THE MAN FROM KABUL - RABINDRANATH TAGORE

THE MAN FROM KABUL  - RABINDRANATH TAGORE

     Rabindranath Tagore, an Indian who got Nobel prize for his famous work “Gitanjali” in 1913 is the author of the lesson ‘The Man From Kabul’. He is a versatile writer. ‘The Man From Kabul’ is one of the most popular short stories of Tagore. It is about the relationship between a five-years- old child and a Kabuliwallah.

    One day the  narrator was busy with his writing. He was writing the seventeenth chapter of his new novel. His daughter Mini was very talkative and would ask him a number of questions. The narrator was annoyed of it. He asked her to go and play with Bhola, but she started to play near his table. When she was playing, she noticed a Kabuliwallah in the street and called out to him. Rahman, the kabuliwallah came into the house. He wore the loose, soiled clothing of his people, and a tall turban. He carried a bag on his back and boxes of grape in his hand. Mini was terrified on seeing him. The narrator made some small purchases and they started to talk about Abdul Rahman, the Russians, the English and the Frontier Policy. Before he left, he offered nuts and raisins to Mini but she denied it.

     After this first meeting, Rahman came there several times and he became a very good friend of Mini. He gave nuts and raisins to Mini. When the narrator paid him money for it, Rahman returned the money to Mini. Mini’s mother was full of doubts about the Rahman and used to beg the narrator to keep a watchful eye on him.

     Mini and Rahman had their own jokes. He would ask her when she was going to her father-in-law’s house. She would repeat the question to him. The word father –in-law’s house have a double meaning. It is a euphemism for jail.

     Once a year, in the middle of January, Rahman used to return to Kabul. As the time approached he was busy in collecting his debts so he was not able to meet Mini in the morning. He would appeared in the evening. One day, he was imprisoned on charges of attempted murder. Mini saw him in the street, she asked him whether he was going to his father-in-law’s house. On a charge of murderous assault, he was sentenced to several years’ imprisonment.

     Years passed, and Rahman was forgotten. Mini grew older. The narrator made arrangements for Mini’s marriage. On the day of Mini’s marriage Rahman turned up. The narrator was not ready to permit him to his daughter. Rahman gave him the gifts, he had brought for Mini. He said that he had a daughter like Mini at home. He showed a small and dirty piece of paper with the impression of an ink-smeared hand of his daughter’s hand. This touched the narrator and Rahman was permitted to see Mini. Mini was not able to recognize Rahman. Rahman asked Mini whether she was going to her father-in-law’s house. Now Mini understood the meaning but did not reply. The narrator gave him money and asked him to go back to his daughter. The narrator believed that the happiness of Rahman would bring good fortune to Mini.

  Thus the story ends with happy note.

THREE DAYS TO SEE - HELEN KELLER

THREE DAYS TO SEE   - HELEN KELLER

Introduction

     Helen Adams Keller, an American is the author of the lesson “Three Days to See”. The lesson has been extracted from her autobiography “The Story of My Life”. She was the first deaf –blind to earn a Bachelor of Arts degree. The lesson expresses her wish to see different things in the world if given eye-sight just for three days. Through this lesson Helen advises us to make the most every sense to enjoy all the facets of pleasure and beauty which nature provides.

The First Day

On the first day Helen wants to see the people whose kindness and companionship have made her life worth living. She wants to rest her eyes on the face of a baby, to catch the innocent beauty. Then she wants to see the books which have been read to her. She also wants to see her dogs, little Scottie and the Stalwart Great Dane. In the afternoon she likes to take a long walk in the woods to intoxicate her eyes on the beauties of the world of nature. Then she likes to pray for the glory of a colourful sunset. The night, sleep will elude her.

The Second Day

On the second day, to know the man’s progress, Helen wants to go to the museum to see the condensed history of the earth – animals. Then she wants to go museum of Art to see the sculptured gods and goddesses of the ancient Nile-land. She has sensed all the beauties through touch. The evening, she likes to spend at a theatre or at the movies to see the remarkable Shakespearean characters like Hamlet and Falstaff. Apart from that she wants to enjoy the delight of rhythm

The Third Day

On the third day, she likes to stroll down in New York’s Fifth Avenue to see the life style of people. From there she wants to make a tour of the city to the slums, to factories and to part where children play. In the eleventh hour of the third day she wants to go to theatre again to see a funny play. At mid night she starts to think about the things which she had left unseen.

Conclusion  

After reading this essay, we feel that we have failed to enjoy the world which is full of beautiful things. It is an eye-opener to all of us.

MANO MAJRA - KHUSWANTH SING

MANO MAJRA  - KHUSWANTH SING

    Khuswanth Singh is an Indian writer in English. He is a versatile writer. He is frank and fearless in expressing his opinions. ‘Train to Pakistan’ is the first historical novel of Khuswanth Singh. The novel is based on the Hindu- Muslim riots of 1947 which followed the partition of India. Mano Majra is an extract from “Train to Pakistan”. It is about how the life and activities of the people in that village are controlled by trains.

About Mano Majra

     Mano Majra is a tiny place. It has only three brick buildings. They are Lala Ram Lal’s home, the Sikh temple and the Mosque. There are only about seventy families live in Mano Majra.  Lala Ram Lal is the only Hindu family the others are Sikhs or Muslims. There are few families of sweepers whose religion is uncertain. At the western end of the village there is a pond surrounded by Keekar trees. Under a keekar tree beside the pond there is three-foot slab of sandstone. It is the local deity, the deo to which all the villagers worship secretly whenever they are in need of god’s blessing. The village is on the banks of the river Sutlej. It is the largest river in Punjab. About a mile north of the village the river is spanned by a railroad bridge.

Railway station in Mano Majra

     Mano Majra is known for its railways station. It has several sidings where less important trains can wait, to make way to the express trains. A small colony of shopkeepers and hawkers sell food, betel leaves, cigarettes, tea, biscuits and sweetmeats to the travelers. In the station, the station master himself sells the tickets and collects the tickets, sends and receives messages over the telegraph and waves a green flag for trains. His assistant will lit the lamps on the platform in the evenings.

Mano Majra and Trains

No express trains stop at Mano Majra. Only two trains, one from Delhi to Lahore in the mornings and the other from Lahore to Delhi in the evenings will be stopped for a few minutes. The only regular customers are the goods trains. The sidings are always occupied by long rows of wagons.  When the countryside is steeped in silence, the train sound can be heard all through the night. All this had made the people very conscious of trains. In the early dawn, the train from Delhi to Lahore crosses the bridge, the driver invariably blows two long whistle. In an instant, all   Majra comes awake. The Mullah at the mosque will start the morning prayer, followed by the priest at the Sikh temple. By the time 10.30 a.m. a passenger train from Delhi comes in life in Mano Majra. Men are in the fields. Women are busy with their daily chores. Children graze cattle by the river. When the midday express goes by, Mano Majra stops to rest. Men and children come home for dinner and the siesta hour. When the evening passenger from Lahore comes in, everyone gets to work again. The women cool the evening meal. Then the families eat supper of vegetables and chapatti, and sip hot creamy milk out of large copper tumblers. When the good train steams in, they say to each other ‘there is the goods train’.  It is like saying goodnight. The mullah and the priest do the prayer. The goods train takes a long time at the station, when it leaves, the children are asleep.

It was the condition of the village before the summer of 1947.

A DISSERTATION UPON ROAST PIG – CHARLES LAMB

A DISSERTATION UPON ROAST PIG – CHARLES LAMB

     Charles Lamb was one of the popular essayists of eighteenth century. He was good at writing personal essays. His essays were published in London Magazines, under the pen-name ‘Elia’

‘A Dissertation upon Roast Pig’ is one of Lamb’s funniest and most fanciful essays. It has two parts. In the first part, Lamb gives an account of how people in China discovered the custom of roasting pigs.

     A Chinese boy by name Bo-bo was asked to take care of the swine-herd by his father Ho-ti. The boy was fond of playing with fire, while he was playing with fire a spark fell on the thatch and caught fire. Nine young pigs were burnt to death. Bo-bo, smelt an alluring smell from the burnt pigs. He touched one to know if it was still alive. He burnt his fingers. To cool it, he put his fingers in his mouth. Thus, he tasted the meat sticking in his fingers. It was delicious, so he started eating it with great interest. When the father came back, he noticed his son who eating burnt flesh of pigs. He was horrified and he started to beat his son. The son persuaded the father to taste some burnt flesh of pigs. After tasting the roasted pig, the father cooled down, and praised his son. Their after, Ho-ti’s  cottage caught fire often to eat roasted pork. The matter was reported to the judge by the neighbours. The father and the son were put on trial. The Jury who enquired the case, tasted the burnt pig and declared the father and the son were not guilty. They gave permission to all the people to eat the roasted pig. Pigs and fuel soon became very expensive. At last someone invented the gridiron and houses were prevented from fire.

     In the second part, Lamb, expresses his love for the roast pig. He says that old pigs are not tasteful as the taste of a month old pig. He calls it ‘animal manna’. He becomes poetical in describing the sight of a young pig being roasted. After being roasted it lays so meekly on the plate. He does not have any pity for the suffering pig. Pine apple is tasty but it cannot satisfy hunger. But the roast pig is not only tasty but also satisfies one’s hunger. Moreover, all its parts are useful. When it is served, no one complain of getting a less tasty portion than another. Lamb is ready to share anything with his friends except the roast pig. He shares an anecdote about  his boyhood. Once he gave a beggar the plum cake presented to him by his aunt. Later he felt that he had betrayed her. He would feel similar regret if he shared the pig with anybody.

     The suckling pig was whipped to death in the past. This appears very cruel. Lamb feels that it is not necessary as the flesh of a young pig is tender enough. He ends the essay with a reference to the sauces which should accompany the roast pig. He is against using onion and garlic, as they are too strong for the delicate flesh of a young pig.