Draw a character sketch
of the peasant.
The peasant in the story is very poor but a
diligent worker. He is very wise too. With his hard work he saves fifty rupees
to buy a bullock. He knows his limitations so he plans to join hands with
another who also had one bullock. He is also a good judge of cattle. Rather
than buying a young bullock with some deformity he buys an older bullock free
from any blemish. He knows that good breed will be a compensation for the age.
He perceives people to be simple, straight forward, innocent and well-meaning
like him. He also keeps his word. So he is easily cheated by the thugs. When
his wife enquires about his coming back without a bullock he reveals
everything. Simple and innocent he may be, he wouldn’t take insult and cheating
lying down. His nature is of a fighter. If he can successfully fight against
social and natural forces as a farmer, he will also successfully fight against
the thugs. The urge to teach a lesson to the thugs is also a reflection of his
anger at his own foolishness and carelessness. He is able to have peace of mind
only when a good plan comes to his mind. His resourcefulness and intelligence
enable him to quickly think of suitable plans to suit the new situations which
arise in quick succession and as natural consequences of his actions. In all
the three instances of taking revenge in the guise of a woman, a Hakeem and by
using the services of a cowherd he comes out as a great strategist. We only
marvel at the ways he is able to get hold of the Sardar of thugs alone not once
but thrice. Taking revenge was important for the peasant but reforming the
thugs was equally important. That explains his insistence on extracting a
promise from the old thug that they will give up thuggery. Moral disposition of
the peasant is also beyond doubt. Had he made money for himself he would not
have been different from the thugs. He spent all the extra money on public
welfare.
2 Bring out the element of humour in the
story.
In this story both the
dialogues and the actions are conceived in humour. The examination of the
bullock by the old thug invokes humour in the sense that we know this counting
of teeth or checking of the tension of the tail of the bullock by the old thug
is fake. The price of the bullock –two and a half – itself is humorous. Not
only the price without the word ‘rupees’ but the vocabulary also undergoes a
change from bullock to dhaandhaa. The impersonal ‘Chhoryo’ in place of sons and
the implied tonal effects expected in the oral form add humour to the
narrative. The mockery of ‘swayamvar’ and the ‘avataar’ (incarnation), the way
the old thug is taken to the barn both times and tied to the stake (making him
the dhaandhaa) are humorous in themselves. The very act of beating also has an
element of humour – the timing and rhyming of the blows and words. The words
used in the description of the old man pleading guilty and seeking forgiveness
also add to the humour. Since folk tales do not have fixed words the speaker
may change it to suit the occasion.
Comprehension of a passage
Read the following passage carefully and
answer the questions that follow:
When he reached home
Chowdharan asked, “Didn’t bring bullock?” “I did bring one but got cheated on
the way. The Thugs swept clean the fruit of my sweat and labour,” Chowdhary
said woebegone. “You are quite a wise person, how could you be cheated?” Chowdhary
told her everything. The crude and crass cheating was too much to digest. In
the night, still smarting and in deep turmoil he kept tossing around in the
cot, not a wink for long. He ardently wanted to teach a lesson to those Thugs.
Suddenly he hit upon a plan. And at once, he got into a blissful slumber. The
next day he rolled some of the best dresses of his wife into a bundle and got
ready to make it to the dhaani of the Thugs. “Whither to?” said Chowdharan. “To
teach a lesson to the Sardaar of Thugs.” “What time will you be back?” “Soon.”
How did Chowdhary lose his bullock?
·
Answer: Chowdhary was cheated by the thugs on the way.
Why was Chowdharan shocked?
·
Answer: Chowdharan was shocked to know that the fruit of their labour was lost
in such a crass manner in spite of the fact that her husband was quite wise.
Why
was Chowdhary unable to sleep?
·
Answer: Chowdhary was still in anguish for having been cheated. His intention
to take an appropriate action to avenge the wrong done on him did not let him
sleep.
What
helped Chowdhary get into a blissful slumber?
·
Answer: He was able to think of a good plan to teach the thugs a lesson and
that got him into a blissful slumber.
Who
did Chowdhary want to teach a lesson?
·
Answer: Chowdhary wanted to teach the Sardar of thugs a lesson.
Who
is referred to as a wise person in the passage?
·
Answer: Chowdhary is referred to be a wise person in the passage.
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