Exercises
Reading with insight
Question 1. You will probably agree that this story does not have breathless adventure and exciting action. Then, what in your opinion, makes it interesting?
Answer : The story does not have breathless adventure and exciting action, but the element that makes it interesting is the smooth flow of psychological narration. Like any young boys, both Aram and Mourad, have their preference for something adventurous. They love horse-riding but the family cannot afford to have one. Mourad steals the horse and both of them enjoy the horse ride. But, their family is known for honesty and the same streak is present in them also. After a while, they overcome their greed and return the horse to its right owner.
Question 2. Did the boys return the horse because they were conscience stricken or because they were afraid?
Answer : The boys returned the horse to Byro not because they were afraid but because their conscience pricked them.
When John Byro met the boys, the stolen horse was with them. John Byro recognised his horse but refused to believe that Mourad and Aram had stolen it. According to him, the fame of their honesty was widely known. This was the juncture when the conscience stricken boys decided to return the horse.
Question 3. “One day back there in the good old days when I was nine and the world was full of every imaginable kind of magnificence, and life was still a delightful and mysterious dream…”. The story begins in a mood of nostalgia.Can you narrate some incident from your childhood that might make an interesting story?
Answer : Reading these lines one cannot stop from travelling down the memory lanes of childhood. It was not long ago that my father was transferred to a place where there were not good schools. My parents were indecisive about taking me along or to leave me with my uncle. I insisted upon going with them. They were not left with any choice but to take me along with them.
‘Raniganj’ was a breathtakingly beautiful place. There was a huge palatial bungalow with a massive garden. Since it was close to the wild forests, I used to find a lot of wondering wild animals in my garden in the morning. What was very surprising was that none of them harmed me. One day, I saw a small deer. The moment I saw it, I decided to rear it. Everybody advised me against it. But, I had taken it as a challenge. Every morning, he would come sauntering down my garden. I used to feed him green leaves and water. In two-three days time, we became good friends. Then, he would stay back in the Verandah at night. How the days flew! I started dreaming of keeping this beautiful creature always with me. Finally, my dream was shattered when after some time, my father was posted back to the city. I had to leave my beautiful friend in his natural habitat.