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The Midnight Visitor Summary in English by Robert Arthur

The Midnight Visitor by Robert Arthur About the Author

The Midnight Visitor Summary in English

Fowler is surprised to see the secret agent Ausable who is too fat to be a secret agent. Ausable tells him that he was going to get an important paper for which many men have risked their lives. When both of them reach Ausable’s room, Fowler is scared to see a man, Max standing in the room. Max who is a tall and thin man, is holding a gun in his hand. He had entered his room by using a key to take the report concerning a new missile. Ausable, sensing the danger, fabricated a story about the non-existent balcony which Max believed to be true.

Ausable complained that it was due to the balcony that somebody had entered his room the second time. After some time, there was a knock at the door. Ausable again befooled Max by saying that it was the police who wanted to come inside to provide him protection. Max wanted to run away to avoid the police and jumps to his death into that non-existent balcony.

Meanwhile, the bearer brought two glasses and a bottle of drink. Fowler was taken aback by the quick wit and intelligence of Ausable.

The Midnight Visitor Summary Questions and Answers

Question 1.
Why did Fowler want to meet Ausable? Why was he disappointed?
Answer:
Fowler was a young romantic writer. He loved adventure and thrill. He was always interested in knowing the lives of secret agents. He wanted to meet Ausable who was on a secret assignment. He was a little disappointed when he found nothing mysterious and romantic in Ausable. Ausable, in fact, was a fat, ordinary person.

Question 2.
Who was Henry? What role did he play in Ausable’s plans?
Answer:
Henry was a waiter at the French hotel where Ausable had a room. He played a vital role in helping Ausable’s plan as it was Henry’s knock at the door which frightened Max as he mistook it to be a policeman at the door. This confusion forced Max to jump from the window assuming it to be a balcony and hence helping Ausable’s plan to get rid of Max.

Question 3.
What was someone expected to bring to Ausable’s room?
Answer:
Ausable expected to get a very important report about missiles, which was to be delivered to him after midnight.

Question 4.
Why was Ausable angry with the hotel’s management?
Answer:
Ausable pretended to be angry with the hotel management because they had not paid any attention to the balcony that was a safety threat for him. In fact, he fabricated a story about the non-existent balcony to trap Max.

Question 5.
How did Max enter the room? Why did he do so?
Answer:
Max entered Ausable’s room through the main door, using a pass key. He wanted to take the important report from Ausable. Therefore, he decided to give a shock to Ausable. He thought it would be easy to overpower Ausable by giving him a shock.

Question 6.
Was there a balcony outside the window? Give instances from the text in support of your answer.
Answer:
There was no balcony outside the window. The following lines show that there was no balcony:
“And then as he dropped, he screamed once shrilly.” „
“But what about the man on the balcony?” Fowler asked “No” said Ausable, “he won’t ever return.” Thus, we know that the man had died after jumping from the 6th floor.

Question 7.
Did Fowler find this episode thrilling or disappointing? Give a reason for your answer.
Answer:
Fowler found this episode quite thrilling. In the beginning, he was not impressed by the personality of Ausable who did not fit as a secret agent. As he had read about the mysterious figures, the crack of pistols and drugs in wine, the fat Ausable did not impress him much.

But he was not able to believe the quick answer and smartness of Ausable. The whole episode appeared to be quite unbelievable.

Question 8.
Why did Ausable ask Fowler to cheer up?
Answer:
Ausable knew that Fowler wanted to see something mysterious and romantic. Ausable asked him to cheer up as he was going to receive an important report concerning some new missiles. Many people had risked their lives. Therefore, there could be some drama in his room.

Question 9.
What story did Ausable fabricate about the balcony?
Answer:
He told Fowler that the balcony in his room had become a nuisance for him. He told him that his room used to be the part of a large unit and through the balcony any one could come to his room as the adjoining room was empty.

Question 10.
How do you know that Ausable was a clever secret agent?
Answer:
Ausable was really a clever secret agent as is evident from the story. He told a false story about the existence of a non-existent balcony. Knowing very well that the waiter was knocking at the door, he told him about the police.

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The Thief’s Story Summary in English by Ruskin Bond

The Thief’s Story by Ruskin Bond About the Author

The Thief’s Story Summary in English

Anil, a young man of 25, was a writer. He earned his living by writing books or articles for various magazines. He was a large-hearted and simple man. Once, when he was watching a wrestling match, a young boy named Hari Singh approached him and expressed his desire to serve him. He said that he would cook for him. Anil believed him and gave him the job. Hari Singh was an expert thief and used to change his name and place to avoid the police and his old employers. He used to make money while buying supplies for him.

One day, he got a chance to steal Anil’s money, from under the mattress. He ran away to go to another place by train. But at the park, his inner voice made him restless. He did not want to cheat a large-hearted and simple man like Anil, who had trusted him. He also wanted Anil to teach him to write simple sentences. He immediately came back to Anil’s house and placed the money as it was.

Next morning, Anil gave him fifty rupees and told him that he would pay him regularly. Anil forgave him as he wanted to give him another chance to improve.

The Thief’s Story Summary Questions and Answers

Question 1.
How did the thief (Hari Singh) realise that Anil knew that his money had been stolen?
Answer:
The thief realised that Anil knew he had stolen his money because he found some of the notes still wet, as if they were taken out in the rain. He gave a fifty-rupee-note to Hari Singh the next morning, and he promised to give him more money, though he did not have any contract for giving any money.

Question 2.
How did Hari Singh know that Anil had forgiven him?
Answer:
Hari Singh realised that Anil knew about the theft because he found some of the notes still wet. He gave him a fifty-rupee-note and did not mention anything about the theft. This made him feel that Anil had forgiven him.

Question 3.
Who is ‘I’ in this story? Why did he change his name every month?
Answer:
‘I’ in this story is a 15 year old boy who is an experienced and successful thief. He changes his name every month to hide his real identity from his new employer and the police.

Question 4.
Why, according to Hari Singh, is it easier to rob a greedy man than a careless person like Anil?
Answer:
Hari Singh has correlated theft with the sense of satisfaction, a thief gets pleasure when a person comes to know that he has been robbed. Hari Singh says that a greedy man can afford to be robbed too whereas a careless man at times may never come to know that he has lost something or he has been robbed. This carelessness, on the part of a person robbed, deprives a thief of the pleasure which he gets out of theft.

Question 5.
What was the thief s immediate reaction when he stole Anil’s money?
Answer:
Hari Singh stole six hundred rupees and crawled out of the room. When he was on the road, he started running. He kept the notes in his waist held there by the string of his pyjama. He felt as if he was an oil rich Arab for a week or two.

Question 6.
What made the thief come back to Anil?
Answer:
Hari Singh came back to Anil because Anil trusted him. He did not want to miss the chance of being educated. Education could certainly make him a better man. He was fed up with the life of a thief, i. e. stealing and being caught and beaten.

Question 7.
What was Anil’s job? What did he usually do with the money he earned?
Answer:
Anil was a writer. He used to write articles for magazines. He was a spendthrift and used to spend money on his friends. He did not bother to save money for his future.

Question 8.
What does the thief say about the reactions of different types of people when they were robbed? How did he think Anil would react when he discovered the theft?
Answer:
The thief had robbed all kinds of people. According to him, the greedy men were scared of being robbed. The rich men showed anger. The poor men accepted their fate after being robbed. He thought that Anil would show only a touch of sadness. He would not be sad for the loss of money, but for the loss of trust.

Question 9.
What made him a successful thief?
Answer:
He always changed his name after stealing. He even managed to change the place. He tried his best to appear pleasing and innocent so the employers never suspected him to be a thief.

Question 10.
Why was he about to be dismissed? What made Anil reinstate him?
Answer:
He cooked very terrible meal which infuriated Anil. He gave the food to the stray dog and asked him to be off. But he got his job back by flattering Anil who was a simple and large-hearted man.

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A Triumph of Surgery Summary in English by James Herriot

A Triumph of Surgery by James Herriot About the Author

A Triumph of Surgery Summary in English

Mrs Pumphrey was a rich and emotional lady who had a cute pet dog called Tricki. She loved him so much that she overfed him. Tricki had put on a lot of weight which made him lethargic. When doctor Herriot saw the fat dog like a bloated sausage, he was shocked. He made a plan and told Mrs Pumphrey that Tricki needed treatment for his ailment, which was possible only in the hospital. The doctor knew that Mrs Pumphrey would not be able to keep the dog on a proper diet. When the greedy dog went to hospital, he had to remain hungry, if he was slow to approach for food. He was given food at fixed intervals. Soon, he shed off a lot of his body weight and became quite active.

When Tricki was at home, he was pampered by Mrs Pumphrey. He led a luxurious life, where he was served with cream cake, chocolate and Horlicks. But when he came to the doctor, he became all right. When Mrs Pumphrey saw her active dog, she thanked the doctor and felt that it was a triumph of surgery.

A Triumph of Surgery Summary Questions and Answers

Question 1.
How was TVicki treated in the first two days of his visit to the surgery?
Answer:
He was given a cozy bed in a warm loose box. He was kept under strict observation for first two days and given a plenty of water but no food was given to him. The cut down on his diet helped him improve a lot.

Question 2.
What made THcki get well so soon?
Answer:
Tricki was not suffering from any disease indeed. His main ailment was his greed for overeating. When Mr Herriot gave him a controlled diet, he recovered from his lethargy caused by overeating and excessive fat.

Question 3.
Why did Mrs Pumphrey suffer in the absence of Tricki?
Answer:
Mrs Pumphrey loved Tricki very much. She suffered thinking that Tricki was undergoing treatment and was to be operated on. She felt that he would not surive, if he did not see her daily.

Question 4.
What was the main cause of Tricki’s problem?
Answer:
Tricki was a greedy dog. He could never refuse to eat whatever and whenever it was given him. Only this was the main cause of Tricki’s problem.

Question 5.
Why could Tricki not be cured at home?
Answer:
Mrs Pumphrey loved Tricki very much and could not be strict with him regarding his diet and exercise. Therefore, he could not be cured at home.

Question 6.
How did lunch become ‘a ceremonial occasion’ for Mr Herriot and his partners?
Answer:
Mrs Pumphrey sent fresh eggs, two dozen at a time to build up Tricki’s strength.

Mr Herriot and his partners began to take two eggs each in breakfast. They enjoyed it a lot.

Then bottles of wine began to arrive to enrich Tricki’s blood. This way it became a ceremonial occasion for them, to have two glasses of wine before and during the meal.

Question 7.
‘You must harden your heart and help him on a strict diet.’ Why does Mr Herriot suggest this to Mrs Pumphrey?
Answer:
Mrs Pumphrey is very loving and caring mistress for Tricki. Her love and care do more harm than good to Tricki. She pampered him by giving him a luxurious life.

She overfed him. The result was that Tricki became fat and lethargic. Overpampering and overfeeding were leading into disaster by spoiling his health. Cutting down his meals was much required to improve his health. Therefore, Mr Herriot suggests Mrs Pumphrey so.

Question 8.
Why was Mr Herriot shocked at Tricki’s appearance?
Answer:
Mr Herriot was shocked at Tricki’s appearance as he had become very obese. His eyes were red and watery and his tongue was lolling. All these symptoms made Mr Herriot feel that he was not feeling well.

Question 9.
(i) What was Mrs Pumphrey’s reaction when THcki showed little enthusiasm for exertion?
(ii) What did Mrs Pumphrey do to bring Tricki back to normal health? Was she wise?
Answer:
(i) Mrs Pumphrey loved Tricki very much, naturally she was anxious after noticing that he was no more an active and energetic dog. She felt that he should be given more nutrients through his food.
(ii) She gave him malt and cod liver oil and a bowl of Horlicks to make him energetic. She gave him an extra diet of cream cakes and chocolates to make him feel better as he loved to eat all this. She was not giving him exercises as he was very weak and the gardener was not feeling well to take him for a long walk. She was not being wise in spoiling her greedy dog.

Question 10.
How was THcki greeted at the surgery by other dogs in the beginning?
Answer:
When the household dogs at the surgery came closer to Tricki and sniffed round him for a few seconds, they found him an uninteresting object. They got bored and left him alone thinking that he could not move. After a few days of strict diet, he recovered and enjoyed playing with them, being bowled over, tramped on and squashed every few minutes. Thus, he became an accepted member of the game.

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The Proposal Summary in English by Anton Chekhov

The Proposal by Anton Chekhov About the Author

The Proposal Summary in English

The play highlights the tendency of the wealthy families who seek ties with other wealthy families to increase their estates through marriages that make good economic sense. Lomov is a rich eligible bachelor who wants to marry Natalya, the daughter of another rich man, Chubukov. All the three characters are quarrelsome and quarrel over petty issues. Both Natalya and Chubukov curse Lomov and find him a useless, pettifoger, lunatic, gambler, backbiter and so on. Lomov also calls him a land grabber.

There is no chemistry between Natalya and Lomov. But the moment she comes to know that Lomov wants to marry her, she becomes polite and starts waiting for him. Chubukov also tells Lomov, And I have always loved you, my angel, as if you were my own son.’ The proposal is in danger of being forgotten amidst all quarrelling but better sense prevails and the proposal is made and accepted.

The Proposal Summary Questions and Answers

Question 1.
Who is Lomov? Why does he visit Chubukov?
Answer:
Value Points

• Lomov is a wealthy youngman.
• visits Chubukov to seek the hand of his wealthy daughter.

Question 2.
What makes Chubukov misunderstand the purpose of Lomov’s visit?
Answer:
Chubukov – misunderstands that Lomov had come to borrow money
Lomov – had come to trouble him with a request for help
– he didn’t reveal his purpose of coming directly.

Question 3.
Why does Natalya quarrel with Lomov? What is the result?
Answer:
Lomov fought with Natalya for a piece of land. Both of them wanted to have a claim for the same piece of land, i.e., Oxen Meadows. The second time they fought for their dogs to establish the supe-riority of one over the other.

Lomov and Natalya are not able to decide whose dog is superior as Natalya is proud of her dog, Squeezer who is young and belongs to a pedigree, whereas Lomov considers it to be uppershot and boasts of his pet ‘Guess’ who he thinks is a first rate dog. But Natalya considers ‘Guess’ to be old and as ugly as a worn out cab horse.
Or
Value Points

• Chubukov’s strange remarks
• His behaviour towards Lomov
• His reaction at the dress of Lomov
• His eccentric behaviour
• Sudden change in the behaviour

Question 4.
Why is Chubukov surprised at Lomov’s wearing of a formal evening dress when Lomov comes to meet him?
Answer:
Chubukov is surprised at Lomov’s wearing of a formal evening dress as there was no formal occasion known to him. He asked Lomov if he was going somewhere in such a nice dress. Lomov told him that he had come to his house to propose Natalya.

Question 5.
Chubukov says to Lomov, “And I’ve always loved you, my angel, as if you were my own son.” Is he sincere in saying so? Give reasons.
Answer:
Chubukov says to Lomov, “And I’ve always loved you, my angel, as if you were my own son.” No, he is not sincere in saying so. He didn’t have a good opinion about him. He thought that he had come there to ask for some money. He changed his stand only when he came to know that Lomov wanted to marry Natalya, his daughter. It was something that Chubukov always wanted.

Question 6.
What was Lomov’s opinion about Squeezer?
Answer:
Lomov’s opinion about Squeezer was not positive. He considered Squeezer a bad hunter. Lomov was sure that dog’s lower jaw was shorter than the upper one. He thought it to be of inferior quality.

Question 7.
With what request does Lomov come to Chubukov? What is his state of mind at that time?
Answer:
Lomov came to Chubukov to request him to allow him to propose to his daughter Natalya. At that time he was suffering from weakness. His limbs became numb. Whenever he was excited, his heart started palpitating. His foot often became numb and he was unable to bear the shock in life.

Question 8.
Why did Chubukov thank Lomov for proposing to his daughter?
Answer:
Chubukov was overjoyed to know that Lomov wanted to propose to his daughter Natalya. He thanked him for taking this decision. He was happy as Natalya had passed the marriage age.

Question 9.
Why was Chubukov sure that Natalya would give her consent for the proposal?
Answer:
Chubukov was sure that Natalya would give her consent for the proposal because Natalya was in love with Lomov. Therefore, she would give her consent for the marriage proposal. Moreover, she wanted to get married.

Question 10.
What is the ailment that Lomov is suffering from?
Answer:
Lomov is suffering from weakness or depression. His limbs become numb. Whenever he is excited his heart starts palpitating. His foot often becomes numb and he is unable to bear the shock in life.

We have decided to create the most comprehensive English Summary that will help students with learning and understanding.

The Sermon at Benares Summary in English by Buddha

The Sermon at Benares by Buddha About the Author

The Sermon at Benares Summary in English

The story is about a moral lesson that Gautama Buddha gave to a grief-stricken woman. Buddha was very sensitive towards the sufferings of man. At a very young age he gave up all the worldly pleasures to seek enlightenment.

Once a woman named Kisa Gotami came to him after the demise of her son. She wanted Buddha to give her some medicine for her son. Gautama Buddha advised her to go and collect a handful of mustard seeds from a house where no one had lost a child, husband, parent or friend. When Gotami could not get such a house, she understood the secret of life and death—the very meaning of Buddha’s words.

The Sermon at Benares Questions and Answers

Question 1.
Why was Gautama known as Buddha?
Answer:
‘Buddha’ means ‘The Awakened’ or ‘The Enlightened’. After seven years of wandering Gautama attained wisdom. When he started sharing his new understandings with the suffering people, he was called ‘Buddha’.

Question 2.
Where did Gautama Buddha preach his first Sermon? What was it all about?
Answer:
Gautama Buddha preached his first sermon at Benares, the holiest city. It was about the ways to overcome our sorrows. It reflects Buddha’s wisdom about one inscrutable kind of suffering.

Question 3.
Why was Kisa sad? What advice was given to her?
Answer:
Kisa Gotami had lost her only son. He was dead. She loved him very much and wanted him to be alive. But she could not find any medicine so she was sad. She was advised to go to Buddha.

Question 4.
What did Kisa request her neighbours to give for her son? Did she get it?
Answer:
Kisa Gotami asked her neighbours to give her a medicine that could bring life back to her son. No, she could not get any.

Question 5.
How did Kisa Gotami realise that life and death is a normal process?
Answer:
Buddha asked Gotami to bring mustard seeds from a house which had never lost any member of the family. She was unable to get such a house only then she came to know that life and death is a normal process so as man is mortal and is bound to die.

Question 6.
When and where was Gautama Buddha born? Why did he decide to leave the palace?
Answer:
Gautama Buddha was born in 563 B.C. in Northern India. Buddha was away from all the sorrows of life. Once he saw a sick man, a beggar, an aged man and a funeral procession. He realised that the world was full of sorrow. He wanted to attain knowledge. So he decided to leave the palace to get enlightened.

Question 7.
How did ‘Bodhi Tree’ get its name?
Answer:
After seven years of wandering Gautama sat under a peepal tree. He attained knowledge under that tree and got enlightened. He renamed the tree as ‘Bodhi tree’ which means the tree of wisdom. ‘Bodhi’ means knowledge.

Question 8.
What kind of suffering is reflected in the Sermon?
Answer:
Grief over the death of a loved one is the main theme of this sermon. People fail to understand that death is common to all. All mortals have to die. There is no use of lamentation. One does not get peace of mind unless one overcomes the sorrows.

Question 9.
What were the greatest sorrows that pained Buddha?
Answer:
Poverty, illness and death were the greatest sorrows that pained Buddha. He saw a poor man begging, an old man and a funeral procession that changed his course of life. These sights moved him so much that he went out into the world to seek enlightment and truth.

Question 10.
Why did people think that Kisa had become mad?
Answer:
Kisa Gotami’s only son had died. She was not ready to accept the fact that once a mortal dies, he/she cannot be brought back to life. She went to her neighbours with her dead son to get some medicines to bring him back to life. People thought that Kisa had gone mad.