Hornbill Chapter-3

Chapter – 3

Discovering King Tut: The Saga continues.....

Summary:

This chapter is meant to show readers the beauty and mystery of ancient Egyptian culture and the science and wonder of archaeology. This chapter is actually a part of the book which goes with the same title as mentioned above and it has many chapters, rather than a short story; in fact, the book is an in-depth look at the circumstances of King Tut's death, as well as the general culture and lifestyle practised during his lifetime. Fascinating and well-written this book has captured many people's interest, and it remains a popular choice for anyone interested in archaeology and ancient Egyptian culture. This is a living example of technology advancement. We accepted things and events attributing their cause to nature and her wrath. However, advancement and technology could give us a different picture. This way, it has become a habit with us to accept everything that history states and dictates.

On the process the modern world has found ways to offer a different view on it. In other words, the modern world has turn impossibilities to possibilities. William’s report gives an insight into this. A mummy scanned after a thousand years has opened new avenues regarding a cause of its death. The mummy referred to here is that of King Tut or Tutankhamen, meaning the living image of Amun.

Howard Carter examining the tomb

The earlier ruler, Amenhotep-IV has shocked the country by attacking Amun, a major God, smashing his images and closing all his temples. His family had ruled for centuries before the boy king, Tut took over. However, Tut ruled for nine years and then died both mysteriously and unexpectedly.

The scanning of Tut’s mummy also gave an insight as to how mummies were buried. Howard Carter, who scanned the body found it difficult to extract the mummy. The ritual resins had hardened thereby cementing Tut to the bottom of his solid gold coffin. Carter finally had to chisel the mummy away having no other option. Every major point was severed. Tut was buried with gold which was meant to guarantee the resurrection and was also buried with every day things he would need in his after-life. Tut also had things to take on his journey to the great beyond-glittering goods, precious collars, necklaces and sandals, all of pure gold. The computed Tomography scan couldn’t solve the mysterious death of Tut but gave us clues for sure. The X-rays and C.T. scan reveal a startling fact-the breast bone and the front ribs of Tut were missing. Such a revelation would not have been possible without technological precision. This fact gives us a clue that Tut, in all likelihood did not die a natural death.

Technology hasn’t been able to give us a definite answer to Tut’s death. However, it has given us a direction to think and proceed. Maybe in future, technology would solve it for us. The whole excavation and the scan required scores of people. It was a gruelling job and the workers had a tough time. After the pharaoh was rested in peace again, Zahi Hawass, Secretary General of Egypt’s Supreme Council of Antiquities said, “I didn’t sleep last night, not for a second. I was worried. But now I think I will go and sleep.” It just proves how tough the whole process was.

In other words, King Tut is one of the first mummies to be scanned-in death as in life. He was famous when he was alive and his untimely death has raised the necessity to probe the lingering mysteries of this young ruler who died more than 3,300 years ago. 

Forensic Reconstruction

 

Examination Style Questions

1. Who was Tutankhamun? What is the common opinion regarding his death?
   Tut or Tutankhamun was the third last Pharaoh of the mighty eighteenth dynasty in ancient Egypt. He died around 1300 BC, but the causes of his death are still not revealed to the scientific world.
2. Where is Tut’s body buried?
   King Tut’s body is buried inside an enormous pyramid in the royal cemetery called the Valley of Kings in Egypt.
3. Why did ancient Egyptians bury their dead along with enormous riches?
   The ancient Egyptians believed in life after death. Because they believed that the dead would one day return to life and that they would therefore need riches in gold and diamonds, the relatives of the dead buried as much gold and other valuables as that allowed them to bury.
4. How did Tut’s family keep tomb raiders and thieves away from his eternal resting place?
   In order to keep tomb raiders from stealing the enormous riches deposited in Tut’s tomb, his family spread fear among people. They warned anyone who approached the tomb and disturbed Tut’s peaceful sleep with death.
5. Why does the writer present the account in an eerie manner? How does he do that?
   An angry wind stirred up ghostly dust devils as King Tut was taken from his resting place in the ancient Egyptian cemetery known as the Valley of the Kings*. Dark-bellied clouds had scudded across the desert sky all day and now were veiling the stars in casket grey. Some visitors read from guidebooks in a whisper. Others stood silently, perhaps pondering Tut’s untimely death in his late teens, or wondering with a shiver if the pharaoh’s curse — death or misfortune falling upon those who disturbed him — was really true.
6. What happened in Tutankhamun’s saga on 5th January, 2005?
   King Tut was CT Scanned the first time in history on this day and became the first mummy to be scanned. The world’s most famous mummy glided head first into a CT scanner brought here to probe the lingering medical mysteries of this little understood young ruler who died more than 3,300 years ago.
7. Who was Amenhotep? Why his reign was considered as the strangest period in the history of Egypt?
   Ans: Amenhotep 4 succeeded Amenhotep 3(who was Tut's father or grandfather). His reign was the strangest period in history because he promoted worship of Aten, the sun disk, he changed his name to Akhenaten or the 'servant of Aten' and moved the religious capital from Thebes to the new city of Akhetaten, known as Amarna. He further shocked the country by destroying all the temples and statues of Amun who was a major god of Egypt.
8. What was the condition of Tut’s mummy when it was discovered by Howard Carter?
   The most of the antiquities of the tomb were surprisingly complete. They remain the richest royal collection ever found and have become part of the pharaoh’s legend. Stunning artifacts in gold, their eternal brilliance meant to guarantee resurrection, caused a sensation at the time of the discovery. But Tut was also buried with everyday things he’d want in the afterlife: board games, a bronze razor, linen undergarments, cases of food and wine.
9. Give reason why king Tut's body has been subjected to repeated scrutiny.
   Ans: It is to obtain clues and facts about his life and death. It was one such scan which helped find that beneath the resin that took his chest, his breast-bone and front ribs were missing. The main potential and objective behind the scrutiny is to answer two of the biggest questions lingering about him-how did he die, and how old was he at the time of his death? (Murder being the most extreme possibility).
10. Why did carter had to chisel away the solidified raisin to raise the king Tut's remains?
    Ans: Carter found that ritual resin which was used as a polish has hardened. The result was that mummy was cemented to the solid gold base of the coffin. Neither the strongest force could move the mummy nor the blazing sun .
11. Why was Howard Carter's investigation resented?
    Ans: Howard Carter's investigation was resented because he used unscientific methods to cut the body away from the wooden base. He also focused more on the discovery of gold rather that magnificent details of Tut's life and mysteries of his death.
12. Why was Howard Carter so much curious about opening Tut’s tomb against all the warnings?
    Howard Carter was a die-hard archaeologist. When his team located Tut’s burial place and spotted the mummy, the locals warned them of the ancient curse of the pharaoh – death for anyone who dared to approach the tomb. In spite of the warnings, Howard Carter proceeded to open the tomb because discovering Tutankhamun was his long-cherished dream and there was nothing stopping him from getting Tut’s remains for his experiments.
13. Why did Howard Carter amputate Tut’s body when he finally spotted his tomb?
    OR
    Why does Zahi Hawas blame Howard Carter?
    When Howard Carter tried to lift Tut’s mummy, he found that the mummy had got cemented to the coffin. It was because of the resins that was buried along with the mummy for preservation. Although Carter made a number of attempts to separate the mummy from the coffin, the mummy remained cemented to the coffin. To save the mummy from the tomb-raiders and the locals, Carter had to amputate it.
14. How did archaeologists find out that Tut’s body was buried in March?
    When Howard Carter opened the first nested coffin, he saw shrouds, olive leaves, wild celery, lotus petals, etc. which suggested the possibility.
15. Why did ancient Egyptians bury enormous treasures along with their dead?Ancient Egyptians believed in life after death. Foreseeing this, they left valuable articles like gold and day-today necessities like garments in the coffin of the dead.
16. What startling mystery did the x-raying of Tut’s body in 1968 reveal?
    When Tut’s body was x-rayed by a doctor in 1968, he found out that some of his rib bones were missing.
17. How was Tut different from his ancestor?
    Tut’s father, Amenhotep IV, was a worshipper of Aten, a prominent God in Egypt. He promoted the worship of Aten (Sun disk) and changed his name to Akhenaten (Servant of Aten). He also shifted the religious capital from the old city of Thebes to the new city of Akhetaten (now known as Amarana). He further attacked God Amun by smashing images and closing temples.
    Tutankhaten – Tutankhamun – Tut changed his name to Tutankhamun (Living image of Amun). He restored all the old ways. He was a very popular king and reigned for nine years and died unexpectedly at a very young age of 19.
18. How did science influence Archaeology in the recent years?
    With the progress of science in forensic imaging, study of the past has become easier and more accurate. With the invention of Computed Tomography (CT) Scanning machines, fossils can be now better studied. A CT Scanner takes hundreds of x-Rays in cross section and puts them together like slices of bread to create a 3D virtual body. With scientific research gaining more importance that treasure hunting, archaeologists now focus more on the fascinating details of life and intriguing mysteries of death of the ancients.
19. The Saga Continues – Which Saga is being referred to?
    The sage or tradition that is referred to here is the ancient saga of the mysterious pharaoh Tutankhamun. It has been a lingering saga because archaeology has not drafted any final answer to the questions regarding king Tutankhamun’s death.
20. How did archaeology change since Tutankhamun’s mummy was discovered in 1921?
    Archaeology has changed substantially in the intervening decades, focusing less on treasure and more on the fascinating details of life and intriguing mysteries of death. It also uses more sophisticated tools, including medical technology. Today diagnostic imaging can be done with computed tomography, or CT, by which hundreds of X-rays in cross section are put together like slices of bread to create a three-dimensional virtual body.
21. What did the anatomy professor reveal about Tutankhamun’s remains in 1968?
    In 1968, more than 40 years after Carter’s discovery, an anatomy professor X-rayed the mummy and revealed a startling fact: beneath the resin that cakes his chest, his breast-bone and front ribs are missing.
22. What are the two questions still lingering about Tutankhamun?
    The two lingering questions about Tutankhamun are – how did he die, and how old was he at the time of his death.
23. King Tut’s demise was a big event, even by royal standards. Explain.
    King Tut was the last of his family’s line, and his funeral was the death rattle of a dynasty. But the particulars of his passing away and its aftermath are unclear.
24. What do you know about Amenhotep III?
    Amenhotep III was Tut’s grandfather. He was a powerful pharaoh (king) who ruled for almost four decades (40 years) at the height of the eighteenth dynasty’s golden age.

25. What does Ray Johnson report about ancient Egypt at the time of Amenhotep IV?
    Ray Johnson, director of the University of Chicago’s research centre in Luxor, gives a vivid account of ancient Egypt at the time of Amenhotep IV. According to him, king Amenhotep’s time must have been a horrific one. The family that had ruled for centuries was coming to an end.

26. Discuss the appropriateness of the title “Discovering Tut : the saga continues”.
    Ans: This chapter is an example of technology advancement. We accepted things and events attributing their cause to nature and her wrath. However, advancement and technology could give us a different picture. This way, it has become a habit with us to accept everything that history states and dictates. On the process the modern world has found ways to offer a different view on it. In other words, the modern world has turn impossibilities to possibilities. William’s report gives an insight into this. A mummy scanned after a thousand years has opened new avenues regarding a cause of it’s’ death. The mummy referred to here is that of King Tut or Tutankhamen, meaning the living image of Amun. The earlier ruler, Amenhotep-IV has shocked the country by attacking Amun, a major God, smashing his images and closing all his temples. His family had ruled for centuries before the boy king, Tut took over. However, Tut ruled for nine years and then died both mysteriously and unexpectedly.

Hornbill Chapter-2

We’re Not Afraid to Die… if We Can All Be Together

by: Gordon Cook and Alan East

Summary:

This is a story of extreme courage and skill exhibited by a family of four. A little more nervousness would throw off balance and the inevitable-death would swallow everyone up. Along with the adults, the two children too are worth mentioning as they showed exemplary courage and understanding even in the face of death. Fear and fear factors are associated with death. The idea of losing one’s life can throw even the mightiest out of gear. Hence, natural calamities like Earthquake, tsunamis and floods strike us with fear. These are the things that cause immeasurable loss of life and property.

The author with his wife Mary and their two children-Jonathan and Suzanne-was the family of four. They tried to duplicate the round the world voyage in their professionally built boat-The WAVEWALKER. They also picked up two crew men-American Vigil and Swiss Herb to tackle of the world’s roughest seas-The Southern Indian Ocean. The initial period of their voyage wasn’t worrying as strong gales and winds were conspicuous by their absence. The weather turned bad, yet they had a wonderful Christmas 3500 kilometers east of Cape Town. However, the following days were one of the worst faced by Mary’s family. High waves roared and lashed the ship on both sides of the ship. The WAVEWALKER shook and the author was thrown overboard. The ship was about to capsize when another gigantic wave hit it making it right side up again. The author was thrown back onto the deck, his head and ribs smashed against the walls and blood began to appear.

The author didn’t lose his temper. He tried to repair the leakage in the ships’ control of the wheel. No immediate help was available as they were in one of the remotest corner of the world. Suzanne too suffered a head injury, black eyes and a deep cut on her arms. She was extremely brave not to speak of her injury. She simply didn’t want to bother her parents when they were trying to save everybody on board.

The family had survived for more than fifteen hours and was desperately looking for rescue. The ship was in a bad condition and would not last to reach Australia. The nearest would be to reach Ile Amsterdam, a French Scientific base. However, their respite was short-lived when the dark clouds began to appear again.

John opined that they were not afraid to die if all of them stuck together. It was an example of unity and oneness. It also spoke of the trust and belief that the children had in each other. The children, even in the face of death, had the patience to gift a ‘thank-you’ card to their parents. It was a symbol of trust.

The author and his wife checked and rechecked their calculations. The westerly currents were calculated and they turned their ship by 185 degrees. They sailed on and found Amsterdam by evening. Their joy knew no bounds when they spotted the island. It was in fact, Suzanne, who spotted the island and announcing it to her father. They anchored off-shore for the night and struggled on to reach the island with the help of the inhabitants of the island. Finally, they had landed on their feet again. It was both the grace of God and their courage and patience, which actually helped them. The family lived on to tell their nightmarish story. In short, it is a story which brightly highlighted the fact that a small six year old boy was not afraid to die, if he was given the option to die with his family. In other words, we learn about courage, love and faith of a family of four.

In this story, the children of the narrator played the most crucial role in his life. they were loving, caring, and concerned towards their parents. they were courageous too……. The most touching line in this story was that………………” We’re not afraid to die if we can all be together” said by the children to their father and they even hugged their father too……A family like this must have been originated from heaven………

Examination Style Questions:

1. What was the object behind the writer’s undertaking the journey?

Ans: The writer undertook the voyage along with his wife in order to duplicate the round the world voyage made 200 years earlier by Captain James Cook.

2. Describe the boat which was made for undertaking the voyage.

Ans: The name of the boat which was made for undertaking the voyage was ‘Wavewalker’. It was a 23 meter, 30 ton wooden-hulled boat which had been professionally built and the writer and his wife had spent months fitting it out and testing it in the roughest weather they could find.

3. What are Mayday calls? Why was the ship getting no replies to its Mayday calls?

Ans: Mayday calls are distress signals sent through the radio by ships facing troubles in the sea for getting help from other ships passing nearby. The ship ‘Wavewalker’ was not getting replies to its Mayday calls because the boat had reached a remote part of the sea where other ships did not go.

4. What did Sue say when she was asked by her father why she had not complained much about her grave injuries at the first instance?

Ans: Sue had been injured badly when the wave had hit the ship. Her head had swollen alarmingly. She had two very big enormous black eyes and she had also showed to her parents a deep cut on her arm. When asked why she had not complained about her injuries earlier she replied that she had not wanted to worry her parents when they were trying to save them all.

5. Comment on the mood of the sea on 2nd January 2010? How did the writer and his family and the crewmen prepare for that?

Ans: At dawn on January 2, the waves became gigantic. As the ship of the writer rose to the top of each wave, they could see the sea water rolling towards them and the noise made by the wind and the spray of the wave water was painful to their ears. In order to slow the boat down, they dropped the storm jib and lashed a heavy mooring rope in a loop across the stern. Then they double lashed

everything and went through their life raft drill, attached lifelines and wore oilskins and life jackets and waited for the worst things to happen.

6. What happened at 6pm on 2nd of January?

Ans: At 6 pm on 2nd January, the sea became silent and the wind dropped and the sky grew immediately dark. After that a very huge wave which was double the size of the other waves struck the ship with explosive power and damaged it.

7.What difference did you notice between the reaction of the adults & the children when faced with danger?

Ans: They both were calm Adults put all the efforts to save their lives. They did not lose hope. Children also got injuries but they were very brave & they were not afraid to die.

8.How does the story suggest that optimism helps to “endure the direst stress”?

Ans: The narrator his wife & two children set out a journey. During the journey they faced many problems like rough sea, rough weather water flooded their ship. They got injuries. But in such situation also they did not lose hope.

9.What lessons do we learn from such hazardous experiences when we are face-to-face with death?

Ans-When we are face to face with death we have to calm. We have to think that what we can do. We did not have to panic in such situations. We have to do all the possible things that we can do. Instead of lighting with each other we have to be unite.

10.Why do you think people undertake such adventurous expedition in spite of the risks involved?

Ans-People undertake such adventurous expedition in spite of the risks involved because -

1. They found enjoyment in doing such adventurous things.
2. Some people are habitual& some want money by doing this.
3. They want to be the best & famous by doing this.
4. Some have nature of doing this.

11.What was the first indicator of rough weather?

Ans-On their second day out of Cape Town they encountered strong winds for the next few weeks, the gales blew continuously. They did not worry the narrator but the size of the waves was disturbing.

12.How did they pass the first leg of the journey?

Ans: It was pleasant sailing down the West coast of Africa to Cape Town.

13.Who were Larry and Herb? What role did they play?

Ans: Crew members Larry Vigil was an American and Herb Seigler was from Switzerland. They were of great help. As a team they worked with the narrator-kept pumping water out of Wavewalker till the water level was brought under control.

14.Why and when did the captain send ‘May Day Calls’? What was the response?

Ans: When nothing worked well after the gigantic wave had hit the Wave walker...impending disaster awaited-the captain sent ‘May Day Calls’-no response as this part of the ocean is less travelled.

15.How did Jonathan react to the desperate situation they found themselves in on 5^th January?Ans:Jonathan asked his father if they were all going to die. On the father’s reassurance, he said that they were not afraid of dying if they could all be together –his dad, mom, Sue and himself.

16. How did the narrator respond to little Jon‟s words? What do his actions reveal about his character?
    Ans:The narrator could not find any words to respond to his son’s remark. However, as he left his children’s cabin, he was determined to fight the sea with everything he had. This shows his courageous nature and his love for his children. He was a caring father who wanted to save his children at all costs.
    
    
17. How did Sue try to enliven the gloomy atmosphere?
    Ans: Sue tried to enliven the gloomy atmosphere by trying her hand at making a card for her parents. She had drawn their caricatures and written that she had drawn some funny people. She had written that she loved both her parents. The card expressed her heart felt thanks to them and she hoped for the best.
    
    
18. Who do you think did the narrator call Ile Amsterdam, the most beautiful island in the world‟?
    Ans: The island was only a bleak piece of volcanic rock with little vegetation–the author called it the most beautiful island in the world because it had given them a ray of hope for survival. They could at least anchor there and repair their ship.
    
    
19. What did the narrator think of landing at Ile Amsterdam? Why?
    Ans:On landing at Ile Amsterdam, the narrator’s thoughts were full of Larry and Herbie, his crew members who remained cheerful and optimistic throughout the hardships. He thought of his wife also, who stayed at the wheel for all those crucial hours. He also thought of his daughter, who had been so brave all through the ordeal and had not bothered about her head injury.
    
    
20. How can you say that Suzanne‟s injuries were serious?
    Ans:Suzanne’s injuries were serious because she had to undergo six minor surgeries to remove a recurring blood clot between her skin and skull. She had also injured her arm and had two black eyes.
    
    
    Long Answer Type Questions:
    
    
21. Highlight the tremendous courage and heroism shown by the two children during the struggle of the ship to keep from sinking?
    Ans: The two children Suzanne and Jonathan, who were aged seven and six respectively, showed tremendous courage and stoicism during the epic struggle, put up by their parents and the crewmen to keep the ship from sinking. Suzanne had been injured badly when the wave had hit the ship. Her head had swollen alarmingly. She had two very big enormous black eyes and she had also showed to her parents a deep cut on her arm. When asked why she had not complained about her injuries earlier she replied that she had not wanted to worry her parents when they were trying to save them all.
    On January 5th when the condition of the ship was very bad, the author went in to comfort the children and his son, Jonathan, asked him if they were going to die. When he was assured that they would all survive somehow he told his father that they were not afraid of dying if they could all be together. That very evening the badly injured Suzanne had patience and power enough even to draw caricatures of her parents with the words, “Here are some funny people. Did they make you laugh?” She had written a message also inside which said that she had loved them both and that card was meant to say thanks to his father and hope for the best. Such extraordinary patience, courage and tolerance shown by the small children on the face of an enormously dangerous situation gave courage and inspiration to his parents to fight hard for survival.
    
    
22. How does the story suggest that optimism helps to endure “the direst stress”?
    Ans: Optimism is a determination to overcome difficulties. It raises one’s spirits and helps one overcome stress and difficulty with ease. The story displays courage and optimism throughout. Survival happens only because of the optimistic struggle that the family carries on with.
    The level of perseverance in the author rises when Jonathan says, “we’re not afraid of dying if we can all be together. Besides, the caricatures of him and Mary, drawn by Sue, helps his determination and optimism to grow many folds. The positive outlook of the children infuses positivity in the narrator. He rigorously calculates their position and finally asks Larry to steer a course of 185 degrees. Though he had lost all hope by then, he did not show it and optimistically told Larry that they would spot the island by about 5 P.M. Fortunately, their struggle and optimism pays off and they manage to find Ile Amsterdam by evening.
    
    
23. What lesson do we learn from the hazardous experience of life. Suggest in support of the text - “We're not afraid to die...” .
    Ans: From the hazardous experience of life we learn to live in all circumstances. Hazards give us courage to fight with all the circumstances. It also gives us optimism as the narrator and his family along with two other crew members set their sail for round the world voyage. They started after making all the plans meticulously but still the circumstance did not favour them and they were close to death, but they did not lose hope and kept on fighting till the end, thus landing up safely. This taught them courage and developed the feeling of togetherness even more. Now they were ready to face even the most adverse situation of life.

Hornbill Chapter-1

The Portrait of a Lady

by: Khushwant Singh

Summary

 

Khushwant Singh draws here an interesting portrait of his grandmother. He presents her as a tender, loving and deeply religious old lady. Singh says that his grandmother was an old woman. She was so old that her face was wrinkled that at the present it was difficult to believe she would ever had been young and pretty. Her hair was white as snow. She had a little stoop in her back. She could be seeing reciting her rosary all the time. The author says that "she was like the winter landscape in the mountains and expanse of pure white serenity breathing peace and contentment."

A picture of author's grandfather was hung on the wall. He appeared too old and it was that he never had a wife. He appeared to have only lots and lots of grandchildren. Singh was the only child at that time. His parents had gone to live in the city leaving him behind the village under the care of his grandmother. She would get him ready for school. And would also feed him with Chappathi. The School as attached with a temple. All the children sat in the verandah reciting alphabets while his grandmother is engaged reading holy scriptures. Finally in the evening, the author and the grandmother would walk back home feeding the dogs.

After a friendly relationship with his grandmother, he had to adopt a new life in the city. This itself was a turning point for the grandmother and the grandson. Both of them was sent for to settle down in the city with his parents. The author went to an English school but the grandmother never liked the way he was taught. Though Singh and his grandmother shared the same room, she was unable to help him. Apart from this, she was also disappointed that he was learning music that she considered not for gentlefolks. In due course, Singh went up to a University and because of that, he was given a separate room. This indeed made the common link of their relationship snapped down completely. The grandmother agreed the fact and she used to spin the wheel from sunrise to sunset to compensate that. Only during the afternoon she would relax by feeding the sparrows with little pieces of bread. They were her best friends and the sparrows also liked her company.

Later, Singh went up abroad for higher studies which was for 5 long years. He had a doubt in his mind that whether his grandmother may survive or not until he come back. His also taught that it might e the last physical contact between them when she came in the railway station to see him off. After 5 years he came back, incredibly he was welcomed by his grandmother who was not grown a single day older. Singh noticed that even at this time when everyone was joyful about his return, grandmother's happiest moments was with her sparrows.

Later in the evening there was a change in her attitude. She celebrated the return of her grandson by collecting some women of neighbourhood and beating drum for several hours. But in the morning, grandmother's health deteriorated and she revealed that she was nearing her end. So she decides that she is not going to waste a single moment by talking so she prayed. Quite suddenly, the rosary falls from her hand and she exhaled her last breath and it was clear that she was no more. After making the preparations for the funeral, the family members went to fetch her body for the last journey. The golden blaze of light of the setting sun glittered her room. And to pay the last homage to the grandmother, thousands of sparrows gathered in and around her room. The sparrows never did cheered nor did they do anything normal. They don't even bother to notice the bread pieces thrown at them. Along with her funeral, the sparrows flew away.

Examination Style Questions:

1. Why was it hard for the author to believe that his grandmother was once young and pretty?
   Ans: The author had only seen and known his grandmother as an old woman. It had been the same situation for twenty years. As a child, therefore, he found it hard to believe that she was young and pretty once upon a time.
   
   
2. Write three reasons why the author's grandmother was disturbed when he started going to the city school?
   Ans: The three reasons are as follow:
   1. She couldn't teach him as the author was being taught English lessons, law of gravitation of which all grandmother was unaware and because of which she was unable to help him in his studies.
   2. She did not like the idea of learning music in the school as she considered that it was the work of lower backward classes.
   3. She could no more go to leave the author in the school as he used to go by a motor bus in the school.

3. Briefly describe the typical routine of the grandmother when she was in Village and City.
   Ans: During her village life, everyday she would prepare the author for school. She dressed him up,gave him breakfast and would accompany his grandson to school because his school was attached to the temple. While the children learned alphabets and prayer the grandmother would read the scriptures at the temple. But after she came to the city, there wasn't much to do. So she would sit and do some clothing work in her spinning wheel and at the afternoon she would feed the sparrows. These were her routines in both village and city.
   
   
4. What were the three ways in which author's grandmother spent her days after he went to school?
   Ans: (i) Reciting prayers. (ii) Spinning the wheel. (iii) Feeding sparrows. {Explain these three points}
   
   
5. The grandmother had a divine beauty. How does the author bring this out?
   Ans: The author brings out the inner beauty of the grandmother by comparing her to as now covered winter landscape. This comparison shows her calmness and serenity. The author brings it out in the serenity and peacefulness that lit up her face.
   
   
6. Mention the odd way in which the author’s grandmother behaved just before she died.
   Ans: The day when the author arrived from abroad was the day before her death. She broke her routine of praying and sang the songs of the home coming of the warriors on a withered drum along with the ladies of neighbourhood.
   
   
7. How did the grandma shape the grandsons personality? What role did she play?
   Ans: She had played the key role in her grandson's life from his childhood. She is the one who takes care of him from sunrise to sunset. She indirectly teaches him how the person should lead life with god, scriptures and values. That is why grandson has more attachment with his grandmother.
   
   
8. The authors grandmother was a religious person. what are the different ways in which we come to know this?
   Ans: .Her lips constantly moved in inaudible prayers. Possibly she was not beautiful in worldly sense but she looked extremely beautiful with the peacefulness, serenity and the contentment her countenance displayed.
   
   
9. How did Khushwant Singh portray his grandfather in the lesson?
   Ans: Khushwant Singh describes his grandfather as he was painted in the portrait wearing a big turban and loose-fitting clothes, a long white beard covering the best part of his chest and looking at least a hundred years old.

10. Describe the happiest half-hour of the day for the grandmother.
    Ans: For Khushwant Singh's grandmother there was none other pastime and happy activity than that of feeding the sparrows in the afternoon for half an hour. The sparrows could be seen perched on her legs, shoulders and even on her head but were never shooed away by her.

11. The grandmother's reception and send off of her grandson were very touching. Comment.
    Ans: When the write went to abroad, the grandmother saw him off at the railway station silently praying and telling her beads., she kissed his forehead. When he returned, she expressed her joy by collecting the women of neighbourhood and singing for hours of the homecoming of warriors. For the first time she missed her prayers.
    
    
    Long Answer type questions:
    
    
12. Mention the three phases of the author's relationship with his grandmother before he left the country to study abroad .

Ans: The author’s relationship with his grandmother went through several changes with time. In the first stage living in a village with her, his grandmother took care of all the needs of the child. She was quite active and agile. It was her domain and she was the queen of her kingdom. In this period she was the sole unchallenged guardian, mentor and creator of the child.
The turning point came in their relationship when they came to city to stay with the author’s parents. In city, he joined an English School and started to go to school in a motor bus. Here the role of his grandmother in his bringing up was curtailed a little bit. Now she could not accompany him to the school. Despite taking lot of interest in his studies she could not help him in his lessons because he was learning English, law of gravity, Archimedes’ principle and many more such things which she could not understand and this made her unhappy. She found herself at loss as she could not change the things her way. She was dismayed and withdrew herself to some extent. Perhaps she had realized that in the makeover of the child, her role was finished and this very thought saddened her most. After finishing school, the author went to university after which he was given a room of his own thus breaking the existing link of friendship.

13. Based on your reading of the chapter, what impression do you form about the grandmother?
Ans: She was short, fat and slightly stooped in stature. Her silvery white hair used to scatter on her wrinkled face. Khushwant Singh remembers her hobbling around the house in spotless white clothes with one hand resting on her waist to balance her stoop and the other busy in telling the beads of her rosary. She was the lone caretaker of her grandson when they were in village. She fulfilled her responsibilities with utmost devotion. But in the second phase of her relation with her grandson she started feeling bit dejection because of the seclusion she was witnessing in city. She was no longer able to spend time with her grandson resulting in feeling of solitude. She found another way of passing her time. She started feeding sparrows and that became her favourite time of the day. Religious by nature, she followed her daily routine of singing prayers and her rosary beads. Kindness and politeness was here major characteristics.


14. Grandmother herself was not formally educated but was serious about the author's education. How does the text from the chapter support this?
Ans: The grandmother was quite serious about the education of the author. She woke him up in the morning and got him ready for the school. She washed his wooden slate. She plastered it with yellow chalk. She tied his earthen ink-pot and red-pen in to bundle. She took him to school. He studied in school and she waited for him. She read the scriptures in the temple nearby.
In the city, the author went to an English medium school in a motor bus. When he came back, she would ask him what teacher had taught him. She could not help him in his lessons. She did not believe in the things taught at the school. She was distressed to learn that he was taught about music. She considered it unfit for the gentle folk. For her, it was only for harlots.


15. Gradually the author and the grandmother saw less of each other and their friendship was broken. Was the distancing deliberate or due to the demand of the situation?
Ans: When the author was a young boy, his parents shifted to the city leaving him with his grandmother. They were good friends. She was with him though the day and she even accompanied him to and from the school. But when his parents had settled in the city, they sent for them. This proved to be a turning point in their friendship. The only thing that remained unchanged was that they shared their common room. She could not accompany him to the school as he went by the school bus. He was now in an English school, where they taught him about science. The fact fact they were not taught about God and scriptures made her unhappy. His music lessons in school made her feel worse as she considered it as the work of harlots. But it was when he went to the university and got a separate room and that their ties were severed further. This was not deliberate but the situations adversely affected their relationship.


16. Elucidate the phrase 'not pretty but beautiful' with reference to the chapter.
Ans: The grandmother was short, fat, old and slightly bent. For the last twenty years she looked the same and to him she seemed too old to age further. It was difficult for him to imagine that she could have been young and pretty. But to him, she was beautiful in a pristine and peaceful way. He remembered her telling the beads of her rosary, untiringly. Her silver locks lay scattered untidily over her pale, puckered face, and her lips constantly moved in an inaudible prayer. She was like the winter landscape in the mountains, serene and content.