Class 9 English Moments

Chapter 3
Iswaran the Storyteller
QUES 1.
In what way is Iswaran an asset to Mahendra?
ANS:
Iswaran was an obedient person. He was Mahendra’s cook. He was very caring
and hardworking. He did all the jobs such as cooking meal, washing clothes and
chatting with Mahendra at night. He obeyed his master with full dedication. So, he
was an asset to Mahendra.

QUES 2.
How does Iswaran describe the uprooted tree on the highway? What effect does he
want to create in his listeners?
ANS:
Iswaran was greatly influenced by the Tamil authors. He was in the habit of
creating suspense. He had the quality of narrating even the smallest incident in
impressive way. He presented the incident related to the uprooted tree on the
highway in a dramatic way. He was alone and the road was deserted. He saw
something that looked like an enormous beast lying across the road. But as soon as
he came closer, he found there nothing but a fallen tree. His main purpose was to
create suspense and surprise.

QUES 4.
Why does the author say that Iswaran seemed to more than make up for the
absence of a TV in Mahendra’s living quarters?
ANS:
Iswaran was an expert in telling adventurous and mysterious stories in a dramatic
way. It was his daily routine to entertain Mahendra at night. Mahendra could listen
to and watch the development of the story. Thus Iswaran seemed to more than
make up for the absence of a TV.

QUES 5.
Mahendra calls ghosts or spirits a figment of the imagination. What happens to
him on a full-moon night?
ANS:
Mahendra calls ghosts or spirits a figment of the imagination as he did not believe
in ghosts. One day Iswaran told him about a female ghost holding a foetus in her
arms. On a full-moon night he woke up from his sleep and looked outside the
window. He got shocked to see the same figure and began to sweat profusely.

QUES 6.
Can you think of some other ending for the story?
ANS:
The present story ends with Mahendra’s resolve to leave the haunted place. But it
is not the appropriate ending. Mahendra should not have decided to leave the
haunted place without knowing the reality. The story could end like this:
Courageously Mahendra approached the woman and tried to know the reality. As
soon as Mahendra caught the woman, it became the revelation of the mystery. It
was none but Iswaran in the guise of a ghost of woman.

Short ANS QUESs (2 marks each)

QUES 1:
What impact did Iswaran’s story of a female ghost have on Mahendra ?
ANS:
Mahendra avoided looking out of the window when the moon was full. He went to
bed with a certain unease and peered into the darkness to make sure that there was
no movement of dark shapes outside.

QUES 2:
Why did Mahendra become fond of Iswaran ?
ANS:
Mahendra became fond of Iswaran because he was a very resourceful person and
took very good care of him. He was a trained cook and could also arrange for
things at a desolate place. In addition to this he took very good care of Mahendra.

QUES 3:
Why did Mahendra decide to leave the haunted place ?
ANS:
He was afraid of the haunted place after hearing and watching a ghastly
experience at night. He
found that he often dreamt of that woman ghost. Therefore, he wanted to leave the
place.

QUES 4:
What sets Iswaran apart from other domestic helps ?
ANS:
Iswaran was a class in himself. He was highly resourceful and a big help to
Mahendra. He was a trained cook and to top it he narrated captivating and
interesting stories to Mahendra at night.

QUES 5:
How did Iswaran tackle the elephant ?
ANS:
The elephant had caused much terror, children and teachers ran here and there to
save their lives.
Iswaran dared it and hit it on the third toe with a rod. Thus, the mad elephant was
controlled.

QUES 6:
Why was Iswaran called Mahendra’s asset ?
Or
How did Iswaran show his usefulness to the narrator ?
ANS:
Iswaran was not only a trained cook but also very attached to his master,
Mahendra, as he followed him everywhere he was posted. He not only took care of
him by washing his clothes and cooking food but also gossiped with him in the
night and told him various modified folk tales.

QUES 7:
What did Mahendra decide after he had seen the ghost ?

ANS:
Mahendra was convinced that there were ghosts around his house. He was scared
and did not want to live there any longer and so, he resigned his job.

QUES 8:
Who was Iswaran ? What all he did for his master ?

ANS:
Iswaran was Mahendra’s cook, he was an asset to him. He cooked for him, washed
his clothes and chatted away with his master at night. He often narrated stories
which were very convincing.

QUES 9:
What impact did Iswaran’s story of a female ghost have on Mahendra ?
ANS:
Mahendra avoided looking out of the window when the moon was full. He went to
bed with a certain unease and peered into the darkness to make sure that there was
no movement of dark shapes outside.

QUES 10:
How does Iswaran describe the story of the elephant ? Does it appear to be
plausible?
ANS:
One day an elephant went mad, stamping oh bushes, breaking fences, smashing
fruit stalls, mud pots and clothes. He even entered a school ground breaking
through the brick wall. Iswaran who was in the junior class, whacked its third toe
nail with a rod and it collapsed. No, the story does not appear to be plausible.

QUES 11:
What destruction did the elephant cause in the town ?

ANS:
The elephant caused a lot of destruction in the town. He broke branches, fences
and smashed stalls. He entered a school play ground and broke a brick wall, pulled
out a football goal post, tore down a volleyball net and flattened a water drum.

Chapter 4
In the Kingdom of Fools
QUES 1.
What are the two strange things the guru and his disciple find in the Kingdom of
Fools?
ANS:
The Guru and the disciple found that in the Kingdom of Fools people used to work
during nights and sleep during days. Everything was cheap and cost the same.

QUES 2.
Why does the disciple decide to stay in the Kingdom of Fools? Is it a good idea?
ANS:
Everything was cheap in the Kingdom of Fools. The disciple had peculiarity of
diet. He was tempted by the cheap food. So, he decided to stay in that kingdom. It
was not a good idea to stay there for a long time as one could be in danger any
time because of the unpredictable behaviour of fools.
QUES 3.
Name all the people who are tried in the king’s court, and give the reasons for
their trial.
ANS:
The owner of the house i.e. the merchant, the bricklayer, the dancing girl and the
goldsmith were tried in the king’s court. They all were tried because the thief died
when the wall of merchant’s house had collapsed. The merchant was tried for
building a weak wall. The bricklayer was tried for doing his work carelessly. The
dancing girl was tried for disturbing the concentration of the bricklayer. The
goldsmith was blamed for making the dancing girl walk up and down to his house
a dozen times.

QUES 4.
Who is the real culprit according to the king? Why does he escape punishment?
ANS:
The merchant’s dead father was held responsible for making the wall weak. But
according to the king the rich merchant was the real culprit because he had
inherited both sins and riches of his father. He escaped the punishment because he
was too thin to fit the stake.

QUES 5.
What are the Guru’s words of wisdom? When does the disciple remember them?
ANS:
The Guru was full of wisdom and knew well that the unpredictable behaviour of
the fools could create danger anytime. The Guru’s words were, “They are all fools.
This won’t last very long, and you can’t tell what they’ll do to you next”. The
disciple remembered them when he was arrested by the men of the king to execute
merely because he fitted the stake. It was because of the Guru’s words of wisdom
that the execution was postponed.

QUES 6.
How does the Guru manage to save his disciple’s life?
ANS:
The Guru arrived on time to save his disciple and created a drama. He told the
king that it was not an ordinary stake and whoever went to the stake first would
become the king in next life. The second to die would become his minister. The
king wanted to avail himself of the opportunity. The Guru and his disciple were
released. Thus the Guru managed to save his disciple’s life.
Short ANS QUESs (2 marks each)

QUES 1:
Why were the people of the kingdom confused when they saw the dead bodies of
the king and his minister ? (SA-1,2014)
ANS:
The people of the kingdom were confused as to how their king and the minister
were dead instead of the Guru and the disciple* The peoplevere not able to see
through the plan which was executed by the Guru against their king and minister.

QUES 2:
When does the disciple remember the words of his Guru? (SA-1, DDE-2014)
ANS:
The disciple did not pay any heed to the advice of his Guru, when the Guru asked
him to leave the kingdom of fools. When the king decided that the disciple was the
suitable person for execution, he remembered the words of the Guru.

QUES 3:
How was the kingdom of fools different from any other place ? (SA-1,2014-15)
ANS:
Everything was different at the kingdom of fools. The night was considered as day
and day as night. Not only the human beings even the animals stayed awake at
night. Anything and everything could be bought for a Dudu.

QUES 4:
Why did the Guru want that he and his disciple should die first ?
ANS:
The king had ordered the execution of the rich merchant. Since the rich merchant
could not be executed the disciple was chosen to fit the stake. The disciple’s Guru
had a vision and saw everything. In order to save his disciple, the Guru hatched a
plan.

QUES 5:
On what conditions did the Guru and his disciple agree to rule that kingdom ?
ANS:
He laid the condition that he would be free to change all the old and foolish laws.
Hence night was considered as night and day was regarded as a normal working
day. Even persuaded prices were changed according to the value of the material.

QUES 6:
Why did the Guru not want to stay in the Kingdom of fools ?
ANS:
The Guru did not wanted to stay in the Kingdom of fools as the people over there
were foolish. He was not sure about them and felt that they could harm him.

QUES 7:
Why does the disciple not want to leave the Kingdom of the fools ?

ANS:
The disciple did not wanted to leave the place because of the sale of cheap
eatables and other commodities and since everything was easily available and life
seemed to be very simple and easy.

QUES 8:
Why did the king decide to postpone the execution of the Guru and his disciple ?
ANS:
The Guru befooled the king. He told him that the people dying now would be the
king and minister in their next birth. The foolish king fell for the words of the
Guru and postponed their execution.

QUES 9:
What was so strange about the Kingdom of fools ?
ANS:
The strange thing about the Kingdom of fools was that not only humans but
animals were also made to sleep during the day. Everything in this kingdom used
to come for a Dudu.

QUES 10:
Who is the real culprit according to the king ? Why does he escape from the
punishment ?
ANS:
The rich merchant was the real culprit. He had inherited everything from his
criminal father. He was too thin to be properly executed on the newly made stake.
The worried king started searching foolishly for a fat man to fit the stake and the
merchant escaped the punishment.

QUES 11:
What advice did the Guru give to the disciple before going out of the city ?
ANS:
The Guru told his disciple that it was dangerous to stay in a Kingdom of fools. He
said that there was no justice only foolish, unpredictable behaviour. According to
him the kingdom would not last long.
QUES 12:
What is the Guru’s wisdom ? When does the disciple realize this ?
ANS:
The Guru’s wisdom was that there was no justice in the Kingdom of fools and due
to the unpredictable behaviour of the fools, he wanted to leave the kingdom at
once. The disciple remembers these words when the king decided that the disciple
was the suitable person for execution was weak.

QUES 13:
Why did the king want to punish the merchant ?
ANS:
The king wanted to punish the merchant because the wall of his house and it fell
on the thief killing him. Since the merchant had inherited his father’s wealth he
inherited his sins too therefore, he should be punished.

QUES 14:
Who became the king and the prime minister of the kingdom ?

ANS:
As the kingdom was without a king, the people of the kingdom persuaded the
Guru and the disciple to take over the throne. So, the holy man became the king
and his disciple took the charge of Prime Minister.

QUES 15:
What two things were different in the kingdom of fools ?
ANS:
Two things that were different in the Kingdom of fools were that the people
worked in the night and slept during the day. Everything was sold at the same
price. A ‘Dudu’ could buy a mass of rice as well as a bunch of bananas.

Chapter 5
The Happy Prince
QUES 1.
Why do the courtiers call the prince ‘the Happy Prince’? Is he really happy? What
does he see all around him?
ANS:
He was a prince when he was alive. Being a prince he never knew sorrow and
suffering. So, the courtiers called him ‘the happy prince’. But he was not happy in
real sense as his heart could feel the misery of needy people. He saw the miserable
conditions of people around him.

QUES 2.
Why does the Happy Prince send a ruby for the seamstress? What does the
swallow do in the seamstress’ house?
ANS:
The seamstress was tired due to overwork. She was so poor that she could not buy
oranges for her little sick son. Her son was thirsty. The Happy Prince saw the poor
lady and her son. He felt pity for them. So, he sent a ruby for her. The swallow
came to the poor woman’s house and laid the ruby on the table beside her. The
bird fanned the boy’s forehead with wings and flew back to the Happy Prince.

QUES 3.
For whom does the prince send the sapphires and why?
ANS:
The playwright was very poor. He was incapable of buying food and firewood.
The prince sent the sapphires for the playwright so that he could finish a play for
the director of the theatre in time. The princes sent his second sapphire to a poor
match girl. Her matches had fallen into the gutter. She was afraid that her father
would beat her for this loss. So, she was helped by the prince by sending her the
second sapphire.

QUES 4.
What does the swallow see when it was flying over the city?
ANS:
The swallow saw all categories of people. He found the rich making merry in their
beautiful houses and beggars begging sitting at the gates. He also saw a group of
wandering children who were poverty- stricken.

QUES 5.
Why did the swallow not leave the prince and go to Egypt?
ANS:
At first, the swallow was willing to go to Egypt just after discharging his duty
properly. But when he saw Prince’s activities of charity and kindness he got
impressed. On the other hand now the Happy Prince had become totally blind due
to the deeds of charity. In this condition, he could not leave the Prince helpless. He
left the idea of going to Egypt and decided to serve the Prince.
QUES 6.
What are the precious things mentioned in the story? Why are they precious?
ANS:
The leaden heart of the Happy Prince and the dead swallow are the two precious
things mentioned in the story. They are precious as they did various deeds for the
welfare of people and sacrificed their lives for the sake of others.

Short ANS QUESs (2 marks each)

QUES 1:
Why did the Swallow cry when the Happy Prince asked him to pluck out one of
the sapphires ?
ANS:
The swallow cried when the Prince asked him to pluck out one of the sapphires
because the Prince would go blind. The Prince himself suffered too much so as to
help the poor and needy people.

QUES 2:
Where was the swallow going ? Why did he decide not go there ?
ANS:
The little swallow was going to Egypt to join his friends. The happy Prince looked
so sad that the swallow decided to stay back and be his messenger. The swallow
died helping the happy Prince in the service of poor people.

QUES 3:
What were the drops of the rain actully ? Why did they fall ?

ANS:
The drops of rain were actually the Happy Prince’s tears. The Happy prince was
sad and moved by the widespread poverty and misery. He had always seen
happiness around him. He could not fathom that people were sick and crying
because of the misery around them.

QUES 4:
Describe the statue of the Happy Prince as described in the beginning of the story
?
ANS:
At the beginning of the story the statue was fixed on a tall column, full of thin
leaves of gold on the body, and had two sapphires for eyes. It had a large red ruby
fixed on the hilt of the sword.
QUES 5:
How did the Happy Prince help the poor children in the city ?
ANS:
As per the orders of the Happy Prince, the gold leaves and the jewels on his boy
were taken out by the swallow and distributed among the poor. Thus, the Happy
Prince was able to help the poor children in the city.

QUES 6:
In the story “The Happy Prince” what are the two most precious things ? What
makes them so precious ?
ANS:
The two most precious things were the leaden heart of the Happy Prince and the
dead swallow. The former wept for the poor and helped them by giving sapphires,
gold leave and ruby. While the latter helped the prince in his noble cause and
sacrificed her life while staying with him.

QUES 7:
How did the Happy Prince help the seamstress ?
ANS:
The Happy Prince asked the swallow to take the ruby out of his sword, where it
was hidden and give it to the seamstress, whose son was lying on the bed with
fever. The swallow took the ruby and placed it on the table.

QUES 8:
How did the prince and the swallow enable the playwright to finish his work ?
ANS:
The playwright was very poor. He could not buy food and firewood. It was
difficult for him to write a play without food and firewood. The Prince took pity
on him and decided to help him by sending the sapphires with the help of the
swallow.

QUES 9:
What were the drops of the rain actually ? Why did they fall ?
ANS:
The drops of rain were actually tears of the Happy Prince because he was weeping
on seeing the misery and suffering of the people.

QUES 10:
Why was the “Happy Prince” not really happy ?
ANS:
When the ‘Happy Prince’ was alive, he did not know what tears and sorrow were.
After his death, he could see the ugliness and misery of the city. Therefore, he
weeps and is not really happy.

QUES 11:
Why did the swallow not leave the prince and go to Egypt ?

ANS:
The Happy Prince looked so sad that the little swallow felt sorry for him. He
agreed to stay with him for one night and be his messenger. He picked out the
great ruby from the prince’s sword and flew away to deliver it to the poor woman.

QUES 12:
What is the moral of the story The Happy Prince ?
ANS:
The moral of the story is that we must help the poor and the needy. The prince set
an example of this by giving his jewels to the poor. The swallow also proved to be
a great example of love and sacrifice.

QUES 13:
What happened when the little swallow was getting ready to sleep ?
ANS:
When the little swallow was getting ready to sleep a large drop of water fell on
him. It was the Prince crying on seeing the misery and suffering of the people.

QUES 14:
What did the Happy Prince ask the swallow to do for helping the young man in the
garret ?
ANS:
The Happy Prince ordered the swallow to pluck one of his eyes which were made
of sapphire and take it to the man living in the garret who was very poor and could
not write with an empty stomach.

Chapter 6
Weathering the Storm in Ersama
QUES 1.
What havoc has the super cyclone wrecked in the life of the people of Orissa?
ANS:
It was a devastating storm which washed the houses away and destroyed hundreds
of villages. It killed thousands of people and uprooted a large number of trees.
There were dead bodies all around. People became homeless and many children
who had lost their parents became orphans. This crazed destruction continued for
the next thirty-six hours. The condition seemed grim after the super cyclone.

QUES 2.
How has Prashant, a teenager, been able to help the people of his village?
ANS:
On reaching his village, Prashant found deplorable conditions all around him. He
had leadership qualities so he took the initiative to rehabilitate people. He made a
team of young volunteers and cleaned urine, filth, vomit and floating carcasses.
His team was fully dedicated to serve others. He persuaded grief-stricken women
to look after children. In this way he became a ray of hope for all.

QUES 3.
How have the people of the community helped one another? What role do the
women of Kalikuda play during these days?
ANS:
Prashant took the initiative and mobilised everyone to help one another. In this
time of distress the people of the community joined hands together and started
relief work. Women started working in the food for work programme and looked
after the orphans.

QUES 4.
Why do Prashant and other volunteers resist the plan to set up institutions for
orphans and widows? What alternatives do they consider?
ANS:
Prashant and other volunteers resisted the plan as they felt that it would not be
proper to set up separate institutions for orphans and widows. The group of
volunteers was of the opinion that in these institutions children would not be able
to get love and widow would suffer from stigma and loneliness and isolation. The
group decided to rehabilitate them in their own community. New families were
made and the childless widows took care of the orphan.

QUES 5.
Do you think Prashant is a good leader? Do you think young people can get
together to help people during natural calamities?
ANS:
Undoubtedly, Prashant is a good leader. He has all the qualities of a leader. He has
a special quality of taking initiatives. His vision is quite clear. He faces adverse
circumstances courageously. He is a source of energy for others and has great
motivational power. I think that youth is power. This power can be used to assist
society during natural disasters. Whatever job is assigned to the youth in such
circumstances they perform their duty with full spirit.

Chapter 7

The Last Leaf

QUES 1.
What is Johnsy’s illness? What can cure her, the medicine or the willingness to
live?
ANS:
Johnsy, a young artist, was ill. She was suffering from pneumonia. But later on she
suffered from a misconception that she would die as soon as the last leaf on the
creeper would fall down. The medicine had no effect on her. Her willingness to
live could cure her.

QUES 2.
Do you think the feeling of depression Johnsy has is common among teenagers?
ANS:
Life has two aspects i.e. positive and negative. It depends upon us how we take it.
Nowadays it is very common that teenagers are getting depressed because of cut-
throat competition. On the other hand, a majority of teenagers who take life
positively and faces difficulties boldly never lose hope and proceed further.

QUES 3.-Behrman has a dream. What is it? Does it come true?

ANS:
Behrman had a dream to paint a masterpiece in his life. He kept waiting for the
opportunity to give it a practical shape. Yes, he could materialize his dream when
he painted the last leaf of the ivy creeper.

QUES 4.-What is Behrman’s masterpiece? What makes Sue say so?

ANS:
Behrman was a 60-year old artist who had a dream to paint a masterpiece. His
painting of an ivy leaf was his masterpiece which saved the life of Johnsy. It was
such a painting that it was not easy to make out whether the leaf was real or it was
just a painting. When Behrman died painting this life-saving painting, Sue called it
a masterpiece.
 Chapter 9

The Accidental Tourist

QUES 1.
Bill Bryson says, “I am, in short, easily confused.” What examples has he given to
justify this?
ANS:
Bill Bryson never had a pleasant journey. He got easily confused. Citing
examples, he said that he could not easily find lavatory in a cinema hall and finally
found himself standing nearby a self-locking door. At the hotels too, he asked his
room number many a time in a day.

QUES 2.
What happens when the zip on his carry-on bag gives way?
ANS:
The author got much confused in that condition. When the zip on his carry-on bag
gave way, everything within fell on the ground and scattered all over. Newspaper
cuttings, loose papers, tobacco packet, magazines, passport, English money and
film spread over a large area.

QUES 3.
Why is his finger bleeding? What is his wife’s reaction?
ANS:
His finger gashed while he tried to pull the zip forcefully and it started bleeding.
At this his wife looked at him with an expression of wonder and remarked, “I can’t
believe you do this for a living”.

Quesstion 4.
How does Bill Bryson end up in a “Crash position” in the aircraft?
ANS:
Once while he was travelling in an aeroplane, he leaned over to tie up his shoe
laces. As soon as he leaned over for this purpose, someone in the seat ahead of
him threw his seat back. Thus, the author ended up in a “crash position”.

QUES 5.
Why are his teeth and gums navy blue?
ANS:
Strange things used to happen with him. It was his worst experience. He was
sucking on the end of his pen while writing important thoughts. He was lost in
talking with an attractive lady and could not notice the leakage in the pen. When
he visited the lavatory he found his teeth and gums navy blue.

QUES 6.
Bill Bryson “ached to be suave”. Is he successful in his mission? List his
‘unsuave’ ways.
ANS:
It is quite clear that Bill Bryson ached to be suave. He is not successful in his
mission. He got himself in a car and closed the door without leaving 14 inches of
coat outside, wore light-coloured trousers without discovering at the end of the
day that he had at various times sat on chewing gum, ice cream, cough syrup and
motor oil.

QUES 7.
Why do you think Bill Bryson’s wife says to the children, “Take the lids off the
food for Daddy”?
ANS:
Bill Bryson’s wife was aware of the travelling habits of her husband. To avoid any
awkward situation, she says, “Take the lids off the food for Daddy” as she did not
like her husband to take the lid off the food in his particular style.

QUES 8.
What is the significance of the title?
Ans.
The title is quite significant. After going through the whole story it becomes quite
vivid that Bill Bryson is The Accidental Tourist. There are various such examples
which prove the appropriateness of the title. The title itself suggests about the
various strange and accidental experiences of the author.

Chapter 10
The Beggar
QUES 1.-Has Lushkoff become a beggar by circumstance or by choice?
ANS:
Lushkoff was a middle-aged man and belonged to the Russian choir. He was not a
bom beggar. He was sacked from the choir because of his drinking habits. He
became a beggar by choice as he did not like to work hard at that stage.
QUES 2.-What reasons does he give to Sergei for his telling lies?
ANS:
Lushkoff told the truth and accepted that he was a liar. Formerly he used to be a
singer. He told lies to seek the favour of others. If he had spoken the truth none
would have helped him. So, he decided to tell lies.

QUES 3.-Is Lushkoff a willing worker? Why, then, does he agree to chop wood
for Sergei?
ANS:
No, he was not a willing worker. He was too weak to work. He had lost his
strength and stamina due to his habit of drinking and secondly he was a middle
aged man. He agreed to chop wood because of pride and shame and he had been
trapped by his own words. So he had no other way but to accept Sergei’s offer.

QUES 4.-Sergei says, “I am happy that my words have taken effect.” Why does he
say so? Is he right in saying so?
ANS:
Sergei looked satisfied with the performance of the beggar and felt happy. When
Lushkoff’s job of packing and hauling of the furniture was over, he praised him
while handing him a rouble. But he was not right in saying so because Lushkoff
had not developed the habit of working hard. He was still an idle fellow.

QUES 5. -Lushkoff is earning thirty five roubles a month. How is he obliged to

Sergei for this?
ANS:
Sergei played very important role in improving the condition of the beggar. It was
because of Sergei that Lushkoff could earn thirty five roubles a month. He offered
him the job to chop wood at his home. Later on he sent him to one of his friends to
do the job of copying. Lushkoff was highly obliged to Sergei because now he was
a notary because of him.