Question 1:
In what way is Iswaran an asset to Mahendra ?
Answer:
Mahendra’s job kept him moving from place to place. He had to stay in very uncomfortable
conditions.
But his cook Iswaran was his asset. He always remained with him. He never complained
wherever he
had to go. He cooked for his master. He washed his clothes. He entertained him with his
endless tales.
Question 2:
How does Iswaran describe the uprooted tree on the highway ? What effect does he want to create in his listeners ?
Answer:
Iswaran adds suspense to his description. He says that the road was deserted. Suddenly he noticed something. It looked like a big bushy beast. It was spread out across the road. He wanted to run back from there. But very slowly he went closer. He found it was only a fallen tree. Thus Iswaran wants to create a feeling of suspense and fear in his listeners.
Question 3:
How does Iswaran narrate the story of the tusker ? Does it appear to be plausible ?
Answer:
Iswaran says that he grabbed a cane from the hands of one of the teachers. He ran down the
stairs
and came into the open. The elephant grunted and swung a branch of a tree which it held in
its trunk.
It stamped its feet, kicking up a lot of mud and dust. It looked frightening. Iswaran moved
slowly
towards it, with the stick in hand. The elephant was ready to rush towards him. It lifted
its trunk
and trumpeted loudly. Iswaran gathered all his courage and hit hard on its third toenail.
The elephant
was stunned for a moment. Then it collapsed.I don’t think it is a plausible story. Iswaran
says that
he was then a junior student. We can’t believe that a little child could do all that.
Question 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 ?
Answer:
Iswaran was a great storyteller. He created a visual picture through his words and actions. He would narrate each and every detail in a pictorial manner. One would feel as if the whole thing was happening in front of one’s eyes. That is why the author says that Iswaran seemed to more than make up for the absence of a TV.
Question 5:
Mahendra calls ghosts or spirits a figment of the imagination. What happens to him on a full-moon night ?
Answer:
Mahendra was woken up from his sleep. He heard a low moan close to his window. At first he
thought
that it was a cat looking around for mice. He felt afraid to look out. The wailing became
louder. He
was afraid but could now resist himself no longer. He looked out of the window into the
moonlit night.
He saw a dark cloudy form clutching a bundle. It was quite near to his window. Mahendra
began to
sweat with fear. He fell back on his pillow. He was panting with fear. Iswaran’s story
seemed to be
true.
Question 6:
Can you think of some other ending for the story ?
Answer:
Mahendra saw the dark cloudy form outside his window. He gathered courage. He caught the
ghost.
He tore off its mask. The ghost was none else but Iswaran.
Question 7:
Who was Mahendra ? What did he do ?
Answer:
Mahendra was a young man. He was a bachelor. He was a junior supervisor in a firm. Mahendra’s job was to keep an eye on the activities at the work-site.
Question 8:
Describe Iswaran’s ‘amazing capacity to produce vegetables etc.’.
Answer:
Iswaran could get vegetables from anywhere. He could cook them very easily. He made delicious dishes out of almost nothing.
Question 9:
How did Iswaran manage to make even the simplest incident interesting ? Give an example.
Answer:
Iswaran could create a suspense round the simplest incident. Once he saw a fallen tree on the
highway.
He said he had seen a big beast lying across the road. On going closer, he had found that it
was just an uprooted tree.
Question 10:
How did Iswaran tackle the elephant in the school building ? Does it appear to be likely ?
Or
Which art did Iswaran use to control the wild beast ?
Answer:
Iswaran grabbed a cane from the hands of one of the teachers. He hit the elephant hard on its third toenail. The elephant collapsed. It is hard to believe that a huge elephant could be tackled by merely hitting on its toenail, that too by a small child.
Question 11:
How did Iswaran describe the uprooted tree ?
Answer:
Iswaran said that the road was deserted. Suddenly he noticed something like a big bushy beast spread out across the road. He went closer and found that it was a fallen tree.
Question 12:
‘Iswaran would not pick up the thread of the story right away.’ How did Iswaran build up his ghost story ?
Answer:
Iswaran would first build up the background of the story. He told Mahendra that the whole factory area used to be a burial ground. Then one day he built up his story on it. He started telling Mahendra a ghost story.
Question 13:
What happened to Mahendra on the last full-moon night ?
Answer:
On the last full-moon night, Mahendra heard a low moan close to his window. The moan became louder. He looked out of the window. He saw a dark, cloudy form clutching a bundle.
Question 14:
What part did Mahendra’s imagination play in his vision of the ghost ?
Answer:
The ghost that Mahendra saw was only a thing of imagination. It was a trick played by Iswaran. Iswaran enjoyed reading Tamil thrillers. His stories and activities were all influenced by these thrillers.
Question 15:
Describe Iswaran’s daily routine after Mahendra left for work.
Answer:
After Mahendra left for work, Iswaran would clean the shed and wash the clothes. He would then have a bath. After taking lunch he read for a while. He then slept for some time.
Question 16:
How did Iswaran make himself the hero in the elephant story ?
Answer:
Iswaran says that the elephant rushed towards him. It lifted its trunk and trumpeted loudly. Iswaran says that he hit the elephant on its third toenail. The elephant was stunned for a moment. Then it collapsed. Thus Iswaran made himself the hero of the story.