Treasure Trove Short Storie Workbook Answers The Blue Bead
The Blue Bead Questions and Answers Extract Based
Question 1.
He was twice the length of a tall man; and inside him, among the stones which he had swallowed to aid digestion, rolled a silver bracelet. Timber was being floated down this great Indian river from forests further up, and there were sleepers lying stuck around the stones until someone came to dislodge them and send them on their way, or until floods lifted them and jostled them along. The crocodile had no need to hide himself. He came to rest in the glassy shallows, among logs, and balanced there on tiptoe on the rippled sand, with only his raised eyes out of the water, and raised nostrils breathing the clean sunny air.
(a) Where is the story set ? Which was the abode of the crocodile ? What was its length ?
Answer:
The story is set at the foothills of Himalayas where there is a river. Crocodile lived in the river which flowed through the hilly areas full of forests. It was twice the length of a tall man.
(b) Why had the crocodile no need to hide itself ?
Answer:
Crocodile had no need to protect itself as it was strong and powerful enough to protect itself. Moreover no one could dare to give it any harm. Hence it was fearless of its surroundings.
(c) How long were the sleepers lying stuck around the stones ?
Answer:
The sleepers were lying stuck around the stones until someone came to dislodge them and send them or their way or until flood lifted them and jostled them along.
(d) Where did it come to rest ? Why did it raise its nostrils ?
Answer:
It came out of the black water and rested by the frill of the gold shallows by the stepping stones across the river. It raised its nostrils to breath the clean sunny air.
(e) In what way does the writer describe the crocodile ? What does she say about this monster and its power ?
Answer:
It was an antediluvian saurian. It was extremely violent, ferocious and powerful. It has extraordinary strength. It was propelled by the unimaginable and irresistible power of the huge tail. Its mouth running almost whole length of its head, was closed and fixed in an evil bony smile.
(f) What was the colour of the mugger crocodile ? Why did it lie motionless.
Answer:
It was blackish brown above and yellowy white under. It lay motionless and did not make any commotion so that it could catch its prey easily.
Question 2.
The big crocodile fed mostly on fish, but also on deer and monkeys that came to drink, perhaps a duck or two. But sometimes here at the ford he fed on a pi-dog full of parasites or a skeleton cow. And sometimes he went down to the burning ghats and found the half-burned bodies of Indians cast into the stream.
Beside him in the shoals as he lay waiting glimmered a blue gem.
It was not a gem, though: it was sand-worn glass that had been rolling about in the river for a long time. By chance, it was perforated right through —the neck of a bottle perhaps? — a blue bead.
(a) How had the crocodile live after its birth ?
Answer:
After it was fully hatched, it had at once made for the water ready to fend for itself. It had lived through its sheer brute force and instincts as it had no brains to speak of. Escaping the birds of prey and the great carnivorous fishes that eat baby crocodiles, it had prospered, catching all the food it needed and grew to great length.
(b) Why did the crocodile never try to hide itself ?
Answer:
The crocodile never tried to hide itself because it was fearless and strong and it was able to protect itself from any danger.
(c) Which parts of the crocodile could be pierced easily to kill it ?
Answer:
Nothing could piecrce the inch-thick armoured hide, but only the eyes and the soft underarms where the parts of its body through which it could be pierced and killed easily.
(d) Which big crocodile has been referred to here ? How was it protected ?
Answer:
The mugger crocodile, which had come out of the deep water and rested among glassy shallows, has been referred here. It was protected by the inch-thick armoured hide which was unaffected by the bullet of rifle.
(e) How did the big crocodile feed on ?
Answer:
The big crocodile fed mostly on fish, but also on deer and monkey which came to the river to quench their thirst. Sometimes it fed on the half- burnt bodies of Indians which were cast into the river.
(f) What could be seen lying beside it ?
Answer:
Beside it in the shoals, a glittering germ could be seen lying. It was a sand-worn glass that had been rolling about in the river for a long time and it was perforated right through.
Question 3.
In the shrill noisy village above the ford, out of a mud house the same colour as the ground came a little girl, a thin starveling child dressed in an earth-coloured rag. She had torn the rag in two to make skirt and sari.
Sibia was eating the last of her meal, chupatti wrapped round a smear of green chili and rancid butter; and she divided this also, to make it seem more, and bit it, showing straight white teeth.
(a) Who was Sibia ? Where did she live and with whom ?
Answer:
Sibia was a twelve years old poor girl. She was an immature child woman as she did all the tasks of her household like other women. She lived with her parents and brothers in the shrill noisy village above the ford.
(b) What kind of dress did Sibia wear ? Why had she torn the rag ? What does the word ‘starveling’ signify ?
Answer:
Sibia wore an earth-coloured rag. She had tom the rag in two to make skirt and sari. The word ‘starveling’ signifies Sibia’s utter poverty.
(c) What kind of meal was Sibia taking ? Why did she divide her chapatti ?
Answer:
Sibia was eating chapatti wrapped round a smear of green chili and rancid butter. She divided her chapatti to make it seem more.
(d) What materialistic possession did she own in all her life ? With whom did Sibia go to the bazaar ? What experience did she get as she walked through the bazaar ?
Answer:
In all her life, she got no materialistic possession but a rag. Sibia went to the bazaar with her parents and brothers. As she walked through the bazaar, she mingled with the milling crowd, the dogs and monkeys full of fleas, the lazy, gossiping people chewing pan and spitting betel juice and heard the bell of a sacred bull clonking.
(e) What kind of life was Sibia living ?
Answer:
Sibia was living a life of utter poverty. She had never owned anything but a rag. She had never owned even one anna to buy a handful of blown glass beads from the stall in the bazaar or even a thin glass bangle.
(f) Why did Sibia stop before the sweetment stall ? How did the honey confections smell ?
Answer:
Sibia stopped before the sweetmeat stall to gaze at the brilliant honey confections, abuzz with dust and flies. The honey confections smelled wonderful, above the smells of drains and humanity and cigarettes.
Question 4.
Then there was the cloth stall, stacked with great rolls of new cotton cloth, stamped at the edge with the maker’s sign of a tiger’s head; and smelling so wonderful of its dressing, straight front the mills, that Sibia could have stood by it all day.
But there were other wonders to see: satin sewn with real silver thread, tin trays from Birmingham, and a sari which had got chips of looking- glass embroidered into the border. She joined the crowd round a Kashmiri travelling merchant on his way to the bungalows.
(a) Why did Sibia sometimes taste at home ? What did she see in the cloth stall ?
Answer:
At home, Sibia sometimes tasted wild honey, or crunched the syrup out of a stalk of sugarcane. She saw that cloth stalls were stacked with great rolls of new cotton cloth. All they were stamped at the edge with the sign of the manufacturer.
(b) What other wonders of the world fascinated her ?
Answer:
Sibia was highly fascinated by the other wonders of the world such as satin sewn with real silver thread, tin trays from Birmingham and a sari which had got chips of looking-glass embroidered into the border. She found a Kashmiri travelling merchant showing dawn-coloured silk and best of all, a box which when pressed, a bell tinkled and a yellow woollen chicken jumped out.
(c) What was the main source of income of Sibia’s family ?
Answer:
The main source of income of Sibia’s family was the paper grass which they used to cut from the cliffs above the river. When they had enough, they would take it in a bullock cart to the agent who would arrange for its dispatch to the paper mills.
(d) How was Sibia’s destiny marked ? What kind of tasks did she do from her childhood ?
Answer:
Sibia’s destiny was marked for work. From her very childhood, Sibia husked corn, gathered sticks, put dung to dry, cooked and weeded. She also fetched water and cut grass for fodder.
(e) Where was Sibia going one day ? Who accompanied her ?
Answer:
One day Sibia was going to get the paper grass from the cliffs above the river. Her mother and other women accompanied her.
(f) Which thought had always been lingering in Sibia’s mind ?
Answer:
In Sibia’s mind only one thing had always been lingering and that was how to make a necklace for herself.
Question 5.
Such thoughts did not trouble Sibia, however, as she skipped along with her sickle and homemade hayfork beside her mother. You could skip on the way out, but not on the way back when you ached with tiredness, and there was a great load to carry.
Some of the women were wearing necklaces made out of lal-lal-beeges, the shiny scarlet seeds, black one end, that grew everywhere in the jungle—it was best to have new necklaces each year, instead of last year’s faded ones —and Sibia was making one too. How nice it was going to be to hear that rattling swish round her neck, as she froushed along with lots of necklaces. But each seed, hard as stone, had to be drilled with a red-hot needle, and the family needle was snapped, so she must wait till they could buy another.
(a) What complaint did the women make against the agent ?
Answer:
The women felt that they toiled all day long which the agent sat on the silk cushions and enjoyed the luxuries of life without making labour.
(b) Which thoughts did not bother Sibia and why ?
Answer:
The thoughts of an agent sitting on silk cushions and smoking a hookah did not bother her because she had conformed herself to the village life and poverty.
(c) What was Sibia’s only luxury ? Why could Sibia not skip during her return journey ?
Answer:
Sibia’s only luxury was to make a necklace for herself with shiny scarlet seeds. While coming back from the cliff, Sibia carried a heavy load of the paper grass, so she could not skip.
(d) What were some of the women wearing around their necks ? Why was it best to have new necklaces each year ?
Answer:
Some of the women were wearing necklaces made out of shiny scarlet seeds. It was best to have new necklaces each year because the old ones faded and it was easy to replace them as the scarlet seeds grew everywhere in the jungle.
(e) What had Sibia been doing to fulfil her sole dream ?
Answer:
Sibia’s sole dream was to make a necklace of scarlet seeds. She had been collecting the seeds for a long time to fulfil her sole dream.
(f) What obstacle was in her way for making a necklace of scarlet seeds ?
Answer:
Sibia was unable to make a necklace of scarlet seeds because they were as hard as stones and they had to be drilled with a needle for making holes, but her family needle was broken, hence she had to wait for buying the new needle.
Question 6.
Oh, for strings and strings of glass and beads—anklets, earrings, noserings, bangles —all the gorgeous dazzle of the bazaar—all her little golden body decorated!
Chattering as they went, the women followed the dusty track toward the river. On their way, they passed a Gujar encampment of grass huts where these nomadic graziers would live for a time until their animals had perhaps finished all the easy grazing within reach, or they were not able to sell enough of their white butter and white milk in the district, or there was no one to buy the young male buffaloes for tiger-bait.
(a) For which things did Sibia crave to adorn or beautifiy her body?
Answer:
Sibia craved to beautifiy her body with strings of glass and beads. She longed to have anklets, ear-rings, nose-rings, bangles all those rainbow coloured spledid brilliant bead and bangles displayed in the bazaar.
(b) For what perpose did the women go after crossing the river ? Why did they make a loud chattering ?
Answer:
After crossing the river, the women want to get some paper grass from the cliffs above the river for their livelihood. They chattered loudly so that they could be able to frighten the wild animals around them.
(c) Who are the nomadic graziers ? How long did the nomadic graziers live at one place ?
Answer:
Nomadic graziers are the people of a tribe who wander from one place to another. They are also called Gujars. The nomadic graziers lived at one place until their animals had finished all the grass within reach or they were not able to get any more buyers for their white butter and milk or there was none to buy the young buffaloes for the tiger bait.
(d) How did the Gujar women adorn themselves ?
Answer:
The Gujar women wore trousers, tight and wrinkled at the ankles. In their ears, they wore large silver rings which were made out of the melted rupees.
(e) What did the Gujar woman want to know by clinking a stick against the big brass gurrahs ?
Answer:
By clinking a stick against the big brass gurrahs, Gujar woman wanted to know which ones were empty and which ones were filled with water.
(f) Where had the man and the boys gone ?
Answer:
The men and boys were either with the herd of their cattle or gone to the bazaar to sell their produces of butter and milk.
Question 7.
They had plenty to laugh and bicker about, as they approached the river in a noisy crowd. They girded up their skirts, so as to jump from stone to stone, and they clanked their sickles and forks together over their shoulders to have ease of movement. They shouted their quarrels above the gush of the river.
Noise frightens crocodiles. The big mugger did not move, and all the women crossed in safety to the other bank.
(a) Who were the Gujars ? What was the way of their living ?
Answer:
The Gujars were junglis. For countless centuries, their forefathers had lived like this, getting their living from animals, from grass and trees. They collected their food together and invested in large herds and silver jewellery.
(b) Why did the women shout when they came on the shore of the river ?
Answer:
When the women going to get the paper grass, came out on the shore of the river, they started shouting loudly as they knew that the great noise would frighten the crocodiles and other wild animals living in the river and they would cross the river safely.
(c) What did the women do for their easy movements ?
Answer:
While crossing the river all the women girded up their skirts so as to jump from stone to stone and they clanked their sickles and forks together over their shoulders so that they could be able to move easily.
(d) Which animals lived in the river flowing through hilly area ? Where could the crocodiles be seen ?
Answer:
Turtles, crocodiles and masheer lived in the river. The crocodiles could be seen lying on the slabs of clay.
(e) Was big crocodile there when the women were crossing the river? How did it react and why ?
Answer:
Yes, the big crocodile was present there when the women were crossing there, but it did not move from there and was lying motionless as it knew that it was difficult and dangerous for it to capture its prey.
(f) Why could it be fatal for the crocodile to attack the women ?
Answer:
If the crocodile had attacked the women, it could be fatal for it because there were many women and each woman was equipped with weapons i.e., sickle and hayfork.
Question 8.
Where Sibia was working, wind coming across hundreds of miles of trees cooled her sweating body, and she could look down over the river as if she were a bird. Although she did not dare stop for a moment under her mother’s eye, her imagination took her in swooping flight over the bright water and golden air to the banks where she had played as a child.
In those cavelets above the high-water mark of the highest flood, she had stored some little bowls moulded of clay while they hardened. If there were anything that could be used for colouring, they would look fine, painted with marigolds and elephants.
“Child!”
The sharp word —the glare of her mother’s angry sweating face, pulled Sibia back to work, and they toiled on.
But at last it was time to go back to see to their animals and the evening meal. The loaded women set out to cross the river again. Sibia hung back. She would just dawdle a bit and run and see if the little clay cups were still there in the cave, waiting to be painted and used.
(a) What kind of atmosphere was there where Sibia was working ?
Answer:
The atmosphere was very pleasant there where Sibia was working. The wind was blowing across hundreds of miles of tress and cooled her sweating body.
(b) Where did Sibia’s imagination take her ? What had Sibia stored in the cavelets ?
Answer:
Sibia’s imagination took her in swooping flight over the bright water and golden air to the bank where she had played as a child. In those cavelets above the high water mark of the highest flood, Sibia had stored some little clay bowls while they hardened.
(c) Why did Sibia hang back when all the other women had left with their loads ?
Answer:
When all the other women had set out with their loads to their homes after crossing the river again, Sibia hung back because she wanted to see if the little clay cups were still there in the cave, waiting to be painted and used.
(d) What pervaded the atmosphere with the disappearance of the women ? Where did Sibia come alone ? Why were Sibia’s muscles stretched and aching ?
Answer:
With the disppearance of the women, silence pervaded the atmosphere. Sibia came alone to the stepping stones. Sibia’s muscles were stretched and aching because she was carrying a heavy load which was beyond her capacity, though she was accustomed to it.
(e)How did the hayfork give her trouble when she was carrying the heavy load of grass ?
Answer:
When Sibia was carrying a heavy load of grass, the hayfork which was put in the packed dry grass, dug into her collarbone so close under the skin.
(f) Do you think that Sibia’s hanging back was an act of providence?
Answer:
Certainly, it could be an act of providence. For, if Sibia had not been left behind, the Gujar woman would surely have been killed by the strong and ferocious crocodile.
Question 9.
When she was halfway over, she put her load down on a big boulder to rest; and leaned, breathing, on the fork.
At the same moment a Gujar woman came down with two gurrahs to the water on the other side. In order to get the good clear water, which would quickly fill both gurrahs to the top without sand, she walked onto the stepping-stones.
She was within a yard of the crocodile when he lunged at her.
Up out of the darkling water heaved the great reptile, water slushing off him, his livid jaws yawning and all his teeth flashing as he slashed at her leg.
The woman screamed, dropped both brass pots with a clatter on the boulder, from whence they bounced to the water, and Sibia saw them bob away in the current. Oh, the two good vessels gone.
(a) Why did Sibia stay when she was halfway over ?
Answer:
When Sibia was halfway over, she felt herself utterly tired, so she putting her load down on a big boulder, stayed there to rest for sometime.
(b) Who came when Sibia was having rest ? Why did the Gujar woman walk onto the stepping stones ?
Answer:
When Sibia was having rest, a Gujar woman came down with two brass pitchers to fetch the water from the river. The Gujar woman walked onto the stepping stones because she could fill both the pitchers with clear water quickly there.
(c) Which danger did Gujar woman encounter suddenly ?
Answer:
Gujar woman was completely unaware of the danger which was lurking there. As she walked onto the stepping-stones, the crocodile heaved out of the water and with its huge yawning jaws and sabre-like teeth, it slashed at her leg.
(d) What efforts did the Gujar woman make to save herself?
Answer:
The Gujar woman recoiled from the crocodile but the jaws of crocodile made strong grip on her leg as she slipped and fell on the bone-breaking stone. Then she clutched one of the timber logs to save herself.
(e) How did the crocodile show its great power while struggling with its prey ?
Answer:
The log jammed between two boulders with the Gujar woman screaming in terror. The crocodile pulled on her leg thrashing its mighty tail and tried to drag her and carry her off to the deep pools.
(f) How did Sibia come to save the Gujar woman from the crocodile?
Answer:
When Sibia heard the screams of the Gujar woman and found her leg in the tight grip of the crocodile, she came like a rock goat.
Question 10.
From boulder to boulder she came leaping like a rock goat. Sometimes it had seemed difficult to cross these stones, especially the big gap in the middle where the river coursed through like a bulge of glass. But now she came on wings, choosing her footing in midair without even thinking about it, and in one moment she was beside the shrieking woman.
In the boiling bloody water, the face of the crocodile, fastened round her leg, was tugging to and fro, and smiling.
His eyes rolled on to Sibia. One slap of the tail could kill her.
He struck. Up shot the water, twenty feet, and fell like a silver chain. Again!
The rock jumped under the blow.
But in the daily heroism of the jungle, as common as a thorn tree, Sibia did not hesitate.
She aimed at the reptile’s eyes.
(a) How did Sibia pierce the eyes of the crocodile ?
Answer:
Sibia came flying with her hayfork and without showing any sign of fear and hesitation, she aimed at the great brute’s eyes and drove it into its eyes.
(b) How did the crocodile react to see Sibia ?
Answer:
When Sibia approached to the shrieking woman, the crocodile seemed to be giving an evil smile. Its eyes rolled on to Sibia. It made an attack on Sibia with its mighty tail.
(c) What was the state of the crocodile when it was injured by Sibia’s hayfork ?
Answer:
When the crocodile was seriously injured by Sibia’s hayfork, it reared up in convulsion and crashed back into the river and vanished in the water to die.
(d) Which thing could certain the death of the crocodile ?
Answer:
The crocodile’s death could not be known for days until its stomach, blown with gas, floated it. Then perhaps it could be found upside down among the logs at the timber boom with pus in its eye.
(e) How did Sibia help Gujar woman after being saved from the grip of crocodile ?
Answer:
The crocodile had given the Gujar woman serious wounds. It was profusely bleeding from her wounds. Sibia put the sand on her wounds and bound them with rag and then helped her reach the Gujar encampment.
(f) What did Sibia find when she was picking up her things ?
Answer:
When Sibia was collecting her things, she found the blue bead. It was not blue now as the sun had disappeared. It looked white-blue.
(g) Why was the blue bead ready to use ? What did Sibia forget while showing the blue bead to her mother ?
Answer:
The blue bead was ready to use because it was naturally perforated. While showing the blue bead to her mother, Sibia forgot to tell her heroic struggle with crocodile.
Long Answer Type Questions
Question 1.
In the life of the jungle, killing the crocodile was a common thing for Sibia. Discuss it with reference to the story.
Answer:
As Sibia was brought up in the dangerous surroundings of the forest, she was accustomed to deal with such dangers. The forest was full of ferocious animals, hence it was natural for her to meet the fatal dangers. She had grown fearless and tough. She knew how to tackle with the circumstances of her daily life. From her childhood, she had been cooperating her parents in raising the income for their livelihood. She had grown an immatured child-woman. She was completely unaware of the practical approach of life, but she knew how to survive in the lap of the forest. She knew the nature and tendency of different kinds of ferocious animals. She also knew how to save herself from the attack of the wild animals.
Moreover her fearlessness made her able to face hostile environments. On one occasion, when she went to get the paper grass from the cliffs above the river, she had an encounter with the crocodile while coming back. On seeing a Gujar woman in the grip of the crocodile, she ran to help her with her hayfork and with all force she plunged the hayfork into the eyes of the crocodile. The crocodile reared up in convulsion and crashed back into the river and disappeared into the water to die.
Sibia aimed at the reptile’s eyes as she knew that by attacking its eyes, it could be killed or could be forced to leave its victim. By killing the crocodile and saving the life of Gujar woman, the girl showed her courage, bravery and great will power. Indeed she had done a heroic act by risking her own life, but in the daily heroism of the jungle, it was a very common thing for Sibia.
Question 2.
How do the people living in the vicinity of the forests have to struggle for their survival ?
Answer:
The story shows how the people living in the vicinity of the forests have to endure great hardships. They have to struggle a lot for their daily survival in a hostile environment. They are continuously threatened by the wild animals. They live in muddy houses. There are no bridges they have to cross the river which is full of crocodiles and other dangerous wild animals. There are no proper roads, hence they have make their way through the forest which is full of wild and ferocious animals.
Moreover, there are no proper sources for their income. Mostly they have to depend on the natural sources of the forest. They also keep the goats, sheep, buffaloes and cows for their survival. The village women are not restricted to look after the household. In the story, Sibia, her mother and other women are seen going to the cliffs to get paper grass to be sold. The Gujar nomadic graziers have their encampment of grass huts near the river. The Gujar women are seen carrying gurrahs to the river to fetch water whereas the men and boys go out to graze their cattle or to the market to sell the produce.
The people in the village live a very simple life which is entirely devoid of any kind of materialistic pleasure. They gather sticks from the forest for firewood and use dung as fuel. Sibia is born to toil. As the writer says :
‘But Sibia, in all her life from birth to death, was marked for work. Since she could toddle, she had husked corn and gathered sticks and put dung to dry and cooked and weeded and carried and fetched water and cut grass for fodder. ’
it is true that the people of the village live in the lap of nature and enjoy the benefits. But as the village is on the edge of a forest, they are also vulnerable to dangers from the wild. The Gujar woman in the village who carries the pitchers to the river to fetch water, falls a victim to crocodile which comes out of the dark water and pounces upon her leg.
Question 3.
‘A blue bead was one of the unattainable wonders for Sibia’. Discuss it with reference to the story The Blue Bead.
Answer:
Sibia’s Poverty and Her Cherishing A Desire to Have A Bead Necklace: Sibia was a twelve years old girl. She belonged to a very poor family. She lived a hard life in the midst of sufferings and difficulties. Because of utter poverty, she was not able to own any materialistic thing. At the name of materialistic possession she had an earth-coloured rag. She had tom the rag in two pieces to make skirt and sari. She wished to make a bead necklace for herself that would rattle around her neck. Whenever she saw other village women wearing necklaces made out of the shiny scarlet seeds, she too desired to have one. But each seed was as hard as stone and had to be drilled with a red- hot needle and the family needle was snapped, so she had to wait till they could buy another.
Her Saving A Gujar Woman from the Crocodile : One day she went with her mother and some other women to get some paper grass from the cliffs above the river. The women, after collecting the paper grass came back, but Sibia was left alone. She was carrying a heavy load and her muscles stretched and ached. When she was half-way over, she put her load on a big boulder to rest. At the same moment a Gujar woman came down with two pitchers to fetch the water. In order to get the good clear water, she walked onto the stepping stones. She was within a yard of the crocodile when it lunged at her. On hearing her scream, Sibia came into action to save her. She made an aggressive attack on crocodile by aiming at the reptile’s eyes with the hayfork. The crocodile crashed back, exploded the water and disappeared in pain. Sibia dragged the fainting woman out of water and helped her reach the encampment safely.
Sibia’s Happiness to Get the Bead: Sibia returned for her grass, sickle and fork. When she was picking up her things, her eyes fell on the blue bead. She got it from the water and rushed to her home joyfully. While going back her home, she met her mother who came to look for her. Sibia, instead of narrating her mother the heroic tale, showed the bead and cried, ‘Somethig did ! I found a blue bead for my necklace, look !’ She had forgotten her heroic deed of saving the life of a Gujar woman at the risk of her own life.
Thus , fighting and killing a crocodile to save the Gujar woman was not as big achievement for her as that of finding a glittering blue bead.
Question 4.
In which circumstances did Sibia encounter with crocodile ? How did she save the life of a Gujar woman ?
Answer:
One day Sibia with her mother and other women went to get some papergrass from the cliffs above the river. They made their way to the hill after crossing the river. All the women worked there till evening and made heaps of the paper grass. Then they made the bundles of the grass and set out their houses. They crossed the river safely. But halfway through, Sibia was tired and put down her load on a big boulder to rest.
At that moment a Gujar woman came with two brass pitchers to fetch water unsusupecting the mortal danger that lay lurking nearby. When she was within a yard of the great brute, without any warning, it lunged at her. The woman recoiled from the crocodile but its jaws gripped her leg as she slipped and fell on the bone-breaking stone and clutched one of the timber logs to save herself.
As soon as Sibia heard her painful scream, she was aware of the danger which pounced upon a Gujar woman. She at once could see that the fierceful crocodile had attacked the Gujar woman and taken her leg into its tight grip. The Gujar woman was struggling hard to save herself from the tight grip of the crocodile. Without making any delay, Sibia rushed to that side where the Gujar woman was writhing in pain in the grip of the crocodile, with her hayfork.
With all her strength, Sibia pierced the hayfork into the crocodile’s eyes and one prong went right in. The monster reared up in convulsion and crashed back into the river and disappeared into the water to die. Sibia some how dragged the woman from the water and tried to stop her bleeding by putting the sand into the wounds and helped her reach the Gujar encampment.
Question 5.
Give the detailed description of the crocodile. Or Where did the crocodile live ? How did it grow prospered and ferocious ?
Answer:
The crocodile lived in a great Indian river. It was twice the length of a tall man. It had no need to hide itself. It came to rest in the glassy shallows among logs and balanced there on tiptoe on the rippled sand, with only its raised eyes out of the water and raised nostrils breathing the clean sunny air. Around it broad sparkling water travelled between cliffs and grass and forested hills. The crocodile, blackish brown above and yellow white under, lay motionless and was able to wait forever till food came. This antediluvian saurian-this prehistoric juggernaut, ferocious and formidable, a vast force in the water, propelled by the unimaginable and irresistible power of the huge tail, lay lapped by ripples, a throb in its throat. Its mouth, running almost the whole length of its head, was closed and fixed in that evil bony smile and where the yellow underside came up to it, it was tinged with green.
From the day, perhaps a hundred years ago when the sun had hatched him in a sand bank and it had broken its shell and got its head out and looked around, ready to snap at anything before it was even fully hatched-from that day when it had atonce made for the water, ready to fend for itself immediately, it had lived by its brainless craft and ferocity. Escaping the birds of prey and the great carnivorous fishes that ate baby crocodiles, it had prospered, catching all the food it needed and storing it till putrid in holes in the bank. Tepid water to live in and plenty of rotten food grew it to it great length.
Nothing could pierce the inch-thick armoured hide. Not even rifle bullets, which would bounce off. Only the eyes and the soft underarms offered a place. It lived well in the river, running itself sometimes with other crocodiles-muggers, as well as the long-snouted fish eating gharials-on warm rocks and sand banks where the sun dried the clay on them quite white where they could plop off into the water in a moment if alarmed.
The big and prospered crocodile fed mostly on fish, but also on dear and monkeys which came to drink, perhaps a duck or two. And sometimes it went to the burning ghats and found the half-burnt bodies of Indians cast into the stream.
Treasure Trove Poems and Short Stories Workbook Answers