Comprehension Check 1
- Why didn’t he pay the school fees on the day he brought money to school?
Answer: He didn’t pay the school fees because he was tempted by the thought of buying jalebis instead. - (i) What were the coins ‘saying’ to him?
Answer: The coins were suggesting that he could buy delicious jalebis instead of paying the fees.
(ii) Do you think they were misguiding him?
Answer: Yes, the coins were misguiding him as they encouraged him to indulge in temporary pleasure rather than fulfilling his responsibilities. - Why didn’t he take the coins’ advice? Give two or three reasons.
Answer: He didn’t take the coins’ advice because he felt guilty about not paying the fees, he was afraid of the consequences of his actions, and he wanted to do the right thing. - (i) What did the oldest coin tell him?
Answer: The oldest coin advised him to use the money wisely and to pay the fees instead of spending it on sweets.
(ii) Did he follow his advice? If not, why not?
Answer: No, he did not follow the oldest coin’s advice because he was overwhelmed by the desire for jalebis. - He reached home with the coins in his pocket. What happened then?
Answer: When he reached home, he felt anxious and guilty about not paying the fees and was worried about the consequences of his actions.
Comprehension Check 2
- (i) Why didn’t he eat all the jalebis he had bought?
Answer: He didn’t eat all the jalebis because he felt guilty about spending his fees money on them.
(ii) What did he do with the remaining jalebis?
Answer: He decided to take the remaining jalebis home to share with his family. - “The fear was killing me.” What was the fear?
Answer: The fear was about facing his parents and the consequences of not paying the school fees. - “Children’s stomachs are like digestion machines.” What do you understand by that? Do you agree?
Answer: This means that children can eat a lot and digest food quickly. Yes, I agree as children have high energy levels and can often eat more than adults. - How did he plan to pay the fees the next day?
Answer: He planned to pay the fees the next day by saving the remaining money he had and using it to pay his school fees. - When it is time to pay the fees, what does he do? How is he disobeying the elders by doing so?
Answer: When it was time to pay the fees, he used the money he had bought jalebis with, instead of paying the fees first. He was disobeying his elders by prioritizing his desire for sweets over his responsibility to pay for his education.
Comprehension Check (Page 72)
- What was the consequence of buying jalebis with the fees money?
Answer: The consequence was that he felt guilty for not paying the school fees and worried about disappointing his parents and facing the consequences at school. - His prayer to God is like a lawyer’s defence of a bad case. Does he argue his case well? What are the points he makes?
Answer: He argues his case by explaining his desire for jalebis, his fear of disappointing his parents, and his wish to be forgiven for his mistake. However, he knows deep down that he is making excuses. - He offers to play a game with Allah Miyan. What is the game?
Answer: The game he offers is to challenge God to give him the four rupees he needs to pay the fees in exchange for a chance to win more money. - Did he get four rupees by playing the game? What did he get to see under the rock?
Answer: He did not get four rupees; instead, he saw a lot of ants under the rock, which made him realize the futility of his wish and the value of hard work. - If God had granted his wish that day, what harm would it have caused him in later life?
Answer: If God had granted his wish, it would have taught him that he could escape responsibilities through shortcuts, leading to a lack of discipline and work ethic in later life.
Exercise Questions
1. Select and read sentences that show,
(a) that the boy is tempted to eat jalebis
Ans: The lines that show “that the boy is tempted to eat jalebis” are:
- Jalebis are meant to be eaten and only those with money in their pocket can eat them.
- But then, these jalebis are no common sort of jalebis either. They’re crisp, fresh and full of sweet syrup.
- My mouth watered.
(b) that he is feeling guilty
Ans: The lines that show the meaning of the given statement“that he is feeling guilty” are:
- I felt like crying as loudly as I could.
- When the recess bell rang, I tucked my bag under my arm and left the school and simply followed my nose, walking on and on.
- Now for the crime of eating a few jalebis, for the first time in my life I was absent from school.
- Sitting there under the tree, at first I felt like crying.
(c) that he is justifying a wrong deed.
Ans: The lines that show the meaning of the given statement “that he is justifying a wrong deed” are:
- Allah Miyan! I am a very good boy.
- I have memorised the entire namaaz. I even know the last ten surats of the Quran by heart.
- I didn’t eat them all by myself, though I fed them to a whole lot of children too, but yes, it was a mistake.
2. Discuss the following points.
• Is the boy intelligent? If so, what is the evidence of it?
Ans: Yes, the youngster Munna was a bright student. He was one of the brightest pupils in school. He had obtained a scholarship of four rupees per month in his fourth-class exam. On the day he had to pay his fees, he was also going to receive the previous month’s scholarship. He has also never missed a day of school.
• Does his outlook on the jalebi’s episode change after class VIII? Does he see that episode in a new light?
Ans: Up until class VIII, he wondered what harm it could have done to anyone if God had sent him four rupees on that particular day. Later, he came to the conclusion that if God provided everything a man asked for, he would still be living in vultures and crow nests and would not have learned how to make jalebis. By this, he meant that if God gave man everything he desired, he would make no effort at all, and become dependent on God for everything.
• Why are coins made to ‘talk’ in this story? What purpose does it serve?
Ans: In the story, coins are made to ‘talk’ in order to demonstrate the boy’s avarice. His excellent temperament, which kept him from buying jalebis, shines through the words he spoke. The words echoed by the coins reflected his greed, which drove him to obtain the jalebis and devour them.
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