Wonder Book 7

the election and temporarily dropped out of politics.
However, she was returned to office in 1980. But, in this period, she became
increasingly involved in an escalating conflict with Sikh separatists in
Punjab. She was later assassinated by her own Sikh bodyguards in 1984
for her role in storming the sacred Golden Temple. Shortly before her
assassination, she spoke on the frequent threats to her life:
Who was Indira Gandhi assassinated by?
“I do not care whether I live or die. I have lived a long life and I am
proud that I spend the whole of my life in the service of my people. I am
only proud of this and nothing else. I shall continue to serve until my
last breath and when I die, I can say, that every drop of my blood will
invigorate India and strengthen it.”

Vocabulary

1. Choose the correct word from the box below and write each of them
next to their the meaning.

consecutive ,assassination ,poll ,notable ,influential ,dynasty, pivotal ,
movement, exposure, saint
a. following one after another without interruption …………………..
b. particularly important ……………………………………………..
c. person who is exceptionally patient in dealing with difficult

people or situations ……………………………………………….
d. killing of a political leader ………………………………………….
e. survey of public opinion …………………………………………….
f. able to have a powerful effect on people ………………………….
g. experience of coming into contact with an environmental

condition or social influence ……………………………………….
h. vitally important …………………………………………………….
i. family …………………………………………………………………
j. collective effort by a large group of people to try to achieve

something, especially a political or social reform ………………..

A course in English literature Book - 7 51

2. Write the meaning of these words as they are used in the biography
above.

a. conferred ……………………………………………………………………
b. emergency …………………………………………………………………..
c. cabinet ………………………………………………………………………
d. wielded ……………………………………………………………………..
e. inflation ……………………………………………………………………..
f. corruption……………………………………………………………………
g. censorship …………………………………………………………………..
h. authoritarian ………………………………………………………………
i. sterilization …………………………………………………………………
j. disillusionment ……………………………………………………………..

Comprehension Activities

1 Decide whether these statements are true or false.

a. Indira Gandhi became the Prime Minister of the Republic of India
for four terms.

b. The BBC News poll declared Indira Gandhi as the greatest woman
of the past thousand years.

c. Indira Gandhi was born in the politically influential Ghandhi
dynasty.

d. Motilal Nehru was Indira Gandhi’s father and an Indian nationalist
leader.

e. Indira Gandhi was brought up in an environment with no
exposure to the political figures.

2 Fill in the blank spaces with correct words from the above text.

a. In 1937, Indira Gandhi passed the ……………………………… and
studied at Somerville College.

b. Due to ……………………, she returned to India without completing
her degree.

52 A course in English literature Book - 7

c. Indira was involved in the ………………………………………
movement in 1941.

d. Indira Gandhi was appointed as ………………………Information
and Broadcasting in 1964.

e. Indira Gandhi was chosen to be the ………………….. of India after
the death of Lal Bahadur Shastri.

3 Write short answers to these questions.
a. What caused Indira Gandhi to gain significant electoral
popularity?
b. What was Indira Gandhi’s important achievement in 1971?
c. Why did Indira Gandhi decide to impose a state of emergency in
India in 1975.
d. For what reason did Indira Gandhi lose the election in 1977?
e. Why was Indira Gandhi assassinated?

Write Long Answer

1. How did Indira Gandhi contribute to India and what did she achieve
during her premiership?

2. What gave Indira Gandhi a reputation for being authoritarian, willing
to ignore democratic principles?

Literary Terms

Biography
A biography is simply an account or detailed description about the life
of a person. It entails basic facts, such as childhood, education, career,
relationships, family, and death in a chronological order. It provides a
life story of a subject, highlighting different aspects of his of her life. A
person who writes biographies, is called as a “biographer.”
Who writes a biography?

A course in English literature Book - 7 53

Prose
Prose is a form of language that has no formal metrical structure. It applies
a natural flow of speech, and ordinary grammatical structure, rather
than rhythmic structure, such as in the case of traditional poetry. Prose
comprises of full grammatical sentences, which consist of paragraphs,
and forgoes aesthetic appeal in favour of clear, straightforward language.
What is the main feature of a prose?

Creative Writing

Write a biography of Pasang Lhamu Sherpa with the help of the outline
provided below:
born in a mountaineering family ……. involved in climbing from teens
…….. climbed Mont Blanc, Cho Oyu, Mount Yalapic, Pisang Himal
………. attempted to climb Mount Everest three times before ………. no
succeed until April 22, 1993 …………..While descending from the summit,
the weather……… turned bad ………..lost her life on the south summit
………………… achieved what no other Nepalese woman had achieved
before ……… honored by her country and mountaineers all around the
world ……….. first woman to be decorated with the “Nepal Tara ……..
National Youth Foundation conferred the 1993-94 Youth Excellence
Award on her …….. a life-size statue of Pasang Lhamu was erected at
Bouddha, Chuchepati ……….. a postage stamp was issued in her name
……. Government of Nepal renamed Jasamba Himal (7,315 m) in the
Mahalangur Rangeafter Pasang Lhamu Peak…………………………………

Think, Pair and Share

In what way would you like to serve and contribute to the society and
mankind in the future if circumstances fovoured you?

Project Activity

Mother Teresa (1910–1997) devoted her life to serving the poor and
destitute around the world. She spent many years in Calcutta, India
where she founded the Missionaries of Charity. In 1979, Mother Teresa
was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize and became a symbol of charitable,
selfless work. Find out more information about her life and develop it
into her biography.

54 A course in English literature Book - 7

9 Plato

Before you proceed
a. Do you know what a philosopher does?

b. Do you think there is another world which is more real than the
one we are living in?

New words an academic; a thinker
noble; upper-class
philosopher - tricks; misconceptions
aristocratic - the study of the effective use of language
illusions -
rhetoric -

Plato

“Necessity is the mother of invention.” – Plato.

Plato was a very famous Greek philosopher
who is also considered to be one of the earliest
philosophers. He was born around 427 BC in
Athens to an aristocratic family. He was the student
of the famous philosopher Socrates (you read about
him in grade six). He is also the teacher for another
popular philosopher named Aristotle.
Who was Plato?
Plato was also a mathematician and writer of
philosophical dialogues. He wrote his as well as his
teacher Socrates’ philosophical ideas in many of his
books. Most of his books were in conversational style which made it easy
and also interesting to read. He also wrote some of the dialogues used
by Socrates during his conversation with various people. In fact, most

A course in English literature Book - 7 55

of the information
known to us about
Socrates comes from
Plat’s writings as
Socrates never wrote
his philosophy. Plato
mostly wrote about
justice, beauty and
equality, geography,
political .philosophy,
cosmology and the
philosophy of language along with many other subjects.
Plato is considered as one of the most important founding figures in
Western philosophy. His dialogues have been used to teach a range
of subjects including philosophy, logic, ethics, rhetoric, religion and
mathematics.
What subjects have been taught using Plato’s dialogues?
The Republic is one of the most famous works of Plato. It describes a form
of government which Plato thought would be better than the one that
was present in Athens during the time. He believed that the leaders of
a government should be chosen on the basis of their intelligence. Some
of his other famous works are Phaedo, Symposium and Timaeus which
demonstrate the balanced relationship between the soul, the state and
the cosmos. His other work Laws contains articles on law, mathematics,
natural science and technical philosophic problems.
Plato considered the philosophers as the most intelligent people. He had
mentioned in his philosophy about man that an ideal form of man is
his soul and the soul was said to be made of three parts – our natural
desire, our will and our reason. He considered a man ruled by reason as
a philosopher.
Plato believed that everything had an ‘ideal’ form which was ‘the form of
good’. In his attempt to describe his ideas, he used a metaphor of a cave.
He compared the world to a cave and the people to the cave dwellers
who were tied in such a manner that they could see nothing but the back
of the cave. So these people thought the shadow on the wall of the cave

56 A course in English literature Book - 7

was the real world. According to him, the men who did not use their
reason were like those men sitting in the cave believing in illusions.
Plato also founded a school for philosophers. It was called The Academy
which became the first institution of higher learning in the Western
world for physical science, astronomy, mathematics as well as philosophy.
He dedicated most of his life in writing and teaching about philosophy
in The Academy. Many of Plato’s works were well preserved for more
than 2000 years because of The Academy’s safekeeping. This also made
him one of the most studied philosophers. He died in 347 BC.

Vocabulary

1. Replace each of the underlined words with another word of similar
meaning.

a. He considered a man ruled by reason to be a explains
philosopher. devoted
reigned
b. It describes a form of government which Plato conserved
thought would be better. established

c. Plato also founded a school for philosophers.

d. He dedicated most of his life in writing and
teaching about philosophy in The Academy.

e. Many of Plato’s works were well preserved
for more than 2000 years because of The
Academy’s safekeeping.

2. The groups of letters given below are all jumbled up. Rearrange the
letters and find the correct words.

a. LATOP ................................................

b. BEURPCIL ................................................

c. MPATOEHR ................................................

d. APEHOD ................................................

e. ACDYMEA ................................................

A course in English literature Book - 7 57

Comprehension Activities

1 Write ‘T’ for true and ‘F’ for false statements and correct the false ones.
a. Plato was Aristotle’s student.
b. Socrates was Plato’s teacher.
c. The Republic consists of Plato’s philosophy of good form of

government.
d. The Academy started by Plato helped to preserve his writings.
e. Plato is one of the most studied philosophers.

2 Fill in the blanks with appropriate words from the above text.
a. In fact, most of the information known to us about Socrates comes
from ............................. as Socrates never wrote his philosophy.
b. Plato mostly wrote about justice, beauty and equality, geography,
political ............................. and the philosophy of language along with
many other subjects.
c. Plato considered ............................ as the most intelligent people.
d. Plato believed that everything had ................. which was ‘the form
of good’.
e. Plato also ............................................. for philosophers.

3 Answer each of the following questions.
a. What makes Plato’s books interesting?
b. What are some of the things that Plato mostly wrote about?
c. Explain the cave metaphor in brief.
d. According to Plato, what are the three parts of the soul?
e. Why is Plato the most studied philosopher?

58 A course in English literature Book - 7

Write Long Answer

1. What are the most famous works of Plato? What do they describe?
2. Describe the Academy and Plato’s contribution to it.

Literary Terms

Biography and autobiography Biography presents us about someone’s life.
When a person writes his own story using the first person ‘I’, then it becomes
an autobiography. Biographies are written in the third person using ‘he’, ‘she’
or ‘they’.
Can you find out whether the text you read about Indira Gandhi is a biography
or an autobiography?
While writing the biography of a person we mostly use chronological order
to describe the events. That means events happened in the earlier period are
written first.
Do you think the biography of Indira Gandhi follows this order?

Fun Reading

Read the following quotes by Plato.
“If a man neglects education, he walks lame to the end of his life.”
“At the touch of love everyone becomes a poet.”
“Wise men speak because they have something to say; Fools because they have
to say something.”
“Thinking: the talking of the soul with itself.”
“No evil can happen to a good man, either in life or after death.”

Think, Pair and Share

Which belief of Plato do you think is undoubtedly true and which one is false?
Give a reasons.

Project Activity

Write down some of the ideas that you have which could help the people of the
world. Let it be your expression of personal philosophy.

A course in English literature Book - 7 59

10 The Creators of

Google

Before you proceed
a. Have you ever used the Internet?
b. Do you know what Google is used for? Share with your class.

New words

immense - huge
offering - contribution; donation; offer
entrepreneur - someone who starts his/her own business
pioneer - a person who is one of the first people to do something
philanthropic - helping poor people, especially by giving them money

The Creators of Google

Do you know who created Google?

They were Sergey Brin and Larry Page. Sergey and Larry met each
other at Stanford University. As a research project, they created a search
engine that listed results according to the popularity of the pages, after
concluding that the most popular result would often be the most useful.
They called the search engine ‘Google’ after the mathematical term
“Googol,” which is a 1 followed by 100 zeros. This term also reflected their
mission to organize the immense amount of information available on the
Web. After raising $1 million from family, friends and other investors,
the pair launched the company in 1998 AD. Google has since become
the world’s most popular search engine, receiving more than 200 million

60 A course in English literature Book - 7

queries each day. Headquartered in the heart
of Silicon Valley in California, USA, Google
has made its creators, Sergey and Larry,
billionaires.

What did the search engine do?

Internet entrepreneur and computer scientist
Sergey was born on August 21, 1973 AD,
in Moscow, Russia. The son of Russian
mathematician, Brin and his family migrated
to the United States in 1979 AD. After receiving
his degree in mathematics and computer science from the University of
Maryland at College Park, Brin enrolled into Stanford University.

Larry Page was born on March 26, 1973
AD in Michigan, USA. Larry’s parents
were both computer experts, so it was
no surprise that he studied computer
engineering at Stanford University.
Larry’s father was a pioneer in computer
science and artificial intelligence and his
mother taught computer programming.
After earning a Bachelor of Science degree
in engineering from the University of
Michigan, Page decided to concentrate
on computer engineering at Stanford
University.

When and where was Larry Page born?

Brin and Page have won many awards. In 2002 AD, Brin, along with
Larry Page, was named as one of the top 100 innovators in the world
under the age of 35 in the MIT Technology Review magazine. In 2004
AD, they received the Marconi Foundation Prize, the “Highest Award in
Engineering”. In November 2009 AD, Forbes magazine decided Brin and
Page were the fifth most powerful people in the world.

A course in English literature Book - 7 61

Brin and Page are working on other, more personal projects that reach
beyond Google. For example, they are trying to help solve the world’s
energy and climate problems. They are working to find alternative
sources of energy so that even if we run out of bio-fuel (petrol, diesel,
etc.), we wouldn’t have to worry. The company acknowledges that its
founders want “to solve really big problems using technology”.

Vocabulary

Match the words with their meanings by writing the letters in the boxes.

a. immense of or at the beginning
b. queries
to direct your attention
towards particular activity

c. initial something that is different
from something else

d. concentrate extremely large
e. alternative questions, often expressing
doubt about something
Comprehension Activities

1 Choose the correct answer.
a. Sergey Brin and Larry Page are
i. mathematicians.
ii. computer scientists.
iii. chemists.

b. Sergey and Larry met each other at
i. Harvard University.
ii. MIT.
iii. Stanford University.

c. The pair launched the Google company in
i. 1998 AD.
ii. 1994 AD.
iii. 1997 AD.

d. Larry’s parents were both
i. lawyers.

62 A course in English literature Book - 7

ii. computer experts.
iii. physicists.
e. In November 2009 AD, Forbes magazine decided Brin and Page were

the fifth most
i. dangerous people.
ii. intelligent people.
iii. powerful people.

2 Answer the following questions.
a. Who created Google?

b. How was Google created?

c. When and where was Brin born?

d. What awards and recognition have Sergey Brin and Larry Page won?

e. What are Brin and Page working on other than Google?

f. What do you think makes Google the most popular search engine?

3 Reorder the jumbled words to make meaningful sentences.
a. are Sergey billionaires and Larry
b. become the has Google world’s search most engine popular
c. 1973 AD was , on born Page March Larry 26
d. awards have many Brin won Larry and
e. really problems want they to using solve technology big

Write Long Answer

1. Write a paragraph about Google in your own words.
2. Write a short note on Larry Page and his parents.

Think, Pair and Share

Which do you think is more useful to students – Google or Facebook? Give reasons.

Project Activity

Write the names and addresses of any five useful or interesting websites. Then
write what type of information you can get from each of them.

A course in English literature Book - 7 63

Short Stories

A Different kind of School
A Pact with the Sun
The open window

A short story is an invented story that is meant to entertain
readers.

A short story has characters, setting and plot. Characters are
people, or sometimes even animals, who take part in the action of the
story. The setting is the time and place in which the story happens.
Authors often use descriptions of landscape, scenery, buildings, seasons
or weather to provide a strong sense of setting. A plot is a series of events
and actions that relate to the central conflict. The plot has a beginning,
middle, and end. Short stories usually have one plot so it can be read in
one sitting.

A short story may be written in the first-person or third person
point of view. In a first person narrative, the story is told from the
perspective of ‘I’. For example, I walked down the alley; I picked up the
phone. In a third person narrative, the story is told from the perspective
of ‘he/she’. For example, He walked down the alley; She picked up the
phone.

Who is your favourite short story writer and what is your favourite short
story?

Fill in the blanks by choosing the correct word.

1. A short story is meant to ....... the reader.

a. inform b. entertain
2. A short story has ..........plot.

a. only one b. more than one

11 A Different Kind
of School

Before you proceed
a. What are teaching methods in your school?
b. How do you feel when you see a blind person?

A Different Kind of School

I had heard a great deal about Miss Beam’s school. But not till last week
did the chance come to visit it. When I arrived there was no one in sight
but a girl of about twelve. Her eyes were covered with a bandage and she
was being led carefully between the flower-beds by a little boy who was
about four year younger. She stopped and it looked like she asked him
who had come. He seemed to be describing me to her. Then they passed
on.

Miss Beam was all that I had expected - middle-aged, full of authority,
yet kindly and understanding. Her hair was beginning to turn grey and
she had the kind of plump figure that is likely to be comforting to a
homesick child. I asked her some questions about her teaching methods
which I had heard were simple.

What was Miss Beam like?

“No more than is needed to help them to learn how to do things – simple
spelling, adding, subtracting, multiplying and writing. The rest is done
by reading to them and by interesting talks during which they have to sit
still and keep their hands quiet. There are practically no other lessons.”

A course in English literature Book - 7 65

“TheNreewal waoimrdsof this school is not so much to teach thought as to teach
thoughtfulness - kindness to others and being responsible citizens. Look
out of the window a minute, will you?”

I went to the window which overlooked a large garden and a playground
at the back. “What do you see?” Miss Beam asked.

“I see some very beautiful grounds,” I said, “and a lot of jolly children.
It pains me, though, to see that they are not all so healthy and active-
looking. When I came in, I saw one poor little girl being led about. She
has some trouble with her eyes. Now I can see two more with the same
difficulty. And there’s a girl with a crutch watching the others at play.
She seems to be a hopeless cripple.”

Miss Beam laughed. “Oh, no!” she said. “She’s not really lame. This is
only her lame day. The others are not blind either. It is only their blind
day.” I must have looked very surprised, for she laughed again.

Why did Miss Beam laugh?

“This is a very important part of our system. To make our children
appreciate and understand misfortune, we make them share in
misfortune too. Each term every child has one blind day, one lame day,
one deaf day, one injured day and one dumb day. During the blind day
their eyes are bandaged absolutely and they are on their honour not to
peep. The bandage is put on overnight so they wake blind. This means
that they need help with everything. Other children are given the duty
of helping them and leading them about. They all learn so much this way
- both the blind and the helpers.

“There is no misery about it,” Miss Beam continued. “Everyone is very
kind and it is really something of a game. Before the day is over, though,
even the most thoughtless child realizes what misfortune is.

“The blind day is, of course, really the worst, but some of the children
tell me that the dumb day is the most difficult. We cannot bandage the

66 A course in English literature Book - 7

children’s mouths, so they really have to exercise their will-power. Come
into the garden and see for yourself how the children feel about it.”

Miss Beam led me to one of the bandaged girls. “Here’s a gentleman
who’s come to talk to you,” said Miss Beam and left us.

“Don’t you ever peep?” I asked the girl.

“Oh, no!” she exclaimed. “That would be cheating! But I had no idea it was
so awful to be blind. You can’t see a thing. You feel you are going to be hit
by something every moment. It’s such a relief just to sit down.”

“Are your helpers kind to you?” I asked.

“Fairly. But they are not as careful as I shall be when it is my turn. Those
that have been blind already are the best helpers. It’s perfectly ghastly
not to see. I wish you’d try.”

“Shall I lead you anywhere?” I asked.

“Oh, yes”, she said. “Let’s go for a little walk. Only you must tell me about
things. I shall be so glad when today is over. The other bad days can’t be
half as bad as this. Having a leg tied up and hopping about on a crutch
is almost fun, I guess. Having an arm tied up is a bit more troublesome
because you can’t eat without help and things like that. I don’t think
I’ll mind being deaf for a day - at least not much. But being blind is so
frightening. My head aches all the time just from worrying that I’ll get
hurt. Where are we now?”

“In the playground,” I said. “We’re walking towards the house. Miss Beam
is walking up and down the garden with a tall girl.”

“What is the girl wearing?” my little friend asked in A Different Kind of
School.

“A blue cotton skirt and a pink blouse.”

A course in English literature Book - 7 67

“I think it’s Millie?” she said. “What colour is her hair?”
“Very light,” I said.
“Yes, that’s Millie. She’s the Head Girl.”
“There’s an old man tying up roses,” I said.
“Yes, that’s Peter. He’s the gardener. He’s hundreds of years old!”
“And here comes a girl with curly red hair. She’s on crutches.”
“That’s Anita,” she said in A Different Kind of School.
And so we walked on. Gradually I discovered that I was ten times

more thoughtful than I ever thought I could be. I also realized that if I
had to describe people and things to someone else, it made them more
interesting to me.

68 A course in English literature Book - 7

Vocabulary

1. Match the words with their meanings

authority to a great extent

a great deal looked down on

misfortune problematic

overlooked bad luck

crutch power

appreciate grief

misery support for a person who cannot walk

ghastly understand

troublesome terrible

Comprehension Activities

1 Decide whether the following statements are true or false.
a. The narrator had visited the school twice before.
b. On his arrival at the school, the narrator saw a girl of about
twelve and a boy as well.
c. Miss Beam’s hair was beginning to turn grey.
d. Miss Beam had the kind of lean and thin figure.
e. The narrator answered some of her questions about her teaching
methods.

A course in English literature Book - 7 69

2 Fill in the blank spaces with correct words from the above story.

a. The window……………. a large garden and a playground at the
back

b. The girl with a ………. was a hopeless cripple for the narrator.

c. Even the most thoughtless child realizes what ……… is through
the teaching methods.

d. During the …………… the children’s eyes are bandaged
absolutely.

e. It was a ……..just to sit down during being blind.

3 Write short answers to these questions.

a. What was the real aim of that school ?
b. What was painful to the narrator?
c. What was the important part of the system of the school?
d. Why was it so awful to be blind?
e. What did the narrator realize at the end?

Write Long Answer

1. How do the children appreciate and understand misfortune at the
school?

2. Why is the blind day really the worst of all?

70 A course in English literature Book - 7

Literary Terms

1. Contradiction: Two statements that do not seem to agree with one
another.
“I heard a soundless shout” is a contradiction.
TChainnyko,u Pwariitre aannedxaSmhpaleroef a contradiction?
2. Argumentation: The conversation or discourse in which the writer
logically presents an argument. It sometimes has the same meaning as
persuasion.

Creative Writing

Write a short story about a blind character describing how he or she had
to face hardship and misery in his or her life.

Think, Pair and Share

How can you learn thoughtfulness - kindness to others and being
responsible citizens?

Project Activity

Collect information and write an inspiring story of a physically disabled
person who achieved fame and success in his/her life?

A course in English literature Book - 7 71

12 A Pact with the Sun

Before you proceed
a. Have you ever been ill for a long time and confined to the bed?
b. What illness did you suffer from and how were you treated?
c. What is an agreement made between two sides called?

A Pact with the Sun

Saeeda’s mother had been ailing for a long time — fever, cough, body-
ache, painful joints and what not. Treated by a variety of physicians for
weeks, she often showed signs of improvement but soon relapsed into
her old, sick self, one complaint substituted by another. Though weak and
colourless, she was forbidden normal food and was under strict orders to
remain perpetually confined to her small, dingy room with doors and
windows fastened, deprived of sunshine and fresh air.

How long was Saeeda’s mother affected by an illness?

When she became critical, her relatives and neighbours persuaded her
to consult a specialist even though his fee was likely to be high. Life is
more precious than money, they said. Saeeda’s mother was poor but she
heeded their advice and sold a few trinkets to pay the doctor’s fee and
the cost of medicine.

relapsed: became ill again
self: the body
complaint: physical disorder
substituted: replaced
forbidden: not allowed

72 A course in English literature Book - 7

perpetually: forever or for a very long time
confined: restricted
dingy: dark
fastened: shut tightly
deprived of: lacking
critical: medically in danger
consult: ask for specialist advice o
specialist: medical doctor who practices in a specific field
precious: valuable
heeded: gave serious attention
trinkets: ornaments

The doctor came in a few days and examined her and prescribed
effective but costly medicine. To the question as to what she should eat
he said, “Anything you wish to eat — chapati, vegetables, milk and fruit.
In addition to all this,” he added emphatically, “leave this dark hovel and
occupy a bigger room with doors and windows open. Sit in the sun every
morning from eight to nine. Sunshine and fresh air,” he concluded, “are
more important than medicine.”

The doctor and his advice became a subject of noisy commentary among
all present. Some favoured while others opposed it. Exposure to the sun
and air for someone afflicted with chronic cough was dangerous, an
experienced lady declared. A younger neighbour nearly quarrelled with
her over this. Too exhausted to participate in the debate, Saeeda’s mother
remained quiet but determined to follow the doctor’s advice. “Forget the
consequences,” she said at last. “I’ll carry out his instructions to the letter.
Move my bed into the next room and let me sit in the sun on my charpoy
for an hour daily.”

What caused the noisy commentary from those who were present in
Saeeda’s room?

It so happened that the sky remained overcast next morning. The same
was the case the following day. Saeeda’s mother was dejected. She
muttered, “O Lord of mine, why have you ordered the sun to remain

A course in English literature Book - 7 73

hidden? How will I ever be cured?”

Saeeda was playing with her doll nearby and she heard her mother’s
lament but kept calm. Later in the afternoon, when she stumbled on a
spot of pale sunshine in the courtyard, she ran to her mother to say the
sun was there. “No, no”, said everybody present. “It’s too late and chilly.
Your mother can’t sit out there.” Disheartened, Saeeda returned to her
doll. There was no sun really except for its last remnant entangled in the
top branches of the family mango tree.

emphatically: with great force
hovel: small, dirty house
commentary: what other people said
favoured: express support for somebody or something
opposed: disagreed with somebody or something
exposure: contact with an environmental condition
afflicted: caused severe physical distress to somebody
chronic: illness that lasts over a long period
exhausted: felt very tired or weak
consequences: something that follows as results
charpoy: a light bedstead commonly used in South Asia
overcast: very cloudy, with no sun showing
dejected: felt sad
muttered: said quietly and indistinctly
lament: an expression of sorrow
stumbled: tripped when walking or running
chilly: moderately or noticeably cold
disheartened: made to lose hope and enthusiasm
remnant: small part still left
entangled: become twisted up

Now, children have at their command a secret language, foreign to
grown-ups altogether, in which they fluently communicate with trees,
flowers, animals, the sun and the moon, perhaps even with the Almighty.
Using that special language, Saeeda addressed her remark to the last
departing ray of the sun. “Dearest sister, do come tomorrow with lots of

74 A course in English literature Book - 7

warmth and brightness. You see, my mother is ill and needs your help.”

“Surely,” answered the light, “don’t look unhappy. We’ll be here at the
fixed hour.”

Next day, early in the morning, when the sprightly sunrays embellished
themselves for their journey down to earth, the sun said, “It’s our day
off again. We’re staying up here. The road to earth is blocked by an army
of thick, mucky clouds.” The little rays so much wanted to go down for
a lark but they remained quiet. One of them, though, who had made a
pact with little Saeeda said, “Sir, I can’t stay back. I’ve given my word to
Saeeda whose mother is ill and needs our help. I’ll pierce through the
clouds to reach Saeeda’s courtyard. How else will her mother be cured?”
Hearing this, all the rays nearly staged a revolt against their father, the
sun.

“Fancy staying back again,” they said in a single voice. “What will the
people of the earth say about us? That we of the heavens have turned
liars?”

The sun relented. “Please yourselves,” he said. “Mind your clothes,
though. The clouds are mucky.”

“Never mind our clothes. We can always change. But go we must.” And
the rays rushed towards the earth. The clouds stood guard between
them and Saeeda’s courtyard. The little rays focused their heat — and
they had enough of it — on a battalion of clouds, which had to flee from
its post. The rays got through, shooting past the bewildered clouds. They
were already late.

Saeeda saw the whole host of them approaching and her heart leapt with
joy. She shouted, “Amma, Amma! The sun is here. Come out.” The old
lady’s eyes welled up with tears of gratitude. Her charpoy was placed in
the courtyard and she sat on it for an hour reclining against bolsters. It
had been months since she had felt the sun on her hands and face and
breathed in fresh air. She thought she was in a new world. Though pale,
her face glowed and her eyes shone bright. She saw her child too bathed

A course in English literature Book - 7 75

in sunlight and kissed her. The morning air brought in a new fragrance
from nearby flowers. The birds chanted a new tune. Saeeda’s mother felt
better already.

sprightly: full of life and vigor
embellished: increased the beauty
lark: adventurous or risky fun
staged: organized or carried out something
revolt: resist authority or rules
fancy: suppose
relented: became less strict
mucky: very dirty
battalion: a large group or number
bewildered: confused or puzzled completely
welled: flowed
gratitude: being thankful
reclining: leaning back into a supported sloping
bolsters: horizontal supporting timbers

She is fully recovered now, but she still follows the doctor’s advice — an
hour of sunlight and lungful of fresh air every day.

76 A course in English literature Book - 7

Vocabulary

1. Match the words in the box below with their meanings correctly.

ailing, physicians, prescribed, effective, host, glowed, fragrance
a. ordered course of treatment for a patient

b. emitted light

c. affected or weakened by an illness

d. a pleasant sweet smell

e. a very large number

f. medical doctors
2. Read the meaning of these words used in the story above and use them

in sentences of your own.

a. emphatically: with great force

b. hovel: small, dirty house

c. commentary: what other people said

d. favoured: express support for somebody or something

e. opposed: disagreed with somebody or something

f. exposure: contact with an environmental condition

g. afflicted: caused severe physical distress to somebody

h. chronic: illness that lasts over a long period

i. exhausted: felt very tired or weak

j. consequences: something that follows as results

A course in English literature Book - 7 77

Comprehension Activities

1 Decide whether the following statements are true or false.
a. Saeeda’s mother had been ill for a long time.
b. She was suffering from fever, cough, body-ache, painful joints.
c. She was treated by different medical doctors for weeks.
d. She showed signs of recovery but soon relapsed into her ill
health.
e. She was not forbidden normal food
f. She remained in her small, dark room with doors and windows
completely open.
g. She was deprived of sunshine and fresh air.

2 Fill in the blank spaces with correct words from the above story.

a. When Saeeda’s mother became critical, her ………………….
persuaded her to ………….. even though his fee was high.

b. She was poor but she ……………. and sold a few trinkets to
……………………………. and the cost of medicine.

c. The doctor examined her and …………. effective but costly
medicine.

d. The doctor allowed her to eat……………. she wished.
e. The doctor also asked her to occupy a ……….. with doors and

windows open.
f. According to the doctor, ………………………… are more important

than medicine.
g. The doctor and his advice became a subject of ……………….

among all present at the house.
h. Exposure to sun and air for someone ………………………..was

dangerous, according to an experienced lady.

3 Write short answers to these questions.
a. What was Saeeda’s mother determined to do?
b. Why was she dejected ?
c. Why was Saeeda disheartened?
d. How did Saeeda address her remark to the last departing ray of

78 A course in English literature Book - 7

the sun?
e. In what way did all the sunrays nearly stage a revolt against their

father, the sun?
f. Why did Saeeda’s heart leap with joy?

Write Long Answer

1. How did the sunrays manage to complete their journey down to
earth?

2. What did Saeeda’s mother do after the sunrays came down to reach
the courtyard and her house?

Literary Terms

Characterization means the techniques a writer uses to create and
develop a character by what he/she does or says, other characters say
about him/her, or how they react to him/her.
Who has been characterized as the main character in the above story?
Dialect is speech that reflects pronunciation, vocabulary, and grammar
typical of a geographical region.

Think, Pair and Share

a. Read the passage taken from the story above several times and
summarize it in one-third (30 words) of the total length of the original.
As far as practicable, use your own words in the summary:

Saeeda was playing with her little doll nearby and she heard her mother’s lament
but kept calm. Later in the afternoon, when she stumbled on a spot of pale
sunshine in the courtyard, she ran to her mother to say that the sun was there.
“No, no”, said everybody present. “It’s too late and chilly. Your mother can’t
sit out there.” Saeeda was really disheartened and returned to her doll. There
was no sun really except for its last remnant entangled in the top branches of
the family mango tree. (90 words)

b. What do you do when your heart is leapt with joy?

Project Activity

Write at least two paragraphs explaining how you would help recover
one of the elderly members of your family ailing for a long time.

A course in English literature Book - 7 79

13 The Open Window

Before you proceed.
In stories, romance means to invent, write or tell things in a way that makes
them seem more important, interesting and adventurous than they really
are.

Meet the author
The story you are about to read was written
by Saki. It is the pen name used by Hector
Hugh Munro, a British author. He was born
in Burma on December 18, 1870 AD. He also
joined the military police.
He is considered as the master of the short
story. His stories are humorous and they
deal with the follies and hypocrisy that exist
in the society. The Open Window is probably
his most famous story. Some of his short
story collections include Reginald (1904 AD),
Reginald in Russia (1910 AD), The Chronicles of
Clovis (1911 AD) and Beasts and Super-Beasts
(1914 AD).
He died on November 14, 1916 AD.

80 A course in English literature Book - 7

New words

flatter - to praise someone in a way of making them feel special

rectory - a place where rector (a church official) lives

restful - peaceful

moor - a broad area of open land, often high but poorly
drained, with patches of bogs

snipe - a bird with a long straight beak that lives on wet ground

engulfed - covered up

treacherous - dangerous

briskly - quickly

straying - wandering

pariah - (here) stray dogs

The Open Window

“My aunt will be with you in a short while, Mr. Nuttel,” said a young
girl of fifteen, in a rather grown-up voice. “Till then, I will give you
company. My name is Vera.”

Framton Nuttel tried to say something which would flatter the niece,
yet it would not seem as if he did not want to meet the aunt.

He wondered whether such formal visits to the strangers would help
him cure his nerve problem, for which he had come to the town.

Why had Framton Nuttel come to the town?

His sister had lived in this town before and she had given him letters
of introduction to give to some of the nice people in the town. She was
worried that he would stay home alone without talking to anyone
which would make his problem worse. One of the letters was for Mrs.
Sappleton. Framton wondered whether Mrs. Sappleton was nice.

“Do you know many of the people here?” asked the niece, when she
realized that they had been silent for a long time.

“Hardly a soul,” said Framton. “My sister was staying here, at the rectory,

A course in English literature Book - 7 81

you know, some four years
ago and she gave me letters
of introduction to some of
the people here.”

He regretted saying the last
sentence as soon as he said
it.

“Then you know practically
nothing about my aunt?”
asked the young lady.

“Only her name and
address,” admitted Mr.
Nuttel. He was wondering
whether Mrs. Sappleton
was married or widowed. Something in the room gave the impression
that a man lived in the house.

“The great tragedy happened just three years ago,” said the child. “Maybe
your sister had left by then.”

“What tragedy?” asked Framton. Somehow in this restful country
tragedies seemed out of place.

“You may wonder why we keep that window wide open on an October
afternoon,” said the niece, indicating a large French window that
opened on to a lawn.

“It is quite warm for the time of the year,” said Framton. “But has that
window got anything to do with the tragedy?”

“Out through that window, on this very day three years ago, her husband
and her two young brothers went off for their day’s shooting. They never
came back. While crossing the moor, they were all engulfed in a stretch
of bog. It had been that dreadful wet summer, you know, and places
that were safe in other years gave way suddenly without warning. Their
bodies were never recovered. That was the dreadful part of it.” The girl
almost cried when she said this.

82 A course in English literature Book - 7

“My poor aunt always thinks that they will come back someday, they
and the little brown spaniel that was lost with them, and walk in at
that window just as they used to do. That is why the window is kept
open every evening till it is quite dusk. Poor dear aunt, she has often
told me how they went out, her husband with his white waterproof coat
over his arm and Ronnie, her youngest brother, singing ‘Bertie, why do
you bound?’ as he always did to tease her, because she said it got on
her nerves. Do you know, sometimes on still, quiet evenings like this,
I almost get a creepy feeling that they will all walk in through that
window - “

She suddenly stopped her tale with a slight tremble.

Framton was quite scared by now
and was happy when the aunt
came in with apologies for having
kept him waiting.

“I hope you don’t mind the open
window,” said Mrs. Sappleton
briskly, “my husband and brothers
will be home directly from
shooting and they always come
in this way. They’ve been out for
snipe-shooting in the marshes
today, so they’ll make a fine mess
over my poor carpets.”

Why do you think Mrs. Sappleton said she was waiting for her
husband and brothers?

She talked quickly and cheerfully about the shooting and the scarcity
of birds and the prospects for duck in the winter. Framton found all
her talk quite terrible. He tried to change the topic, but half her mind
seemed to be somewhere else. Her attention was on the window and
the lawn. How unlucky that he had to come on this very day!

“The doctors agree in ordering me complete rest, an absence of mental

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excitement and avoidance of anything in the nature of violent physical
exercise,” announced Framton, who did not realize that she was not
interested in his health issues. “On the matter of diet they are not so
much in agreement,” he continued.

Suddenly she became alert, not because of what Framton was saying,
but because she had seen something.

“Here they are at last!”
she cried. “Just in time
for tea and don’t they
look as if they were
muddy up to the eyes!”

Framton looked at the
girl, trying to show his
sympathy, but the girl
was looking through
the window. There was
a look of horror on her
face.

In the deepening
twilight three figures
were walking across
the lawn towards the
window, they all carried guns under their arms and one of them was
additionally burdened with a white coat hung over his shoulders. A
tired brown spaniel kept close at their heels. Noiselessly they neared
the house and then a hoarse young voice chanted out of the dusk: “I
said, Bertie, why do you bound?”

With the speed of lightning, Framton had picked up his stick and hat.
He hardly remembered how he passed through the door, the gravel
drive and the gate. A cyclist coming down the road could avoid an
accident only be going into the hedge.

“Here we are, my dear,” said the bearer of the white mackintosh, coming
in through the window, “a bit muddy, but fairly dry. Who was that man

84 A course in English literature Book - 7

who ran off so fast as we came in?”

“A most extraordinary man – Mr. Nuttel,” said Mrs. Sappleton. “He could
only talk about his illnesses, and dashed off without a word of goodbye
or apology when you arrived. One would think he had seen a ghost.”

“I expect it was the spaniel,” said the niece calmly. “He told me he was
dead scared of dogs. He was once hunted into a cemetery somewhere
on the banks of the Ganges by a pack of pariah dogs, and had to spend
the night in a newly dug grave with the creatures snarling and grinning
and foaming just above him. That’s why he had lost his nerve.”

Romance at short notice was her speciality.

Vocabulary

Write the meaning of each of the words given below. Use a dictionary for
help.

a. self-possessed : .............................................................................

b. habitation : .............................................................................

c. dreadful : .............................................................................

d. ghastly : .............................................................................

e. violent : .............................................................................

f. hoarse : .............................................................................

Comprehension Activities

1 Fill in the blanks with the right words from the above text.
a. Framton Nuttel tried to say something which ...................... the
niece, yet it would not seem as if he did not want to meet the
aunt.

b. Framton wondered whether ......................... was nice.

c. Something in the room gave ................................... that a man lived
in the house.

A course in English literature Book - 7 85

d. Vera suddenly stopped .......................... with a slight tremble.
e. Vera talked quickly and cheerfully about ................................ and

the scarcity of birds and the prospects for duck in the winter.

2 Who said this and to whom?

a. “Till then, I will give you company.”
b. “Only her name and address.”
c. “Who was that man who ran off so fast as we came in?”
d. “On the matter of diet they are not so much in agreement.”

3 Answer each of the following questions.

a. Why did Mr. Nuttel visit Mrs. Sappleton’s house?
b. What did Vera tell Mr. Nuttel about Mrs. Sappleton’s tragedy?
c. Why did Mr. Nuttel run away when he saw three men enter the

room?
d. How did Vera explain Mr. Nuttel’s departure?
e. What did Mr. Nuttel think about Mrs. Sappleton?

Write Long Answer

1. What was the great ‘tragedy’?
2. Why did Framton run off the house so fast?

Literary Terms

Irony Sometimes we find a gap between what is said and what it means;
what it really appears and what really is; and what is expected and what
really happens. Such an element is called irony.

If you say “What a nice day!” when the weather is bad, then you are
using verbal irony. When you use verbal irony, you say something but you
mean the opposite.

If there is a gap between what is expected and what really happens, it is
called situational irony. Do you find any example of situational irony in

86 A course in English literature Book - 7

‘The Open Window’? What did Mr Nuttel expect from the Sappletons’?
Did he get any solution to his problem or his problem rather increased?
Story layers Sometimes writers tell stories within a story. Like a frame to
a photograph, a story provides a frame to the other story or stories. Here
too we can see two stories.
An omniscient third person narrator (a narrator who is outside the plot of
the story and can see everything, even what is going on in the mind of the
characters) tells the story of Framton Nuttel and Vera.
A character in the story also tells another story.
Which character in the story is telling another story?
Conflict The tension that builds up in a story is called a conflict. Sometimes,
conflict can be internal and sometimes it can be external. Is the conflict
that Mr Nuttel, the protagonist of the story, undergoes internal or external
conflict? How?

Think, Pair and Share

1. What would you have done if you were Mr. Nuttel? Discuss in pairs.
2. Have you ever played prank with somebody and created a humorous

situation? Try to remember one and explain what you did and what the
result was.

Project Activity

Imagine you are Mr. Nuttel and you just returned home from Mrs. Sappleton’s
house seeing ghosts. Write a letter to your sister describing the incident.

A course in English literature Book - 7 87

Plays

The Beggar and the King
The Old Soldier

A play is a story that is meant to be acted out in front of the
audience.

Just as with a work of fiction, a play’s plot is the series of events
that make up the story. The time and place of the story are called
the setting. Actors play the characters in a play. The characters that
the actors play may be animals, fictional people, or people who actually
lived. Characters speak lines called dialogue. Through the dialogue, the
audience learns about the characters and the plot.

To bring a play to life on stage, actors use costumes, props and
sets. Costumes are clothes that help actors look like their characters.
Props are objects, such as a broom or book, that actors use as their
characters might use them. The sets should help show where the action
takes place, such as outdoors or in a house. All of these tools help draw
the audience into the story.

Have you watched or acted in a play before?

Fill in the blanks with correct words.

1. The time and place of story is known as ..........

a. the character b. the setting

2. The audience can learn about the characters in a play through .......

a. one plot
b. the dialogue

14 The Beggar and
the King

Before you proceed
a. What is a comedy in literature?
b. What genre of literature aims to make an audience laugh?

CHARACTERTS he Beggar and the King

CHARACTERS
THE KING OF A GREAT COUNTRY
HIS SERVANT
A BEGGAR
(A chamber in the palace overlooks a courtyard. The season is midsummer.
The windows of the palace are open, and from a distance there comes the
sound of a man’s voice crying for bread.
THE KING sits in a golden chair. A golden crown is on his head, and he
holds in his hand a sceptre which is also of gold. A SERVANT stands by
his side, fanning him with an enormous fan of peacock feathers.)
What is the sound from the distance?
THE BEGGAR: (outside) Bread. Bread. Bread. Give me some bread.
THE KING: (languidly) Who is that crying in the street for bread?
THE SERVANT: (fanning) O king, it is a beggar.
THE KING: Why does he cry for bread?
THE SERVANT: O king, he cries for bread in order that he may fill his

belly.

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THE KING: I do not like the sound of his voice. It annoys me very
much. Send him away.

THE SERVANT: (bowing) O king, he has been sent away.

THE KING: If that is so, then why do I hear his voice?

THE SERVANT: O king, he has been sent away many times, yet each time
that he is sent away he returns again, crying louder
than he did before.

THE KING: He is very unwise to annoy me on such a warm day. He
must be punished for his impudence. Use the lash on
him.

THE SERVANT: O king, it has been done.

THE KING: Then bring out the spears.

THE SERVANT: O king, the guards have already bloodied their swords
many times driving him away from the palace gates.
But it is of no avail.

THE KING: Then bind him and gag him if necessary. If need be cut
out his tongue. I do not like the sound of the fellow’s
voice. It annoys me very much.

THE SERVANT: O king, thy orders were obeyed even yesterday.

THE KING: (frowning) No. A beggar who has no tongue cannot cry
for bread.

THE SERVANT: Behold he can--if he has grown another.

THE KING: What! Why, men are not given more than one tongue in
a lifetime. To have more than one tongue is treason.

THE SERVANT: If it is treason to have more than one tongue, O king,
then is this beggar surely guilty of treason.

THE KING: (pompously) The punishment for treason is death.
See to it that the fellow is slain. And do not fan me so
languidly. I am very warm.

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THE SERVANT: (fanning more rapidly) Behold, O great and illustrious
king, all thy commands were obeyed even yesterday.

THE KING: How! Do not jest with thy king.

THE SERVANT: If I jest, then there is truth in a jest. Even yesterday, O
king, as I have told thee, the beggar which thou now
hearest crying aloud in the street was slain by thy
soldiers with a sword.

THE KING: Do ghosts eat bread? Forsooth, men who have been
slain with a sword do not go about in the streets crying
for a piece of bread.

THE SERVANT: Forsooth, they do if they are fashioned as this beggar.

THE KING: Why, he is but a man. Surely he cannot have more than
one life in a lifetime.

THE SERVANT: Listen to a tale, O king, which happened yesterday.

THE KING: I am listening.

THE SERVANT: Thy soldiers smote this beggar for crying aloud in the
streets for bread, but his wounds are already healed.
They cut out his tongue, but he immediately grew
another. They slew him, yet he is now alive.

THE KING: Ah! That is a tale which I cannot understand at all.

THE SERVANT: O king, it may be well.

THE KING: I cannot understand what thou sayest, either.

THE SERVANT: O king, that may be well also.

THE KING: Thou art speaking now in riddles. I do not like riddles.
They confuse my brain.

THE SERVANT: Behold, O king, if I speak in riddles it is because a riddle
has come to pass.

[THE BEGGAR’S voice suddenly cries out loudly.]

THE BEGGAR: (outside) Bread. Bread. Give me some bread.

A course in English literature Book - 7 91

spears: weapons that have a long handle and a blade with
a sharpened point
annoy: make somebody angry
avail: help, advantage, or success
bind: tie something firmly
gag: put something into somebody’s mouth to prevent
crying out
frowning: show a facial expression of displeasure by
wrinkling the brow
behold: see or observe
treason: betrayal of country
pompously: showing an excessive sense of self-importance
slain: killed
illustrious: extremely distinguished and deservedly famous
thy: your
jest: joke
thee: you
thou: you
hearest: hear
forsooth: indeed
sayest: say
but a man : only a man
smote: (past form of smite): hit somebody or something
with a hard blow
art; are
riddles: things that are puzzling or confusing

THE KING: Ah! He is crying out again. His voice seems to me
louder than it was before.

THE SERVANT: Hunger is as food to the lungs, O king.

THE KING: His lungs I will wager are well fed. Ha, ha!

THE SERVANT: But alas! His stomach is quite empty.

THE KING: That is not my business.

THE SERVANT: Should I not perhaps fling him a crust from the window?

THE KING: No! To feed a beggar is always foolish. Every crumb

92 A course in English literature Book - 7

that is given to a beggar is an evil seed from which
springs another fellow like him.

Why does the King not like the idea of feeding a beggar?

THE BEGGAR: (outside) Bread. Bread. Give me some bread.

THE SERVANT: He seems very hungry, O king.

THE KING: Yes. So I should judge.

THE SERVANT: If thou wilt not let me fling him a piece of bread, thine
ears must pay the debts of thy hand.

THE KING: A king can have no debts.

THE SERVANT: That is true, O king. Even so, the noise of this fellow’s
begging must annoy thee greatly.

THE KING: It does.

THE SERVANT: Doubtless he craves only a small crust from thy table
and he would be content.

THE KING: Yea, doubtless he craves only to be a king and he would
be very happy indeed.

THE SERVANT: Do not be hard, O king. Thou art ever wise and just. This
fellow is exceedingly hungry. Dost thou not command me
to fling him just one small crust from the window?

THE KING: My commands I have already given thee. See that the beggar
is driven away.

THE SERVANT: But alas! O king, if he is driven away he will return again
even as he did before.

THE KING: Then see to it that he is slain. I cannot be annoyed with the
sound of his voice.

THE SERVANT: But alas! O great and illustrious king, if he is slain he will
come to life again even as he did before.

THE KING: Ah! That is true. But his voice troubles me. I do not like to
hear it.

A course in English literature Book - 7 93

THE SERVANT: His lungs are fattened with hunger. Of a truth they are quite
strong.

THE KING: Well, propose a remedy to weaken them.

THE SERVANT: A remedy, O king?

[He stops fanning.]

THE KING: That is what I said. A remedy--and do not stop fanning me. I
am exceedingly warm.

THE SERVANT: (fanning vigorously) A crust of bread, O king, dropped from
yonder window--forsooth that might prove a remedy.

THE KING: (angrily) I have said I will not give him a crust of bread. If
I gave him a crust today he would be just as hungry again
tomorrow, and my troubles would be as great as before.

THE SERVANT: That is true, O king. Thy mind is surely filled with great
learning.

THE KING: Therefore, some other remedy must be found.

THE SERVANT: O king, the words of thy illustrious mouth are as very meat-
balls of wisdom.

THE KING: (musing) Now let me consider. Thou sayest he does not
suffer pain--

THE SERVANT: Therefore he cannot be tortured.

THE KING: And he will not die--

THE SERVANT: Therefore it is useless to kill him.

THE KING: Now let me consider. I must think of some other way.

THE SERVANT: Perhaps a small crust of bread, O king--

THE KING: Ha! I have it. I have it. I myself will order him to stop.

THE SERVANT: (horrified) O king!

THE KING: Send the beggar here.

THE SERVANT: O king!

94 A course in English literature Book - 7

THE KING: Ha! I rather fancy the fellow will stop his noise when the
king commands him to. Ha, ha, ha!

wager: bet
fling: throw carelessly or forcefully
crust: outer part of bread
wilt: will
thine: your
craves: desires, wants
content: happy and satisfied
springs: originates
exceedingly: very much
fattened: become fat
vigorously: strongly
yonder: to that place over there
horrified: too much frightened
fancy: think

THE SERVANT: O king, thou wilt not have a beggar brought into thy royal
chamber!

THE KING: (pleased with his idea) Yea. Go outside and tell this fellow
that the king desires his presence.

THE SERVANT: O great and illustrious king, thou wilt surely not do this thing.
Thou wilt surely not soil thy royal eyes by looking on such a
filthy creature. Thou wilt surely not contaminate thy lips by
speaking to a common beggar who cries aloud in the streets
for bread.

THE KING: My ears have been soiled too much already. Therefore go
now and do as I have commanded thee.

THE SERVANT: O great and illustrious king, thou wilt surely not--

THE KING: (roaring at him) I said, Go! (THE SERVANT, abashed, goes
out.) Forsooth, I fancy the fellow will stop his bawling when
I order him to. Forsooth, I fancy he will be pretty well
frightened when he hears that the king desires his presence.
Ha, ha, ha, ha!

THE SERVANT: (returning) O king, here is the beggar.

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[A shambling creature hung in filthy rags follows THE SERVANT slowly into the
royal chamber.]

THE KING: Ha! A magnificent sight, to be sure. Art thou the beggar who
has been crying aloud in the streets for bread?

THE BEGGAR: (in a faint voice, after a slight pause) Art thou the king?

THE KING: I am the king.

THE SERVANT: (aside to THE BEGGAR) It is not proper for a beggar to ask a
question of a king. Speak only as thou art spoken to.

THE KING: (to THE SERVANT) Do thou likewise. (To THE BEGGAR) I have
ordered thee here to speak to thee concerning a very grave
matter. Thou art the beggar, I understand, who often cries
aloud in the streets for bread. Now, the complaint of thy
voice annoys me greatly. Therefore, do not beg any more.

THE BEGGAR: (faintly) I--I do not understand.

THE KING: I said, do not beg any more.

THE BEGGAR: I--I do not understand.

THE SERVANT: (aside to THE BEGGAR) The king has commanded thee not to
beg for bread any more. The noise of thy voice is as garbage
in his ears.

THE KING: (to THE SERVANT) Ha! An excellent flower of speech. Pin it
in thy buttonhole. (To THE BEGGAR) Thine ears, I see, are in
need of a bath even more than thy body. I said, Do not beg
any more.

THE BEGGAR: I--I do not understand.

THE KING: (making a trumpet of his hands and shouting). DO NOT BEG
ANY MORE.

THE BEGGAR: I--I do not understand.

THE KING: Heavens! He is deafer than a stone wall.

THE SERVANT: O king, he cannot be deaf, for he understood me quite easily
when I spoke to him in the street.

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THE KING: (to THE BEGGAR) Art thou deaf? Canst thou hear what I am
saying to thee now?

THE BEGGAR: Alas! I can hear every word perfectly.

THE KING: The impudence. Thy tongue shall be cut out for this.

THE SERVANT: O king, to cut out his tongue is useless, for he will grow
another.

THE KING: No matter. It shall be cut out anyway. (To THE BEGGAR) I
have ordered thee not to beg any more in the streets. What
meanest thou by saying thou dost not understand?

THE BEGGAR: The words of thy mouth I can hear perfectly. But their noise
is only a foolish tinkling in my ears.

THE KING: Only a--! A lash will tinkle thy hide for thee if thou dost not
cure thy tongue of impudence. I, thy king, have ordered
thee not to beg any more in the streets for bread. Signify,
therefore, that thou wilt obey the orders of thy king by
quickly touching thy forehead thrice to the floor.

THE BEGGAR: That is impossible.

THE SERVANT: (aside to THE BEGGAR) Come. It is not safe to tempt the
patience of the king too long. His patience is truly great, but
he loses it most wondrous quickly.

THE KING: Come, now: I have ordered thee to touch thy forehead to
the floor.

THE SERVANT: (nudging him) And quickly.

THE BEGGAR: Wherefore should I touch my forehead to the floor?

THE KING: In order to seal thy promise to thy king.

THE BEGGAR: But I have made no promise. Neither have I any king.

THE KING: Ho! He has made no promise. Neither has he any king. Ha,
ha, ha. I have commanded thee not to beg any more, for
the sound of thy voice is grievous unto my ears. Touch thy
forehead now to the floor, as I have commanded thee, and

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thou shall go from this palace a free man. Refuse, and thou
wilt be sorry.

THE BEGGAR: For to be born into this world a beggar is a more unhappy
thing than any that I know--unless it is to be born a king.

THE KING: Thy tongue of a truth is too lively for thy health. Come, now,
touch thy forehead thrice to the floor and promise solemnly
that thou wilt never beg in the streets again. And hurry!

THE SERVANT: (aside) It is wise to do as thy king commands thee. His
patience is near an end.

THE KING: Do not be afraid to soil the floor with thy forehead. I will
graciously forgive thee for that.

[THE BEGGAR stands motionless.]

THE SERVANT: I said, it is not wise to keep the king waiting.

[THE BEGGAR does not move.]

THE KING: Well? (A pause.) Well? (In a rage) WELL?

THE BEGGAR: O king, thou hast commanded me not to beg in the streets
for bread, for the noise of my voice offends thee. Now
therefore do I likewise command thee to remove thy crown
from thy forehead and throw it from yonder window into
the street. For when thou hast thrown thy crown into the
street, then will I no longer be obliged to beg.

THE KING: Thou commandest me! Thou, a beggar from the streets,
commandest me, a king, to remove my crown from my
forehead and throw it from yonder window into the street!

THE BEGGAR: That is what I said.

THE KING: Why, dost thou not know I can have thee slain for such
words?

THE BEGGAR: No. Thou canst not have me slain. The spears of thy soldiers
are as straws against my body.

THE KING: Ha! We shall see if they are. We shall see!

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faint: weak
grave: serious
trumpet: loud high sound made by a trumpet,
canst: can
meanest: mean
tinkling: a series of light metallic ringing sounds
lamented; expressed grief or sorrow about something
wherefore: for what reason
wondrous: so good or admirable
nudging: pushing somebody gently
seal: come to an agreement
grievous: very serious
solemnly: sincerely
signify; signal
tempt: cause desire
graciously: politely
rage: great anger
offends: hurts somebody’s feelings,

THE SERVANT: O king, it is indeed true. It is even as he has told thee.

THE BEGGAR: I have required thee to remove thy crown from thy forehead.
If so be thou wilt throw it from yonder window into the
street, my voice will cease to annoy thee any more. But if
thou refuse, then thou wilt wish thou hadst never had any
crown at all. For thy days will be filled with a terrible boding
and thy nights will be full of horrors, even as a ship is full of
rats.

THE KING: Why, this is insolence. This is treason!

THE BEGGAR: Wilt thou throw thy crown from yonder window?

THE KING: Why, this is high treason!

THE BEGGAR: I ask thee, wilt thou throw thy crown from yonder window?

THE SERVANT: (aside to THE KING) Perhaps it were wise to humour him,
O king. After thou hast thrown thy crown away I can go
outside and bring it to thee again.

THE BEGGAR: Well? Well? (He points to the window.) Well?

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THE KING: No! I will not throw my crown from that window--no, nor
from any other window. What! Shall I obey the orders of a
beggar? Never!

THE BEGGAR: (preparing to leave) Truly, that is spoken like a king. Thou art
a king, so thou wouldst prefer to lose thy head than that silly
circle of gold that so foolishly sits upon it. But it is well. Thou
art a king. Thou couldst not prefer otherwise.

[He walks calmly toward the door.]

THE KING: (to THE SERVANT) Stop him! Seize him! Does he think to get
off so easily with his impudence!

THE BEGGAR: (coolly) One of thy servants cannot stop me. Neither can ten
thousand of them do me any harm. I am stronger than a
mountain. I am stronger than the sea!

THE KING: Ha! We will see about that, we will see about that. (To THE
SERVANT) Hold him, I say. Call the guards. He shall be put in
chains.

THE BEGGAR: My strength is greater than a mountain and my words are
more fearful than a hurricane. This servant of thine cannot
even touch me. With one breath of my mouth I can blow
over this whole palace.

THE KING: Dost thou hear the impudence he is offering me? Why dost
thou not seize him? What is the matter with thee? Why dost
thou not call the guards?

THE BEGGAR: I will not harm thee now. I will only cry aloud in the streets
for bread wherewith to fill my belly. But one day I will not
be so kind to thee. On that day my mouth will be filled with
a rushing wind and my arms will become as strong as steel
rods, and I will blow over this palace, and all the bones in thy
foolish body I will snap between my fingers. I will beat upon
a large drum and thy head will be my drumstick. I will not
do these things now. But one day I will do them. Therefore,
when my voice sounds again in thine ears, begging for bread,
remember what I have told thee. Remember, O king, and be
afraid!

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