THE LAST LESSON

The story is narrated by a French boy, Franz. He is lazy but sensitive and likes to play. He dislikes studying
French and hates his teacher M. Hamel. After overpowering their districts of Alsace and Lorraine in France,
Berlin has ordered that German language instead of French be taught in the schools there.

It is the last day of their French teacher M. Hamel, who has been there for forty years. He is full of grief,
nostalgia and patriotism. As a mark of respect to his hard work, the village men also attend his ‘last lesson’.
They are sad as they did not learn their mother tongue, French in their childhood.

Franz is shocked to know that it’s his last lesson, as he does not know French. Now, suddenly, he gets
interested in learning it and understands everything taught on that day!

He develops an instant liking for the teacher, M. Hamel, and respects him for his sincerity and hard work.
He feels sad at departing from him and is ashamed for not being able to recite the lesson of participles.
M. Hamel tells them that they are all at fault for not being eager enough to learn, putting it off to the next day.
He blames himself for not teaching them sincerely.

His patriotism is reflected in his praise for the French language as being the most beautiful and most logical
language in the world. He tells the class to guard their language as being close to one’s language is the key to
escape from the prison of slavery. It will help them in getting free from the Germans.

They realize the importance of learning their mother tongue and that they have been defeated by the
Germans because of their illiteracy.

Franz feels that it is not possible to take away one’s language from a person as it is natural to each being, may
it be the “coo” to the pigeons or “French” to the Frenchmen.

THE LOST SPRING

The author tells us stories of her interactions with children from deprived backgrounds. She describes their
poor condition and life in an interesting manner. The story touches the reader and is thought-provoking.

The author described two of her encounters with children from deprived backgrounds. Through them she
wants to highlight the plight of street children forced into labour early in life and who are denied the
opportunity of schooling. Also, she brings out the callousness of society and the political class towards the
sufferings of the poor. The first encounter is with a rag picker boy named Saheb – E – Alam who migrated from
Bangladesh in 1971 and lives in Seema Puri in Delhi. These ragpicker children look for ‘valuables’ in the
garbage – things like a coin or torn shoes which are as precious as ‘gold’ for them.

They could hardly manage some food for themselves, other things like identity, education, shoes and sports
are their unfulfilled dreams. Their parents scrounged the garbage searching for things that helped them
survive – afford food, clothing and shelter for the family. The children hunted through the garbage heaps
looking for things which could partially fulfil their unfulfilled dreams.

One day the writer saw the boy, holding a steel can, going towards the milk booth. He had got a job at a tea
stall. He was happy that he would get eight hundred rupees and all the meals. The writer noticed that Saheb
had lost the freedom of being his own master, which he had enjoyed as a rag picker.

The second boy was Mukesh who belonged to a family of bangle makers in Firozabad. The boy had a dream of
becoming a car mechanic. On the contrary, his family was traditionally engaged in bangle making, although
the profession harmed them physically and they hardly earned any money out of it.

Still, no one dared to dream of doing something else due to the fear of the police and the middlemen. The
family elders were content that other than teaching the art of bangle–making to their children, they had been
able to build them a house to live in. The boy wanted to be a car mechanic. Cars were all that Mukesh had
seen on the roads of his town and so he could not dream any further.

DEEP WATER

The story has been taken from the author’s autobiography- ‘Of Men and Mountains’.
In this piece, he talks about his fear of water and how he conquered it with determination and willpower.

As a child, when he was 3 or 4 years old, he would go to the beach in California with his father. He would get
scared by the might of the huge waves which swept over him and it instilled fear in his subconscious mind.

A few years later, in his eagerness to learn swimming, he joined a swimming pool where an incident further
increased his terror. He was pushed into the pool by another boy and experienced death closely.

Many years after that incident, he stayed away from water but the desire to go fishing and swimming in nature
was strong enough to motivate him to overcome his fear.

He learned swimming with the help of an instructor who ensured that William knew swimming well enough to
be able to swim in huge lakes and waterfalls also.
Still, when he swam, the fear from his childhood experiences embedded in his subconscious mind would grip
him repeatedly. He wanted to conquer that fear.

He faced it sarcastically, thinking that now, as he knew how to swim, what harm could it do to him. He
challenged his fear in the face of it and finally, it would vanish.

It was a baseless fear instilled in his subconscious mind. This experience was valuable for him. He had
experienced terror and death. He overcame it and finally conquered it.

William realized that death is peaceful, and it is the fear of death that is terrorizing. His will to live life grew
intensely as he had overcome his fear and started living fearlessly.

THE RATTRAP

The Rattrap is a story about a rattrap seller who leads a very poor life as his earnings are very low. He must
resort to thievery and begging to make ends meet. He is alone in this whole world and leads a miserable life.
So, he starts knitting up various kinds of thoughts. One of these thoughts is of supposing the whole world as a
big rattrap. His views are that the world offers us various types of baits in the form of comforts of life. This in
return traps us into the rattrap of the world and leads us to various types of miseries.

Every night, the peddler had to search for shelter as he had no home. One evening he was offered shelter by
an old crofter. The next morning, he stole the crofter’s money which he had earned by selling his cow’s milk.
To safeguard himself, the peddler chose the path through the forest, which was secluded, but soon found
himself trapped in the forest as he wasn’t able to find the way out of the dense forest. Later, he finds a way to
a forge and takes shelter there. Something unusual happens. The ironmaster mistakes him as an old friend
and invites him to his house. The poor peddler rejects the offer due to the fear of being caught. Soon he is
invited by the ironmaster ‘s daughter. The next morning, he is somehow stopped by the ironmaster’s daughter
for Christmas Eve even after being caught saying that he was a peddler and not Captain Stalhe.

The next day after Christmas, when the ironmaster and his daughter visit the church, they come to know that
the man is a thief who had stolen money from the old crofter. The iron master and his daughter repent for
sheltering a thief and wonder at what all things he would have stolen by that time. Here comes a twist as
instead of stealing, the peddler gifts the ironmaster’s daughter a rattrap. She finds a letter of thanks and the
stolen money inside the rattrap. The peddler thanks Edla for her kindness and requests her to return the
stolen money to the crofter. This story gives us the message that goodness in a human being can be
awakened at any time with your own good deeds.
 INDIGO

Louis Fischer met Gandhi in 1942 at his ashram in Sevagram. Gandhi told him how he initiated the departure
of the British from India. He recalled that it was in 1917 at the request of Rajkumar Shukla, a sharecropper
from Champa ran, he visited the place. Gandhi had gone to Lucknow to attend the annual meeting of the
Indian National Congress in the year 1916. Shukla told him that he had come from Champa ran to seek his
help to safeguard the interests of the sharecroppers. Gandhi told him that he was busy, so Shukla
accompanied him to various places till he consented to visit Champa ran. His firm decision impressed Gandhiji
and he promised him that he would visit Calcutta at a particular date and then Shukla could come and take
him along to Champa ran. Shukla met him at Calcutta, and they took a train to Patna. Gandhi went to lawyer
Rajendra Prasad’s house, and they waited for him. To grab complete knowledge of the situation, he reached
Muzaffarpur on 15th April 1917. He was welcomed by Prof. J.B Kriplani and his students. Gandhi was surprised
to see the immense support for an advocate of home rule like him. He also met some lawyers who were
already handling the cases of sharecroppers. As per the contract, 15 percent of the peasant’s landholding was
to be reserved for the cultivation of indigo, the crop of which was given to the landlord as rent. This system
was very oppressive. Gandhi wanted to help the sharecroppers. So, he visited the British landlord association,
but he was not given any information because he was an outsider. He then went to the commissioner of the
Tirhut division who threatened Gandhi and asked him to leave Tirhut. Instead of returning, he went to
Motihari. Here he started gathering complete information about the indigo contract. He was accompanied by
many lawyers. One day as he was on his way to meet a peasant, who was maltreated by the indigo planters,
he was stopped by the police superintendent’s messenger who served him a notice asking him to leave.
Gandhi received the notice but disobeyed the order. A case was filed against him. Many lawyers came to
advise him but when he stressed, they all joined his struggle and even consented to go to jail to poor
peasants. On the day of the trial, the trial crowd gathered near the court. It became impossible to handle
them. Gandhi helped the officers to control the crowd. Gandhi gave his statement that he was not a
lawbreaker, but he disobeyed so that he could help the peasants. He was granted bail and later, the case
against him was dropped. Gandhi and his associates started gathering all sorts of information related to the
indigo contract and its misuse. Later, a commission was set up to investigate the matter. After the inquiry was
conducted, the planters were found guilty and were asked to pay back to the peasants. Expecting refusal, they
offered to pay only 25 percent of the amount. Gandhi accepted this too because he wanted to free the
sharecroppers from the binding of the indigo contract. He opened six schools in Champa ran villages and
volunteers like Mahadev Desai, Narhari Parikh, and his son, Devdas taught them. Kasturbai, the wife of Gandhi
used to teach personal hygiene. Later, with the help of a volunteer doctor, he provided medical facilities to the
natives of Champa ran, thus making their life a bit better. A peacemaker, Andrews wanted to volunteer at
Champa ran ashram. But Gandhi refused as he wanted Indians to learn the lesson of self-reliance so that they
would not depend on others. Gandhi told the writer that it was Champa ran's incident that made him think
that he did not need the Britisher’s advice while he was in his own country.
 POETS AND PANCAKES

In this lesson, Asokamitran talks about Gemini Studios and all that helps in keeping it in the spotlight. He starts
by making a mention about ‘Pancakes’, the famous make-up brand which Gemini Studios ordered in
truckloads. He then talks about the plight of actors and actresses who must bear too many lights on their face
while getting ready in the make-up room. The make-up department, according to him, used heaps of make-up
to turn them into ugly-looking creatures. Shockingly, he talks about the office boy of the make-up department
whose task is to slap paint onto the faces of players at the time of crowd-shooting. He was a poet and had
joined the Studio in the hope of becoming an actor, screenwriter, director or a lyricist. In those days, the
author used to work inside a cubicle and had the task of collecting newspaper cuttings which, according to
others, was insignificant. Thus, office boy would come in time again, to bother him with his complaints. He was
well-convinced that the reason behind his misery was Subbu. He thought Subbu had an advantage because he
was born a Brahmin. Subbu was a resourceful man whose loyalty made him stand out. He tailor-made films
and it was difficult to imagine filmmaking without him. He was very welcoming and was known for his
hospitality. Just like many others at the Gemini Studios, he also did poetry. He worked for the story
department which also consisted of a lawyer. People generally called him the opposite of a legal practitioner.
He was a logical and neutral man amidst a room full of dreamers. Asokamitran then describes how Gemini
Studios got a chance to host a group of international performers called Moral Rearmament Army. Though the
plots and messages were not complex, their sets and costumes were near to perfection so much so that for
many years, Tamil plays displayed sunset and sunrise in a way inherited from ‘Jotham Valley’. Then another
guest, Stephen Spender comes to visit Gemini Studios. People had hardly heard of him and they couldn’t even
connect with him due to linguistic barriers. It was not until a few years later that Asokamitran saw his name in
a book and realized who he was.

THE INTERVIEW

The lesson begins with the introduction to interviews as a commonplace of journalism since its invention,
which was a little over 130 years ago. According to the author, it is not very surprising that people have very
distinct opinions about the usage of interview. Some think of it in its highest form whereas some people can’t
stand being interviewed. An interview leaves a lasting impression and according to an old saying, when
perceptions are made about a certain person, the original identity of his soul gets stolen. Famous celebrities,
writers and artists have been heard criticizing interviews. Rudyard Kipling’s wife wrote in her diary how their
day in Boston was ruined by two reporters. Kipling considers interviewing an assault, a crime that should
attract punishment. He believes that a respectable man would never ask or give an interview.

There is an excerpt from the interview between Mukund (from The Hindu newspaper) and Umberto Eco, a
professor at the University of Bologna in Italy who had already acquired a formidable reputation as a scholar
for his ideas on semiotics (the study of signs), literary interpretation, and medieval aesthetics before he turned
to writing fiction. The interview revolves around the success of his novel, The Name of the Rose, whose more
than ten million copies were sold in the market. The interviewer begins by asking him how Umberto manages
to do so many different things to which he replies by saying that he is doing the same thing. He further
justifies and mentions that his books about children talk about peace and non-violence, which in the end
reflect his interest in philosophy. Umberto identifies himself as an academic scholar who attends academic
conferences during the week and writes novels on Sundays. It doesn’t bother him that he is identified by
others as a novelist and not a scholar, because he knows that it is difficult to reach millions of people with
scholarly work. He believes there are empty spaces in one’s life, just like there are empty spaces in atoms and
the Universe. He calls them interstices and most of his productive work is done during that time. Talking about
his novel, he mentions that it is not an easy read. It has a detective aspect to it along with metaphysics,
theology and medieval history. Also, he believes that had the novel been written ten years earlier or later, it
would not have seen such a huge success. Thus, the reason for its success remains a mystery.

GOING PLACES

Sophie and Jansie are two teenagers who are coming back from school. They both work in a biscuit factory.
Sophie is lost in her imagination of owning a boutique shop and becoming famous like Mary Quaint, a fashion
designer. Jansie tells her not to dream big as it requires lots of money which they don’t have. To this she
replies that she will become an actress, earn a lot and then own a boutique. Jansie being a realistic person
does not support her thoughts. On reaching home Sophie feels choked in that small house which is full of the
stove’s steam and looks untidy because of the dirty dishes. Her father is eating, and her mother is busy in the
kitchen. She goes to meet her elder brother Geoff, who is a trainee mechanic and is busy repairing some
motorcycle parts. Geoff talks very less about his personal life which made her imagine of his personal life
which she considers very interesting and wants to be part of it. She shares a secret with him that she met
Danny Casey, the famous footballer, in a boutique. Her brother and her father do not believe her. But she tries
to make them believe this. She also tells her brother about her date with Casey. Her brother does not believe
her but gives her a chance to believe her story. On Saturday Sophie and her family go to watch a football
match as all of them are great fans of football. Their favorite team won due to a goal made by Casey. All of
them feel so overjoyed. When Sophie returns home with her little brother Derek, Jansie questions her about
the reality behind her meeting with Danny Casey. Sophie gets angry with her brother because of letting her
secret out but tries to handle the situation and succeeds. She then visits a secret place near a canal to meet
her hero Casey who doesn’t show up. She knows that it was just her imagination, but she was so lost in his
love that she doesn’t want to come out of this. In the end she returns to her home with sadness in her heart.
But when she comes across the Royce’s boutique, she again finds herself lost in her hero’s dreams.
 MY MOTHER AT SIXTY-SIX

This is a touching poem written by Indian poet Kamla Das who wrote under the pen name of ‘Madhavi Kutty’.
In this poem, she describes her feeling of love and attachment towards her ageing mother.

Once the poet went to visit her mother. She was on her way back to the airport to return to Cochin. She
looked at her mother who was seated beside her in the car. Her mother had dozed off to sleep and her ageing
face – was smoky in color like ash. Her mouth was open, and she resembled a dead body. The poet realized
that her mother was old. She felt pain and sympathy for her. Her mother needed love, affection and care.

To come out of the gloom, the poet shifted her glance and looked out of the car’s window. There she saw
young trees pass by. Little children were running out of their houses into the playgrounds. These things were
contrary to the ageing face of her mother. They symbolized energy, life and happiness.

As they reached the airport and the poet was about to leave for the aero plane, she glanced at her mother one
more time. Her mother appeared weak and pale just like the moon in the winter season which seems to have
lost all its strength. The poet felt the pain and fear of losing her mother. She was reminded of her childhood
when she used to fear losing her mother. As a child she could not bear to be separated from her mother even
for a few moments. Now the loss would be permanent as her mother was about to die and she would lose her
forever.
The poet did not express her feelings. She smiled and said “see you soon, Amma” because she wanted her
mother should live and they could meet again.

KEEPING QUIET

“Keeping Quiet” is a peace poem written by the Chilean poet Pablo Neruda. The poet asks humanity to count
numbers from one to twelve – twelve being the number of hours shown in a clock or the number of zodiac
signs. He requests everyone not to speak because languages create barriers between people. The moment
when everyone stops moving their body will be very special and different as we have never experienced such
a moment before.
The poet says that in this period of inactivity the fishermen would not harm the whales, the salt gatherers will
not hurt their hands, those who are busy destroying the nature will adopt a new approach towards life, The
men who are preparing for wars and victory based on deaths of innocent people will join their enemy and
stand in unity with them, doing nothing. No one will harm himself or any other person. Everyone will unite and
ponder upon his acts and realize the results of his deeds.
The poet clarifies his idea and says further that he does not want that people should stand idle. He wants that
there should be no war because he does not want to see trucks laden with dead bodies of soldiers. He is
promoting Universal brotherhood and peace.
The poet says that everyone is working continuously to achieve one’s goals. People are threatened by death
and the fear forces them to work endlessly so that they can achieve everything quickly. In this mad rush, they
do not realize the repercussions of their actions. He wants us to pause and come out of the mad rush. He
wants us to be happy about our achievements and celebrate them. He wants us to overcome the fear of death
and to relax for a while. We should know the results of our deeds and celebrate our achievements.

A THING OF BEAUTY

The summary of the Poem “A Thing of Beauty” is given below. ‘A Thing of Beauty– is a poem taken from the
poem titled – “Endymion – a poetic romance written by the famous poet John Keats. The poet says that a
beautiful thing is a source of endless joy. It has eternal beauty which never fades away. A beautiful thing is like
a shady shelter that gives us a sleep Full of sweet dreams, good health, and relaxation.

Our attachments to the Earthly things are like a flowery wreath. They are traps that bind us to materialistic
things and keep us away from eternal happiness. The Earth is full of hatred, greed, and negativity. According
to the poet, the gloom and sadness caused by this negativity fade away with the positive vibes of the beautiful
things that surround us.

The poet lists out some of the beautiful things that surround us. As the saying goes - “Beauty lies in the eyes of
the beholder. He says that the numerous creations of God like the Sun which gives us energy, the moon’s
beauty, the trees which give us shade are the natural beauties around us. The various animals like the sheep
that surround us make our world lively. Pretty flowers like daffodils make the world green and lively. The
flowing streams of water cool and refresh us in the hot summer season. The forests which are full of the
pretty musk rose flowers are a beautiful sight to the eye. All these are the things of beauty. Also, the stories of
the brave soldiers who laid their lives to protect their people are beautiful and inspiring. These beautiful things
are like a fountain of immortality bestowed upon us by God. They inspire us to live on and maintain our faith
in goodness.

A ROADSIDE STAND

There is a roadside stand at the edge of the road. Those who established it certainly did so to earn money.
They expected their prospective customers to stop there and buy things. But the rich and the refined people
drive past without stopping there. The roadside stand offers ordinary things for sale like wild berries and
golden gourds.
The people who run this stand hope for city money so that they may also prosper. There is news that their
land will be bought by the government. The so-called good doers and greedy people exploit them. Some
people who pretend to be generous are even worse than flesh-eating wild animals. These greedy people want
to mint money by befooling the innocent rural people.
The people who run this roadside stand hope that some car will stop there. They keep their windows open so
that some customers may oblige them. But some come only to back or turn around the car or to ask the way
where it is bound.
The poet will feel greatly relieved if all their pains and troubles are removed in one stroke. Death is far better
than their miserable living.

AUNT JENNIFER’S TIGERS

The poet expresses the feelings of a woman – Aunt Jennifer. The aunt is embroidering a motif comprising of
energetic, fearless tigers moving freely around the bright greenery. She is living a life of submissiveness to her
husband’s command. Her acts are dominated by him, and she fears him constantly. This pattern of the free
and fearless tigers reflects her inner desire to live a free and fearless life. The tigers are graceful, elegant and
bright.
Aunt Jennifer’s fingers tremble as she embroiders. She is old but still fears for her husband. She does not
enjoy the freedom to do anything as per her wish. She fears doing the embroidery too and fears his wrath.
Since the day she got married, she has been fulfilling the demands of her husband. The wedding ring on her
hand is a constant reminder that she belongs to her husband. The burden of the demanding marriage has
exhausted her. The torment will not end until her death.
Even after her death, the ring will remain on her hand, and she will never be free. On the other hand, the
tigers that she is embroidering will continue to move around freely forever. Her desire for freedom and
fearlessness will live on through her tigers.

THE THIRD LEVEL

The story revolves around a 31-year-old man named Charley, who experienced something weird. One day
after work coming from the Subway, he reached the third level of the Grand Central station (which doesn’t
exist). He reminisces the entire experience with his psychiatrist friend Sam. Charley thought he experienced
time travel and had reached somewhere in the eighteen-nineties, a time before the world saw two of its
deadliest wars. As soon as he realized what time he was in, he immediately decided to buy two tickets to
Galesburg, Illinois; one for himself and the other for his wife. Unfortunately, the currency used in that century
was different. Thus, the next day he withdrew all his savings and got them converted even if it meant bearing
losses. He went looking for the third level but failed to find it. It worried his wife and the psychiatrist Sam who
told him that he is hallucinating to take refuge from reality and miseries of the modern world which is full of
worry. Charley thus resorts to his stamp collection to distract himself when suddenly one day he finds a letter
from his friend Sam who had gone missing recently. Sam wrote that he always wanted to believe in the idea of
third level and now that he is there himself, he encourages Charley and Louisa to never stop looking for it.
 THE TIGER KING

The Tiger King is the story of king Jung Bahadur of Pratibandapuram, a brave warrior whose death had been
predicted when he was born. The chief astrologer had predicted as the royal child was born in the hour of the bull, the
tiger being its enemy, death would come to the child by a tiger. The brave prince asked all tigers to beware of him. He
came to be known as ‘tiger king’.
The prince became king at the age of twenty and considering killing a cow in self-defense to be lawful, went on a tiger
killing spree. He was warned of danger from the hundredth tiger that he encountered. As all the tigers in his kingdom
had been killed by him but still, he had to kill more, he married into a state having a high population of tigers.
When his killings reached ninety-nine, he desperately sought the next hunt. Fearing the king’s harshness, the minister
planted an old tiger in the forest for him to kill. The king fired at it, but the tiger escaped the bullet miraculously. The
royal hunters feared the king and so did not inform him; rather they killed the beast themselves.
The king was satisfied that he had evaded death and now celebrated his son’s third birthday. He got a wooden toy
tiger as a gift for the prince. Although it was poorly done, the shopkeeper, fearing punishment under the rules of
emergency charged a high price. As both the king and his son were playing with the tiger, one of the thin pieces of
wood that were erupting out of the wooden tiger like feathers pierced the king’s right hand.
The wound became infectious, spread through his arm and as he was being operated upon, he died.
So, ironically, the hundredth tiger killed the king and eventually took its revenge.

JOURNEY TO THE END OF THE EARTH

For a south Indian man travelling to Antarctica from Madras, it takes nine time zones, six checkpoints, three
water bodies and just as many ecospheres to reach there. Tishani Doshi travelled to the Southern end of the
Earth along with an expedition group named ‘Students on Ice’ that provides an opportunity to the young
minds to sensitize towards the realistic version of climatic changes happening in the world. According to the
founder of the organization, we are the young versions of future policymakers who can turn the situation
around. Antarctica is one of the coldest, driest and windiest continents in the world.
As far as the eyes can see, it is completely white, and its uninterrupted blue horizon gives immense relief. It is
shocking to believe that India and Antarctica were part of the same supercontinent Gondwana, that got
segregated into countries giving rise to the globe we know today. Antarctica had a warmer climate until then.
Despite human civilization around the globe, it remains in its pure form. Being a south Indian sun-worshipping
guy, it was unimaginable for the author to visit the place that constitutes world’s 90 per cent of ice, a place so
quiet that it is only interrupted by snow avalanches. It is home to a lot of evidence that can give us a glimpse of
the past and at the same time, Antarctica helps us foresee the future. The place gives an awakening to
threatening alarm that global warming is real. Who knows if Antarctica will be warm again and even if it does,
will we be alive to see it?

THE ENEMY
The Enemy is a story set in Japan during the second world war. In this story, an injured American army man
washes up on the beach near the home of a Japanese surgeon, Dr. Sadao Hoki. Although he has lived in
America and follows a modern profession, Dr Sadao’s family lives a traditional Japanese life.
Dr Sadao is in a dilemma to leave the American man to die, to throw him back into the sea, to hand him over
to the army or to save his life. He reluctantly takes him home and decides to save his life. The presence of an
enemy disrupts his family life. His wife is against his idea of operating upon and taking care of the soldier. The
servants of the house oppose the idea and leave their master. Yet, Dr Sadao shelters him, operates upon him,
and saves his life.
Out of the fear of being accused of sheltering an enemy, he narrates the incident to a general in the Japanese
military. The general helps Dr Sadao and offers to get the man killed by hired killers. However, the killing
doesn’t take place, and after waiting for three nights, Dr. Sadao thinks of getting rid of the American himself.
He arranges a boat for the man to help him reach the nearby island. He provides him with necessities like
food and clothing to survive till he finds a Korean fishing boat which could rescue him. Dr. Sadao wonders why
he saved the life of an enemy.

ON THE FACE OF IT

The story begins with a teenage boy entering a garden. His face is burnt on one side due to an accident when
acid fell on half of his face. He has gone there to hide as he is afraid of facing people. He fears being teased by
others for having such a face. But when he enters, he finds someone already presents there. He tries to leave
the place, but he is stopped by the old man, Mr. Lamb, the owner of the garden. Derry feels guilty for entering
the garden without permission. Mr. Lamb welcomes him and tells him not to leave just because of his
presence. Derry wants to leave as he thinks people don’t like his face and moreover, they get afraid of his
looks. But Mr. Lamb insists he stays there. They enter a conversation that how Derry is not liked by anyone
and how he hates people behaving like this with him. Mr. Lamb tries to console him. He tells him that he has a
tin leg, and kids make fun of him. Still, he is not depressed and enjoys his life. They both talk about various
things, and this leads to the revelation of Derry’s fear, depression, and hatred about his being in such a
condition. But Mr. Lamb keeps on telling him to think of the positive things. Soon they become friends and Mr.
Lamb asks him to help him in plucking the crab apples from his garden. Derry tells him that he had come too
far from his home and hadn’t told anything about this to his mother. Mr. Lamb tells him to get permission
from his mother. Derry finds it difficult, and this leads to a small quarrel between both. At last, Derry tells him
that he would come back after getting his mother’s permission. His mother does not want him to go back but
he comes back again to fulfill his promise. Meanwhile, Mr. Lamb climbs the ladder on his own to pluck the
crab apples as he is sure that Derry will not return. He was disabled and it was difficult for him to climb. Mr.
Lamb falls from his ladder and dies. Derry, on the other hand, returns to the garden to help him. When he
enters the garden, he sees Mr. Lamb lying on the ground. Derry tried hard to make him move but did not get
any response from him. Finally, he comes to know that he is dead and starts crying.
 MEMORIES OF CHILDHOOD

Summary of The Cutting of My Long Hair PART 1

The story begins with Zitkala’s first day in a boarding school Carlisle Indian school. It is a school opened for
native Indians where they are trained to leave behind their own culture and become part of the American
culture. Zitkala describes that she really felt bad when a shawl was taken off her shoulders by the school
authorities before entering the dining hall. She also wonders about how the other Indian girls agreed to wear
tight clothes which were immodest according to her as their whole-body shape could easily be seen. Even
their hair was cut short, which according to the author was not good. Her mother had told her only a coward’s
or a mourner’s hair should be shaved off. Later, Zitkala and other girls were taken to the dining hall where she
was keenly noticed by a pale faced woman for not following the table manners. Jude win, another Indian girl
tells her that the pale faced woman has decided to cut her hair. Zitkala revolts back as she does not want to
look like a coward or a mourner. She hides herself under a bed in some room upstairs. Everyone starts
searching for her and finally she is caught. She is tied up and her hair is cut down. She felt so depressed and
humiliated with this. She is reminded of her mother who would have comforted her during this hard time. At
the end she submits to her herders like a tamed animal.

Summary of We too are human beings PART 2

The story is written by Bama who is one of the characters in this story. She is a cheerful little girl who loves to
observe things taking place in her street. She says though it takes only ten minutes to reach home from her
school, but she takes about thirty minutes to reach her home from the school. She then explains the reason
behind it. She says when she is on her way home, she sees a monkey performing and a snake charmer doing
some act with his snake which was very interesting for her. Then there was a cyclist also who had been cycling
for the past three days. There was one famous temple which had a big bell and a tribal man who sells clay
beads, needles etc. She also comes across various snack stalls and street acts. Then she explains about how
various political parties come to her street to give lectures. As she proceeds further, she saw a landlord sitting
and watching his workers work in the field. She then saw an old man of her community handling a snack pack
in a very strange manner and then offering it to the landlord. She found it so amusing that she burst into
laughter. On reaching home she narrates it to her elder brother and starts laughing. He then tells her the truth
about her being from a low caste and that the upper caste people do not like their presence or touch the low
caste as it would make them impure. She finds it so disgusting that she grows angry over the upper caste
people. Some days later her elder brother is questioned about his whereabouts to know his caste. He then
suggests she study hard as only this could earn her respect. She works as per his suggestions and becomes
the top of her class. This not only earns her respect but many friends too.