ISWARAN THE STORY TELLER

ISWARAN THE STORY TELLER

1. In what way is Iswaran an asset to Mahendra?

Ans. Iswaran is quite attached to Mahendra. He always remained with him. He follows him wherever he goes on a new posting. He never complains wherever he has to go. He cooked for him, washes his clothes. He entertains him at night with his endless tales. In this way he is an asset to Mahendra.

2. How does Iswaran describe the uprooted tree on the highway? What effect does he want to create in his listeners?

Ans. Iswaran describes the uprooted tree by adding suspense to his description. He says that it was moonlit night. The road was deserted. Suddenly he noticed something. It looked like a big bushy beast. It was spread out across the road. He wanted to run back from there. But he took courage and very slowly went closer. Then he found it was only a fallen tree. Thus, by telling the story in this way, Iswaran wants to create a feeling of suspense and fear in his listeners.

3. How does Iswaran narrate the story of the tusker? Does it appear to be plausible?

Ans. Iswaran says that one day a tusker escaped from the timber yard. After roaming here and there, it reached the school in which he was studying in the junior class at that time. He says that he grabbed a stick from the hands of one of the teachers and stuck the elephant’s toenail. It shivered and fell down. All this description does not seem to be plausible.

4. Why does the author say that Iswaran seemed to more than make up for the absence of a TV in Mahendra's living quarters?

Ans. Iswaran was a great storyteller. He used to tell his master stories full of horror and suspense. These stories entertained Mahendra very much. Though every story was imaginary one but Mahendra did not bother about it. Thus the author says that Iswaran more than made up for the absence of a TV.

5. Mahendra calls ghosts or spirits a figment of the imagination. What happens to him on a full-moon night?

Ans. On a full moonlit night, Mahendra is woken up from his sleep by a low moan. At first he thinks that it is a cat. But the wailing becomes louder. He looks out of the window. He sees a dark cloudy form clutching a bundle. It is quite near to his window. Mahendra begins to sweat with fear. He falls back on his pillow.

6. Can you think of some other ending for the story?

Ans. Mahendra saw the dark cloudy form outside his window. He gathered courage. He caught the ghost. He tore off its mask. The ghost was none else but Iswaran. Iswaran had played a practical joke on his master.

LONG ANSWER TYPE QUESTION

Q. Write a summary of the lesson ‘Iswaran the Story Teller’

Ans. ‘Iswaran the Story Teller’ by R.K.  Laxman is an interesting story about a cook named Iswaran. He worked for Mahendra, a junior supervisor. Iswaran was devoted to his master. He was an expert cook.  Another quality of Iswaran was that he was a master storyteller. He narrated even the smallest incident of his story by weaving suspense around it. One day, he told his master a story about a mad elephant.  On another day, he told Mahendra that the ghost of a woman appeared around the house on the full moon night. One night, Mahendra woke up on hearing some sound. He looked out of the window.  He saw a dark cloudy figure. He began to sweat with fear. The next morning, he hurried to his office and handed in his papers for transfer from that place.