The Last Lesson Summary | Flamingo

Brief Introduction
’The last lesson’ written by Alphonse Daudet narrates about the year 1870 when the Prussian
forces under Bismarck attacked and captured France. The French districts of Alsace and
Lorraine went into Prussian hands. The new Prussian rulers discontinued the teaching of
French in the schools of these two districts The French teachers were asked to leave. Now M.
Hamel could no longer stay in his school. Still he gave lesson to his students with utmost
devotion and sincerity as ever. One such student of M. Hamel, Franz who dreaded French
class and M. Hamel’s iron rod, came to the school that day thinking he would be punished as
he had not learnt his lesson on participles. But on reaching school he found Hamel dressed in
his fine Sunday clothes and the old people of the village sitting quietly on the back benches.
It was due to an order from Berlin. That was the first day when he realized for the first time
that how important French was for him, but it was his last lesson in French. The story depicts
the pathos of the whole situation about how people feel when they don’t learn their own
language. It tells us about the significance of one’s language in one’s life for the very
existence of a race and how important it is to safeguard it.

Gist of the lesson

 Franz is afraid of going to school as he has not learnt participles.
 He wants to enjoy beauty of nature. The bright sunshine, the birds chirruping in the
woods, Prussian soldiers drilling but resisted.
 Bulletin board: all bad news, lost battles, the drafts and orders of the commanding
officers: wondered what it could be now
 The changes he noticed in the school.
 Instead of noisy classrooms everything was as quiet as Sunday morning
 The teacher does not scold him and told him very kindly to go to his seat
 The teacher dressed in his Sunday best.
 Villagers occupying the last benches
 To pay tribute to M. Hamel for his 40 yrs of sincere service and also to express their
solidarity with France.
 Hamel making the announcement that that would be the last French lesson; realizes
that, that was what was put up on the bulletin board.
 Franz realizes that he does not know his own mother tongue
 Regretted why he had not taken his lessons seriously.
 Also realizes the reason why teacher was dressed in his Sunday best and villagers
sitting at the back.
 Hamel realizes that all three, the children , the parents and he himself are to be blamed
for losing respect and regard for the mother tongue.
 Always keep the mother tongue close to your heart as it is the key to the prison of
slavery.
 Atmosphere in class: teacher teaching sincerely and patiently, students and others
studying with utmost sincerity.
 Franz wonders sarcastically if Prussians could force pigeons to coo in German.
 Hamel overcome with emotions could not speak and wrote on the black board “Long
Live France”.
Lost Spring Summary Class 12th
Characters
 Saheb-e-Alam: A rag picker
 Mukesh: Son of a bangle maker

Introduction
The story, “Lost Spring” describes the pitiable condition of poor children who have been
forced to miss the joy of childhood due to the socio-economic condition that prevails in this
man-made world. These children are denied the opportunity of schooling and forced into
labour early in life. Anees Jung gives voice to eliminate child labour by educating the
children and to enforce the laws against child labour by the governments strictly. The call is
to end child exploitation and let the children enjoy the days of the spring that bring joy under
their feet.

Summary
I – Sometimes I find a rupee in the garbage. The first part tells the writer’s impressions
about the life of the poor rag pickers. The rag pickers have migrated from Dhaka and found a
settlement in Seemapuri. Their fields and homes had been swept away by storms. They had
come to the big city to find a living. They are poor. The writer watches Saheb every morning
scrounging for “gold” in her neighbourhood. Garbage is a means of survival for the elders
and for the children it is something wrapped in wonder. The children come across a coin or
two from it. These people have desires and ambitions, but they do not know the way to
achieve them. There are quite a few things that are unreachable to them, namely shoes, tennis
and the like. Later Saheb joins a tea stall where he could earn 800 Rupees and all the meals.
The job has taken away his freedom.

II – I want to drive a car.

The second part deals with the life of Mukesh, who belongs to the family of Bangle-makers.
Firozabad is best known for its glass-blowing industry. Nearly 20,000 children are engaged in
this business and the law that forbids child labour is not known here. The living condition and
the working environment is a woeful tale. Life in dingy cells and working close to hot
furnaces make these children blind when they step into the adulthood. Weighed down by the
debt, they can neither think nor find a way to come of out of this trap. The politicians,
middlemen, policemen and bureaucrats will all obstruct their way of progress. The women in
the household consider it as their fate and just follow the tradition. Mukesh is different from
the rest of the folk there. He dreams to become a motor mechanic. The garage is far away
from his house but he shall walk. comes across Mukesh in Firozabad.
Gist of the lesson:
Sometimes I find a rupee in garbage

 The author examines and analyses the impoverished conditions and traditions that
condemn children to a life of exploitation these children are denied an education and
forced into hardships early in their lives.

 The writer encounters Saheb – a rag picker whose parents have left behind the life of
poverty in Dhaka to earn a living in Delhi.

 His family like many other families of rag pickers lives in Seemapuri. They do not
have other identification other than a ration card.

 The children do not go to school and they are excited at the prospect of finding a coin
or even a ten rupee note for rummaging in the garbage.

 It is the only way of earning.

 The writer is pained to see Saheb, a rag picker whose name means the ruler of earth,
Lose the spark of childhood and roams barefooted with his friends.

 From morning to noon the author encounters him in a tea stall and is paid Rs. 800 He
sadly realizes that he is no longer his own master and this loss of identity weighs
heavily on his tender shoulders.

I want to drive a car

 The author then tells about another victim, Mukesh who wants to be a motor
mechanic.

 He has always worked in the glass making industry.

 They are exposed to various health hazards like losing their eyesight as they work in
abysmal conditions, in dark and dingy cells.

 Mukesh’s father is blind as were his father and grandfather before him.

 So burdened are the bangle makers of Firozabad that they have lost their ability to
dream unlike Mukesh who dreams of driving a car.
Deep Water Summary Class 12th English
Introduction
In this story, Douglas talks about his fear of water and how he finally overcomes it with
strong will Power, courage, hard work and firm determination. Once he took courage, the fear
vanished. That Shows most of our fears are baseless. Fear creates dangers where there is
none. The writer’s Experiences further confirm the proverbial truth, “Where there is a will,
there is a way.”

Characters & Places

 Douglas: Narrator of the story
 YMCA Pool: A swimming pool runs by Young Men’s Christian Association
 Yakima: Yakima is a US city located about 60 miles southeast of Mount Rainier in
Washington.

Summary
The story, “Deep Waters” tells us how the writer overcame his fear of water and learned
swimming with sheer determination and will power. He had developed a terror of water since
childhood. When he was three or four years old, the writer had gone to California with his
father. One day on the beach, the waves knocked the child down and swept over him. The
child was terrified but the father who knew, there was no harm, laughed. The experience bred
a permanent fear of water in the child’s sub-conscious mind. Still another incident, more
serious, increased his terror. The writer was trying to learn swimming in the Y.M.C.A.
swimming pool in Yakima. One day while he was waiting for other boys, a big boy suddenly
played a dangerous prank and pushed him into the water. The writer was terribly frightened.
He went down nine feet into the water. When he reached the bottom, he jumped upward with
all his strength. He came up but very slowly. He tried to catch hold of something like a rope
but grasped only at water.

He tried to shout but no sound came out. He went down again. His lungs ached, head
throbbed and he grew dizzy. He felt paralyzed with fear. All his limbs were paralyzed. Only
the movement of his heart told him that he was alive. Again he tried to jump up. But this time
his limbs would not move at all. He looked for ropes, ladders and water wings but all in vain.
Then he went down again, the third time. This time all efforts and fear ceased. He was
moving towards peaceful death. The writer was in peace.

When he came to consciousness, he found himself lying on the side of the pool with the other
boys nearby. The terror that he had experienced in the pool never left him. It haunted him for
years and years to come. It spoilt many of his expeditions of canoeing, swimming and
fishing. It spoilt his pleasures in Maine Lakes, New Hampshire, Deschutes, Columbia and
Bumping Lake etc. But the writer was determined to conquer his terror. He took help of a
swimming instructor to learn swimming. The instructor taught him various actions necessary
in swimming part by part. He put his face under water and exhaled and inhaled raising it
above water. He practiced it for several weeks. He had to kick with his legs a few weeks on
the side of the pool. At last he combined all these actions and made the writer swim. He
learned swimming but the terror continued. So deep goes our childhood experiences! So
fearful is the fear of fear! Whenever he was in water the terror returned. Hence forward the
writer tried to terrorize terror itself. He tried to face the new challenge. When terror came, he
confronted it by asking it sarcastically as to what it can really do to him? He plunged into the
water as if to defy the fear. Once he took courage the terror vanquished. He faced the
challenge deliberately in various places like the Warm Lake. He conquered it at last.

Gist of the lesson:

 William O. Douglas had a desire to learn swimming since childhood.
 At the age of three or four, he was knocked down and buried by a wave at a beach in
California.
 He developed a great aversion to water.
 At the age of ten or eleven he decided to learn to swim with water wings at the
Y.M.C.A pool since it was safe at the shallow end.
 A misadventure:- while sitting alone and waiting for others to come at the Y.M.C.A
pool, a big boy came and threw Douglas into deep end of the pool.
 Douglas swallowed water and went straight down to the bottom of the pool.
 While going down he planned to make a big jump upwards but came up slowly. Tried
to shout but could not.
 As he went down the pool second time, he tried to jump upwards but it was a waste of
energy.
 Terror held him deeper and deeper.
 During the third trial he sucked water instead of air.
 Light was going out and there was no more panic.
 So he ceased all efforts and he became unconscious.
 He crossed to oblivion.
 When revived he found himself vomiting beside the pool.
 He was in grip of fear of water and it deprived him of the joys of canoeing, boating
swimming and fishing.
 Hired an instructor to learn swimming.
 The instructor taught him swimming piece by piece.
 He went to different lakes to swim and found tiny vestiges of fear still gripped him.
 He challenged the fear and swam.
 Swimming up and down the Warm Lake he finally overcame his fear of water.
 He realized that in death there is peace and there is terror only in fear of death.

The Rattrap Summary Class 12th English

Theme
The story is about an old disheartened peddler who is taken in and shown generosity by a
young woman. Her generosity and kindness change his bitter attitude towards life. The
peddler is a man who has fallen upon misfortune and now resorts to selling rattraps, begging,
and thievery. He is very pessimistic about the world around him and sees the world as merely
a “rat trap”. He believes that society tempts us with riches and fine things, and when we
accept, we are caught in the trap and are left with nothing.

The story conveys a universal message that the essential goodness in a human being can be
awakened through love, respect, kindness and understanding. It highlights the human
predicament. Material benefits are the traps that most human beings are prone to fall into.
Human beings do have a tendency to redeem themselves from dishonest ways as does the
peddler at the end of the story.

Setting
This story is set amidst the mines of Sweden, rich in iron ore which figure large in the history
of that country. The story is told somewhat in the manner of a fairy tale.

Characters
1. A peddlar with rattraps.
2. An Oldman: A crofter
3. Master Smith in the Ramsjo Iron Mill in Sweden
4. Helpers in the Mill: blacksmiths
5. Iron mill owner
6. Edla Willmansson – daughter of the Iron Mill owner.

Summary in detail
A rattrap peddler went around selling small rattraps. His clothes were in rags. His cheeks
were hollow. He had the look of a starved man. He made wire traps. He begged the material
from stores and big farms. Sometimes he resorted to begging and a little stealing to survive.
The world had never been kind to him. He had no home, no shelter.

The peddler led a lonely life. One day while he was thinking about his rattraps, an idea struck
him. He thought that the world itself was a rattrap. As soon as anybody touched it, the trap
closed on them. He was amused to think of some people who were already trapped, and some
others who were trying to reach the bait in the trap. It was a cold evening in December. He
reached a cottage on the roadside. He knocked at the door and asked for a night’s shelter. The
owner of the cottage was a lonely old crofter. He wanted someone to talk to. He welcomed
the peddler. He gave the peddler hot porridge to eat, and tobacco to smoke. Then they played
cards. The crofter was generous as well as trustful. He told the peddler that he had a cow and
sold her milk to a creamery. He also told him that he received thirty kronors as payment the
previous month. Then he took down a pouch and showed him the money. Then he put the
money back in the pouch and hung it on a nail in the window frame.

Next morning the peddler left. The crofter locked his cottage, and went away. The peddler
came back to the cottage. He had been tempted to steal the money that hung like a bait in the
window frame. He smashed the pane and stole the money. Now he thought it was not safe to
walk along the public highway. So he went into the woods. There he walked and walked but
could not get out. He moved in circles. He was tired. He looked upon the forest as a rattrap in
which he was caught. He thought his end was near. He lay down to die.
After a while he heard regular thumping of a hammer’s strokes. He knew the sound was
coming from Ramsjo Ironworks. He stood up and walked in the direction of the sound. He
opened the gate of the ironworks and went into the forge. The owner came on his nightly
rounds and noticed the ragged wretch near the furnace. The ironmaster looked intently at the
peddler’s face. He felt sure that the peddler was one of his old regimental comrades, Captain
von Stable who had fallen on evil days. He invited the peddler to go home with him for
Christmas. But the peddler was alarmed. He thought it was risky for him to accept the offer.
He firmly declined it. The ironmaster went home.The ironmaster sent his daughter Edla to
persuade the peddler to come home. She spoke gently to him. The peddler felt confidence in
her and agreed to go with her. On the way he was sorry to have stolen the crofter’s money
that had put him in a trap.

The ironmaster was happy to have his old regimental comrade under his roof. He planned to
feed him well and give him some respectable work. The servant cut the peddler’s hair, shaved
him ad bathed him. The peddler appeared wearing one of the ironmaster’s fine suits. But
when the ironmaster looked at him in daylight, he felt that he had made a mistake. The
peddler was not captain von Stable. He thought that the man had deceived him. He even
thought of handing him to the sheriff. The peddler said that he had not pretended to be what
he was not. He had not been willing to go to the ironmaster’s house. Even then he was willing
to put on his rags and leave. He also told the ironmaster that the world was a rattrap, and he
himself might one day be tempted by a big bait and get caught in the trap. The ironmaster
told him to leave at once. Edla did not like her father’s asking the poor peddler to leave. She
thought it was unfair to turn away the man whom they had invited. She wanted to have the
joy of entertaining a homeless wanderer on Christmas Eve. She stopped the peddler and her
father agreed to it.

Edla served food to the peddler. He was given Christmas presents which he thankfully
received. Edla told him that her father’s suit that the peddler was wearing was also a
Christmas present. She assured him that he would be welcomed again if he liked to spend the
next Christmas Eve with them. Next morning the ironmaster and his daughter went to church.
There they learned that the peddler was a thief. He had robbed the crofter. The ironmaster
was sure that the peddler must have made away with their silver. Edla was dejected. But
when they reached home they learned that the peddler had left. But he had taken away
nothing. On the other hand he had left a Christmas present for Edla. Edla opened the present.
It was a tiny rattrap. Edla was happy to see that the peddler had left the crofter’s money
behind. There was a letter also. It was addressed to Edla. He thanked her for her kindness. He
wanted to repay her kindness. So he had left the crofter’s money and had requested her to
return it to the crofter. He said he had been raised to captain. That was why he could come
out of the rattrap in which he had been caught. He signed the letter Captain von Stable.

Gist of the lesson:

 The peddler was a vagabond who sold rattraps with a little thievery on the side to
make both ends meet. Had no worldly possession to call his own, not even a name

. · It amused him to think of the world as a rattrap.

  Takes shelter at a crofter’s cottage. The crofter welcomed him, gave him diner, shared
his pipe, played ramjolis with him also confided in him about his income and showed
him where he put it.
 Next morning, the Peddler steals the money and takes the back roads to keep away
from people and gets lost in the jungle at night. While he wanders in the forest he
realizes that he has also got caught in the rattrap and that the money was the bait.
 Finally reaches Ramsjo ironworks, where he takes shelter for the night. The
blacksmith and his assistant ignore him but the master mistakes him to be an old
acquaintance and invites him home. Though the Peddler does not correct the
ironmaster, hoping to get some money out of him, he declines his invitation.
 The ironmaster then sends his daughter who persuades him to go home with her. She
notices his uncouth appearance and thinks that either he has stolen something or he
has escaped from jail.
 The Peddler is scrubbed, bathed, given a haircut, a shave and a suit of old clothes of
the ironmaster. In the morning light, the iron master realizes he is mistaken and that
he is not the Captain. He wants to call the Sheriff. The peddler is agitated and breaks
out that the world is rattrap and he too is sure to be caught in it. The ironmaster is
amused but orders him out. The compassionate Edla convinces her father that he
should spend the Christmas day with him.
 The Peddler spends the whole of Christmas Eve eating and sleeping. The next day at
church, Edla and her father come to know that the Peddler is a thief who stole thirty
kroners from the poor crofter.
 Back home, they found a letter addressed to Edla, signed as Captain Von Stahl and a
rattrap as a gift from the crofter. In the rattrap were the three ten kroner notes of the
crofter.

Indigo Summary Class 12th English

Introduction
In this story, Louis describes Gandhi’s struggle for the poor peasants of Champaran who
were the sharecroppers with the British planters. They led a miserable life and were forced to
grow indigo according to an agreement. They suffered a great injustice due to the landlord
system in Bihar. Gandhi waged a war for about a year against their atrocities and brought
justice to the poor peasants.

Characters
 Raj Kumar Shukla: A sharecropper
 Charles Freer Andrews: A follower of Gandhi
 Kasturba: Wife of Gandhi
 Devdas: youngest son of Gandhi

Summary
This story describes Gandhi’s struggle for the poor peasants of Champaran. In those days
most of arable land in the Champaran district was divided into large estate owned by
Englishmen and worked by Indian tenants. The chief commercial crop was Indigo. The
landlords compelled all tenants to plant 15% of their Indigo and surrender the entire Indigo
harvest as rent. This was done by long term contract.

The British didn’t need the Indigo crop any more when Germany had developed synthetic
Indigo. Just to release the peasants from the 15% agreement they demanded compensation.
Some illiterate peasants agreed but the others refused. One of the sharecroppers named Raj
Kumar Shukla met Gandhi in this regard and compelled him to visit Champaran because of
the long term injustice of landlords. Then the two of them boarded a train for the city of Patna
in Bihar. From there Shukla led him to the house of a lawyer named Rajendra Prasad.
Mahatma Gandhi’s humble and simple attire made the servants mistook him as another poor
peasant. He surveyed before taking any vital step in order to get those peasants justice. It was
the time when British government punished those who in any condition gave shelter to
national leaders or protesters.

Gandhi’s arrival and the nature of his mission spread like a wildfire. Many lawyers and
peasant groups came in large numbers to support him. The lawyers accepted the fact that their
charges were high and for a poor peasant it will be irksome. Gandhi rebuked them for
collecting big fee from the sharecroppers. He stressed on counseling as this would give the
peasants enough confidence to fight their fear. He managed to get justice after a yearlong
battle for the peasants. He also made arrangements for the education, health, and hygiene for
the families of the poor peasants. He gave them the lesson of self-reliance

Gist of the lesson:

 Raj Kumar Shukla- A poor sharecropper from Champaran wishing to meet Gandhiji.
 Raj Kumar Shukla – illiterate but resolute, hence followed Gandhiji to Lucknow,
Cawnpore, Ahmedabad, Calcutta, Patna, Muzzafarpur and then Camparan.
 Servants at Rajendra Prasad’s residence thought Gandhiji to be an untouchable.
 Gandhiji considered as an untouchable because of simple living style and wearing,
due to the company of Raj Kumar Shukla.
 Decided to go to Muzzafarpur first to get detailed information about Champaran
sharecropper.
 Sent telegram to J B Kriplani & stayed in Prof Malkani’s home –a government
servant.
 Indians afraid of showing sympathy to the supporters of home rule.
 The news of Gandhiji’s arrival spread –sharecroppers gathered in large number to
meet their champion.
 Gandhiji chided the Muzzafarpur lawyer for taking high fee.
 Champaran district was divided into estate owned by English people, Indians only
tenant farmers. · Landlords compelled tenants to plant 15% of their land with indigo
and surrender their entire harvest as rent. 87
 In the meantime Germany had developed synthetic indigo –British landlords freed the
Indian farmers from the 15% arrangement but asked them to pay compensation.
 Many signed, some resisted engaged lawyers, and landlords hired thugs.
 Gandhiji reached Champaran –visited the secretary of the British landlord association
to get the facts but denied as he was an outsider
. · Gandhiji went to the British Official Commissioner who asked him to leave Tirhut ,
Gandhiji disobeyed, went to Motihari the capital of Champaran where a vast multitude
greeted him, continued his investigations.

 Visited maltreated villagers, stopped by the police superintendent but disobeyed the
order

. · Motihari black with peasants spontaneous demonstrations, Gandhiji released without bail
Civil Disobedience triumphed.

 Gandhiji agreed to 25% refund by the landowners, it symbolised the surrender of the
prestige

. · Gandhiji worked hard towards social economic reforms, elevated their distress aided by his
wife, Mahadev Desai, Narhari Parikh.

 Gandhiji taught a lesson of self reliance by not seeking help of an English man Mr.
Andrews..

Going Places Summary Class 12th English

Introduction
The theme of this story is adolescent fantasizing and hero worship. It is quite natural for
teenagers to have unrealistic dreams especially when their families are not well off. It is
because of the fact that the socioeconomic background plays a leading role in the lives of the
youths for choosing a particular profession. The act of fantasizing may lead to miseries in
case it is beyond our approach. It is useless to build castles in the air.
Characters
1. Sophie: a school going teenager
2. Jansie: a friend and classmate of Sophie
3. Geoff: an elder brother of Sophie
4. Derek: a younger brother of Sophie
5. Danny Casey: A young Irish football player
6. Tom Finney: A great football player
7. United: name of the football team
8. Father & mother of Sophie

Summary
Sophie, a teenager is filled with fantasies and desires. She comes from a poor financial
background. She dreams of owning a boutique one day or being an actress or fashion
designer but her friend Jansie believes that they are from a poor financial background and
have to work in a biscuit factory. Jansie, who is more realistic, tries to pull Sophie to reality,
but in vain. Sophie lives in a small house with her parents and brothers, Geoff and little
Derek. Though she voices her feelings and desires, her parents don’t believe her because
they, unlike her, are more mature and know the harsh realities of life. Sophie finds a sort of
fascination for her elder brother Geoff, who is tall, strong, handsome and reserved. She
envies his silence and often wonders about his thoughts and areas of his life that she doesn’t
know about. Sophie fantasizes about Danny Casey, an Irish football player whom she had
seen playing in innumerable matches. She makes up a story about how she met him in the
streets and tells this to Geoff. Geoff, who is more sensible than Sophie, does not really
believe her, even if she wants to. It seems an unlikely incident for Sophie to meet the prodigy
in their street, but when Sophie describes the meeting in all her details, he begins to hope that
it could be true. She tells him that Danny has promised to meet her somewhere again. Sophie
gets so pulled into the story she made that she herself begins to believe that it’s true. She
waits for the Irish player, but obviously, he never arrives. Then, she makes her way home,
wondering how her brother would be disappointed on knowing that Danny Casey never
showed up. However, Sophie still fantasizes about her hero, Danny Casey and believes he
would definitely come to meet her.

GIST OF THE LESSON

 The lesson explores the theme of adolescent fantasies and hero worship.
 Sophie and Jansie are both in the last year of high school and both knew that they
were destined to work in the biscuit factory as they belong to a working class family.
 Yet, Sophie, always dreams of big and beautiful things, glamour and glory. 94
 Her ambitions are not rooted in reality i.e., have no relation with the harsh realities of
life.
 In contrast is Jansie, Sophie’s friend, a realistic and practical girl.
 Sophie lives in male-dominated family where her mother was only a shadow. The
men were football fans and the conversations around the dinner table were about
Danny Casey, their Hero.
 Sophie wants some attention from her father and brother and telling them that she met
Casey, was her way of drawing their attention towards her.
 But she carries her fantasies too far when she starts to live them.
My Mother at Sixty Six Summary Class
12th English
Central Idea
Aging is an important phase of human life. A person enters his childhood, experiences youth
when he is full of energy and dreams to have luxury of life. Finally, he approaches his old age
and encounters death. Relationship between people becomes stronger at every aspect of life
and they can’t bear separation due to aging.

In this poem, the poet relates a personal experience. She brings out a common paradox of
human relationships and portrays a sensational separation of a mother and a daughter. She
has been able to capture almost all the emotions which a daughter is filled with, on bidding
farewell to her beloved mother. Sometimes we do feel deep sympathy for someone but we
fail to express it in a proper manner.

Summary
One last Friday morning, the poetess was driving from her parents’ home to the Cochin
airport. Her mother was sitting beside her in the car. She suddenly had a look at her mother.
She found that her mother was dozing with her open mouth. Her face was as pale as that of a
corpse. The poet painfully realized that her mother is not going to live long. This painful
thought haunted her. But soon she tried to put it off by looking out of the car window. She
saw the young trees running past them. She looked at the merry children coming out of their
homes. As she saw life and vitality in the outside world, the painful thought passed away
from her mind.

After reaching the airport, she went through the security check. Her mother was standing
outside a few yards away. After the security check, she looked at her mother again. Her face
was pale white like a late winter’s moon. She felt the old familiar ache of childhood in her
heart which is usually felt by a child due to the fear of separation from his/ her mother. But
she contained herself and kept on smiling in order to conceal her emotions. She spoke no
word to her mother. All that she said was, “See you soon, Amma” and bade good bye to her
mother with a hope to see her again.

Main points
1. Poetess travelling to Cochin airport with her mother in a car.
2. Looks at the wan, pale face of her dozing mother.
3. Old fear of loosing her mother returns.
4. Sprinting trees and merry children provide the contrast and relief.
5. After the security check the old familiar ache returns.
6. Tries to hide her emotions by smiling.
7. Bids good bye to her mother with a hope to see her again.
An Elementary School Classroom in a Slum
Summary Class 12th English
Theme
In this poem, Stephen Spender deals with the theme of social injustice and class inequalities.
He presents the theme by talking of two different and incompatible worlds. The world of the
rich and the civilized has nothing to do with the world of narrow lanes and cramped holes.
The gap between these two worlds highlights social disparities and class inequalities.

Central Idea
Stephen Spender has presented a true picture of the life of the school children living in the
slum of Tyrolese Valley of Austrian Alpine Province. The children are in a very miserable
condition due to their poverty and illiteracy. They are depressed. Their pale faces express
sadness. They look lean, skinny and bonny. They are like rootless weeds which can’t resist
anything for their existence. They are physically very weak and under nourished. Spender
voices his concern for these children who live all their life in slums and have no opportunity
to enjoy the real blessings of life. He makes a frantic appeal to the educated and affluent
sections of the society to better the lot of the slum children through education. It will remove
social injustice and class inequality.

Detailed Analysis of the Poem

Stanza – 1

The poem describes an elementary school class room in a slum. These slum children look
very pathetic. Their faces are pale and reflect sadness. They are ‘like rootless weeds’ as they
lack proper nutrition. Moreover, they are unwanted plants which grow on their own without
being cared for, totally neglected. The tall girl has a ‘weighed – down head’ as she is
burdened with the load of poverty. In fact she is so subdued and suppressed that her head had
bowed down with the burden of her misfortunes. The ‘paper thin’ – extremely thin boy has
‘rat’s eyes’ because the poor undernourished boy is deprived of all the basic amenities of life.
He is timid like a rat and full of anxiety, he searches for food and security. This unfortunate
boy suffers from malnutrition and his growth is also ‘stunted’ not properly developed. He has
also inherited from his father ‘twisted bones’ – bent and distorted bones. He has inherited the
poverty, disease and despair from his parents. His body is also deformed because of the
twisted bones which he has inherited. He appears to be as sick as his parents. There is a sweet
tender looking student who sits at the back of the class. This boy is different from the others
as ‘his eyes live’ in a dream – he is dreaming and probably thinking about a better future. He
is lost in his own world, therefore, not sad like the others. This boy thinks of the ‘squirrel’s
game’ (metaphor). He wants to enjoy and play freely like the squirrel in the garden outside.
The squirrel climbs trees and hides in their holes. The boy also dreams to be free but he
cannot as he must sit in the dull and dreary classroom. In the boys imagination ‘tree room’ –
the hollow in a tree, is full of fun, curiosity and mystery. This is in contrast to the gloomy
classroom.

Stanza – 2

The classroom is not well maintained. The pale cream walls which were painted long ago
with the help of donations, make the place look more miserable and sad. Probably there is a
portrait of Shakespeare on the wall. This is ironical as it is put up in a place where there is no
serious teaching. ‘Cloudless dawn’ and ‘civilized dome’ suggest the monotonous life in the
slum. These slums are surrounded by the civilized city and the children cannot experience the
beauty of the sky at dawn and are unaware of it. All around them are concrete structures of
the cities. The life in the slum contrasts with the cloudless sky at dawn and concrete
structures which override the cities. There is also a picture of a beautiful valley full of sweet
fragrant flowers and these children of the slum will never be able to experience this beauty.
They are deprived of this beauty as they are condemned to live in the slums amidst garbage.
The ‘open-handed map’ in the classroom contrasts with their world. The world given to us by
god is full of all the bounties whereas the world of these slum children is full of poverty and
hunger. The world which they see is not the real world. Their world is confined to the narrow,
dusty streets of the slum. The map in the classroom gives them hopes and aspirations and
motivates them to explore the world but they will never be able to see that world. These
children can get the glimpse of the outside world from the windows and it is far beyond their
reach. They are far away from nature. These slum children have a bleak and foggy future in
store for them. ‘Their future is painted with a fog’ – it is blurred by hopelessness. There is no
hope for the slum children. Instead of the normal blue sky they live under the ‘lead sky’ –
dark and dull, polluted – shows there is no hope for them. The atmosphere hints at their
monotonous life and the slum children remain confined throughout their lives confined to the
filth and dirt of the narrow slum streets. They are away from the glory of natural beauty of
the rivers, mountains, stars etc.

Stanza 3

The children of the slum are fighting the battle of life unarmed. They are troubled by disease
and despair. For them Shakespeare is ‘wicked’ and ‘map’ a bad example’. The literary
excellence of Shakespeare and the scenic beauty portrayed in the map cannot relieve them
from their despair. For these slum children, literary excellence is a far-fetched thing and
hence seems wicked. The map on the wall gives them false aspirations as it makes them
aware of the beautiful world given by god. The world of these children is confined to the
narrow streets of the slums. Therefore, map is ‘a bad example’. They feel cheated in being
deprived of the thrilling sensations of the sun, the ships, and the emotions of love. The ‘ship’,
‘sun’ and ‘love’ symbolize joy and happiness which these children are deprived of. Their
only experience is that of hunger and poverty. To reach out to the world beyond, these
children are sometimes tempted to adopt wrong means even stealing to fulfill their dreams.
These slum children live in cramped holes, striving and struggling for survival in the small,
dirty rooms from ‘fog to endless night’ – from foggy mornings till long endless nights, trying
to meet both ends. The slum children live on ‘slag heaps’ – piles of waste material. Their
world is full of dirt and garbage. These children are very weak and undernourished. They
look like skeletons as their bones peep through their thin skin.

They wear ‘spectacles of steel with mended glass’ – discarded spectacles by the rich, mended
(repaired) and worn. Their life is like ‘bottle bits on stones – shattered and broken like bits of
bottle on a stone. They are deprived of even the basic amenities of life. Their world is
comprised of the foggy slums where they live nightmares. Slums are the reality for these
children, their home, where they spend their life. The maps displayed in their classroom are
no reality for them. They cannot locate their slum in that map. It is urgently required to give
these slum inhabitants means and opportunities to lead a dignified and civilized life.

Stanza – 4

The elementary school in the slum exists for name sake. The infrastructure is poor with
hardly any serious teaching. The school springs in activity only when a governor, a school
inspector or a visitor comes on a round of the school. The administrative machinery of the
school also gears up at that time. Then the map becomes their window from where they can
see the world beyond their slums. Since they are confined to the slums, these sights and
glimpses are shut upon them as they are deprived of all opportunities and means. Their lives
are shut up in the cemeteries of these slums where they slither and slog to make both ends
meet. The poet hopes that these children will break free from their morbid life, from the
chains of the slums. He appeals to those in power to liberate these children from the
miserable slums and enable them to breathe in the fresh, beautiful and healthy environment
away from the foggy slums. They should be able to bask in the open green fields and let them
run free on the golden sands. Their world should not be confined to the horrendous and gory
slums. The poet visualizes freedom for these children. He wants a carefree life where they get
economic and social justice, where they have the right to be happy. These slum children
should be able to enjoy the fundamental right of education otherwise their lives will be
miserable. They should be able to learn not from the books alone but also from the world, the
nature around them.

The poet ends on a note of positivity and wants opportunities to be available to these
children. The people who strive for knowledge are the ones who create history. The ones who
are let free are the ones who will create history. People who outshine others, who glow like
the sun, who break free from the constraints of their restricted life are the ones who create
history and that of diseases are ‘twisted bones,

Keeping Quiet Summary

Introduction
The poet talks about the necessity of quiet introspection as it can develop a feeling of mutual
understanding among human beings.

Theme
It is basically an anti-war poem. The poet is deeply concerned about violence, cruelty to
animals and plight of manual workers. The poet offers a very simple solution to many of our
social, political and religious problems. The solution is self-introspection. If it is acted upon,
it will be the first major step towards uniting people. The second step is that everyone should
look within and analyse what is wrong and who is the wrong doer. This will cleanse every
heart and ennoble all people.
Summary
This poem advocates the importance of silence and self-introspection. It can transform not
only the life of an individual but also the face of the earth. The poet says that it does not need
much time to look within and examine oneself. It will take only as long as it will take to
count to twelve. During this time of introspection (self-examination), one should keep quiet
and say nothing at all. It will give him a strange feeling of togetherness with all others.

Although it may seem a little strange in the beginning, it will eventually bring us all together.
This silence will be free from ‘the disturbing sounds of engines and people rushing to get
their work done’ for some time. He feels contended imagining the change that will be brought
about in those moments. The men who hurt their hands while collecting salt will get a little
rest. Even the people who seek fresh wars, using fatal gas and weapons, will put on clean
clothes and get a chance to walk among their brothers.

They will lead a hatred-free and calm life, giving a halt to their destructive activities.

The poet clarifies that his wish should not be considered as a case for “total inactivity”. He
only wants to interrupt the sad, cruel and baleful activities of the world for a few moments
and make the people introspect their actions. In fact what he says is connected with life, not
with death. Activity is very essence of life. Inactivity is death but for a fresh, better and useful
activity, a little stillness is essential.

The poet uses the image of the earth to show how life exists in seemingly dormant things. In
winter, the earth becomes so still and silent that it seems to be dead. But later in spring, it
seems to be lively again. It has new beauties and colours added to it. Similarly, after a little
quietness and silence, man can resume his activities in a fresh and better manner.

Main points
1. The poem talks about the necessity of quiet introspection.
2. It will help people to understand themselves & will create the feeling of mutual love
& relationship.
3. By quiet introspection, the poet doesn’t mean total inactivity; instead he wants full
involvement with life.
4. The reason for the discard & war is the imbalance between man & nature.
5. Quiet introspection will establish a spiritual & physical union that is most desirable
for the survival of the earth & of human beings.

A Thing of Beauty Summary Class 12th

Background
The poem is based on a Greek legend in which Endymion a handsome young shepherd and
poet who lived on Mount Latmos, had a vision of Cynthia, the moon goddess. The enchanted
youth resolved to seek her out and so wandered away through the forest and down under the
sea.
Central Idea
Beauty is a heavenly tonic/drink – an endless fountain of nectar. This beauty comes in
different forms– a tale, a poem, a play, a lovely object of nature or the heavenly bodies. It
soothes our spirits and gives us good health, sound sleep and mental peace. It removes
sadness from our lives and gives an everlasting joy.

Summary
A beautiful thing is a source of eternal joy, its loveliness grows with the passage of time and
its impact never fades away. It is as soothing as a cool shade. It never passes into
nothingness. It gives us good health, sound sleep and mental peace. It provides the beholder
with a haven of tranquility and solace.

Man and nature are inseparable. It is the beauty of nature that keeps us attached to this earth.
Every morning we collect fresh lovely flowers and prepare garlands. They refresh our moods
and we forget our worries for a while.

Every person gets a bitter taste of sorrow, suffering and grief. Disease, disappointments and
misfortunes give us mental and physical suffering. It is the beautiful things that remove the
pall of sadness from our lives and make us happy and hopeful.

All beautiful things of nature are a boon for human beings. The sun, the moon, the trees,
daffodils, simple sheep, clear streams, forests ferns, musk rose etc. provide us peace and
happiness. In addition to these lovely objects of nature, there are plays and poems to lift our
spirits. The glorious achievements of mighty heroes and magnificent rewards by God on the
day of judgement for those mighty men, lovely tales of olden days are endless source of
everlasting joy. The poet feels that nothing can surpass the beauty of nature. They are an
elixir of life. They are like an endless fountain that pours immortal drink from the heaven into
our hearts. So beauty is a gift of God and it gives us joy forever.

Main points
1. The beautiful things of nature are permanent source of joy and make our lives sweet.
2. A thing of beauty is a joy forever.
3. It does not pass into nothingness but its beauty keeps on increasing.
4. It gives us sound sleep and good health;
5. This world is full of frustrations, disappointments and dearth of noble people.
6. These make our life gloomy and sad.
7. But things of beauty remove the pall and sadness from our spirits.
8. Nature is a constant source of happiness for human beings.
9. The beautiful things are – sheep, daffodils, clear streams, musk roses and forest
thickets.
10. These things soothe and make us happy.
11. Stories of heroes who have died in peace of war are also things of beauty and have a
stimulating effect.
12. But the beauties of nature are lovelier than all the lovely tales and are like the
immortal drink from heaven.
Aunt Jennifer’s Tigers Summary Class 12th
English
Introduction
Adrienne Rich was brought up in a well off family. Rich felt dominated by her father’s strong
personality while growing up. It was he who most guided her as a young poet. This wasn’t
always to her liking as he expected her to write her poems his way. When Rich was growing
up men dominated and women were expected to become dutiful wives in their adult lives. All
these elements may have influenced the picture of marriage Rich drew in this poem. At the
heart of the poem is an image of a husband who controls and frightens his wife. Rich wrote a
lot of poems based on everyday experience. One topic she often featured was the tension,
women felt due to being dominated by their husbands. In ‘Aunt Jennifer’s Tigers’ Rich is
mocking the weakness of Aunt Jennifer and the clout and authority of Jennifer’s husband in
their marriage.

Summary
In the poem ‘Aunt Jennifer’s Tigers’ a woman expresses her suppressed feelings through her
art. Aunt Jennifer is the victim of the male dominated society. She has no one to tell her
mental and physical pain. She makes a picture to convey her deep feelings. The speaker
describes the tigers which her aunt produced on the panel. They are set in motion. They are
moving quickly by raising the front legs and jumping forwards on the back legs. In the green
jungle they look free, bright, brave, fearless and magnificent. There are men sitting under the
tree, but the tigers do not. They move on to their goal boldly and smoothly. Jennifer finds it
difficult to make pictures by using the ivory needle. She is tired of doing the household work
after she got married. She can’t get herself involved in her artistic work. She has to do it in
her leisure time. Even then she has to be sure whether her husband is watching her or not. So
her hands are terrified. She will not be free from fear until she dies. She will be dominated by
her husband. She will die, but her art will express her desire to move proudly and fearlessly
like the tigers she has made.

Main points
1. In this poem, the poet addresses the constraints of married life, experienced by a
woman.
2. Aunt Jennifer weaves tigers into the panel. These tigers are brave & have no fear of
men.
3. Aunt Jennifer is terrified by her dominating husband. Her finger flutters due to the
mental suppression. She is not happy with her married life.

4. She will die but her art will express her desire to move proudly and fearlessly like the
tigers she has made.
Memories of Childhood Summary
Introduction
The chapter contains two extracts from two different autobiographical episodes from the lives
of two women – Zitkala Sa and Bama. Both are victims of social discriminations. Zitkala Sa
is the victim of racial discrimination whereas Bama is the victim of caste discriminations. In
both the extracts, the writers look back on their childhood and reflect on their relationship
with mainstream culture which illtreated them when they were child. But both the accounts
are not simple narratives of oppression. Rather they reveal how oppression was resisted by
both the narrators in their own ways. Zitkala-Sa and Bama were very young but not so young
that they would not understand the evil scheme of the mainstream culture. The injustice of
their society did not escape their notice also. Their bitter childhood experience sowed the
seeds of rebellion in them earlier on.

Both the accounts are based in two distant cultures. The first is that of Native Americans and
the second is that of the Tamil Dalits. But the commonality that brings them closer is the fact
that in both cases, the mainstream culture marginalized the underprivileged section of that
society. This gave rise to the conflict between the mainstream culture and the marginalized
community, which is exquisitely showcased in ‘Memories of Childhood’.

1.The Cutting of My Long Hair

Characters
1. Gertrude Simmons: the narrator of the story
2. Zudewin: a friend of Gertrude Simmons
3. A pale-faced woman: a teacher or a member of staff at the Carlisle Indian Industrial
School in Carlisle.

Theme
It highlights the despise, racial discrimination and unhealthy treatment towards the humanity
in general and women in particular.

Introduction
This account relates to an American Indian woman who becomes the victim of racial
discrimination. She is admitted to a school where native Indians do not get respect, honour,
dignity and due weightage in America. She is forced by the whites to follow their traditions
and traits. Simmons is dragged out and tied to a chair to shingle out her long hair. She cries,
struggles, kicks, resists, shows reluctance and she ultimately feels like one of the many
animals driven by a herder.

Summary
This extract is a painful revelation of a particular period of the life which the writer had to
suffer during her hostel days. It was the first day of her boarding school situated in the land of
apples. The children were given the task of apple picking in the bitter and biting cold. They
were taken to the breakfast hall and the girl was feeling stressed. She did not know the table
manners. She was being watched very carefully by a strange pale-faced woman. The girl felt
very fearful and insulted. Her friend who could understand some English, told her that the
pale strange woman intended to cut her long hair. Zitkala-Sa learned from her mother that
hair would be shingled only for the unskilled warrior, cowards and mourners. She decided to
fight back and got herself hidden in a dim room under the bed. Everybody looked for her and
called her name but eventually caught. Her long hair was cut, although she resisted a lot. She
spent her rest of the life there like a small animal being a part of a herd, which was driven by
a herder.

GIST OF THE LESSON PART –I

o The first part deals with the account of Simmons, An American Indian, who fought against
the prejudices of the society against American Indians.

o She describes her experiences on her first day at the Carlisle Indian School.

o The customs and rules of the place were strange and new to her.

o She was forced to wear clothes that were considered undignified in her culture.

o At breakfast, she was embarrassed as she did not know the routine of the place.

o When she comes to know that they were planning to cut her hair, she protests by hiding
under the bed, even though she knew it was futile. In her culture, it was the cowards whose
hair was shingled.

o She felt like an animal driven by a herder.

PART – II
o The second part is an excerpt from the autobiography ‘Karukku’ by Bama – a Tamil Dalit.

o She was in her third grade when she becomes aware of the indignities that the lower caste
people face.

o She happens to see an elderly person from her community abase himself in front of a higher
caste person as he was not supposed to touch the food that he was ordered to fetch for the
landlord. 109

o Later, her brother explains to her that the incident was not at all funny as she initially
thought, but very pathetic. The people from the lower caste were treated as untouchables.

o She was deeply saddened and decided to study hard to overcome discrimination.
The Tiger King Summary Class 12th
Introduction
The story ‘The Tiger King’ is a satire on the pride and stubbornness of those in power. The
writer takes us to the days of autocratic and eccentric kings. These kings lived under the
thumb rule of British, hence they fear them. Most of the time the rulers were not interested in
serving the people and working for the welfare of the public; instead they spent their time in
foolish pursuits. They flouted all laws and bent them to suit their selfish interests. The
Maharaja of Pratibandapuram tried to belie what was written in his fate. The chief astrologer
had predicted that the cause of his death would be a tiger. The King tried his best to belie the
prediction. His campaign of tiger-hunting was very successful. All his strategies and wise
plans worked till he killed 99 tigers. But the hundredth tiger eluded him till his death. The
irony of fate brings quite an unexpected end of the Maharaja. The hero who killed ninety nine
tigers couldn’t kill the only one that was left. The last tiger he thought to be dead survived.
The King’s bullet had missed its mark. Ironically, the hundredth tiger which caused his death
was not a ferocious beast of blood and flesh. It was a wooden tiger. One of the slivers of
wood pierced his right hand and caused infection and a suppurating sore. It ultimately led to
his death.

Theme
Animals and birds are as much part of the nature as human beings. The destruction or
haphazard killing of one species may not only lead to its extinction, but it will adversely
affect the ecological balance. Those animals which serve as food for the wild animals, will
increase in large number, if the beast of prey are wiped out. Each species, howsoever fierce,
deadly, ferocious or poisonous has its role in maintaining ecological balance in nature.

Characters
1. The Tiger King: a hero of the story, the Maharaja of Pratibandhpuram, also known as
His Highness Jamedar, General Khiledar-Major, Sata-Vyaghra samhari,
Maharajadhiraja Visva Bhuvana samrat, Sir Jilani Jung Jung Bahadur, M.A.D.,
A.C.T.C., or C.R.C.K.

2. Crown prince: a ten day old baby who later became the Maharaja of Pratibandhpuram.
3. Chief astrologer: a royal foreteller of the state.
4. Durai: means “chief, leader” in Tamil.
5. A British high ranking officer & his secretary
6. Dewan: a chief administrative office of the Maharaja.
7. Duraisani: the wife of the high ranking British officer, a greedy woman who takes all
the 50 or so diamond rings for herself.

Summary
The Maharaja Sir Jilani Jung Jung Bhadur was called “Tiger King”. When he was just 10 day
old, he asked intelligent questions to the astrologers and was told that he would be killed by a
tiger. He uttered “Let tigers beware!” No other miracle took place, the child grew like any
other Royal child drinking white cow’s milk. He was taught by an English tutor and looked
after by an English nanny. He watched English films. When he was 20, he was crowned as
king. It was then the prediction of his death by the tiger reached the Maharaja’s ear and he in
turn to safe guard himself killed a tiger and being thrilled he told the astrologer who replied
that he can kill 99 tigers but should be careful with the 100th. He pledged that all other affairs
of the state would be attended after killing the hundred tigers. Then he started killing tigers.
None except Maharaja was allowed to hunt tigers. A high-ranking British officer visited the
state that was fond of hunting tigers and his wish was declined. The officer requested for
getting a photograph with a tiger killed by Maharaja and this request was rejected. So to
please the officer’s wife, he sent 50 diamond rings expecting that she would take one or two,
instead she kept all the rings costing 3 lakh rupees and sent ‘thanks’ to the Maharaja. But his
state was secured. In 10 years, he killed 70 tiger and didn’t find any in Pratibandapuram so he
decided to marry a girl from royal state which had more tigers to complete his target.
Whenever he visited his in-laws, he killed 5-6 tigers. So he killed 99 tigers and was feverishly
anxious to kill the 100th but couldn’t find. News about the presence of a tiger near a village
proved disappointing. He asked his Dewan to find the tiger otherwise face his anger. Now the
Dewan was afraid of losing his job so he visited ‘People’s Park in Madras’ and brought an
old tiger and placed it in the forest and informed the Maharaja. The Maharaja took great care
and shot the tiger and left the place with great triumph. The bullet did not hit the tiger but out
of fear the tiger had collapsed. Now the staff killed the tiger and brought it in grand
procession. It was the third birthday of the Maharaja’s son and he wanted to buy a present
from the toyshop. He bought a wooden tiger which was poorly carved. While the Maharaja
was playing with the prince, a tiny sliver of the wooden tiger pierced his right hand which
later on caused his death. Thus the hundredth tiger takes his final revenge upon the “Tiger
King”.

Gist of the lesson:

 The Maharaja Sir Jilani Jung Jung Bhadur was called “Tiger King”

. · When he was just 10 days old he asked intelligent questions to the astrologers and was told
that he would be killed by a tiger. He uttered “Let tigers beware!”

 No other miracle took place, the child grew like any other Royal child drinking white
cow’s milk, taught by an English tutor, looked after by an English nanny and watched
English films.

 When he was 20, he was crowned as king. It was then the prediction of his death by
the tiger reached the Maharaja’s ear and he in turn to safe guard himself killed a tiger
and being thrilled he told the astrologer who replied that he can kill 99 tigers but
should be careful with the 100th .
 From then on he started killing tiger and none was allowed to hunt tigers. A
highranking British officer visited the state that was fond of hunting tiger and his wish
was declined.
 The officer requested for getting a photograph with a tiger killed by Maharaja and this
request was rejected.
 So to please the officer’s wife he sent 50 diamond rings expecting that she would take
1 or 2 instead she kept all the rings costing 3 lakh rupees and sent ‘thanks’ to the
Maharaja. But his state was secured.
  In 10 years he killed 70 tiger and didn’t find any in Pratibandapuram so he decided to
marry a girl from royal state which had more tigers to complete his target whenever
he visited his in-laws he killed 5-6 tigers. So he killed 99 tigers and was feverishly
anxious to kill the 100th but couldn’t find news about the presence of a tiger near a
village proved disappointing.

 Now the Dewan was warned of his danger so he visited ‘People’s Park in Madras’
and brought an old tiger and placed it in the forest and informed the Maharaja.
 The Maharaja took great care and shot the tiger and left the place with great triumph
the bullet did not hit the tiger but out of fear the tiger had collapsed. Now the staff
killed the tiger and brought it in grand procession it was the 3rd birthday of the
Maharaja’s son and he wanted to buy a present from the toyshop. He bought a
wooden tiger which was poorly carved. 97

 While the Maharaja was playing with the prince a tiny sliver of the wooden tiger
pierced his right hand which later on caused his death. Thus the hundredth tiger takes
his final revenge upon the “Tiger King”.

The Enemy Summary Class 12th English

Introduction
The story highlights how a Japanese doctor saves the life of an American prisoner of war and
rises above narrow national prejudices. He risks his honour, career, position and life by
sheltering a war prisoner of the enemy camp and saving his life. The author has beautifully
portrayed the conflict in the doctor’s mind as a private individual and as a citizen with a sense
of national loyalty.

Setting
The story takes place on a coastal town of Japan in the year 1941 when Japan attacked Pearl
Harbor. A war going on between America and Japan. Japanese were hostile to the Americans
and ready to kill any American found in their soil.

Theme
‘The Enemy’ gives the message that humanism transcends all man made prejudices and
barriers. Dr. Sadao upholds the ethics of medical profession in treating an enemy. The story is
a great lesson of peace, love, sympathy, fellow feeling and humanism.

Characters
1. Dr. Sadao Hoki: A Japanese doctor trained by Americans.
2. Sadao’s father: much concerned about his son’s education, a true patriot.
3. Hana: Wife of Dr. Sadao, met in America, became friends and got married in Japan.
4. Tom: An American prisoner of war, a soldier of U.S. Navy.
 5. The old General: a sick Japanese army General, needed an operation, trusted only Dr.
Sadao.
6. An officer: A messenger of the General.
7. Gardener: an old gardener in the house of Dr. Sadao.
8. Yimi: Hana’s maid servant.
9. The cook: an old cook in the house of Dr. Sadao.

Place
House of Dr. Sadao: a house built on a narrow beach near the sea.

Summary
Sadao was a Japanese surgeon. He studied in America and returned with Hana, a Japanese
girl whom he met there, and married her in Japan and settled down comfortably. While most
of the doctors were sent to serve the Japanese army in the World War II, Sadao was allowed
to stay home because he was wanted by the old General who was dying. But one night into
his uneventful life came an American Navy-man, shot, wounded and dying. Though
unwilling to help his enemy, Sadao took the young soldier into his house and provided him
with medical aid. He was in danger from that moment. Soon his servants left him. Dr. Sadao
saw that the soldier was getting well and absolutely alright. Once his patient was no more in
need of him, the doctor turned out to be his assassin, conspiring to kill him in his sleep. He
informed the General of the American and the General promised, he would send his private
men to kill the American. Sadao awaited the American’s death every morning but to his
gloom the man was still alive, healthier and posing danger to him. At this point Sadao
becomes the real man in him, a true human being who realizes the essential worth of human
life and universal brotherhood. He thinks beyond countries and continents and races and
wars. He finds no reason to believe that the American is his enemy. Sadao rescues the
American. Thus Sadao rises above narrow prejudices and acts in a truly humanitarian way.

GIST OF THE LESSON:

 Sadao, a Japanese surgeon finds a wounded American soldier on the beach near his
house.
 He is unable to throw him back though he was his enemy as he was a doctor and his
first duty was to save a life.
 Hana, his wife, though initially reluctant because it was dangerous for all including
the children to keep the enemy in the house, joins her husband in operating and
nursing the enemy soldier back to health, even though the servants desert the house.
 Hana assists Dr. Sadao in operating the soldier in spite of her physical discomfort and
hesitation.
 Though it was war time and all hands were needed at the front, the General did not
send Sadao with the troops as he is an expert surgeon and the General needed him.
 Sadao tells him about the enemy soldier but he does not take any action as he is self-
absorbed and forgets his promise that he would send his private assassins to kill the
enemy and remove his body.
  Taking advantage of the general’s self-absorption Sadao decides to save the soldiers
life. After the soldier is out of danger Dr. Sadao helps him to escape from his house to
safety.

Should Wizard Hit Mommy? Summary

Introduction
Little children love to hear stories from their parents at bedtime. Such stories are mostly
fables and have no logic behind them. Many a time, parents make up stories out of their own
head. Little children take them as literally true. But as the child grows up, he becomes
inquisitive. He begins to ask many questions. He wants to know why and how certain things
happen. He wants to know the reason behind things. Sometimes parents take this questioning
of the child as an affront. They try to discourage it.

They want the child to accept as true whatever is said to him. Is such an attitude desirable?
This story poses this very question. A father tells his child a story out of his head. The child
interrupts him a number of times. She raises questions whenever she feels that the story is
wrong. The father feels himself caught in an ugly middle position. He does not know whether
he should accept the child’s version or stick to his own. Thus the story raises a moral issue
and leaves it to the reader to resolve it.

Theme
The story raises a moral issue if the parents should always decide what the children should do
or let the children do what they like to do. Children dream and live in their own magical
world. They are devoid of despise, ugliness, and petty differences. They are pure at heart.
This story raises a moral question at this point, “Should Wizard hit Mommy?” Jo feels that he
must. Jack says that it would be wrong because a mommy is always right. She should be
loved and respected.

Characters
1. Joanne: a four year old girl, lovingly called as ‘Jo’.
2. Jack: Father of Joanne
3. Clare: Wife of Jack, mother of Joanne.
4. Skunk: a baby creature with a bad smell.
5. Mother Skunk: Mother of baby Skunk.
6. Owl: a wise creature that solves the problems.
7. Wizard: A magician.

Summary
Jack was the father of two little kids – Jo and Bobby. His wife Clare was carrying their third
child. Jack would tell a story to his daughter Jo out of his head in the evenings and for
Saturday naps. This custom of story-telling began when Jo was two–year-old and it was
continuing for the last two years. Each new story only differed a bit from the basic tale. There
always was a small creature, usually named Roger, for example, Roger Fish, Roger Squirrel,
Roger Chipmunk etc. He always had some problem and he would go to the wise old owl. The
owl would tell him to go to the Wizard, who would perform a magic spell that solved the
problem. The Wizard in turn would demand in payment a number of pennies greater than the
number Roger creature had. But at the same time he would direct the animal to a place where
the extra pennies could be found. Then Roger would become so happy that he played many
games with other creatures. Roger then would go home to his mother just in time to hear the
train whistle that brought his daddy home from Boston. Jack then would describe their
supper, and the story was over.

Jack found this story-telling session especially tiring on Saturday, because Jo never fell
asleep in naps any more. One Saturday Jack asked Jo about whom the story should be today.
Roger Skunk, she said firmly. A new animal; they must talk about Skunk at nursery school.
Jack started the story of the tiny creature Skunk, who lived in the dark deep woods. His name
was Roger Skunk and he smelled very bad. He smelled so bad that other animals of the jungle
would not play with him. They would run away and Roger Skunk would stand there all alone.

Roger Skunk went to the wise old owl and told his problem. The owl asked the Skunk why he
did not see the Wizard. Then he went to the Wizard and told that he smelled very bad and all
the little animals used to run away from him. The wise owl had told wizard that he could help
in that manner. The Wizard took his magic wand and asked Roger Skunk what he wanted to
smell like. Roger Skunk told him that he would like to smell like roses. The Wizard chanted
and Roger Skunk started smelling like roses. The Wizard asked Roger Skunk to pay seven
pennies. Roger Skunk said that he had four pennies only and he began to cry. The Wizard
directed Roger to go to the nearby magic well and he would find three pennies there. Roger
Skunk took out three pennies from the well and gave them to the Wizard. Now all the other
animals gathered around him because he smelled so good. They played various games and
laughed. It began to get dark so they all ran home to their mummies. Jo thought that the story
was all over.

When Roger Skunk went home his mummy said that the smell was awful. She asked who
made him smell like that. Roger Skunk said that the Wizard did so. She said that they were
going right back to that Wizard. He said that all the other animals would run away with his
bad smell. But his mummy said she did not care. He should smell the way a little Skunk
should have smelled. So she took Roger with her and went to the Wizard. When the wizard
opened door, she hit him with her umbrella and explained how the wizard’s magic infuriated
her. The wizard spelled another magic and Roger smelled as foul as he did earlier. But she
was displeased with this new ending and wanted her father to make the wizard hit Roger’s
mommy. But Jack was not ready to make any change as he thought Joe should accept him
without questioning. Jo protested but Jack said that it was daddy’s story. He said then Roger
Skunk and her mummy went home. They had supper and when Roger Skunk was in bed,
Mommy Skunk came up and hugged him and said she loved him very much. He told her that
the story ends there.

Jo asked her daddy if the other animals ran away from Roger Skunk. Jack said no, they
finally got used to the way Roger Skunk was and did not mind it at all. Jo commented that
she was a stupid mummy. He asked her to have a long nap as her brother Bobby was also
sleeping. Jo told him that she wanted him to tell her the story the next day that Wizard took
that magic wand and hit that mummy, right over the head. Jack said that it was not the story.
The point is that the little Skunk loved his mummy more than he loved all the other little
animals. Moreover, she knew what was right. But Jo insisted that tomorrow he should say
that the Wizard hit that mummy. Jack said that he would see and asked her to sleep.

He closed the door and went downstairs. Clare was striking the chair rail with a dipped brush.
Above him footsteps vibrated. These were Jo’s footsteps. He threatened to beat her and then
the footsteps slowed down. Clare observed that it was a long story. He simply said “the poor
kid”. He watched his wife working hard on the wood-work. She was doing painting work.
Thus the writer displays adult authority on one hand and the child’s inquisitiveness on the
other.

Gist of the Lesson

 The chapter captures a very sensitive reaction of a small girl to an important aspect of
the story that her father narrates to her.
 The story reveals the worldview of a little child to a difficult moral question that
shows her mental or psychological richness.
 Jo is a little girl of four years. She is engaged in a story session with her father.
 Jack, the father used to tell her a story every evening and especially for Saturday naps
jo feels herself involved with the characters and the happenings.

 The story always had an animal with a problem. The old owl advises him to visit the
wizard who would solve the problem.
 Skunk’s problem- he smelt bad, visited the wizard who changed it to the smell of
roses.
 Skunk’s mother was unhappy with it and took him back to the wizard. She hit the
wizard and asked him to restore the original smell. She wanted her son to keep his
identity of a skunk and wanted his friends to accept him for himself. So the wizard
changes him back to smell like a skunk.
 After hearing the story of Roger Skunk Jo was not happy with the ending.
 She wants her father to change the ending. She wants the wizard to hit the mother
back and let Roger be which her father was not ready to do to establish his authority.
This raises a difficult moral question whether parents possess the right to impose their
will on their children.
 Her father finds it difficult to answer her question.

On the Face of it Summary Class 12th

Characters
1. Derry: a boy of 14 with a burnt face, looks ugly, loner, pessimistic, suffered from
severe negative complexes, anger and frustration, withdrawn and introverted, low
confidence, indulged in self pity, suspicious of the intent of others

2. Mr. Lamb: an Old man with a tin leg, lonely, craved for company and acceptance,
jovial, optimistic, lover of nature, social, outgoing, tolerant, helpful, sensitive,
independent, didn’t mind children calling him Lamely Lamb or picking the Crab
apples.
3. Derry’s mother
Summary
This play deals with the problem of the disabled people and depicts that merely the
encouraging words may change our tensed feelings. It is for us to see and understand life in
every organism. It does not matter what we look like but it matters how we can uplift a
disabled man. It is not the actual pain or inconvenience caused by a physical impairment that
troubles inconvenience caused by a physical impairment that troubles a disabled man but the
behavior of the people around him. People discard him as a useless limb and refuse to accept
him in the mainstream of life. So he feels alienated from the society and wants to live in
seclusion. In a way Derry suffers from inferiority complex. Mr. Lamb motivates him to think
positively about life, people and things. It is a fine day and Mr. Lamb is in his garden. He is
an old man with a tin leg. He leads a lonely life and is always ready to accept any visitor who
comes in his garden. One day Derry, a young boy of fourteen sneaks into Mr. Lamb’s garden.
He has a burnt face with acid so he looks very ugly. He has become defiant and withdrawn
due to his disfigured face. He does not want to face the world with his ugly and disfigured
face. Derry climbs over the wall and cautiously walks through the long grass. He is quite
close to Lamb. He is sacred when Lamb speaks to him. Lamb asks him to tread carefully
because the long grass is littered with wild apples dropped by wind. Derry is utterly confused
as he has come there considering the place empty. Having been detected by Lamb, Derry
panics and wants to go. Lamb asks him not to leave as he does not mind anybody’s coming
into his garden. He keeps the gate always open. He advises to enter through the gate rather
than by climbing over the garden wall. Lamb tells that all who come to his garden, are
welcome. But

Derry says that he has not come to steal but he wants only to come into garden. He rather tells
Derry not too afraid of anything but Derry points out that the people are afraid of him
because of his ugly and disfigured face. Derry adds that he is afraid of himself when he sees
his face in the mirror. Lamb tries to console him. He asks him to face the harsh realities of
life bravely. He tries to divert the views of Derry from his burnt face to the fruits in the
garden, but Derry keeps on talking about his ugly face. Lamb tries to make him understand
that it is the inner beauty of a person that matters, not his outer beauty. Derry does not agree
with it. He tells lamb that it is important to be handsome from outside also. He says that even
his mother kisses him on the other side of his face. He says that he has to spend whole of his
life with his half face. Mr. Lamb points out that there is no difference between a flower plant
and a weed since both are living and growing plants. Derry remarks that Mr. Lamb can put on
trousers and cover up his tingle. Then Mr. Lamb reminds Derry of a fairy tale of Beauty and
The Beast in which the princess kisses the Beast who in turn changes into a handsome prince.
This makes Derry understand that ugliness is only skin deep. A man is not what he looks like
but what he really is. Handsome is that handsome does. This story is to inspire Derry and he
should not care for his burnt face. But Derry tells that people stare at his face and they are
afraid of him. Derry tells Lamb that women talk of his ugly face. They say that none will kiss
except his mother. Mr. Lamb tells him that he must have heard so many other things also.
The best thing is to keep his ears shut and need not pay attention to such talks. Mr. Lamb
talks about the bees in his garden. Some people like their buzzing while others hate. But
Lamb calls it a sweet music. It is only the difference of attitude. Derry tells that people stare
at his face so he avoids them. But Mr. Lamb tells that keeping alone is not a fine thing. He
tells a story about a man who was always afraid of being run over or getting infected or
meeting with some accident. So he locked himself in a room.
There a picture fell on his head and killed him. Derry says that his family often talks about
him downstairs when he is not there. They are worried to think what is going to happen to
him when they are gone and how he will get on in this world. Mr. Lamb does not agree with
him. Lamb encourages him that he has got two arms, legs, eyes, ears, a tongue and a brain.
He can achieve whatever he likes. He can be better than others. He tells Derry that he has got
a full can be better than others. He tells Derry that he has got a full body. He can do anything
like other people or may do better than others. He asks Lamb several questions to know more
about him. Mr. Lamb says that he sits in the sun and reads the books. He likes the windows
open to hear the wind. Lambs tells that he has a lot of friends everywhere.

Everybody who comes in his garden is his friend. Derry wonders how a person can be his
friend about whom he knows nothing. Derry says that there are some people he hates. But
Lamb remarks that hatred would do him more harm than any bottle of acid. Acid only burns
our face or so but hatred can burn us away inside. Lamb asks him to be a friend. Derry asks
how they can be friends only in one meeting. But Lamb tells him that he can come there at
any time even if he is out. Derry thinks to help him. He tells Lamb that with one leg he can
fall off a ladder and die. Derry offers to help him but he wants to inform his mother where he
is since she will be worried. Lamb doubts if he would come back. Derry assures him to return
but Lamb says to himself that people never come back though they say that they will come
back. Derry goes back to his house and tells everything to his mother. Derry says that he
wants to go there, sit and listen to things and look. Nobody else has ever said the things the
old man has said. His mother stops him from going to the old man’s house. She tells that she
has heard strange stories about the old man. She urges him not to go there again. Derry insists
that he must go there otherwise he will never go anywhere in this world. In spite of his
mother’s strong resistance, Derry slams the door and runs away to help Lamb in collecting
crab apples. In the meantime Mr. Lamb climbs on the ladder for the apples. The ladder falls
back and Mr. Lamb is killed. Derry opens the gate and says excitedly that he has come back.
Suddenly he gate and says excitedly that he has come back. Suddenly he catches sight of Mr.
Lamb. He runs through the long grass and says, “I came back Lamely Lamb. I did come
back.” But there is no response. Derry kneels by him and weeps and realizes that he has lost
his only friend in this world.

GIST OF THE LESSON

 The play depicts beautifully yet grimly the sad world of the physically impaired.
 It is not the actual pain or inconvenience caused by a physical impairment that trouble
a disabled man but the attitude of the people around him.
 Two physically impaired people, Mr. Lamb with a tin leg and Derry with a burnt face,
strike a band of friendship.
 Derry is described as a young boy shy, withdrawn and defiant.
 People tell him inspiring stories to console him, no one will ever kiss him except his
mother that too on the other side of his face
 Mentions about a woman telling that only a mother can love such a face.
 Mr. Lamb revives the almost dead feelings of Derry towards life.
 He motivates him to think positively about life, changes his mind set about people and
things how a man locked himself as he was scared-a picture fell off the wall and got
killed.

 Everything appears to be the same but is different- Ex. of bees. And weeds
 The gate of the garden is always open.
  Derry is inspired and promises to come back.
 Derry’s mother stops him but he is adamant saying if he does not go now it would be
never.
 When he comes back he sees lamb lying on the ground
 It is ironical that when he searches a new foothold to live happily, he finds Mr. Lamb
dead.
 In this way the play depicts the heart rendering life of physically disabled people with
their loneliness, aloofness and alienation.
 But at the same time it is almost a true account of the people who don’t let a person
live happily.

Evans Tries an O-Level Summary Class

Characters
1. James Roderick Evans: a prisoner
2. Secretary of the Examination Board: a higher official of the examination board
3. Governor: the governor of H.M. Prison, Oxford.
4. Mr. Jackson: a prison officer
5. Mr. Stephens: a prison officer
6. Reverend Stuart McLeery: an invigilator
7. Mr. Carter: a detective superintendent
8. Mr. Bell: a detective chief inspector

Theme
This story depicts a clash of wit between a criminal and the law enforcing authorities in
which the prisoner Evans befools the jail authorities and manages to escape from the prison.
If the government and law enforcing officials are vigilant, crime can be detected and
criminals can be booked. But criminals like Evans can hoodwink the authorities and escape
punishment as long as the officials are slow and lack alertness and wit. More Summary It is
the month of early March. The secretary of the Examination Board receives a call from the
Governor of the H.M. Prison, Oxford. He tells that a prisoner named Evans has started night
classes in O Level German. Now he wants to attain some academic qualification. The
Secretary replies that there is no need to worry. All the necessary forms and other requisite
material will be sent. They will give him a chance. He enquires about Evans. The Governor
tells him that Evans has no record of violence. Rather he is an amusing fellow. He is one of
the stars at the Christmas concert. The Secretary asks him if they can arrange a room where
Evans can sit in for the examination. The Governor tells that the room of Evans can be used
for this purpose. The Secretary agrees and tells that they could get a parson from St. Mary
Mags to invigilate. The Governor takes utmost care to see that he would not be fooled. Every
care was taken to make Evans prepare for the exam. He was tutored by a German teacher for
6 months. The day before the exam the teacher wishes good luck but makes it clear that he
had hardly any ‘chance of getting through.’ But Evans gives an ironical twist to the tutor’s
observation by saying “I may surprise everybody.” On the day of the exam Jackson and
Stephens visited Evan’s cell and took away everything that may help him injure himself.
Evans was insisted to take away the hat but he refused saying that it was lucky charm. Evan’s
cell was bugged so that the Governor could himself listen to each and every conversation in
the cell. The invigilator Rev. S. Mc Leery too was searched and left him invigilator Rev. S.
Mc Leery too was searched and left him to complete the task. Stephen sitting outside the cell
every now and then peeped into the cell. The exam went on smoothly. Stephen escorted the
invigilator to the main gate and looked into Evan’s cell and found the invigilator (actually
Evans) wounded, informed the Governor. The latter was to be hospitalized but informed that
he was alright and asked them to follow Evans. Thus he escaped the prison. When the
invigilator was not found in the hospital they went to the residence of Rev. S. Mc Leery only
to find him ’bound and gagged in his study in Broad Street”. He has been there, since 8.15
a.m. Now everything was clear to the Governor. Evan escaped the prison the fourth time. But
by taking the hint from the question paper the Governor reached the hotel where Evans was
staying. He captured him and came to know how he planned his escape. The Governor said
that his game was over. Evans surrendered himself to the Governor. Evans was handcuffed
and sent away with a prison officer in the prison van. But here again he befools the Governor.
Both the prison officer and the prison van were part of the plan devised by Evan’s friends.

Once again he was a free bird.

GIST OF THE LESSON

 Evans a kleptomaniac was imprisoned thrice and all the time escaped from the prison.
Now he was in the prison for the 4th time and all of a sudden developed curiosity to
appear in O-level German Examination which also was an effort to break the prison.
 The Governor takes utmost care to see that he would not be fooled. Every care was
taken to make Evans prepare for the exam.
 He was tutored by a German tutor for 6 months. The day before the exam the tutor
wishes good luck but makes it clear that he had hardly any ‘chance of getting
through.’ But Evans gives an ironical twist to the tutor’s observation by saying “I may
surprise everybody.”
 On the day of the exam Jackson and Stephens visited Evans cell and took away
everything that may help him injure himself. Evans was insisted to take away the hat
but he refused saying that it was lucky charm.
 Evans cell was bugged so that the Governor could himself listen to each and every
conversation in the cell. The invigilator Rev. S. McLeery too was searched and left
him to complete the task. Stephen sitting outside the cell every now and then peeped
into the cell.
 The exam went on smoothly. Stephen escorted the invigilator to the main gate and
took a look into Evans cell and found the invigilator (actually Evans) wounded,
informed the Governor. The latter was to be hospitalized but informed that he was
alright and asked them to follow Evans. Thus he escaped the prison.
 When the invigilator was not found in the hospital they went to the residence of Rev.
S. McLeery only to find him ’bound and gagged in his study in Broad Street”. He has
been there, since 8.15 a.m. Now everything was clear to the Governor.
 Evan escaped the prison the 4th time. But by taking the hint from the question paper
the Governor reached the hotel where Evans was and captured him and came to know
how he planned his escape and said that his game was over. Evans surrenders himself
to the Governor.
 The Governor tells Evan they would meet soon.
 The moment they are rid of the Governor, the so called prison officer-a friend of
Evansunlocks the handcuffs and asks the driver to move fast and Evans tells him to
turn to Newbury.