MY MOTHER AT SIXTY SIX

Paraphrase: While driving from her mothers home to Cochin airport she has a glance on her mother who was sitting beside her in the car. To her dismay and worry her mouth was open and her pale face was as lifeless as a dead body. The scene brings back her childhood fear of losing her mother. In a bid to drive away that fear she looks through the widow of the car. She sees the young trees running behind and the children rushing out of their homes into the street merrily. Symbolizing the fast running off life and inescapable decay of human childhood and youth. Particularly her mothers old age, frail and unhealthy state and imminent death upset and agonize her. Meanwhile she reaches the airport. After the security check is over she once again looks at her mothers face. She is still motionless. It resembles her as foggy and misty as late s winters moon. Same childhood fear once again seizes her. She could not say more than that she would meet her soon. Hiding her own grief and fear she just smiled and smiled.

Q. WHY HAS THE POET BOUGHT IN THE IMAGE OF THE MERRY CHILDREN SPILLING OUT OF
THEIR HOMES? A. The poet is bringing out the contrast between her mother's weakness & frailty and the blossoming life around by bringing in young trees sprinting and merry children spilling out of their homes.

Q. What does the "familiar ache" refer to in the poem? A The poet is pained to see her mother old and suffering. The sight of her mothers pale and
weak face looks like that of a corpse, which arouses her childhood'sfamiliar ache in her heart.

Q.why are the growing trees described as sprinting

A. the poet recollects her days when she was young and energetic, but the days past as fast as the trees were running behind when she was on her way to the air port with her mother. the trees symbolizes..

THE LAST LESSON

Summary Franz didnt want to go to school that day as his French teacher Mr Hamel was supposed to take the test for Participles and Franz was not prepared for it even he did not know the first word of participles. Franz was afraid of M Hamels ruler and being scolded. Anyhow he decided to go to school. On the way he passed through the Town Hall and he noticed lots of people were gathered around notice board. Franz didnt bother to stop and see the notice as he was well aware that this board had always been serving the bad news about the war. Blacksmith told him no need to hurry for school but Franz thought he was making fun of him. On Reaching School he was surprised to see the changed environment, there was no noise as usual, no chanting sound of lesson by students, it seemed to be a Sunday morning. All students were already in their class room. M Hamel was walking with his iron ruler under his arm. Franz was frightened to enter in class as he thought that he would be scolded badly as he was very late but to his surprise, M Hamel did not say anything to him, rather he said to him very politely Go to your place quickly little Franz, were beginning without you. After sitting on his seat Franz noticed that teacher was wearing his beautiful green coat, frilled shirt with a little black silk cap having embroidery on it, this type of dress usually he wore on function or prize ceremonies. Franz noticed that the other villager including old Hauser, former Mayor and former post master were also present in class they were in the last seats. He could understand until finally M Hamel announced the notice which was served from Berlin that now onwards no French would be taught in schools of Alsace and Lorraine, only German would be taught in the schools of these two French cities and he requested students to be attentive for their last French lesson. Franz now realized that what was there on notice board in Town Hall. These words fell on Franz like a thunder clap. He couldnt believe it would be his last lesson today. He didnt learn, never paid attention to his French lesson, he hardly knew how to write it. He was repenting not to learn it on time, instead of studying he would go for other pleasant activities, his perspective about his books changed immediately, the books which used to seem him like burden now those books seem to him like an old friends which he could give up. Even his thoughts for his teacher M. Hamel changed thinking as he would never see him again as it was his last day, he forgot about this cranky nature and his cruel ruler. Now he realized that the teacher had wore this dress in honor of his last lesson. He also understood why older people were presented in class as they were repenting why they never worry to go to school and they were there to show their respect to their teacher, who served them for forty years. When Franzs name was called to recite the lesson, he made mistake and could even speak few words just opposite to his thinking teacher did not scold him rather he preached him that one should not waste his precious time just by live in impression that there is plenty of time and postponing the important things, how would they feel when someone will taunt on them that they were not able to speak or write the French despite of being Frenchmen. Teacher did not put all blame on him but he also blamed the parents who never bothered to send their children to school to study instead they put their children to work on farms

and mill to earn extra money. Even he blamed himself that he often would send his pupils to water his plants instead of study at school and he would declare a holiday whenever he wanted to go to fishing. Teacher further said about the French language that it was the most beautiful, clearest and most logical language of the world. People should stick with their language it may be proven to the key to their prison in case they are enslaved by some other country. A magic had happened that day in class the students understood everything very clearly, because they were more attentive and teacher was more patient and polite on that day. Finally with very heavy heart, M Hamel stood up he was very sad, he walked to the black board, took a chalk and wrote on it Vive La France which means Long Live France .

THE TIGER KING

- Kalki This story is about the Tiger King, the Maharaja of Pratibandapuram, who was known for his indomitable courage. I A prophesy and a great miracle The crown prince of the kingdom of Pratibandapuram was rumored to have miraculously spoken his first words when he was just ten days old. His words proved his intelligence, inquisitiveness and bravery to the astrologers. The astrologers prophesized that though the young prince will grow up to be the mightiest of kings, a tiger will cause his death. II The education and coronation of Jung Jung Bahadur British dominance and its effect on the royalty of India had a huge impact on the kind of education given to princes across the country. Even the prince of Pratibandapuram drank the milk of an English cow, was brought up by an English nanny, tutored in English by an Englishman, saw nothing but English films. He was crowned king at the age of twenty. The killing of the first tiger and acceptance of the challenge The prince grew up to become arrogant but brave Maharaja of Pratibandapuram. As the stories of his foretold but long forgotten end resurfaced, he searched and killed his first tiger to show his superiority and rebellion against fate. Considering this to be his victory over his destined future, he called upon the state astrologer. The latter informed him that he had no life threat from the first ninetynine of his hunted tigers but it was the hundredth one that he needed to protect himself from. Nevertheless, the Maharaja decided to kill at least hundred tigers as a challenge against this foretold destiny. III Maharajas obsession with tigers

The Maharajas sole aim of life became the hunt of tigers. This obsession led him to restrict to himself the right to kill all the tigers in the tiger-rich forests of Pratibandapuram. He even issued a proclamation that anybody who dared even to think evil of any of the tigers in the state would be liable to confiscation of wealth and property. To achieve the aim of killing hundred tigers, he neglected all his duties as a king. A gift of fifty rings to duraisani In keeping with this vow, the Maharaja out rightly denied even a British official, durai, who desired to hunt down a tiger. The durais sole aim was to get his photograph clicked with a tiger 's corpse and a gun over his shoulders. However, fearing the British wrath and to safeguard his kingdom, he readily sent fifty diamond rings to the British official 's wife. But since she kept all the fifty rings instead of one as intended, he had to bear an expense of three lakh rupees. IV Tigers extinct in Pratibandapuram Ten years saw the corpses of seventy tigers in the forests of Pratibandapuram. Gradually, the forests became bereft of tigers. The maharaja decided to get married So, he married a princess of the state that had the maximum number of tigers. Through this alliance, he acquired access to his father-in-laws forests. Soon his score of tiger killing rose to ninety-nine but stagnated thereafter, as the tigers became extinct there too. V The search for the hundredth tiger & Maharajas fury Though all the forests were searched exhaustively, the hundredth tiger could not be found. This wait made the maharaja gloomy, haughty and impatient. Soon a village reported frequent incidences of sheep disappearance. It was supposed that a wild tiger was the reason. The Maharaja was delighted with the news and exempted the village from all taxes for three years. Soon an expedition was set out to kill this tiger. However, the tiger could not be found. In his rage, Maharaja fired many of his officials from their jobs and doubled the land tax of the villagers. When the dewan tried to reason it out with the Maharaja, he was asked to resign. Dewans plan - the hundredth tiger! Scared of losing his job, the dewan devised a plan. He got a tiger brought from Madras and, secretly yet intelligently, left it in the forest where the Maharajas expedition was going on. On spotting this tiger, the Maharaja shot directly at the pale and fragile tiger, which fell in a crumpled heap. Maharajas misconception

Maharaja, elated with his victory, left for his state. However, as the hunters took a closer look at the tiger, they found that the tiger had collapsed merely at the sound of the bullet. Distressed with the thought of losing their jobs, the hunters killed the tiger themselves and, as ordered by the Maharaja, took the dead tiger in a grand procession through the town and buried it.