2. You are Raju/Rajni the secretary of the English club of ABC Sr. Sec. School.

You
plan to organize an educational tour to Manali during the autumn vacation. Mention
the schedule of the tour and expenses to be included. Write a notice in about 50
words inviting the names of the students who are interested to join in the tour.

ABC SR. SEC. SCHOOL

NOTICE
15th April, 2022

TOUR TO MANALI

The English club of our school has decided to organize an educational “Tour to Manali” for one
week during autumn vacation. The touring team will leave Delhi on 24th December, 2022 and
will return back on 31st December, 2022. Those students who are interested to join the tour
should contact the undersigned till 15th October, 2022. Also deposit Rs. 5000/- (rupees five
thousand each) and a consent letter of your parents.
Raju/Rajni
(Secretary)
English Club

3. An inter-school debate competition is to be held in St. Stephens School,

Visakhapatnam on Zonal Level. As Aakash, Head Boy of the school, draft a notice to
be put up on the notice board inviting entries. Provide all necessary information in
about 50 words.

ST. STEPHENS SCHOOL, VISAKHAPATNAM

NOTICE
15th April, 2022

INTER SCHOOL DEBATE COMPETITION

The school has decided to organize an “Inter-School Debate Competition” on Zonal level on
20th May, 2022 in our own school. The topic of the debate is Women Empowerment. Those
students who are interested to participate in this debate competition should give their names
to the undersigned before 1st May, 2022. The three best performs will be given the prize by
school management committee.
Aakash
Head Boy

4. You are Samita/Sunil, the Secretary of AVM Housing Society. You are going to
organize a blood donation camp in your society. Write a notice in not more than 50
words, urging the members of your society to come in large numbers for this noble
cause. Invent all the necessary details.

4
Formal Invitation
LETTER FORMAT
TEMPLATE
Sender’s address

Date

Receiver’s address

Subject:___________

Sir/Madam

…….Name of host…. has the pleasure of inviting……. name of guest ……..in the….. name of event…. as
a chief guest/ judge/ resource person/Speaker on…. Date… at …..time…. at …..venue….. .

A word of confirmation will be appreciated.

Regards

Name

FORMAL INVITATION-CARD FORMAT

(FOR FAMILY FUNCTIONS)
TEMPLATE
Mrs. and Mr.__________________
Cordially invite you
on the occasion of
Marriage /birthday/housewarming party/any other occasion
of
name
as per details given below
Date:____________
Time:___________
Venue:____________
R.S.V.P. With best compliments from
Address and phone number Family and friends
Note:

• Programme overleaf
• Entry from Gate No. 2
 FORMAL INVITATION-CARD FORMAT
SCHOOL FUNCTION
TEMPLATE

The Principal, Staff and Students of

NAME of SCHOOL
Cordially invite you on the occasion of
NAME of EVENT
as per details given below
Date :___________
Time:__________
Venue:_____________
Chief guest:__________

R.S.V.P.
Vice Principal
Phone No.__________________
Note:

• Entry from Gate No.2

• Programme overleaf

INFORMAL INVITATION
TEMPLATE
Sender’s address

Date

Dear Name of the receiver

It gives me great pleasure to inform you that I have arranged a small party on the occasion of
………………………………………………… on …….date………at ……..time………. at ….. Venue……. . Please
do come to join the function and make it a memorable event for us.

Yours sincerely
Name of the sender
 REPLIES TO INVITATIONS
A.FORMAL REPLIES
B.INFORMAL REPLIES

1.ACCEPTANCE:
2.REFUSAL
Formal Reply:
Acceptance

TEMPLATE: ACCEPTANCE

Date

……Mrs/Miss/Mr .Name /Names of the sender of the reply…..thanks/thank ... Mr/Mrs

Name/Names of the receiver of the reply…..for the kind invitation for …...Name of the
function….to be held on..Date……...at……..Time ……...at...Venue. .She/He/They is/are happy to
accept the invitation and will attend the function.

TEMPLATE: REFUSAL

Date

….Mrs./MisMr..Name/Names of the sender of the reply…...thanks/thank

….Mrs/Miss/Mr.Name /Names of the receiver of the reply…..for kind invitation for…...Name
of the function….to be held on ...Date…….at……...Time…….at...Venue. She/He/They is/are
regret her/his/their inability to attend the function due to prior engagement.
FORMAL REPLY ACCEPTANCE
Example :
Q1. Miss Jyotika Rani had received an invitation from Mr Jaidev Babu for his housewarming
party. Write a formal reply on her behalf accepting the invitation.
Ans:
16 February 2022

Ms. Jyothika Rani thanks Mr. Babu for the kind invitation for the housewarming party of his
new house on Monday 21st February 2022 at 7:00 P.M. at Bharat Community Centre
Apartments ground. She is very delighted to accept the invitation and confirms her presence
in the function.

FORMAL REPLY: REFUSAL

Example

Q2. On behalf of Mrs. and Mr. P.R. Dev. Draft a reply declining the invitation to the wedding
party of Mrs. and Mr. M.N. Raja.
Ans:
16 February 2022
Mrs. and Mr. P.R. Dev thank Mrs. and Mr. M.N. Raja for the kind invitation to their wedding
party to be held on Monday 21st February 2022 at 7 PM at Rose Banquet Hall, East Delhi.
They regret their inability to attend the party due to a prior engagement. They extend their
best wishes.

*POINTS TO REMEMBER:
*Written in third person.
* Only Date is mentioned
*No salutation, subject, signature

INFORMAL REPLIES: ACCEPTANCE

TEMPLATE :
Address of the sender of the reply

Date

Dear name/Sir/Madam

I am happy to receive your invitation for your….. party/function ……... to be held on …Date…
at…..Time…….at….Venue.... I would be happy to join the party on time. Looking forward to
have a great time with you.
 Yours truly
name
TEMPLATE: REFUSAL

Address of the sender of the the reply

Date

Dear Name/Sir /Madam

I am happy to receive invitation for your party/function to be held on……... Date ……...at
Time.. at …...Venue. I regret to inform you that I would not be able to join the function due
to an urgent work. I wish you a great time.

Yours truly
Name

INFORMAL REPLIES: ACCEPTANCE

EXAMPLE
Q1. Sociology Club of Sarvodaya School, Vinod Nagar is organising a grandparents’ day in which
you are being invited as a chief guest. Draft a reply to the invitation accepting it

Examination Hall
Delhi

16 February 2022

Dear Madam
Thanks a lot for inviting me as a chief guest for grandparents day function to be held on 28
February
2022 at 10:00 AM in the school hall. I shall attend the function. I express my best wishes for
its success.

Yours sincerely
Abc

Ans:
INFORMAL REPLIES REFUSAL

EXAMPLE
Q2. Your friend Jaidev invited you to attend the function organised by him to celebrate his
selection in IIM Ahmedabad. Draft a reply expressing your inability to attend the function. You
are Rudranksh, from C 5, Lakshmi Nagar.

Ans:
C 5 Lakshmi Nagar
Delhi

15 February 2022

Dear Jaidev

Thanks a lot for inviting me to the function to celebrate your selection in IIM Ahmedabad to
be held on 28 February 2022 at 8:00PM at DDA Park Lakshmi Nagar. I am sorry to inform you
that I shall not be able to join you due to prior engagement in another city.

Yours truly
Rudranksh

Points to remember:
To be written:
Sender's address
Date
Dear /Respected Sir/Madam/Name
First person, Second person is used .
APPLICATION FOR JOB
TEMPLATE

Sender's address
__________________
___________________

Date

Designation of Receiver
Receiver's address
___________________

Subject: Application for the post of____________________.

Sir
In response to your advertisement in the…..newspaper’s name …..dated…. for the post
of….._Name of the post…, I hereby offer my candidature for the same. I have the needed
qualification and experience for the above post.
I have pleasant personality. I am young and dynamic. I have good communication skills in English
and regional language. I have working knowledge of computers. I assure you of the best services
if selected. I am enclosing my biodata.
Thank you
Yours sincerely
Name
Enclosures: 1) Biodata
2) Photocopies of certificates

BIODATA/RESUME/CURRICULAM VITAE (CV)

1. Name: As you wrote in the letter

2. Father's name: Mr______________
3. Age:_________________________
4. Address: As you wrote in the letter
5. Email ID: ________________
6. Hobbies: Photography, listening music
7. Languages known: English, Hindi
8. Nationality: Indian
9. Educational qualification:
S.No. Class Board/University Marks
1 X CBSE 80 %
2 XII CBSE 70 %
3 Graduation Delhi University 65 %
 4 Diploma Delhi University 89 %

10. Experience: 02 Years in Name of company/ organisation/ school.

11. Expected Salary: Negotiable
12. References: 1. Name
Address:
Contact No.:
2. Name
Address:
Contact No.:

Report writing
Format
……Heading / Title……
By … Name of the Reporter
……..Date…..
Content
I Para – Introductory Para
What, day, date, place, time
II Para – Participants, preparation of the event, welcome of guests
III Para – Main features
Main steps
Main attractions.
IV Para – Conclusion

Expression:

• Past tense
• Spelling
• Proper order of ideas.

REPORT WRITING

1.Tragic incident
2. Pleasant incident

EXAMPLE-Tragic Incident

Q1. You are Derry/Edla, a resident of Delhi. Last week while travelling to Seemapuri you
witnessed a train accident. Write a report on it.

Ans:
 Title/Topic: A Train Accident
By: Derry/Edla
Date __________

A fatal train accident took place on 10th January at 8 a.m. near Seemapuri Colony crossing. The
Rajdhani Express coming from Patna collided with a goods train coming from Rohtak. The
Rajdhani Express got derailed.

There were six hundred people in the Rajdhani Express. Six people died on the spot including two
women. Forty people got injured including ten children. Many people got trapped in bogies of
the train. Local people took the injured to nearby hospital. According to the doctors, the
condition of five persons was critical.

There was chaos at the accident site. Luggage were lying scattered all around. People were
looking for their dear ones. The rescue team arrived after one hour. They rescued the people
trapped in the bogies. A team of doctors and nurses arrived at the site. The DM expressed his
grief. An enquiry committee was set up.

EXAMPLE-Pleasant Incident

Q 2: You are Jennifer/Jack, head girl /boy of Sarvodaya School, Mandawali. Your school organised
a zonal level workshop on value based education last week. Write a report on it.

Ans: Title/Sub: Workshop on Value Based Education

By: Jennifer/Jack
Date:………….. .

A workshop on Value Based Education was organised by Sarvodaya School, Mandawali on 28

January 2022 from 8:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. in the school hall. The school was decorated with
posters, flags and charts.

Two hundred students of class 11th and 12th and their teachers took part in it. Mrs. Jayanti Rani,
head of CBSE, Mr. Jay Raja, head of NGO Bharat and Mrs. K. Tuli, head of NCERT were the resource
persons.

Mrs. Tara Devi, the school principal welcomed the guests and participants. Students of class 9th
presented a small skit on importance of value based education.

Mrs. Jayanti Rani began the workshop with an introductory lecture. She highlighted the
importance of workshops on such topics. After that the participants were given topics to discuss
in groups. It was followed by a question answer session. The resource persons answered all the
The Last Lesson Revision Notes

About the Author:

Alphonse Daudet is the author of Class 12 English Flamingo (Prose) Chapter, The
Last Lesson. Born in 1840, he was a French novelist and short-story writer.

About the Story/ Synopsis of the Story

The Last Lesson is based on the backdrop of Franco-Prussian War of 1870s. During
the war, France was defeated by Prussia which consists of Germany, Poland, and
various parts of Austria. The France cities Alsace and Lorraine have been conquered
by the Prussian men and it’s the last lesson of M.Hamel in France. Check the
summary below for complete and brief explanation of chapter, The Last Lesson.

Theme of The Last Lesson

The Last Lesson aims at showcasing the longing of your mother tongue, culture,
when lost in the war. It tries to explain the pain, sadness, and grief of all those who
loose their lands, language, culture during wars. The lesson further takes a step ahead
in showing what impact does the political situation of a country makes on children.
Here, Franz suddenly developed love and affection for his mother tongue, culture,
and teacher. It explains that it is the behaviour of a human to feel attached with
something that he/she is about to loose, and that same thing isn’t given much
importance, love, and attention when is freely and readily available.

Character Sketches:
M Hamel- A dedicated and determined teacher who wished to teach French to his
french kids. Very passionate about his work. Strict in nature since Franz was afraid of
him and he carried an iron ruler to scare the children. Nationalist and the feeling of
patriotism since he took great pride in introducing French language and culture to his
students. Courageous since he took the last lesson even after the order from Berlin.
Though he was a strict teacher with a shape mind, since he kept the students hooked
to his conversations

Franz- Franz is a fun and active boy who likes to do a variety of activities. He is
disinterested in learning French but is usually eager to explore new things and learn
new activities. He is sort of ignorant and unaware of political situation in his country,
since he didn’t knew about the orders from Berlin and chose to run to the class
instead of looking at the bulletin. He is observant since he observes M hamel very
closely and knows about this reactions, behaviour, and occasions when M Hamel
wore his Sunday suit. He is emotional by nature since he suddenly developed a soft
corner for his language, nation, and M Hamel after acknowledging that he is neither
going to learn French from next day nor he is going to be the student of M Hamel.

Summary (Important Points)

 In 1870, during the France-Prussian war, Prussia (Germany, Poland, and parts of
Austria) had conquered two French districts, Alsace and Lorraine. After the
conquer, Berlin ordered the French districts to stop teaching French in all the
schools across the districts and hire new teachers who could teach German,
instead of French.
 Franz, as usual is late for the class and on the way notices Prussian soldiers
drilling, people hanging on the bulletin board for checking the updates of the war,
and solemn classroom. He notices that the area around school is very silent.
 M Hamel, the teacher in a school of the Prussia conquered states informs his
students that this was his last French lesson because of the orders from higher
authorities. M Hamel does not scold Franz that day for being late to the class
and for not learning his lessons. Instead he starts recalling memories when he
 used to scold students for doing the same and how all of them behaved in a
manner that they had sufficient time to learn French. He further talks about
French being a beautiful language. M Hamel wears his special suit, the one he
carries on Sunday morning and on special occasions only.
 After entering the class, Franz notices that the last benches that were usually
empty were that day filled by the villagers. On hearing about the orders from
Berlin, he realised that all of them were there to applaud M Hamel for his
dedicated forty years of faithful service, and to feel sorry for not taking French
classes and not going to school.
 That day all of them did their class works and listened to M Hamel with full
attention, dedication, and devotion since they were aware of the fact that they are
never going to learn French again and M Hamel is never going to teach them
again.
 As the clock struck twelve and noises of Prussian soldiers were audible to them,
M Hamel with a very heavy hard wanted to bid goodbye to his classroom, his
students, his French lessons. But the tears in his eyes and heaviness in his heart
choke him and force him to not say a word.
 He takes the chalk in his hand and writes on the blackboard ‘Vive La France’,
which means Long Live France’. With utter anger and grief he asked the students
to go and said that the class is dismissed.

Important Lines from the Text with their meanings

1. “Don’t go so fast, bub; you’ll get to your school in plenty of time!”
Answer. The watchman says this to Franz as he sees him running for the
class. The watchman through these words wishes to inform Franz with
sadness that now there’s a lot of time for him to reach the school to learn
French lessons and that he does not have to hurry for the lessons, since they
would now not be taught in the school.

2. When a people are enslaved, as long as they hold fast to their

language it is as if they had the key to their prison.
Answer. By this sentence, M Hamel wishes to tell the students that they must
hold onto their language and guard it/protect it so that it can never be
forgotten. The line says that when a country is enslaved by some other
countrymen,they leave the impact of their language and culture all over the
place since language is the matter of pride.

3. “Will they make them sing in German, even the pigeons?”

Answer. By this line Franz wants to express the fear of being under German
possession. He wishes to say that will the oppression from the Germans be so
engraved in their roots that the birds (pigeons) will also start speaking
German. Birds are free animals who have their own language and persona.
Will German be so influential on Alsace and Lorraine, and will they steal away
the essence of France so much that the pigeons will also start speaking their
language?
Lost Spring Revision Notes

About the Author:

Anees Jung is the author of Class 12 Flamingo (Prose) Chapter 2, Lost Spring. She
has been editor and columnist for major newspapers in India and abroad. She has
also authored various Indian books. Born in Rourkela, India, she likes to work on
sensitive topics prevalent in the country.

About the Story/ Synopsis of the Story

Lost Spring is the story of poverty and children of underprivileged section of our
country. Based on the background of two cities Seemapuri and Firozabad, the story
explores the life of children involved in the profession of rag picking and bangle
making, respectively. It further talks about the innocent dreams of children and what
it takes for them to even think about fulfilling those.

Theme of Lost Spring

Lost spring is the story of underprivileged children who are deprived of dreaming,
forget about fulfilling those. The theme of the story is to introduce readers to the
small towns of India where communities such as rag pickers or bangle makers
struggle everyday for their survival. It talks about the stolen childhood of children
who, since early age, have been indulged in the profession that their parents are into.
The story also talks about a few brave ones, who at least have the guts of dreaming.

Character Sketches:
Saheb- He is a young boy who lives in Seemapuri, locality of refugees from
Bangladesh. He is carefree since he feels that rag picking gives him freedom. He is
understanding and responsible since he starts working at a tea shop despite not
wanting to be under control of the tea shop owner. He is enthusiastic as he excitedly
tells the author that he wants to go to school, if it is built in his neighbourhood. He is
innocent since he easily believes the author when she says she will build a school. He
is always willing to learn and try new things as he wishes to play tennis.

Mukesh- Mukesh is a brave kid who have the guts of dreaming something
completely extra ordinary among the people of his background and community. He is
determined to achieve his dream since he has a plan in his mind and he wishes to
struggle for fulfilling it. He is the kind of person who tries to stay satisfied with what
he has and expresses gratitude for the same, this can be explained by his statement
that he lives in a house that is now being rebuilt. He is realistic and practical since he
knows that he could not fly a plane without education.

Summary (Important Points)

 The author meets a young boy, Saheb-e-Alam who lives in Seemapuri. Seemapuri
is the locality of refugees from Dhaka, who have shifted here in search of daily
bread and butter. The community of Seemapuri people is into the profession of
ragpicking.
 Saheb says that rag picking is their source of daily income. They sometimes come
across a 10 rupee note in the garbage, and thus consider their garbage bag as
‘gold’.
 Along with his friends, Saheb roam around the streets of Seemapuri and
neighbouring cities in search of gold in their garbage bags. But, all of them walk
barefoot. On asking why were they not wearing slippers, the group of boys give
various reasons such as they don’t have one, or their mother did not keep them
off the shelf. The author here tries to re3flect on the condition of the kids that
they don’t even have a pair of shoe to wear. One of the boys from the group says
 that he has never owned a pair of shoe in his entire lifetime, while the one who
was wearing two different shoes replies that someone gave that to him.
 The author describes Seemapuri in the chapter. She says, “In structures of mud,
with roofs of tin and tarpaulin, devoid of sewage, drainage or running water, live
10,000 ragpickers”.
 For elders of Seemapuri, ragpicking is a way of survival. On the other hand, for
children it is wrapped in wonder, since they might end up finding some extra
bucks.
 Saheb likes to play tennis but given the difference of class in two sections of our
society, he can’t do so. During the night, when no one is around, Saheb sneeks in
to play the game and the watchman allows him to do so for sometime. By this
stanza, you can understand that since watchman belongs to the same community
and can understand the feelings of Saheb, he lets him play in the tennis court for
sometime.
 Then, Saheb starts working at a tea shop. He said that he gets 800 rupees in a
month and all his meals. He has to carry the canister of milk which he feels is
heavier than his plastic bag, since he was his own master when he used to do rag
picking but now he works for someone else.

 Another story in the chapter is from Firozabad, city which indulges in the art of
bangle making.
 Mukesh, a young boy from the city wants to be a motor mechanic. This makes
him different and brave from the rest of the people since he has dreamt of doing
something completely out of the box, then his family and town.
 In Firozabad, children work in the glass furnaces to produce bangles of different
shapes and sizes, unware of the fact that it is illegal for children to work at such a
young agem especially in these dangerous locations.
 The author then describes the area and house where Mukesh resides. “We walk
down stinking lanes choked with garbage, past homes that remain hovels
with crumbling walls, wobbly doors, no windows, crowded with families of
humans and animals coexisting in a primeval state”. The house is
described in such a manner, “bangs a wobbly iron door with his foot, and
pushes it open. We enter a half-built shack. In one part of it, thatched with
dead grass, is a firewood stove over which sits a large vessel of sizzling
spinach leaves. On the ground, in large aluminium platters, are more
chopped vegetables”.
 The story then talks about Indian customs prevalent in every house in
India, despite the race, class, and community of people. The lines from the
text that describe it are, “Not much older in years, she has begun to
command respect as the bahu, the daughter-in-law of the house, already
in charge of three men — her husband, Mukesh and their father. When the
older man enters, she gently withdraws behind the broken wall and brings
her veil closer to her face. As custom demands, daughters-in-law must veil
their faces before male elders”.
 Then the author talks about two different worlds where one family is
caught under the web of poetry while the other one consists of vicious
circle of the middlemen, sahukar, policemen, and politician.
 On being asked about if he wants to fly aeroplane someday, he answers ‘No’ with
a sight of embarrassment on is face. This shows that he is very practical about his
dream since he understands the difference between driving a car and flying an
aeroplane. He understands that he needs good education to be able to fly
aeroplane.

Important Lines from the Text with their meanings

1. Seemapuri, a place on the periphery of Delhi yet miles away
from it, metaphorically.
Answer. This line wishes to express the difference between the lifestyle of
two places who are geographically very close to each other but holds major
difference in terms of the lifestyle people have their. Here, Seemapuri is very
close to Delhi geographically but if we talk about the actual development of
Seemapuri and the kind of lifestyle it has, years and years will pass for it to be
able to be like Delhi. Seemapuri is miles away from Delhi in comparison to
development, economic condition and lifestyle of people in the latter.

2. The young men echo the lament of their elders

Answer. The line simply states that the young men of a household are the
exact replica of their parents and wish to do the same as their elders. They
speak he voice of their elder men and even indulge in the same profession.
Thus, it is said that the young men in Firozabad echo (speak) about the grief of
their elderly men, The grief of being a bangle maker, the grief of not being able
to do something great out of their lives, the grief of not being able to send their
kids to school. Thus, the youngsters of Firozabad shout the same grief of their
parents as that is the only work they have learnt their entire lives.

3. Few airplanes fly over Firozabad.

Answer. This line can have two different meanings. One, that since children
of Firozabad spend their entire day within the furnace, loosing their eyesight
and attracting millions of diseases, they don’t get the opportunity of coming
out and look at the open sky. The second meaning could be that not many
dreams get fulfilled in the city. So, few airplanes fly over Firozabad can be
used to explain the mentioned two meanings.

4. The other a vicious circle of the sahukars, the middlemen, the

policemen, the keepers of law, the bureaucrats and the politicians.
Answer. The line speaks about the misuse of power among the people at
authoritative positions, in our society. This vicious circle consists of people
mentioned there, and they dominate the left and right of the country. For
example: Any wrong deed that is reported against any such authority goes
through the members of the vicious circle, ultimately resulting into waste of
reports.
Deep Water Revision Notes

About the Author:

William Douglas is the author of CBSE Class 12 English Flamingo (prose) Chapter 3,
Deep Water. He was born in Maine, Minnesota. After teaching for two years in a high
school, he met Franklin D Roosevelt to pursue a career in legal. He then became the
adviser and friend to the President. He became a lawyer of individual rights and got
retired after 36 years of brilliant service. He is also known for being the longest
serving judge in the history of the court.

About the Story/ Synopsis of the Story

The story is based on the autobiography of author where he describes his near death
experience with water, while drowning in the swimming pool. The author explains
how he developed his aversion for water and how he overcame it. The most crucial
part of the story is the description of his experience when he was drowning inside the
swimming pool. To know how he came across such life threatening incident and how
he overcame his fear of water, check the summary below.

Theme of Deep Water

Deep Water is an autobiographical piece which narrates an important incident from
the author’s life. He talks about his fear of water, how did he develop that aversion,
what was the incident that shook him in and out, and how did he overcome that fear.
The story is purely based on the incidents from the author’s life.

Character Sketches:
William Douglas (Author)- He was a young, brave, keen-learner, and high-
spirited person. Despite his aversion of water, he was determined to learn swimming
and challenge his enemy, water. He was mentally strong since he was calm and
composed, and had ideas to get back to the surface of water while drowning. He did
not panic. He was sort of emotional since he cried after getting back home and was
afraid of even looking at it for months. He was firm on is words since he learned
swimming at the end.

Summary (Important Points)

 When Douglas was 10 or 11 years old, he decided to learn how to swim. The
Yakima river at his place was quite treacherous and thus he opted for YMCA
Swimming pool to grab the opportunity.
 He explains that his aversion towards water began when he was three years old
and had gone to California beach with his parents, for surfing. While doing the
activity, he was knocked down by the waves and buried in water which instilled
the fear of water in his mind.
 As he began learning swimming at the YMCA pool, it brought back the memories
of childhood thus leaving him under-confident. But eventually, that changed and
he was starting to get at ease with water.
 One day he went to the pool and found out that no one was there. As he was
observing the white tiles of swimming pool, a bruiser boy in his teens, came and
ducked him inside the water. Douglas landed in the sitting position.
 The boy threw him at the end of the swimming pool which was 9 feet deep. As he
went down, he prepared himself for jumping up to the surface as soon as he
touched the ground. Unfortunately, that could not happen.
 In the next few paragraphs, he describes the next three attempts of jumping up
to the surface in detail.
 The first attempt was described in this manner. “Those nine feet were more like
ninety, and before I touched bottom my lungs were ready to burst. But when my
feet hit bottom I summoned all my strength and made what I thought was a great
 spring upwards. I imagined I would bob to the surface like a cork. Instead, I
came up slowly. I opened my eyes and saw nothing but water — water that had a
dirty yellow tinge to it. I grew panicky. I reached up as if to grab a rope and my
hands clutched only at water. I was suffocating. I tried to yell but no sound came
out. Then my eyes and nose came out of the water — but not my mouth”.
 The second attempt took place in this manner. “But the jump made no difference.
The water was still around me. I looked for ropes, ladders, water wings. Nothing
but water. A mass of yellow water held me. Stark terror took an even deeper hold
on me, like a great charge of electricity. I shook and trembled with fright. My
arms wouldn’t move. My legs wouldn’t move. I tried to call for help, to call for
mother. Nothing happened”.
 He remembers his mother at this moment since mother is the symbol of comfort
and peace. At that moment, he wanted peace, he was looking for something that
could get him some comfort, that could help him and bring him back to the water.
This line explains the human tendency of remembering someone so special at the
moment of need, like a mother. Someone you have full faith and trust on,
someone you can rely on, someone who gives you peace, someone who brings
you comfort. And mother is the amalgamation of all of the above.
 The third attempt has been described by Douglas with these words, “I sucked for
air and got water. The yellowish light was going out. Then all effort ceased. I
relaxed. Even my legs felt limp; and a blackness swept over my brain. It wiped
out fear; it wiped out terror. There was no more panic. It was quiet and peaceful.
Nothing to be afraid of. This is nice... to be drowsy... to go to sleep... no need to
jump... too tired to jump... it’s nice to be carried gently... to float along in space...
tender arms around me... tender arms like Mother’s... now I must go to sleep... I
crossed to oblivion, and the curtain of life fell”.
 He was feeling sleepy and around mother’s arms which are again a reflection of
peace and comfort. These lines describe the amount of stress, pain, and fear he
was going through. He felt like he has crossed the oblivion, which means that he
has taken the final abode.
 Someone got him from the swimming pool and saved his life, but the nightmares
of the incident kept haunting him for years. The fear deprived him of fishing,
boating, swimming, and having fun around water.
 Then he decided to learn swimming and conquer his fear. After a few months he
learned swimming and challenged himself to swim across various locations and
when alone.
 He describes his achievement through beautiful lines, “Trying to scare me, eh?
Well, here’s to you! Look!” And off I’d go for another length of the pool”, “Well,
Mr Terror, what do you think you can do to me?”

Important Lines from the Text with their meanings

1. All we have to fear is fear itself.
Answer. This line explains that there is terror or fear about anything when we are
afraid of it. The fear is in fearing about something.Douglas through his misadventure
realised that there is terror in the fear of death whereas death is peaceful. Thus, he
says that more than the incident or thing, people have the fear of the thing more than
the thing itself.
The Rattrap Revision Notes

About the Author:

Selma Logerlof was a famous Swedish writer whose works have been translated into
multiple languages worldwide. Her writings are famous for bringing in the essence of
humanness in them and talking about human nature. She believes that humans can
be changed through understanding and love.

About the Story/ Synopsis of the Story

The story is based on the life of a rattrap seller who used to sells rattraps of materials
he collected from begging and petty thievery. One day he went to a cottage alongside
the road looking for place to spend the night. He took thirty kronors from old man’s
house and started looking for a place to hide. Now, how did the rattrap save himself
after stealing the money and what happened next is explained in detail the in the
summary presented below. The story is based on an interesting fact that the the
entire world is a rattrap (cage) where the baits like cheese and pork(wealth, money)
offered to the rats (humans).

Theme of Deep Water

The story is based on the theme of human behaviour. How a human with some evil
thoughts can be forced to perform an act that is good in nature, by showering
him/her with some love, affection, and giving him/her some amount of care and
warmth. It explores human behaviour and difference in the thinking process of
humans to an extent that will leave you fall in love with each character. Study the
summary below for more clarity, fun, and learnings.

Character Sketches:
The Vagabond/Tramp/Rattrap Seller- The peddler was into bad deeds such as
petty thievery, but he did that to keep his body and soul together. He understood the
functioning of the world and was very practical and clever, since he had a theory
about his rattrap and the world. Despite his wrongful act of stealing thirty kronors
from the old man’s house who gave him food, shelter, and supper, we can say that
there was a good and humble person hidden inside him. Since, he did not steal the
money at night when he first encountered that the pouch near the window has money
in it and at last he returned the money back. That good person had to be just brought
back and nurtured with love and care. He was also an honest person since he
accepted that he was not an old acquaintance and readily agreed to leave the place.

Mr. Ironmaster- He was a powerful, huge man just like we find people in the army
regiment. At first his character was shown as someone who is good at heart since he
thought his old acquaintance should be helped because of his misfortune. But later,
when he realised that the peddler was not an acquaintance he groaned in anger and
threatened the peddler of calling the police. But he completely ignored the fact that
he was the one who forced the peddler to come home and sent his daughter to fetch
him.

Edla Willmanson- She is a beautiful lady with lovely thoughts and very humble
nature. Edla literally brought the good side of the peddler out in front of everybody
through her humbleness and kindness. She is also a smart person and a good
observer since she hinted at the condition of the peddler and understood that he is
either a thief or someone who has run away from the jail. Despite knowing the truth,
she fought with her father and made the rattrap seller stay for christmas, just because
she had promised christmas cheer to the peddler. The story also somewhere tries to
hint that she must be lonely in her life since she wanted someone else to share the
christmas joy badly.
Summary (Important Points)
 There is a man who sells rattrap for his survival. He makes those rattraps on his
own by stealing the materials he could manage to collect through petty thievery
and begging.
 He had a line of thought about his rattrap and the world, “he was struck by the
idea that the whole world about him — the whole world with its lands and
seas, its cities and villages — was nothing but a big rattrap. It had never
existed for any other purpose than to set baits for people. It offered riches
and joys, shelter and food, heat and clothing, exactly as the rattrap offered
cheese and pork, and as soon as anyone let himself be tempted to touch
the bait, it closed in on him, and then everything came to an end”.
 One day as he walking down the road he came across a little cottage. He
knocked the door and asked for the shelter. An old man opened the door
who was alone in the house and happily let the peddler in. He also offered
him supper, tobacco, and played cards with him, after which they went to
sleep.
 The old man used to work at Ramjso Ironworks until his retirement, post
which his daily bread and butter came from his cow. He said that last
week he earned thirty kronors by selling milk and went to the window to
fetch a pouch where the money was kept.
 Next day the old man went on to sell the milk and the peddler went on his
own way. Later, he came back, smashed a window pane, took the pouch
and stole those thirty kronors.
 Scared of what he did just now, he chose to walk through the woods due to the
fear of theft. On entering te woods, he realised that he had been lost and could
not find a way to get out of it. Not in more than a second he realised that he has
himself fallen into the trap he used to talk and think about. For those thirty
kronors he would now be stuck in the forest.
 After leaving all the hopes of getting out of the forests as he was lying on the
ground, he heard the sound of thumping. He followed the direction of the sound
and came across Ramjso Ironworks. He asked for a place to stay and was offered
one by the workers.
 Later, the owner of the Ramjso Ironworks came on a round. On seeing the
vagabond lying near the furnace, he confused him with an old acquaintance and
asked him to come home. The rattrap seller thought that given the condition he
is in, the acquaintance might be given a few kronors, so he acted like the old
acquaintance but refused to go home.
 Mr Ironmaster left after the peddler did not agree to go home with him. After
half an hour, he heard the voice of a carriage. The ironmaster had sent his
daughter to fetch the peddler, thinking that she might be able to persuade him.
 Edla Willmanson, the daughter of the ironmaster was so sweet with her words
and gesture that the peddler could not say no to her. Then, all of them went home.
 On reaching home, the vagabond was offered new clothes and asked to freshen
up. After getting cleaned up, the ironmaster realised that the rattrap seller was
not an old acquaintance and asked him to leave. The peddler agreed and told him
about his rattrap theory, to which the ironmaster laughed and threatened him of
calling police.
 Edla asked the peddler to stay for Christmas since he had been promised so. All
of them spent the next two days and Christmas happily. After Christmas, when it
was time for the rattrap seller to leave, Edla told him to keep the clothes and
consider those as his Christmas present. The peddler was utterly shocked by the
kind gestures of the lady.
 Next morning, Ironmaster and his daughter were off to church for their service,
while the rattrap seller was still sleeping. While returning from the church, the
 ironmaster was frightened since he had heard in the church that a rattrap seller
has stolen money from an old man’s house who lived down the street.
 As they reach home, the ironmaster asks his servants regarding the rattrap seller,
to which they reply that he had gone long before and has left a note for Edla.
 The note that the thirty kronors an a sweet message for the lady. The note reads,
“Honoured and noble Miss, “Since you have been so nice to me all day
long, as if I was a captain, I want to be nice to you, in return, as if I was a
real captain — for I do not want you to be embarrassed at this Christmas
season by a thief; but you can give back the money to the old man on the
roadside, who has the money pouch hanging on the window frame as a
bait for poor wanderers. “The rattrap is a Christmas present from a rat
who would have been caught in this world’s rattrap if he had not been
raised to captain, because in that way he got power to clear himself.
“Written with friendship and high regard, “Captain von Stahle.”

Important Lines from the Text with their meanings

1. Keep body and soul together
Answer. This phrase refers to the survival of human beings. It means to keep
oneself alive.

2. The whole forest, with its trunks and branches, its thickets and
fallen logs, closed in upon him like an impenetrable prison from
which he could never escape.
Answer. It seemed to the peddler that he had been trapped in the rattrap by
the bait of thirty kronors. He was pretending to think that the trees in the
forests are growing with its trunks and branches to catch hold of him because
of he stole those thirty kronors. And he understood that it was an end, since
his rattrap , he forest, would not let him escape.

3. The tramp manners will fall away from him with the tramp
clothes.
Answer. The ironmaster wishes to say that a person starts behaving as
he/she dresses.For example: if a person is wearing nice clothes, he/she will
carry them properly and try to behave the same. So, he wishes to say that the
behaviour, look, and nature of the tramp will fall away after he takes off his
tramp clothes.

4. “The rattrap is a Christmas present from a rat who would have

been caught in this world’s rattrap if he had not been raised to
captain, because in that way he got power to clear himself.
Answer. The peddler thanks Edla for raising him to a position of the captain,
though he was not, because by that act of the lady he was able to clear his
mind and think high as a captain.He says that if Edla had not been so good to
him then he would have understood the power of goodness and kindness and
never cleared his mind.
 lesson - 5
INDIGO
About the author

Louis Fischer (1896-1970) was born in Philadelphia. He served as a

volunteer in the British Army between 1918 and 1920. Fischer made a
career as a journalist and wrote for The New York Times, The Saturday
Review and for European and Asian publications. He was also a
member of the faculty at Princeton University. The following is an
excerpt from his book- The Life of Mahatma Gandhi. The book has
been reviewed as one of the best books ever written on Gandhi by
Times Educational Supplement.

INTRODUCTION
This chapter is an excerpt from Louis Fischer’s famous book ‘The Life of Mahatma Gandhi’. The
writer observed Gandhiji’s work to fight for the cause of the voiceless, downtrodden Indians
who reeled (moved) under the rule of the indifferent, oppressive colonial British rule. ‘Indigo’ is
one of the many episodes of Gandhi’s long political struggle. The chapter describes the
Champaran visit of Mahatma Gandhi which was undertaken casually on the entreaty (request)
of a poor peasant, RajkumarShukla, in the expectation that it would last a few days, occupied
almost a year of Gandhi’s life. The story describes Gandhiji’s struggle for the cause of the
sharecroppers of Bihar and how he asked the Britishers to leave the country. It highlights the
leadership shown by Gandhi to secure justice for oppressed people.

CHARACTERS AND PLACES

Gandhiji : A prominent political leader of India (The Father of The Nation).
Rajkumar Shukla : A poor, emaciated (lean end thin) but resolute peasant of
Champaran.
Rajendra Prasad : A lawyer who later became the First President of India.
J.B. Kripalani : A professor of the Arts College in Muzzafarpur.
Malkani : A Government school teacher.
Sir Edward Gait : The Lieutenant Governor.
Kasturba bai : Gandhi’s wife.
Devdas : Gandhi’s youngest son.
Mahadev Desai and Narhari Parikh : Volunteer doctor.
Charles Freer Andrews : A follower of Gandhi

BACKGROUND
Louis Fischer reviews 'The Life of Mahatama' observing closely 'TheChamparan episode'. A
simple peasant's entreaty brings the historical change to learn courage and self-reliance to
protest against the wrong doers for their rights.

GIST OF THE LESSON

 Gandhiji went to attend Annual Convention of Indian National Congress at Lucknow in
December 1916.
 During the proceedings, a peasant from Champaran, named RajkumarShukla met him.
 Under an ancient arrangement, Champaran peasants were sharecroppers.
 RajkumarShukla was one of them. He was illiterate but resolute.
 He didn’t leave Gandhiji until he agreed to visit Champaran.
 Gandhiji would be in Calcutta on a certain date. Shukla received him from there and
then they boarded into the train to Patna.
 Shukla first took Gandhiji to the house of a lawyer named Rajendra Prasad who later
became the President of Indian Natinal Congress and India.

65
 Rajendra Prasad was out of the town and his servant didn’t allow Gandhiji to draw
water from the well thinking him to be an untouchable.
 Gandhiji first decided to go to Muzzafarpur. He was received by Prof. J. B. Kriplani of
Arts College, at the railway station.
 Gandhiji stayed at the house of Prof. Malkani for two days.
 It was an extraordinary thing for Prof. Malkani to harbor Gandhiji because in smaller
localities people were afraid to show sympathy for the advocates for home rule.
 As soon as Gandhiji reached Champaran, people went to see him.
 The lawyers told Gandhiji that they represented peasant groups in the court and also
reported the size of their fee.
 Gandhiji chided the lawyers for collecting such a big fee and told them its no use taking
their cases to the law courts.
 The chief commercial crop in Champaran was Indigo. The landlords compelled all
tenants to plant three twentieths or 15 % of their holdings with indigo and surrender
the entire indigo harvest as rent.
 Meanwhile Germany developed synthetic Indigo. The landlords asked the peasants to
pay them compensation for being released from the 15% agreement.
 Later when the peasants came to know about the synthetic Indigo, they wanted their
money back. Gandhiji reached Champaran at this stage.
 Gandhiji first went to the Secretary of the British Landlord’s association and then to the
British Official Commissioner of Tirhut Division. None of them helped Gandhiji instead
he was asked to leave Tirhut. But Gandhiji, instead of leaving Tirhut, went to Motihari.
 There again he got an official notice to quit Champaran. Gandhiji signed a receipt for
the order but he wrote on the back that he would disobey the order.
 In consequence, he got summons to appear in the court.
 Gandhiji informed all about it and the next morning all the people gathered in the court
premises.
 The officials felt powerless without Gandhiji’s cooperation.
 Gandhiji helped them to regulate the crowd but he had given them proof that their
might could be questioned.
 Gandhiji told the court that he was caught in a conflict of duties. On the one hand, he
didn’t want to set a bad example as a law breaker and on the other hand, he wanted to
do national and humanitarian service.
 When the court was reconvened, the judge said the he would deliver the judgement
several days later and meanwhile he allowed Gandhiji to be at liberty.
 Later the Lt. Governor ordered the case to be dropped against him and it proved to be
the first victory of Civil Disobedience in Modern India.
 In June Gandhiji was summoned by Sir Edward Gait. They had four protracted meetings
as a result of which an enquiry commission was set up.
 The enquiry brought crushing mountain of evidences against the big planters.
 Gandhiji asked 50% refund but the planters wanted to pay only 25%.
 Gandhiji agreed even to that. He said the amount of refund was less important than the
fact that the landlords had been obliged to surrender part of the money and with it part
of their prestige.
 Gandhiji was also concerned about the social and economical backwardness of
Champaran villages. He appealed to the people to volunteer their services.
 Primary schools were opened in six villages. Kasturba Bai taught the ashram rules on
personal cleanliness and community sanitation.
 Health conditions were also miserable. Three medicines were available- castor oil,
quinine and sulphur ointment.
 Gandhiji’s politics was intertwined with the practical day to day problems of the millions.
His was not a loyalty to abstractions; his was the loyalty to living human beings.
 Gandhiji’s lawyer friends wanted Charles Freer Andrews who was Gandhiji’s devoted
follower to stay in Champaran and help them but Gandhiji was vehemently opposed. He
told them to rely on themselves instead of seeking a prop in Mr. Andrews.

66
The Third Level Revision Notes

About the Author:

Jack Finney is the author or CBSE Class 12 English Vistas Chapter 1 The Third Level.
He is an American writer who has mostly worked on Science fiction and thrillers.
Previously he has also worked as a copywriter.

About the Story/ Synopsis of the Story

The story is about Charley and his experience with the Grand Central Station. He
claims that he had been to the third level at the Grand Central Station while everyone
including his wife, friends, and psychiatrist say that the station does not have any
third level. Check the summary below to know the mystery about the third level at the
Grand Central Station.

Theme of The Third Level

The Third Level is based on the theme of absence of mind. The disparity between the
two time stamps and spaces. Charley goes through a condition where he makes an
imaginary entry into the third level at the Grand Central Station. The story through
the series of a few incidents wants to inform people about the hectic, scheduled, and
chaotic lives that they are living in today’s world. The story also holds a small
comparison between the times of decades ago vs now and how have our lives evolved
towards distress, anxiety, and chaos in all these years of development.

Character Sketches:
Charley: Charley was a peaceful person who loved visiting places that brings peace
and calmness of his soul and body, just like his hometown. He is a person who still
loves the lifestyle people lived decades back. He is a dreamer since he imagines the
third level at the Grand Central Station. He is a good husband as he takes care of his
wife, loves her very much, and finds peace in her. The first time he had discovered the
third level, he had mentioned that he wanted to go back home to his wife Louisa.
Charley is a brave person who likes to explore his imaginations instead of fearing
them. He also had a hobby of collecting stamps.

Louisa: Louisa is a strong, brave, calm, and practical person who understands the
situation his husband has pushed himself into. She makes great efforts in bringing
some amount of comfort to him. Louisa is a great listener as she listens to her anxious
husband, his miseries and consoles him to stay calm and consult a psychiatrist. She
also supports him in recovering from his time travel thingy.

Summary (Important Points)

 On visiting the third level of the Grand Central Station, Charley meets his
psychiatrist friend who tells him that he is search of some peace(a wish he is
making unconsciously). He told him that he was unhappy.
 The psychiatrist explains him and his wife Louisa that he is unhappy because of
the life people are living in today’s day and age.
 The conversation continues that he realises that he looks for some escape in
between the chaotic life he is living. His collection of stamps is also a temporary
refuge from reality.
 The author then says that during the time of his grandfather, collection of stamps
was a hobby since people did not need any temporary refuge from reality back
then because of the peaceful life.
 One day when he was returning home late from work, he decided to take the
subway at the Grand Central Station instead of bus since it was faster and he was
restless about being at home.
 Then he explains what had happened to him at the Grand Central Station. Check
the points below to easily memorize the incidents that took place:
(i) He passed a dozen men who looked just like him
(ii) When he walked down another flight to the second level, where the suburban
trains leave from, ducked into an arched doorway heading for the subway, the trains
got lost
(iii) He was bumping into new doorways and stairs and corridors
(iv) Once he got into a tunnel about a mile long and came out in the lobby of the
Roosevelt Hotel
(v) Another time he came up in an office building on Forty-sixth Street, three blocks
away
(vi) He saw the station was growing like a tree, pushing out new corridors and
staircases like roots
(vii) The corridor began angling left and slanting downward
(viii) The tunnel turned sharp left and he went down a short flight of stairs and came
out on the third level at Grand Central Station
(ix) There were fewer ticket windows and train gates, and the information booth in
the centre was wood and old looking.
(x) The man in the booth wore a green eyeshade and long black sleeve protectors. The
lights were dim and sort of flickering, they were open-flame gaslights.
(xi) He wore a derby hat, a black four-button suit with tiny lapels, and he had a big,
black, handlebar mustache- Representation of men from eighty’s
(xii) He saw a boy holding a newspaper called The World that has not been published
for years
 Then he describes how Galesburg, Illinios looked like and how badly he wants to
visit the place with his wife, Louisa
 On giving the money while buying tickets to Galesburg, the man at the ticket
booth told him that this wasn’t the currency.
 Next day, he took out three hundred dollars from his bank and converted them
into old style money that filled the markets of 1894.
 But, he could not reach the third level that day.
 He narrated the entire incident to his wife, Louisa and she suggested him to stop
looking for it.
 He shifted his focus to collecting stamps with Louisa.
 Charley had realised that his friend Sam Weiner had disappered and he had gone
to Galesburg.
 He figured this out because one day when he was going through his collection of
stamps,he came across a letter he had never seen before. But it was written way
back in 1894 to his grandfather.
 When he opened the letter and read it, he realised it was written by his friend
Sam and there was a sign attached below which also belonged to Sam.
 The story ends with the author revealing that Sam was his psychiatrist friend.
About the Author:
Kalki is the author of CBSE Class 12 English Vistas Chapter 2, The Tiger King. Her
original name is Ramaswamy Krishnamurthy and she is an Indian poet, writer,
journalist, critic, and Indian Independence activist. She was a Tamil writer. Her
writing expands over 120 short stories, 10 novellas, 3 novels, 5 historical romances,
editorial and political writings, and hundreds of music reviews and films. .

About the Story/ Synopsis of the Story

The Tiger King is the story of a cruel king who ignored the people and works of his
state to kill tigers of the kingdom. On his birth, a famous astrologer had said that he
would be killed by the 100th tiger. Soon after, the king went on a tiger killing spree
and finished all the tigers of his kingdom. Read the summary below to know what
happens next.

Theme of The Tiger King

The Tiger King is based on the theme of cruelty and ignorance towards the kingdom
and its people by the leaders and authorities of the nation. The author here uses
political sattire to put the real faces of the politicians and people in power, ahead of
us. It is an interesting tale from the land of Pratibandpuram and explains in detail
about the vicious rulers of the nation.

Character Sketches:
Tiger King: The tiger king was rude, egoistic, self-centered, ignorant, irresponsible,
selfish, whimsical and irrational. He was rude since he did not behave politely with
his servants and they feared him. He was egoistic, self-centered, and selfish since he
got indulged in killing tigers so much that he completely ignored the fact that he had
a kingdom to rule and work for. He dedicated his life to killing tigers instead of
working for his people. He was very moody since he increased the tax of his people
just because of some frustation and anxiety related to tigers.

Summary (Important Points)

 The story is about the king of Pratibandapuram, The Tiger King. It is an epic tale
which discovers how tiger king made it to his final abode.
 During his birth, when astrologers were foretelling his fortune, words came out
of ten days old child.
 Then the astrologer predicted, “The prince was born in the hour of the Bull. The
Bull and the Tiger are enemies, therefore, death comes from the Tiger’.
 These lines from the text describe Tiger King’s early childhood “The boy drank
the milk of an English cow, was brought up by an English nanny, tutored in
English by an Englishman, saw nothing but English films — exactly as the crown
princes of all the other Indian states did”.
 At the age of twenty, he was handed over the responsibility of his kingdom. But
everyone remembered the predictions of the astrologer and he started on a tiger
killing spree saying that there is no harm in killing tigers in self-defence.
 The astrologer arrived again and told the maharaja that he would die from the
100th tiger.
 Then, the Maharaja vowed he would attend to all other matters only after killing
the hundred tigers.
 One day a British officer came to hunt tigers in the state. Maharaja ordered
diamond rings for his wife and sent them to her, thinking she would manipulate
her husband and convince him to not kill tigers in Pratibandapuram, after
receiving gifts. The same happened.
 The Maharaja vowed he would attend to all other matters only after killing the
hundred tigers.
 Then the tiger population in the state started extincting. So, he decided to marry
a woman of royale calibre with good tiger population in his state.
 Maharaja Jung Jung Bahadur killed five or six tigers each time he visited his
father -in-law. With this he killed 99 tigers.
 By the time, tiger population in his father in law’s state also became extinct. But
he got a report that a few sheeps in the hillside were disappearing.
 The Maharaja announced a three-year exemption from all taxes for that village
and set out on the hunt at once.
 When he wasn’t able to locate the tiger, he ordered the dewan to double the land
tax.
 The Maharaja threatened the dewan that he would be expelled from his job if he
could not find the last tiger.
 The dewan came to know that there was a tiger in a house which was brought
from Madras. Dewan and his wife shoved the tiger in their car and brought it to
the Maharaja.
 The tiger king shot the 100th tiger carefully and ordered his servants to bring the
last tiger in the grand procession and hastened away in his car.
 After the maharaja had gone away, servants came to know that the tiger had
fainted as the bullet shot past him and he was still alive. From the fear of their
master, they killed the tiger and took the body in the grand procession.
 A few days later the Maharaja’s son’s third birthday was celebrated.
 He spotted a wooden tiger in a toyshop and decided it was the perfect gift for his
son’s birthday.
 When both son and father were playing with the wooden tiger, one of the tiny
silver on the wooden tiger pierced the maharaja’s right hand.
 The next day, infection flared in the Maharaja’s right hand. In four days, it
developed into a suppurating sore which spread all over the arm.
 Even after consulting doctors from Madras and giving their all, the tiger king
could not be saved and hence he lost his life because of the 100th tiger.
 JOURNEY TO THE END OF THE EARTH
BY TISHANI DOSHI

POINTS TO REMEMBER

1. The story is based on a travelogue written by Tishani Doshi.

2. The author, makes a tour to Antarctica travelling 100 hours to reach
there.
3. Antarctica contains 90% of the total ice of the earth.
4. Journey was too long. Six years ago, Geoff Green, a Canadian, started
the “Students on Ice” programme.
5. Under this programme, high school students are taken on a trip to
Antarctica and offer inspiring educational opportunities to encourage
them and make them aware about our planet.
6. The programme has been a success because students can see the
collapsing ice shelves and retreating glaciers with their own eyes.
7. They realize the threat of global warming is real.
8. The author too got a chance to work in the coldest atmosphere of the
Antarctic continent.
9. She began her journey 13.09 degrees north of the Equator in Madras.
She crossed nine time zones, six checkpoints, three oceans and many
ecospheres to reach her destination.
10. According to her six hundred and fifty million years ago, Antarctica
was a part of a giant amalgamated Southern supercontinent called
Gondwana.
11. This journey also enlightens about the significance of Cordilleran
folds and pre-Cambrian granite shields; ozone and carbon.
12. No existence of human life there.
13. As per her understanding, human beings have been on Earth for about
12000 years. In this short period, humans have changed the face of
the environment for the shoddier.

160 English–XII
 14. Humans, by establishing cities and megacities, have encroached
Mother Nature.
15. The rapid increase in population has added to more distress. Human
beings are battling with each other for limited resources.
16. The average global temperature is rising rapidly and the layer of
carbon dioxide around the world is increasing.
17. The narrator is worried by profound questions about climate change
like what if West Antarctic ice sheets melt entirely or if the Gulf
Stream Ocean current will be disrupted or will the world come to end
one day.
18. Tishani Doshi is contended with the beauty of balance in play on our
planet.
19. She is optimistic that next-generation children are full of naivete to
save the Earth. Gondwana would have larger biodiversity including
flora and fauna.
20. Finally, it gives a brief explanation of ozone depletion and the lack
of biodiversity and the harm that can be posed is also shown in the
travelogue.

RTC-1

You lose all earthly sense of perspective and time here. The visual scale
ranges from the. microscopic to the mighty: midges and mites to blue whales
and icebergs as big as countries (the largest recorded was the size of Belgium).
Days go on and on and on in surreal 24-hour austral summer light, and a
ubiquitous silence, interrupted only by the occasional avalanche or calving
ice sheet, consecrates the place. It’s an immersion that will force you to place
yourself in the context of the earth’s geological history.
1. What does ‘ubiquitous silence’ refer to?
Ans. Silence prevailed everywhere in Antarctica
2. ‘Visual Scale’ can be described as
Ans. It refers to size in relation to another element or object or a constant.

English–XII 161
About the Author:
Pearl Comfort Sydenstricker Buck (Pearl S Buck) is the author of CBSE Class 12
English Vistas Chapter 4, The Enemy. She is an American writer and novelist. She is
the first American woman to win Nobel Prize in Literature. Buck had also devoted a
part of her life to various humanitarian efforts. Peasant life in China, The Good Earth
are some of her famous and most selling novels and pieces of art.

About the Story/ Synopsis of the Story

The story dwells around a man named Sadao Hoki who was a doctor by profession.
His house was built around the Japanese coast near the ocean. The story is based on
the backdrop of Japan and US war way back. One day Sadao discovers a seriously
injured man, lying around the coast. The man happens to be ‘The Enemy’, because he
was an American soldier who had reached there through water. The incident puts Dr
Sadao in a serious dilemma of choosing loyalty towards his nation of his moral duty
as a doctor. Check the summary below to find out what did Dr Sadao do with the
enemy.

Theme of The Enemy

The Enemy is based on the concept of humanism and professionalism. It explores the
concept of humanness in an individual in a moment of crisis. The difference in
approach towards a situation and humanity in people is dealt with, by the chapter.
Should a person follow his moral ethics or do what should have been done? Should a
person listen to his brain or his heart in the moment of crisis? All of these questions
are explored by the story in detail.

Character Sketches:
Dr Sadao: He is a thoughtful, kind, caring, and professional man who chose
humanity and duty over national interest. He is also emotional since the man being
American built an immediate connection, as Dr Sadao had studied in America for
quite a few years. Above all, he is a great human being who respects his profession
and values the life of individuals. He is full of knowledge and resources related to his
domain and completely excels at it.

Hana: She is good, caring, kind, and supportive wife to Dr Sadao who supported him
in his dilemma and respected his decision. She is a compassionate human being filled
with humanity since despite the man being an enemy she took good care of him and
helped him recover with compassion. She is also a professional and knows her work.
Above all, she is a beautiful soul who was empathetic, sympathetic, caring, kind,
humane, and lovable at the same time.

Yumi: Yumi was a good human being who treated Sadao and her wife with respect
and loved their children. She took good care of them just like her own kids. But, she
not empathetic at all. She couldn’t stand the fact that Dr and his wife were helping a
white man and she left along with other servants. Though she was a loyal and
dedicated servant, but she could not be a great human at that point of time. Through
her acts and words, it was pretty clear that she was a patriotic person who would not
allow her conscience to go beyond the national interests of the country.

Tom: Tom was an American soldier who was injured during war and grabbed by the
Japanese army. He managed to run away and save his life. Tom was a grateful human
being who did not do anything wrong with Dr and his family. He was full of gratitude
and thanked the family for the care and treatment. He acted as a catalyst to human
kindness and paved the way for humanity.
General Takima: General Takima was a strict, intimidating leader who could go to
any lengths in order to protect his country. But, there is a vulnerable side to General
Takima which is associated towards his love to Dr Sadao, mixed with a bit of
selfishness as he was not ready to let go of Dr Sadao since he was the only person
General had full faith on. He knew that if Dr Sadao was caught by the soldiers for
protecting an enemy, he would have to leave the country which would then pose
threat on the his life. Due to his selfish motives, he was ready to let the enemy go back
to his land.

Summary (Important Points)

 Dr Sadao’s house was located near the Japanese Coast and he had spend his entire lifetime
playing along the shore, with his father.
 At 22, he was sent to America to learn the art of surgery and medicine. He returned when he
was 30. After his success as a surgeon and scientist, his father passed away peacefully.
 He was being kept in Japan because he was doing a discovery on completely rendering clean
wounds. The old general from the Japanese army was also old and he might require immediate
assistance at any point of time.
 Then the story introduces his wife, Hana who he had met in America and had fallen in love, after
discovering that she was a Japanese.
 As they were spending some time together in their house, near the sea shore, while recalling the
olden days, they saw a man emerge out of the fog. They quickly went outside the house to see
the fallen man on the ground.
 Sadao with his magical fingers and brain figured out that the man had been wounded by a bullet.
Sometime, not many days ago, the man had been shot and had not been tended.They saw his
face and came to know that he was a white man.
 Sadao took moss and stuffed it across the wound to stop the bleeding. Post that both of them
decided to leave the man back in the sea.
 They figured out that the man was from US Navy, grabbed by the Japanese men, but he had
managed to run away. The wounds on his body showed the signs of torture.
 After a heavy discussion and considering all aspects of the situation , they came to a conclusion
that carrying him to the house would be the safest option.
 Then, they lifted the man and carried him to an empty bedroom. As Hana was about to cover the
man with a quilt, she realised that he is dirty. Sadao asks her to fetch him some hot water so that
he can be cleaned. Hana replies that she would ask the servants to get him cleaned. They also
decided that he has to be operated on otherwise he would die.
 When they informed the servant about the man, all of them were upset with this act. Yumi, the
care taker of the kids did not even agree to wash the man.
 Hana cleaned up the man and called Sadao. He immediately came in with his emergency bag and
operated the man. Both of them together completed the process together. The operation was
successful and the man was saved.
 The servants left the house in anger, believing that staying for a few years in America had made
them less loyal towards their own nation.
 As the man gains his health back, Sadao decides to inform the general about the man. They
came to a conclusion that the general would send some hired men to kill the enemy.
 By the time the man would arrive, Sadao’s conscience told him to set the man free as he had
been good to them, throughout. Additionally, he did not feel right to get him killed since he was
treated by him.
 Thus, Sadao arranges a boat with survival essentials and helps him sail off silently during the
night hours. The man reaches to a boat of Korean company through which he is set free for the
rest of his life.
 POEM – 1
My MotheR at sixty six
About the poet
Kamala Das: (1934) was born in Malabar, Kerala. She is recognised as
one of India’s foremost poets. Her works are known for their originality,
versatility and the indigenous flavour of the soil. Kamala Das has
published many novels and short stories in English and Malayalam
under the name ‘Madhavikutty’. Some of her works in English include
the novel Alphabet of Lust (1977), a collection of short stories
Padmavati the Harlot and Other Stories (1992), in addition to five books
of poetry. She is a sensitive writer who captures the complex subtleties
of human relationships in lyrical idiom, My Mother at Sixty-six is an
example.

GIST OF THE POEM

 Poetess travelling to Cochin airport with her old mother in a car.
 Looks at wan, pale face of her dozing mother.
 Old fear of losing her mother returns.
 Sprinting trees and merry children provide the scene of childhood full of vigour.
 After the security check the old familiar ache returns.
 Tries to hide her emotions by smiling.
 Bids good bye to her mother with a hope to see her again.

Enrich your vocabulary

Doze : a short, light sleep
Ashen : very pale, like ash.
Corpse : a dead body.
Sprinting : here, shooting out of the ground.
Spilling : here, to move out in great numbers.
Wan : unnaturally pale, as from physical or emotional distress.
Ache : pain.

IN A NUT-SHELL
The poet is driving from her parent’s home to Cochin airport by car, her mother by her side—
dozing –open mouthed very pale, colorless and frail‐like a dead body indicating that her end
was near. The poet looks at her and feels intense pain and agony to realize that soon death
will cast her mother away from her. She tries to divert her mind, looks outside at the young
trees and happy children bursting out of their homes in a playful mood (a contrasting image).
After the security check at the airport she looked again at her mother’s face - pale and cold.
‘Familiar ache‐my childhood fear’ – the poet has always had a very intimate and close
relationship with her mother and she has always felt the fear of being separated from her
mother hence it is familiar. The poet reassures her mother that they will meet again.

THEME
My Mother at Sixty-Six by Kamala Das brings out the reality of inescapable ageing, decay and
death through a simple incident. She feels worried at the thought of her separation from her
mother. She realizes how much her mother and she herself have aged when she looks at the
‘young trees sprinting’ and ‘merry children spilling out of their homes’. She smiles and bids
farewell saying that she would soon meet her again.

TITLE
The title, ‘My Mother at Sixty-six’ is an excellent example of showing an ever unfailing
relationship between a daughter and her mother. The title is apt as the subject of the poem is
the poet’s aged and frail mother. ‘My Mother’ at once establishes the context in which Kamala
84
Das is writing – the mother’s unexpected pain and the poet’s worry about her mother’s frail
health, old age and perhaps, inevitable death. The title prepares us for the frail old mother and
her daughter’s concern for her.

CENTRAL IDEA
Aging is an important phase of human life. A person enters his childhood, experiences youth
when he is full of energy and dreams to have luxury of life. Finally, he approaches his old age
and encounters death. Relationship between people becomes stronger at every aspect of life
and they can’t bear separation due to aging.
In this poem, the poet relates a personal experience. She brings out a common paradox of
human relationships and portrays a sensational separation of a mother and a daughter. She
has been able to capture almost all the emotions which a daughter is filled with, on bidding
farewell to her beloved mother. Sometimes we do feel deep sympathy for someone but we fail
to express it in a proper manner.

Answer the following questions in 30 to 40 words.

1. How does the poet describe her mother in the poem?
Ans. The poet describes her mother as an old lady who has become pale, weak and worn out.
She often dozes and remains unconscious about herself like a dead body.

2. Why does the poet look outside? What activities does the poet see outside the car
window?
Ans. The poet feels very sad thinking that her mother is nearing death. This painful thought
makes her worried and anxious. So in order to divert her attention from her mother, she looks
outside.The poet sees young trees running past them. She also sees little children coming out
of their homes in a merry mood. She sees life and vitality in the outside world.

3. Why are the young trees described as ‘sprinting’?

Ans. The young trees are described as sprinting’ as the movement of the racing car makes the
trees appear as if they are running along.

4. Why is the mother compared to the late winter's moon?

Ans. The mother is compared to the late winter’s moon because like the moon of winter
season, the poet’s mother also looks pale, dull and grayish.

5. What childhood fears do you think; the poet is referring to in the poem?
Ans. The poet feels uneasy and unprotected with the thought of losing her mother. She does
not expect to see her mother again on her return. So she shows a childish unwillingness to
leave her mother.

6. Why has the poet brought in the image of the merry children ‘spilling out of their
homes’?
Ans. The poet, Kamala Das, has used the image of merry children spilling out of their homes to
bring a contrast between the old age and childhood. Her mother’s pale, colourless face stands
for old and fading age. Merry children symbolise the spring of life, vigour and happiness. They
also symbolize spontaneity of life in contrast to the passive and inactive life of her aged
mother.

7. What does Kamala Das do after the security check up? What does she notice?
Ans. After the security check up, the poet stands a few yards away from her mother and gazes
at her mother. She notices the declining age and finds her pale and worn out than ever before.

8. The poet compares her mother to many things. Pick out two similes which
reinforce this comparison.
Ans. (a) The two similes are: “Her face ashen like that of a corpse.”
(b) “I looked again at her wan, pale as a late winter’s moon”

85
Keeping Quiet Revision Notes

About the author:

Pablo Neruda is the author of CBSE Class 12 English Flamingo Poetry Chapter 2, Keeping Quiet. Neftali
Ricardo Reyes Basoalto is the real name of Pablo Neruda. He was born in the town of Parral in Chile.
He has won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1971. Neruda is known for simplistic and easily
understandable pictures used in his poems that enhance the essence of the poem and are just simply
beautiful.

Theme of the Poem

The poem is about the art of introspection and creation of mutual understanding among human
beings. Introspection deals with acknowledging oneself and trying to understand the bad and good in
oneself. The poet wants human beings to observe their deeds and create a clear distinction between
right and wrong. According to him, introspection is the answer to the brutality and lack of humanness
in human beings.

Keeping Quiet Summary

Keeping quiet is all about introspection. It wants to deliver a clear message to the people that
introspection can serve as a method to understanding the brutality caused by them and how can they
stop engaging in such acts.

The poet wishes to say that introspection can be easily done by everyone. It just takes a count to
twelve and silence to introspect. The poet says that he will count to twelve and all he wants is
everyone to shut their eyes and sit in silence and stay still. He wants everybody to not involve in any
form of communication for a few seconds and keep still. By any language he means the mental
communication that one involves in through their thoughts.

He thinks of a situation when everything would be still, there would be sound of the engines, or no
movement of your body and all of them together would be in a world that is exactly opposite to ours
and this world would be a strange place.

The poet believes that for this moment, world will be free from animal brutality. No fishermen will
harm any whales. And people will stare at the pains and bruises they have garnered by working for
the people of this planet.

People from the war will for ones undress their dirty clothes filled with sweat and blood of the
innocent people and wear the clothes of normal people to be friends with them or understand them
for at least moment.

Neruda says that he does not want this activity to be confused with total inactivity. Because he wants
us to understand certain things and introspect. Introspection involves thoughtfulness. Total inactivity
can’t be counted as one. He wants only bad activities to be stopped for that moment such that people
can introspect. He says that inactivity will refer to death but he is talking about the importance of life
at the moment. The poet says that he wants all the human to take a break from the routinized and
constant mobility in our lives and take this break, so that the silence will interrupt our actions and
make us wait and think.

He further compares the activity with the functioning of the earth. He says that winter comes and
makes Earth pale and dull, which is the representation of sadness and death. But it lives again when
spring hits and flowers and trees start blooming and you start to see the greenery all around. The
same goes with introspection. During the process every thing might appear dull as winter, but once it
is completed, the flowers will bloom again.
A Thing Of Beauty Revision Notes

About the author:

John Keats is the author of CBSE Class 12 English Flamingo Poetry Chapter 3, A Thing Of Beauty. He is
a British romantic poet who left his job as surgeon to fully dedicate himself to his passion towards
poetry. He keeps his audience hooked and delighted with his gift of perceiving the world and living his
moods and aspirations in terms of language.

Theme of the Poem

The poem is based on the concept that there are beautiful things in the world and around us. These
beautiful things are the source of joy for us. Though our lives are filled with sorrow and solitude, the
beautiful things around us turn them into happiness and pleasure. Here, the beautiful things are not
anything extravagant. They are simple and small things around us such as trees, flowers, and so on.
According to the poem, beauty never diminishes. It never fades. Yes, but it definitely depends on the
eyes of the beholder since beautiful things can be found in small things.

A Thing Of Beauty Summary

The poet says that a thing of beauty brings eternal and everlasting joy and delight. These beautiful
things will always continue to mean the same and will never pass onto being useless. These beautiful
things are also like a shady places that gives you peaceful sleep with sweet dreams, health, and quite
breathing. We, as people are often attached to the earthly things around us and these beautiful and
simplistic things bind us together with the earth like a flowery band. At the same time, there are hard
and materialistic or plastic things that keep us away from attaining eternal happiness. They distract us
from the small and beautiful things that bring pleasure and happiness. These materialistic things
draws people towards gloomy days, unhealthy habits, and darkened ways. The reason for these
gloomy days and unhealthy habits is the human’s attraction towards materialistic things. These bring
negativity in the lives of people. In spite of all these darkness, there exists small things of beauty that
moves our soul far from dark spirits and negativity. Sun, moon, old and young trees, animals such as
sheep, flowers such as daffodils, greenery, streams, and all these simple earthly things of beauty
be=rings us happiness and pleasure. These things keeps us away from all the negativity and turns our
sorrows into happiness. The water streams that we talked about provide us with relief from the
scorching heat of the sun, during summers. Forests are filled with musk rose that are pleasurable to
our eyes. The tales of our brave soldiers, the dead ones and the ones who fought for our safety
sacrificing their own, these are things of beauty. The small and simple things easily found in and
around us. These are our source of motivation, pleasure, and happiness. They help us in staying away
from all the negativity life often showers upon us. These things oif beauty are the never ending
fountain showered by the almighty upon the people. It is an immortal drink, something that is never
going to end.