta }{ 1+{ tan }^{ 2 }\quad \theta } \right) ={ cos }^{ -1 }(cos2\theta )=2\theta\)
= 2θ = 2 tan^{-1 x}
i.e., y = 2 tan^-1x
Differentiating w.r.t x, \(\frac{d y}{d x}=\frac{2}{1+x^{2}}\)

Question 12.
y = \({ sin }^{ -1 }\left( \frac { 1-{ x }^{ 2 } }{ 1+{ x }^{ 2 } } \right) ,0<x<1\)
Solution:

Question 13.
y = \({ cos }^{ -1 }\left( \frac { 2x }{ 1+{ x }^{ 2 } } \right)\), – 1 < x < 1
Solution:

Question 14.
y = \(sin^{ -1 }\left( 2x\sqrt { 1-{ x }^{ 2 } } \right) ,-\frac { 1 }{ \sqrt { 2 } } <x<\frac { 1 }{ \sqrt { 2 } } \)
Solution:

Question 15.
y = \(sin^{ -1 }\left( \frac { 1 }{ { 2x }^{ 2 }-1 } \right) ,0<x<\frac { 1 }{ \sqrt { 2 } } \)
Solution:
y = \(sin^{ -1 }\left( \frac { 1 }{ { 2x }^{ 2 }-1 } \right) ,0<x<\frac { 1 }{ \sqrt { 2 } } \)
put x = tanθ
we get
y = \(sec^{ -1 }\left( \frac { 1 }{ { 2cos }^{ 2 }\theta -1 } \right) ={ sec }^{ -1 }\left( \frac { 1 }{ cos2\theta } \right) \)
y = \(sec^{ -1 }(sec2\theta )=2\theta ,\quad 2{ cos }^{ -1 }x \)
i.e., y = 2 cos^-1 x
Differentiating w.r.t.x,
∴ \(\frac{d y}{d x}=\frac{-2}{\sqrt{1-x^{2}}}\)

These NCERT Solutions for Class 12 Maths Chapter 5 Continuity and Differentiability Ex 5.2 Questions and Answers are prepared by our highly skilled subject experts.

NCERT Solutions for Class 12 Maths Chapter 5 Continuity and Differentiability Exercise 5.2

Question 1.
sin(x² + 5)
Solution:
Let y = sin(x² + 5),
put x² + 5 = t
y = sint
t = x²+5
\(\frac { dy }{ dx } =\frac { dy }{ dt } .\frac { dt }{ dx } \)
\(\frac { dy }{ dx } =cost.\frac { dt }{ dx } =cos({ x }^{ 2 }+5)\frac { d }{ dx } ({ x }^{ 2 }+5)\)
= cos (x² + 5) × 2x
= 2x cos (x² + 5)

Question 2.
cos (sin x)
Solution:
let y = cos (sin x)
put sinx = t
∴ y = cost,
t = sinx
∴\(\frac { dy }{ dx } =-sin\quad t,\frac { dt }{ dx } =cos\quad x \)
\(\frac { dy }{ dx } =\frac { dy }{ dt } .\frac { dt }{ dx } =(-sint)\times cosx\)
Putting the value of t, \(\frac { dy }{ dx } =-sin(sinx)\times cosx\)
\(\frac { dy }{ dx } =-[sin(sinx)]cosx\)

Question 3.
sin(ax+b)
Solution:
let = sin(ax+b)
put ax+bx = t
∴ y = sint
t = ax+b
\(\frac { dy }{ dt } =cost,\frac { dt }{ dx } =\frac { d }{ dx } (ax+b)=a\)
\(Now\frac { dy }{ dx } =\frac { dy }{ dt } .\frac { dt }{ dx } =cost\times a=acos\quad t\)
\(\frac { dy }{ dx } =acos(ax+b)\)

Question 4.
sec(tan(\(\sqrt{x}\)))
Solution:
let y = sec(tan(\(\sqrt{x}\)))
by chain rule
\(\frac { dy }{ dx } =sec(tan\sqrt { x } )tan(tan\sqrt { x } )\frac { d }{ dx } (tan\sqrt { x } )\)
\(\frac { dy }{ dx } =sec(tan\sqrt { x } ).tan(tan\sqrt { x } ){ sec }^{ 2 }\sqrt { x } .\frac { 1 }{ 2\sqrt { x } } \)

Question 5.
\(\\ \frac { sin(ax+b) }{ cos(cx+d) } \)
Solution:

Question 6.
cos x³ . sin²(x⁵) = y(say)
Solution:
Let y = cos x³ . sin²(x⁵)

Question 7.
\(2\sqrt { cot({ x }^{ 2 }) }\)
Solution:

Question 8.
cos(\(\sqrt{x}\))
Solution:

Question 9.
Prove that the function f given by f (x) = |x – 1|, x ∈ R is not differential at x = 1.
Solution:

∴ f is not differentiable at x = 1

Question 10.
Prove that the greatest integer function defined by f (x) = [x], 0 < x < 3 is not differential at x = 1 and x = 2.
Solution:

Hence f is not differentiable at x = 2