English Summary

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A House is not a Home Summary in English by Zan Gaudioso

A House is not a Home by Zan Gaudioso About the Author

Zan Gaudioso is an author based in California. She has contributed stories to and edited the famous Chicken Soup for the Soul book series. These books consist of short stories that seek to comfort and inspire readers. Among these, her most notable contributions have been for the book, Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul III. Zan has also co-writered The Buddha Next Door: Ordinary People, Extraordinary Stories.

A House is not a Home Summary in English

This story relates the experiences of the writer after she joins a new high school. All her friends have gone to a different school and she feels very isolated among the new students and teachers. She often visits the teachers in her old school and they encourage her to participate in the activities at her new school. They assure her that in time she will grow to love her new school.

On a Sunday afternoon soon after, the writer is seated on the dining table, doing her homework. As it is a cold and windy day, there is a fire going in the fireplace. The writer’s red tabby cat is lying on top of her school papers. The reader is informed that the writer had rescued the cat when it was a kitten and since then they have had a close relationship. Suddenly, the writer smells something strange: she looks up to the ceiling sees that smoke is pouring in through its seams. It fills the room quickly and they run out of the house to find that the fire has engulfed the roof. While the writer runs to the neighbour’s house to call the fire department, her mother runs back into the house.

The writer’s mother returns with a metal box that has important documents and then runs back in. The writer knows she has gone to collect pictures of her father who had passed away when she was young. She knows that the pictures are all that her mother has left of him. The writer tries to run into the house after her mother but is restrained by a fireman—by this time, the street is full of fire trucks. She tells him that her mother is in the house and he assures her that the other firemen have gone into the house to rescue her. He wraps her in a blanket and makes her sit in a car.

Soon enough, a fireman emerges with the writer’s mother. The writer is relieved and runs to her mother and hugs her. She feels that the happiness of that moment has washed over all the times she had argued with her mother and hated her.

It takes five hours to douse the fire and the house appears almost completely destroyed. At this time, the writer remembers her cat and realises that it is nowhere to be found. She becomes overwhelmed by the feeling of loss: of her old school, her friends, her old teachers, her home and now, her cat. Although she does not want to leave without knowing what happened to her cat, the firemen announce that it is not safe to go into the house. Thus, with just the clothes they are wearing and the blankets given by the firemen, the writer and her mother make their way to her grandparents’ house to spend the night.

The next day, the writer’s mother forces her to go to school. The writer does not want to go because she is very embarrassed: she is still wearing the dress she wore the day before and has had to borrow tennis shoes from her aunt. She has lost her books, her homework and her backpack in the fire. She feels very self-conscious because she knows that instead of blending in, this incident will cause her to stick out like a sore thumb. At school, she feels lost and completely out of place.

She goes to her old house after school and is pained to see that only the pictures and documents rescued by her mother have survived the fire. Once again she longs for her cat. However, there is no time for grief, as they need to find a new house and buy new clothes for school. Eventually, they rent an apartment near their old house. The writer visits her old house in the hope of finding her cat. She misses her cat terribly and remembers the time they had spent together.

The writer realises that everyone in her school has come to know of the fire. She feels embarrassed by the attention people give her. The next day, people gather around the writer and ask her to hurry up and head to gym class. She finds this strange but upon reaching the gym, she sees that a table has been set up and piled with school supplies, notebooks and clothes—all of it is for her. Strangers introduce themselves to her and even invite her to their homes. This heartfelt gesture touches her heart and she finally feels hopeful about her situation. At last, she makes new friends.

A month later, the writer is at the site of her old house with two of her new friends, watching her house being rebuilt. She realises that because of the fire incident, she was able to break through her insecurities and embrace the wonderful things and people around her. She realises that just like the house, her life too is being rebuilt.

At that moment, a woman comes to the writer, holding her lost cat. The writer jumps up with joy and takes the cat into her arms. She learns that her cat had been so scared by the fire that she ran over a mile away. Although the cat’s collar had the owner’s phone number on it, the phone had been destroyed in the fire. This kind woman took the cat in and also made the effort to locate its original owners.

When the writer sits with her friends and reflects on everything that has happened, she realises that the feelings of loss and tragedy that she had been struggling with have begun to diminish. Instead, she feels an immense sense of gratitude for all the blessings she has received: her life, her new friends, a stranger’s kindness and the purr of her cat. She feels that just like her cat, she has also found her way back.

A House is not a Home Title

The title of the chapter talks about the difference between a house and a home. A house is a physical structure. A home is a shelter, a place where people live together sharing their ups and downs, supporting each other and spreading love and cheer. Therefore, a home is much more than a house made of brick and mortar.

A House is not a Home Setting

The story is set in a small town in America, where the writer lived with her mother.

A House is not a Home Theme

The story traces the problems that one faces when an older way of living comes crashing down, forcing one to rebuild life from scratch. It examines how a seemingly tough situation can be turned into an advantageous one, with the right attitude.

A House is not a Home Message

The story highlights the importance of keeping an open mind and not being depressed by the problems and challenges that are an important part of life. It reiterates that every dark cloud has a silver lining.

A House is not a Home Characters

The writer: The writer appears to be a teenager, who has just graduated from junior high. In the beginning of the story, she appears to have been a normal teenager, who was rude to her mother and sometimes even hated her. She also appears to be emotional and finds it difficult to handle the shift to high school, away from the environment and people that she was used to. All her friends had gone to different high schools, and she felt very isolated and alone. She is very close to her pet cat, whom she had rescued as a kitten.

After the fire, she is initially very lost and sad, as she and her mother had just lost all their possessions and didn’t even have any clothes or a place to stay. She is very shaken and insecure. However, she soon matures and grows closer to her mother. The shock of almost losing her mother in the fire makes her realise how much she loves her and she stops taking her for granted. The kindness of her new classmates and teachers, who donate all kinds of necessities to help her overcome her losses from the fire, touches her and makes her feel accepted and secure. She becomes less judgmental and more accommodating of the changes that take place in her life.

The mother: Her character emerges not through direct descriptions, but through her actions during the course of the story. She is very caring, responsible, and brave, bringing up her daughter as a single parent after her husband died several years ago. She faces each challenge and problem that arises without complaining. She never gives up, but always tries to find a solution to the problem. She is very concerned about her daughter, and even borrows clothes so that she can go to school the next day. She rebuilds her home from the debris.

Even though her cards and identification papers are burnt, she does not hesitate to borrow money from her parents to make sure she can create a normal living situation for her daughter as quickly as possible. She is a caring and sensitive person, who loved her husband dearly even after he died. This is clear from the way she ran into the burning house to rescue his letters and pictures. She seems to have been a very remarkable woman who did not let life’s challenges knock her down.

A House is not a Home Summary Questions and Answers

Question 1.
Why did the writer feel awkward during her first year of high school?
Answer:
She felt awkward because it was a new school, much bigger than her previous junior high school. It was strange starting as a freshman after enjoying the benefits of being the senior-most class in junior high. She also felt isolated as all her close friends had gone to different high schools and she did not know anyone there.

Question 2.
Why did she continue to visit her old school?
Answer:
She missed her teachers so much that she continued to visit them at her old school. Moreover, it was a familiar place where she had spent many happy years. She felt isolated in her new school without her friends.

Question 3.
What advice did her junior high teachers give her?
Answer:
They encouraged her to get involved with activities in her new school so that she could meet new people. They were confident that she would adjust in time and start loving the new school as well.

Question 4.
What was the psychology behind the teachers’ advice?
Answer:
The teachers wanted her to adjust to her new environment and not keep thinking about the past. It was time for her to move on and face the reality of her situation.

Question 5.
How do we know that her cat was very playful?
Answer:
We know this from the fact that she would swat at the writer’s pen from time to time in a playful maimer while she tried to complete her homework.

Question 6.
Why was the cat so attached to the writer?
Answer:
The writer had saved the cat when it had been a kitten and somehow it knew that the writer was responsible for the good life that it was presently enjoying.

Question 7.
What happened one Sunday afternoon?
Answer:
The writer’s house caught fire one Sunday, and it burnt down completely.

Question 8.
Why did the writer’s mother run back into the burning house?
Answer:
The writer’s father had died when she had been very young. Her mother ran back into the burning house to try to save her husband’s pictures and letters, which were all she had to remember him by.

Question 9.
Why was the writer held back by the fireman?
Answer:
She was held back by the fireman to stop her from following her mother into the burning house, as she could have lost her life.

Question 10.
How was the writer’s mother rescued from the burning house?
Answer:
The fire-fighters ran into the house and rescued the writer’s mother. She was given an oxygen mask to help her breathe normally again.

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

The Last Leaf Summary in English by O. Henry

The Last Leaf by O. Henry About the Author

O. Henry is the pen name of William Sydney Porter. He was an American short story writer, famous for his use of surprise endings. He worked in a number of professions in his lifetime: a pharmacist, a .draftsman, and a bank teller, among others. Throughout these phases, he contributed stories and articles to many newspapers and magazines. He founded The Rolling Stone—a humorous weekly. His stint as a columnist at the Houston Post led to a rise in his popularity. He spent three years in prison on charges of embezzlement.

After his release, he began the most prolific stage of his writing career: he wrote over 300 short stories and enjoyed great popularity among readers. Porter spent a lot of time talking to people and observing them. His stories are about the lives of ordinary people and are marked by his unique narrative style. Most of his stories are based in New York City and speak of his fascination with the place.

The Last Leaf Summary in English

Autumn forms the background of this story about Sue and Johnsy, two young artists who share a flat on the third storey of an old house. It is the month of November and Johnsy is ill with pneumonia: she lies in bed all day, gazing out of the window. Sue is worried and calls a doctor for help. Even with medical treatment, there is no improvement in Johnsy’s condition.

One day, the doctor informs Sue that medicines can not help Johsny because the latter does not seem to want to live. Sue makes many attempts to divert Johnsy’s attention, but nothing works. Sue then brings her drawing board into Johnsy’s room and begins painting there.

She suddenly hears Johnsy whisper something. She rushes to Johnsy’s side and finds that Johnsy is counting backwards while gazing out of the window. Sue realises that Johnsy is observing an old ivy creeper outside her window that is shedding its leaves. Johnsy is counting its remaining leaves. Johnsy says that in just three days, the number of leaves have reduced from almost a hundred to just five. Johnsy is sure that when the tree sheds its last leaf, she will die.

Johnsy tells Sue that she wants to watch the last leaf fall. Sue says that she cannot draw the curtain because she needs the light to paint. But she asks Johnsy to not look out of the window. JoHnsy promises not to do so, but asks Sue to hurry so she can watch the last leaf fall and then die peacefully.

Sue goes to Behrman, a 60-year old artist who lives on the ground floor. His dream of painting a masterpiece is yet to be fulfilled. Sue shares her worries with him. She tells him that Johnsy has a high temperature and refuses to eat or drink anything. Behrman is puzzled at Johnsy’s behaviour and wants to see her. They go to Johsny’s room together and find her sleeping. Sue draws the curtains and they go to the next room. There is heavy rain and cold winds are blowing; they see that there is only a single leaf remaining on the ivy tree and it can fall at any moment. Behrman silently withdraws into his room.

The next day, Johnsy asks Sue to draw the curtains. Sue is happy to find that a single leaf remains on the tree, in spite of the wind and rain. Johnsy is surprised but is sure that the leaf will fall soon. She wakes up every hour or so to look out of the window, but finds the leaf clinging to the tree. It even withstands another storm that evening.

Johnsy gazes at the leaf for a long time. She calls Sue and tells her that the last leaf has made her realise that she has been a bad person: for all the love and care that Sue has given her, she has not responded or willed herself to get better. The leaf has shown her that it is a sin to want to die. The two friends share a hug and Johnsy accepts the hot soup that Sue gives her. Johnsy combs her hair and smiles brightly. That afternoon, the doctor visits and says that since Johsny has found the will to live, she will recover soon. He also informs Sue that Behrman has pneumonia and has no hope of survival.

The next morning, Sue informs Johnsy that Behrman has died of pneumonia. He had been ill for two days. On the first day, the janitor found him on his bed, shivering and dressed in wet clothes and shoes. It seems that he had been out in the stormy night. A ladder and a lit lantern were found near his bed, along with green and yellow paints. Sue tells Johnsy to look out of the window at the last leaf: the leaf that does not flutter in the wind. She tells Johnsy that on the night the last leaf fell, Behrman painted this leaf — his masterpiece.

The Last Leaf Title

As the title suggests, the story revolves around the importance of a single leaf on a tree. The leaf is particularly important in saving the life of a girl, who had convinced herself that she would die the moment the last leaf fell off the tree. However, the leaf miraculously stays on the tree, giving the girl hope to survive. The title also refers to the fact that the leaf is the last artwork made by an out of work painter, which also becomes his masterpiece.

The Last Leaf Setting

The story is set in Greenwich Village, a neighbourhood of New York City in America, and most of the events take place against the backdrop of a storm, during autumn when trees shed their leaves.

The Last Leaf Theme

The story explores the idea of the impact of true art, and what makes a painting a true masterpiece. It also highlights the themes of selflessness and the supreme sacrifice of self to save the life of another human being. It also explores the loyalties of a true friendship, and the levels to which we can go to help a friend.

The Last Leaf Message

The story shares a message of the power of love and friendship. It reminds us that selflessness is the highest virtue one can attain.

The Last Leaf Characters

Sue: She was a very loyal and caring friend. She did everything she could to take care of Johnsy when she fell ill with pneumonia. She not only took care of Johnsy physically, but also helped by earning money by selling her paintings. She cooked and ensured that Johnsy received the best medical treatment.

Johnsy: She appears to have been a depressed and gloomy person, who is very self-absorbed. She did not have the will to fight against her illness, and did not respond to the doctor or to Sue’s care and concern. She was highly imaginative and superstitious, as she came to believe that her life was linked to the number of leaves on the creeper outside her window. She believed that she would die the day the last leaf of the creeper fell. It was because of this stubborn belief that Behrman, an older artist, lost his life when he went out in the storm to paint a leaf onto the creeper so that Johnsy would not realise that the last leaf had actually fallen.

Behrman: Behrman was a sixty year old painter whose only ambition was to paint a masterpiece. He lived in the same building as Sue and Johnsy, and sometimes acted as a model for their paintings. He was a talented artist, which is evident from his painting of the leaf on the wall. The painting was so realistic that everyone thought it was a real leaf, which saved Johnsy’s life. Johnsy had made up her mind that she would die of her illness the day the last leaf fell off the creeper. However, Behrman decided to help Sue, her friend, who was worried about the effect the falling of the last leaf would have on Johnsy. This shows how caring, selfless and concerned he was. He went out in the stormy and cold night to paint the leaf, and came back soaked to the skin, in no condition to even remove his wet clothes and shoes. He made the supreme sacrifice of his life to save the life of another human being.

The Last Leaf Summary Questions and Answers

Question 1.
Where did Sue and Johnsy stay? What was their profession?
Answer:
They lived in a small flat on the fourth storey of an old house. They were both artists.

Question 2.
Why was Sue worried when Johnsy fell ill?
Answer:
Sue was worried because Johnsy would lie on her bed without moving, and would just gaze out of her window all day. Even though the doctor came every day, there was no change in her condition.

Question 3.
What illness did Johnsy have? Who looked after her?
Answer:
Johnsy was suffering from pneumonia. Her friend Sue looked after her.

Question 4.
What worried the doctor?
Answer:
The doctor was worried because there was no improvement in Johnsy’s condition. He felt that Johnsy was not responding to treatment because she had made up her mind not to do so. He felt she had lost her will to live and hence the medicines were not going to be useful to her.

Question 5.
How did Sue try to revive Johnsy’s interest in life?
Answer:
Sue talked to her about clothes and fashions. Then she brought her drawing board into Johnsy’s room and started painting. She also whistled while painting, hoping to distracting Johnsy’s mind from her illness.

Question 6.
Why was Johnsy counting the leaves on the creeper outside her window?
Answer:
Johnsy had made up her mind that the day the last leaf fell off the creeper, she would die. So she was counting the leaves as they fell off the creeper.

Question 7.
Why did Sue go to Behrman?
Answer:
Sue went to Behrman because she had to paint an old miner and she wanted him as the model for the painting.

Question 8.
Who was Behrman?
Answer:
Behrman was a sixty year old painter whose only ambition was to paint a masterpiece. He lived in the same building as Sue and Johnsy, and sometimes acted as a model for their paintings.

Question 9.
What did Sue confide in Behrman?
Answer:
She told him about her worries about Johnsy, who refused to recover from her illness because of her belief that she was going to die the day the last leaf fell off the creeper outside her window.

Question 10.
What did Sue feel when she saw the last leaf on the creeper? Who was at the window with her?
Answer:
Sue felt extremely worried that the lead would fall off by the next morning, and if Johnsy saw that, she would not survive. Behrman, an old painter and her neighbour, was at the window with her.

We have decided to create the most comprehensive English Summary that will help students with learning and understanding. In this page, we are Providing Weathering The Storm In Ersama Summary.

Weathering the Storm Summary in English by Harsh Mander

Weathering the Storm by Harsh Mander About the Author

Harsh Mander is a social activist, author and a former officer of the Indian Administrative Services. He has founded and led many campaigns in the interest of social causes such as legal justice for survivors of communal violence, Dalit rights, the right to information, rehabilitation of street children and homeless people, among others. He serves as director in the Centre for Equity Studies and is also Special Commissioner to the Supreme Court in the Right to Food case. He has taught at many prestigious Indian as well as international institutions.

Some of his books include Ash in the Belly: India’s Unfinished Battle against Hunger and Unheard Voices: Stories of Forgotten Lives. He regularly contributes articles to leading newspapers, including The Hindu and Hindustan Times. Through his books and articles, Mander speaks of important social issues in India, such as communalism, poverty and caste discrimination, among others.

Weathering the Storm Summary in English

The story is set in the year 1999, in cyclone-effected Orissa. Seven years after his mother’s death, the protagonist, Prashant, goes to visit his friend in the coastal town of Ersama. That very evening, a menacing storm descends upon the town. Although Prashant’s friend’s house withstands the fierce wind, it is flooded with rainwater and also gets damaged by trees that crash onto its roof and walls. The devastation continues for 36 hours and Prashant and his friend’s family have to resort to taking refuge on the roof to escape the rising floodwater.

Prashant’s first glimpse of the situation outside conveys the horror caused by the super cyclone: only a few broken cement houses are visible in a sheet of brown water; there are animal and human corpses floating everywhere. Fortunately, the trees that had crashed onto Prashant’s friend’s house were coconut trees. The tender coconuts save the family from starvation during the next couple of days. Prashant and his friend’s family spend the next two days on the roof, exposed to constant rain. Prashant is anxious about the safety of his own family. After two days, the rain finally stops and he is determined to go back home.

With only a long sturdy stick for support, Prashant begins his 18-kilometer long journey home on foot, navigating the flooded roads. The floodwaters make the journey extremely difficult; at several points it is so deep that he has to swim to find the road. Fortunately, he is joined by two friends of his uncle’s, who are also returning to their village.

During their journey, Prashant and his companions come across horrific and painful sights: they move past floating carcasses of men, women, children and animals. These sights fill Prashant with despair about the fate of his family.

Upon reaching his village, Kalikuda, Prashant sees that his house has been destroyed and scraps of its belongings have been caught in the branches of trees. Prashant goes to the Red Cross shelter in the hope of finding his family. Once there, he finds his maternal grandmother who looks weak with starvation. He also meets his extended family, which includes his uncles, aunts, brother and sister. His family is extremely happy to see Prashant, as they had also feared him to be dead.

Next morning, Prashant decides to take stock of the desperate situation. Four days after the storm, there are 2500 people at the shelter; a total of eighty-six people have died and all ninety-six houses have been destroyed. The remaining stock of tender coconuts is too little to sustain this number of survivors. Prashant, who is only nineteen years old, takes on the role of a leader. He organises a group of young people and elders to secure rice from a merchant. It is suggested such an attempt had been made earlier but was unsuccessful. However, with Prashant leading the charge, this time they return to the shelter with food for everyone. He then decides to organise youth volunteers to clean the shelter and tend to the wounds of the injured survivors.

On the fifth day, a military helicopter drops some food parcels. After that however, no help seems to be coming their way. The youth volunteers ask children to lie on the ground with empty utensils on their stomach. This visual message communicates their hunger to passing helicopters, which then return regularly with parcels of food and basic necessities.

Prashant sets up shelters made of polythene sheets for the orphaned children. Women look after these children while the men secure food and materials for the shelters. Soon, the grief that the children and women are facing becomes apparent to Prashant. He asks the women to participate in the food-for-work programme started by an NGO. For the children, Prashant organises sporting events. The government plans to set up institutions for the orphans and widows. But Prsahant’s group resists this move as they feel that the best rehabilitation of the orphans and widows can happen within their own community. They want to set up foster families consisting of childless widows and orphans where they can resettle their lives with love and care.

Six months after the devastating super cyclone, Prashant has coped with his grief by helping the people of his community. To the widows and orphaned children of his village, he has come to symbolise the light of hope.

Weathering the Storm Title

The title can be interpreted on two levels—first, literally facing a cyclonic storm, and second, facing emotional upheavals. In this story, we find both aspects as we read the remarkable story of Prashant, a survivor of the super- cyclonic storm that struck coastal Odisha in 1999. He lost several family members and friends in the storm, but showed immense courage and resourcefulness to ensure that the survivors did not have to wit and depend on government help alone for survival, but took care of their own needs themselves.

Weathering the Storm Setting

The story is set in Odisha, against the backdrop of the aftermath of the cyclonic storm that hit the coast in 1999.

Weathering the Storm Theme

The story highlights the destructive powers of nature, and its repercussions on humans. It also showcases the courage and spirit of one young boy in bringing relief and comfort to the suffering villagers. ‘

Weathering the Storm Message

The message of the story is that even a single person is capable of bringing about a great change with courage, determination, and selflessness. It also highlights the importance of community in helping to deal with a calamity.

Weathering the Storm Characters

Prashant: He was a nineteen year old boy who lost his family and friends in a cyclonic storm. He was surrounded by devastation and loss, but chose to meet the challenges head-on instead of losing hope due to the situation he was in. Along with the rest of the villagers, he became a victim of the destruction caused by a cyclonic storm, but instead of crying about his fate, he decided to do something practical to reduce the suffering of his fellow survivors.

He showed remarkable leadership qualities by organizing the rest of the youngsters and elders into a group, providing food to the other victims, and helping them to work out a solution to their situation. He was very intelligent as he made the children lie down on the sand with utensils on their stomach to catch the attention of the rescue helicopters flying around with food supplies. He persuaded the women to start working to supply food for themselves and others, and most importantly, he brought the orphans and widows together to mutually benefit each other.

Weathering the Storm Summary Questions and Answers

Question 1.
Why had Prashant gone to Ersama? What happened there?
Answer:
He had gone to Ersama to spend a day with a friend. He was caught in a terrible cyclonic storm, the likes of which he had never been a witness to.

Question 2.
Describe the storm that hit Ersama on the 27th of October, 1999?
Answer:
It was a dark and menacing storm which had a terrific wind velocity of 350kms/hr. It was accompanied by heavy and incessant rain flooding the whole area.

Question 3.
How long did the cyclone last? How did Prashant and his friend’s family spend the stormy night?
Answer:
The cyclone continued for almost thirty six hours. They spent the night sitting on the roof of the house in the open, because water had filled into the house.

Question 4.
How was his friend’s family luckier than the rest of the villagers?
Answer:
His friend’s family had a strong house made of brick and mortar which was able to withstand the fury of the wind, even though coconut trees had fallen onto the roof, damaging it. However, these trees provided the family with food till they were rescued.

Question 5.
Describe the scene that met Prashant’s horrified eyes in the morning at Ersama?
Answer:
It was a devastating sight. A raging, deadly brown sheet of water covered everything as far as the eye could see. Only a few fractured cement houses still stood. Bloated human corpses and animal carcasses floated in every direction.

Question 6.
How long did Prashant stay at his friend’s house? What were the thoughts that kept disturbing him?
Answer:
He stayed at his friend’s house for two more days. The only thought that kept disturbing him was whether his family had survived the calamity or if he was going to lose his loved ones once again.

Question 7.
Why did the two days seem like two years to Prashant?
Answer:
As he sat on the rooftop of his friend’s damaged house, unable to venture back home through the rain and flooded roads, he felt helpless and worried about his family back in his village. He was so keen to return to them that the two days seemed like two years to him.

Question 8.
What made Prashant venture out from the safety of his friend’s house in the dangerous situation?
Answer:
Prashant was worried that his family may have been swept away in his village, and he was determined to find out what had happened to them without any further delay.

Question 9.
How did Prashant prepare himself for the long trek home?
Answer:
He took a sturdy stick and then started on his eighteen kilometre long expedition back to his village, wading through the swollen flood waters.

Question 10.
What were the dangers faced by Prashant on his way back to his village? How did he face them?
Answer:
The whole path back to his village was under water. He used his stick to determine the shallow parts that he could walk on. At places, he had to wade through waist deep water.

We have decided to create the most comprehensive English Summary that will help students with learning and understanding. we are also creating The Happy Prince Summary in This Article

The Happy Prince Summary in English by Oscar Wilde

The Happy Prince by Oscar Wilde About the Author

Oscar Wilde (full name: Oscar Fingal O’Flahertie Willis Wilde) was an acclaimed poet and playwright. Bom in Dublin, Wilde attended Trinity College, Dublin and Magdalen College, Oxford. Throughout the 1880s, Wilde experimented with various forms of writing and established himself in the literary and artistic circles in London. During the 1890s, he became one of London’s most acclaimed playwrights. His unmatched wit and flamboyant style set him apart from his contemporaries. Some of his most popular plays include, A Woman of No Importance, Lady Windermere’s Fan and The Importance of Being Earnest (this was his most popular play).

Wilde wrote only one novel, The Picture of Dorian Gray. When it was first published, the novel was not well received by critics. However, over the years, it has come to be regarded as a classic. Wilde also wrote short stories and essays. Wilde was an important figure in the movement called ‘Aestheticism’ and remained committed to its principles throughout his life. His unconventional perspective on life and style of writing made him one of the most well known names in English literature.

The Happy Prince Summary in English

Standing high above a city is a statue of the Happy Prince. The beautiful statue has sapphire eyes, is covered all over with thin leaves of fine gold, and has a large ruby on the hilt of his sword.

One night, a swallow sets out to join his friends in Egypt and flies over the city. Tired from having flown all day, he wonders where he can rest for the night. He sees the statue of the Happy Prince and decides to rest between the statue’s feet. Happy with his beautiful place of rest, he prepares to sleep. Just then, a large drop of water falls on him. He looks up to the sky but sees that it is clear of rain clouds. However, drops of water continue to fall on him. The swallow looks up at the statue and realises that its eyes are full of tears. He is filled with pity.

The swallow asks the statue who he is and the statue says he is the Happy Prince. The swallow asks him why he is crying. The Prince says that when he was alive and had a human heart, he did not know what sorrow was because it was not allowed to enter his palace. He lived and died in happiness. After he died, his courtiers placed his statue high above the city from where he can witness all its ugliness and misery. Even though his heart is made of lead, he cannot help but weep.

The Happy Prince says that on a little street far away is a poor house. Through its window, he can see a woman seated at a table. Her hands are red, coarse and pricked all over by needles because she is a seamstress. She is embroidering flowers on a gown for the most beautiful of the queen’s maids of honour, to wear to the Court ball. In a comer is a bed upon which lies her little boy who is ill with fever. He asks his mother for oranges; but as she has nothing to give except river water, the boy is crying. He asks the swallow to take the ruby from his sword and give it to the woman.

The Happy Prince’s sad face moves the swallow and he agrees. He takes the ruby out of the sword and flies over the city, past the cathedral and the palace. He sees a beautiful girl come to balcony of the palace with her lover. The swallow hears her say that he hopes her gown with the embroidered flowers is ready in time for the ball. She remarks that seamstresses are lazy.

When the swallow arrives at the woman’s house, he finds that the boy is tossing in bed with fever and the woman has fallen asleep, exhausted. He places the ruby on the table beside the woman’s thimble and on his way out, fans the boy’s forehead with his wings. The boy feels better instantly and goes off to sleep. The swallow flies back to the Prince and remarks that he feels quite warm, in spite of the cold weather. The Prince says it is because he has done a good deed. The swallow then falls asleep.

The next day, the swallow goes to the river for a bath. Happy at the prospect of going to Egypt that night, he visits all of the city’s monuments. At moonrise, he goes back to the Prince and announces that he is leaving for Egypt. The Happy Prince tells the swallow that far away in the city, he sees a young man in a garret, leaning over desk covered with papers. There is a bunch of withered flowers in a glass by his desk. The man is trying to complete writing a play for the Director of the Theatre but he is too cold and hungry to write anymore. The swallow offers to stay one more night to help. The Prince asks the swallow to take one of his sapphire eyes from his statue to the man. The man can then sell the sapphires to the jeweller and buy some firewood to keep warm. The swallow is sad to pluck out the Prince’s eye, but does as he is told.

The swallow flies to the man’s house and enters it through a hole in the roof. The man is resting with his head in his hands and does not hear the bird. When the man looks up, he finds the sapphire between the withered violets. He thinks that some admirer has left it for him and is happy that now he can finish writing his play.

The next night, the Prince again asks the swallow to stay for the night. The swallow says that soon it will begin to snow and he needs to go to Egypt where the weather is warm. The Prince, however, tells him that in the square below is a little matchgirl whose matches have fallen into the gutter. She is crying because if she goes home without money, her father will beat her. He asks the swallow to give the girl his other sapphire eye so that her father does not beat her.

The swallow plucks out the sapphire and drops it into the girl’s hands. She goes home happily, thinking that she has found a piece of beautiful glass. The swallow returns to the Prince and says that as the Prince is now blind, he will stay with him always. The next day, the Prince asks the swallow to fly over the city and tell him what he sees. The swallow follows this command and sees the rich making merry in their homes while the poor suffer in the streets. Under the archway of a bridge, he sees two little boys lying in an embrace to keep warm. The watchman drives the boys away into the rain. When he tells the Prince of his findings, the Prince orders him to take off the gold leaves, one at a time, and give it to the poor. The swallow picks the leaves one by one till the Prince begins to look dull and grey. The poor children however, grow happy because they now have food to eat.

Then it begins to snow and after the snow, the frost arrives. Though the swallow feels colder and colder, he does not leave the Prince. Eventually, he realises that he will die soon. He musters strength to fly to the Prince’s shoulder to bid him goodbye and asks to kiss his hand. The Prince says he is glad the swallow is finally going to Egypt. He thanks the swallow for staying so long and asks him to kiss his lips, as he loves the swallow very much.

The swallow says that he is not going to Egypt but to the House of Death. He then kisses the Prince and falls down dead at his feet. At that moment, the sound of something breaking comes from the statue: his heart of lead has broken. The next morning, the Mayor and Town Councillors notice that the statue of the Happy Prince looks shabby. They notice that the jewels and gold have been stripped off and the statue looks like that of a beggar. They notice the dead bird at its feet and make a note to declare that birds should not be allowed to die there.

The statue of the Prince is taken down. The Art Professor remarks that without its beauty, the statue is no longer useful. The statue is melted in a furnace but the broken leaden heart does not melt. The workmen in the foundry throw it on the heap of dust where the dead swallow is also lying.

God in Heaven asks an angel to bring Him the two most precious things in the city. The angel brings him the broken lead heart and the dead bird. God is happy and says that the little bird will forever sing in His garden of Paradise; and in His city of gold, the Happy Prince will praise God.

The Happy Prince Title

The title is an ironical one, as it suggests that the story is about a Prince who is happy. However, the readers soon realise that the Prince is not a human, but a statue. Since the statue is placed at a high point, he can see all the misery and sadness in the city, which makes him sad.

The Happy Prince Setting

The story is a fairy-tale set in a fictitious kingdom in Europe. The statue is set on a high point overlooking the city, and most of the events described take place outdoors.

The Happy Prince Theme

The story is based on the theme of charity and bridging the gap between the haves and the have-nots. It dwells upon the. way the rich perceive life as compared to the poor. It also highlights the fact that humans often value unimportant things, while ignoring valuable things like charity and kindness.

The Happy Prince Message

The message of the story is to become more sensitive towards those who are less privileged than us. It emphasises how one can lessen the suffering of others and bring about equality by sharing what one has. It also reminds us that having a warm, giving heart is more important than having a beautiful appearance.

The Happy Prince Characters

The Prince: The happy prince is not a real human being, but a handsome statue that sits high above the city. It is beautifully decorated with a golden coat and sapphire eyes. There are rubies on the hilt of his sword and he is admired by all. However, despite his wonderful appearance, the statue is unhappy. As a human, he rarely cried and never had a care in the world, but as a statue, he has the perfect vantage point from which to observe all the sadness and misery in the city. He is no longer the self-centred boy he used to be. Despite having a lead heart as a statue, he feels sorry to see the ugliness of human life that he had been oblivious to as a human. He is very charitable and giving, happily donating every part of his statue that has any value, such as the gold leaf, rubies and sapphires, so that it can help people in need.

The Swallow: The swallow is a happy-go-lucky bird at the beginning of the story, whose only concern is the journey he is looking forward to. He is in love with a reed (a river plant) and is disappointed when the reed doesn’t agree to fly away with him. However, he is a kind bird, and seeing the statue’s distress, he offers to help. In the process, he becomes the link between the prince and the people of the land. He helps the prince by taking each valuable item that the prince tells him to, and quietly giving it to people in need. He selflessly helps the prince, ignoring his own plans to fly to warmer climes for winter. As a result, he loses his life in the cold.

The Happy Prince Summary Questions and Answers

Question 1.
Describe the statue of the Happy Prince.
Answer:
The statue stood high above the city on a tall column. He was gilded all over with thin leaves of fine gold with two bright sapphires for eyes. A large red ruby glowed on his sword hilt.

Question 2.
Did the swallow belong to the city? How can you tell? Where was it going?
Answer:
No, the swallow did not belong to the city, as it is written that it flew over the city on its way to Egypt.

Question 3.
Where did the bird decide to stay for the night? Why?
Answer:
The bird decided to stay near the statue of the prince, because it was located on a tall column and the bird felt he would get plenty of fresh air there.

Question 4.
Why did the bird think he had a ‘golden bedroom’?
Answer:
The bird alighted near the feel of the statue of the Happy Prince, which was gilded all over with thin leaves of fine gold. That is why he felt that he had got a ‘golden bedroom’ to sleep in.

Question 5.
Why was the bird not able to sleep peacefully that first night?
Answer:
Just as the bird was about to sleep, he was disturbed by three tear drops that fell from the eyes of the statue. When he saw the tears running down the cheeks of the statue, he looked so beautiful in the moonlight that the bird was filled with pity and could not sleep.

Question 6.
Why was the statue of the Happy Prince weeping?
Answer:
The statue of the Happy Prince was weeping because when he had been alive, he had not known any sorrow. But after his statue had been erected, he was able to see all the ugliness and misery of the city, and even though he now had a heart of lead, he could still feel the pain, which made him cry.

Question 7.
Who does the Prince ask the swallow to deliver the red ruby to?
Answer:
The Prince asked the swallow to deliver the ruby to a poor seamstress whose son was very ill. The child was asking his mother for oranges, but she had nothing to give him but water. Since the statue’s feet were fixed to the pedestal, he could not deliver it himself, so he asked the swallow to do so.

Question 8.
Why did the swallow agree to deliver the ruby even though he wanted to join his friends in Egypt?
Answer:
The Prince looked so sad that the little swallow felt sorry for him and agreed to stay one night and be his messenger.

Question 9.
What were the things that the swallow saw on his journey to deliver the ruby?
Answer:
He saw the cathedral tower, the palace, the river, and the ships before coming to the poor woman’s house.

Question 10.
What made the sick boy fall into a deep, restful sleep?
Answer:
When the bird delivered the ruby, he flew gently around the bed of the sick boy, fanning the boy’s forehead with his wings. This soothed the boy and he fell into a deep, restful sleep.

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

In the Kingdom of Fools Summary in English by A. K. Ramanujan

In the Kingdom of Fools by A. K. Ramanujan About the Author

Attipate Krishnaswami Ramanujan was a bilingual writer, who wrote in English and Kannada. A.K. Ramanujan was bom in Mysore in 1929. He graduated from the University of Mysore. He was awarded the Fulbright Scholarship and completed his PhD in Linguistics from Indiana University, USA. Ramanujan taught at many colleges in South India, mainly in Belgaum. Later on, he was appointed at the University of Chicago. He also taught at Harvard University, University of Wisconsin, University of California, University of Michigan and Carleton College. He was a poet, scholar, playwright, translator, essayist and folklorist.

His research was spread across English, Sanskrit, Tamil, Telugu and Kannada. Ramanujan’s works of translation gained him international popularity. Some of his most popular translated works include Speaking of Siva, Hymns for the Drowning, Folktales from India, and Poems of Love and War, His poems are distinguished by their use of sophisticated language and original style. Ramanujan was awarded the Padma Shri for his contribution to Indian literature.

In the Kingdom of Fools Summary in English

This story is about the Kingdom of Fools. In this kingdom, both the king and the minister are idiots. In order to be different from other kingdoms, they decide to change night into day and day into night. They order the people to work all through the night and sleep at sunrise. As not following this rule would result in punishment, the people do as they are told, much to the delight of the king and the minister. One day, a guru and his disciple arrive in the city, only to find that no one is outside; everyone, including the animals, is asleep. Once evening descends, they see the townspeople go up and about their business. The guru and disciple go to a grocery store and find that everything costs the same: a ‘duddu.’ They are very happy because they can buy anything for just a rupee.

Soon, the guru realises that this is a kingdom of fools and feels that it is not wise for them to stay there. However, the disciple is reluctant to leave because food is very cheaply available there. The guru warns him that as this is a kingdom of fools, they do not know what may happen next. When the disciple does not listen, the guru decides to leave. The disciple stays behind and eats to his heart’s content everyday. Eventually, he becomes obese.

One day, a thief breaks into a merchant’s house by making a hole in the wall of the house. After stealing, he attempts to escape through the same hole, but the wall collapses on him and he dies. The thief s brother complains to the king; he says that his brother’s death is the merchant’s fault and the latter should be made to compensate for the family’s loss. The king promises to deliver justice and summons the merchant. When the merchant agrees that the thief had broken into his house and had the wall collapse on him, the king declares that the merchant has pleaded guilty for the murder of the thief. The merchant then says that the fault lies with the person who built the wall poorly. The merchant says that the bricklayer who built the wall years ago is now an old man. The king then summons the bricklayer.

When the bricklayer admits that he had built the wall, the king announces that he must be punished. The bricklayer says that he knows the wall had not been built properly but it was not his fault: at that time, he was distracted by a beautiful dancing girl who was walking up and down the nearby street, with her anklets jingling all day. He says it is the girl who is to blame.

The king agrees to summon the dancing girl. The dancing girl, who has now grown old, comes to the court trembling with fear. The king asks her if she had walked up and down the street years ago, when the bricklayer was building the wall. When she admits that she had, the king accuses her of murdering the thief. The woman recalls that the reason she had been walking up and down the street that day was because she had given some gold to a lazy goldsmith who kept delaying the work. As such, she had had to walk to his house several times to get her jewellery. Thus, she says, the fault lies with the goldsmith. The king now summons the goldsmith.

The goldsmith, in turn, has his own story to tell. He says that the reason he gave the dancing girl so many excuses is because he was busy working on a rich merchant’s order. The merchant had a wedding coming up and was very impatient. Upon further inquiry, it turns out that the merchant the goldsmith had spoken of is the same merchant whose wall had collapsed upon the thief. The merchant is summoned again. However, he claims he is innocent because it was his late father who had ordered the jewellery.

After consulting his minister, the king announces that since the actual culprit is dead, someone must be punished in his place. As his son has inherited his riches from his father, he has inherited his father’s sins as well. Thus, he must die. The king orders his servants to build a new stake for the merchant’s execution. While the servants are sharpening the stake, it occurs to the minister that the merchant is too thin to be executed this way. The king is worried as well.

They decide on a simple solution: they must find a man fat enough to fit the stake. They immediately send the servants to look for such a man. The servants find that the fat disciple fits the criteria. As they take him to the place of execution, the disciple remembers his guru’s warning. He silently prays to his guru, hoping that he hears his prayer from wherever he is. The guru has magic powers and is able to see the past, present and the future. He sees everything in a vision and arrives to save his disciple’s life.

The guru whispers something to the disciple and then goes to meet the king. He asks the king to tell who is wiser between a guru and his disciple. The king replies that the guru is wiser. The guru then asks to be put to death first; his disciple should be killed at the stake after him. Hearing this, the disciple understands the trick and demands to be the first one to die. The guru and disciple begin to quarrel. The king is puzzled and asks the guru why he wants to be killed. The guru says he will answer the question if the king promises to kill him first. When the king agrees, the guru tells him that they want to die because they have never been to a kingdom such as this or seen such a king. He says that whoever dies at the new stake first, will be reborn as the king of this kingdom; and the one who is killed second, will be bom as the minister.

The king is troubled because he does not want to lose his kingdom even in the next life. So he postpones the execution and consults his minister. They decide to go on the stake themselves so they can be reborn as king and minister. The king tells the executioners that.the criminals would be sent to them at night. They should first execute the person who arrives first, and then the second man.

That night, the king and minister secretly go to the prison and release the gum and the disciple. They then disguise themselves as the gum and disciple. Then they are taken to the stake and executed. When the bodies are taken to be thrown to the crows and vultures, the people recognise the bodies to be that of the king and the minister. All night the people mourn and discuss the future of the kingdom. Just as the gum and disciple are about to leave the city, some people find them and beg them to be their new king and their minister. The two agree to mle the kingdom but on the condition that they would change all the old laws.

From then on, day becomes day and night becomes night; nothing is available for a duddu. The kingdom becomes like any other place.

In the Kingdom of Fools Title

The story relates events that take place in a kingdom inhabited by fools. It presents a country where fools run the kingdom, and relates all the foolish and illogical things they do and say, and how their foolishness affects innocent people. It also shows how a wise man is able to save his disciple from the dangerously foolish King and minister. Thus, the title perfectly captures the essence of the story.

In the Kingdom of Fools Setting

The story is set in a fictitious kingdom in the medieval times when kings ruled over the country.

In the Kingdom of Fools Theme

The story reveals the dangers of living among fools, and emphasises that only wise people can manage to survive living among them. Further, foolishness leads to ruin, while wisdom can help a person find their way even in darkest times.

In the Kingdom of Fools Message

pleasant their life may seem. Wisdom lies in keeping a safe distance from such people, because one can’t reason or use logical arguments with them. Therefore one should not be greedy or lazy, and always choose the company of wise people rather than of fools.

In the Kingdom of Fools Characters

The Guru: He was a wise man who knew the ways of the world and warned his disciple against living in a country which was being run by a foolish King and an equally foolish minister. His warning proved to be correct when his disciple was on the verge of being executed, not because he had committed a crime, but because he was fat enough to fir the stake. The guru was also deeply connected with his disciple. This is evident when even though the disciple disobeyed him by refusing to leave the country, the guru still comes back to answer the disciple’s prayers. He was an illuminated soul who could divine his disciple’s problem even though he was at a considerable distance from him. He was very intelligent, and fooled the King and his minister into taking their own lives instead of wrongly executing innocent people. Ultimately, the people of the kingdom asked him and his disciple to run the country.

The Disciple: He was a lover of food. He was so happy to find a place where everything cost only a single duddu, that he stayed back in the kingdom against his guru’s wishes. However, he realised his guru’s greatness and prayed to him to release him from his problem when the King wanted to execute him. He immediately understood the trick that his guru was playing to fool the King, and played along with him. In the end, he learnt his lesson and was made the minister, helping his guru run the kingdom the right way.

The King: He was a fool who was very unpredictable. He ruled his kingdom according to his whims and fancies, without any logical reasoning or sense. He decided that things would function his way in the kingdom, and established a system whereby the people worked through the night and slept through the day. Also, everything in his kingdom sold for a single duddu, whether a measure of rice or a bunch of bananas. His sense of justice was very arbitrary, as he ordered the execution of the disciple just because he was fat enough to fit the stake. Further, in the case of the thief who died, he tried the merchant whose house had been broken into, and accepted the most ridiculous justifications from the brick-layer, dancing girl and goldsmith about their actions. Finally, he proves to be naive and power-hungry, as he chooses to die in place of the guru and disciple, because he believed their story that the first person to die at the stake would return as the king.

The Minister: He was as foolish as his master. He helped and supported him in implementing his foolish schemes and instead of guiding him with logic and foresight, he agreed with all the King’s thoughtless whims.

He was the person who unwittingly saved the merchant’s life by declaring that he was too thin for the stake. Ultimately, he lost his life because he did not have the intelligence to realise that the guru and disciple were fooling them to save their own lives.

In the Kingdom of Fools Summary Questions and Answers

Question 1.
What are the two strange things the guru and his disciple find in the kingdom of fools?
Answer:
Firstly, they find that the whole town, including the animals, slept by day and stayed awake through the night running their businesses. Secondly, everything costs the same, whether it was a measure of rice or a bunch of bananas—they all cost a duddu.

Question 2.
Why was the kingdom called the Kingdom of Fools?
Answer:
It was called so because the Kind and the minister were idiots. They decided to change night into day and day into night, and ordered everyone to wake at night to till their fields, and sleep during the day.

Question 3.
Why did the people follow the orders of the foolish King?
Answer:
They were forced to do so because they knew that if they disobeyed his orders, they would be punished with death.

Question 4.
What astonished the guru and disciple at the grocer’s shop?
Answer:
They were astonished that everything at the shop whether a measure of rice or a bunch of bananas cost the same, i.e., a duddu.

Question 5.
Compare and contrast the feelings of the guru and the disciple about the kingdom they found themselves in.
Answer:
The guru felt that it would not be a great idea to stay in the kingdom, and they should leave the place. On the -other hand, the disciple refused to leave, because he felt that everything was so cheap and good, that he could eat to his heart’s content.

Question 6.
Why did the guru leave the disciple and go away from the Kingdom of Fools?
Answer:
Since the disciple refused to listen to his guru’s wisdom and insisted on staying there, the guru gave up and left.

Question 7.
What made the disciple grow fat?
Answer:
The disciple ate his fill of bananas, ghee, rice, and wheat, which cost only one duddu. As a result, he grew fatter and fatter.

Question 8.
Why does the writer say that ‘one bright day a thief broke into a rich merchant’s house’? What is strange about this statement?
Answer:
The strange thing is that the theft took place during the daylight hours. In any other place, theft would typically take place during the dark of night. However, the people in the Kingdom of Fools slept during the day and woke at night.

Question 9.
Why did the thief s brother run to the King?
Answer:
He ran to the King to complain about the fact that his brother had been killed because the wall of the house he had gone to rob had fallen on him.

Question 10.
Do you think the plea made by the thief s brother was strange? Give reasons for your answer.
Answer:
Yes, it was strange, because instead of hiding the fact that his brother was a thief, and had died trying to rob the merchant’s house, he went to the King without any fear and demanded justice.