Chapter 4 (A Meeting with Robbers)
"It doesn't look to me as if he's got much money."
1. Who says these words and to whom?
Ans: One of the robbers, the one with the sword, says these words to his companion (the grumbler).
2. Why did the speaker conclude that the man being spoken about did not have much money?
Ans: The speaker concluded this because the traveller was wearing very plain, threadbare (worn out) clothes.
3. Was the speaker right in concluding that the man being spoken about did not have much money?
Ans: No, the speaker was not right. Although the traveller's clothes were simple, he was actually carrying a great deal of gold with him, which was sewn into the lining of his jacket.
1. What did the two robbers see when they were crouching in a small forest?
Ans: While crouching in the small forest, the two robbers saw a traveller coming down the high road.
2. What was the traveller carrying?
Ans: The traveller was carrying a great deal of gold sewn into the lining of his jacket, though outwardly he only had a knife.
3. Who started speaking first—the traveller or the robbers?
Ans: The traveller started speaking first.
4. In what language did the traveller speak?
Ans: The traveller spoke in Latin, a language the robbers did not understand.
5. Why did one of the robbers give the traveller a few pennies?
Ans: One of the robbers, who was rather soft-hearted, gave the traveller a few pennies because he believed the traveller was a poor beggar asking for money to get a square meal.
6. Were the tears in the traveller's eyes those of sadness? Why/Why not?
Ans: No, the tears in the traveller's eyes were tears of laughter and relief, not sadness. He was amused and relieved that his clever trick had worked and he had successfully fooled the robbers into giving him money instead of robbing him.
1. Why were the two robbers crouching in a small forest?
Ans: The two robbers were crouching in a small forest to shelter themselves from the wind and rain. They were hiding and waiting for someone to pass by on the road so they could rob them.
2. List the weapons that the two robbers were carrying.
Ans: One robber had a knife in his belt and had also stuck his broken sword in his belt. The other robber, his companion, had a sword that was lying on the grass next to him.
3. Why did the traveller tremble when he saw the two robbers?
Ans: The traveller trembled because he saw the robbers almost as soon as they saw him. He was carrying a large amount of gold and was unarmed except for a knife. He knew the ragged fellows were robbers and much stronger than him, and he guessed they might harm him to take his valuables.
4. What made the robbers think that the traveller did not have much money?
Ans: The robbers thought the traveller did not have much money because of his appearance. He wore very plain, threadbare (old and worn) clothes. This made them believe he was poor and wouldn't be carrying anything valuable.
5. Was the traveller a clever fellow? Give reasons.
Ans: Yes, the traveller was an extremely clever fellow. Instead of panicking or fighting, he used his intelligence to outsmart the robbers. Knowing they wouldn't understand Latin, he spoke to them in that language, pretending to be a poor beggar. He gestured and held out his hands in such a way that the robbers were completely fooled into thinking he was asking for money, not being robbed. This brilliant trick not only saved his life and gold but also ended with the robbers giving him money.
6. How did the traveller manage to rob the robbers?
Ans: The traveller managed to "rob the robbers" through a clever act of deception. He approached them and began speaking quickly in Latin, a language they didn't understand. He stretched out his hands and used gestures to make it seem like he was a desperate beggar asking for alms. The robbers, confused and thinking he was mad or a poor beggar, took pity on him. They gave him some coins. In this way, the traveller, who was supposed to be the victim, cleverly turned the tables and walked away with the robbers' money, while his own gold remained safe.
D. On the basis of your reading of the lesson, tick (✓) the correct option to complete each sentence.
B. Tick (✓) the word or group of words that mean(s) the same as the following as used in the lesson.
A. Circle the correct word or group of words to complete each sentence.
1. They were waiting (for robbing/to rob) someone.
2. He had seen them almost (unless/until/as soon as) they had seen him.
3. Let's give him a (few/little/lot of) pennies.
4. That didn't do us (no/some/any) good.
5. One day we may be (very old/too old/much old) to be robbers.
1. Rahul is listening to music.
2. Nancy is doing her homework at the moment.
3. They are writing a letter.
4. She speaks Chinese very well.
5. He has a big car.
6. The proposal has been examined today.
7. She tried to help him.
8. She likes to sit in the park everyday.
9. Finding the gates wide open, the thief went inside.
10. He had his car cleaned.
1. Were they crouched in a small forest?
Ans: They were crouched in a small forest.
2. Is there someone coming down the road?
Ans: Someone is coming down the road.
3. Was his cloak fairly new?
Ans: His cloak was fairly new.
4. Shall we give him some money?
Ans: We shall give him some money.
5. Shall we have to beg him for a favour one day?
Ans: We shall have to beg him for a favour one day.
6. Was it the best joke I ever played?
Ans: It was the best joke I ever played.
(Note: This is a listening activity. The answers below are based on a common moral story, as the audio passage is not available.)
1. Who were Ramchand and Premchand?
Ans: Ramchand was a rich but worried moneylender, and Premchand was a poor but happy farmer.
2. Who, of the two, was more at peace?
Ans: Premchand, the poor farmer, was more at peace.
3. What did Premchand give Ramchand one day? Why?
Ans: Ramchand gave Premchand a bag of money because he was annoyed by Premchand's happy singing and wanted to see if money would end his happiness.
4. Did that make Ramchand happy? Why/Why not?
Ans: No, getting the money did not make Premchand (the farmer) happy. He became worried and stressed about keeping the money safe, and he lost his peace of mind.
5. What do you learn from the story?
Ans: We learn that true happiness and peace of mind are more valuable than wealth and money.
Rewrite the story as if you were one of the robbers.
'Look at that man walking down the road. Looks like an easy catch! What do you say?' I said to my mate. We'd been waiting all day in the cold, and I was getting tired of it. Finally, someone was coming. But as he got closer, I saw his worn-out clothes. 'It doesn't look to me as if he's got much money,' my mate grumbled.
Before we could even make a move, the strangest thing happened. The man walked right up to us and started chattering in some foreign language I'd never heard. He held out his hands like a beggar! We were completely confused. Was he mad? My mate, who has a soft spot, felt sorry for him. 'Let's give him a few pennies,' he said. I couldn't believe it. But we gave him some coins. The man cried with what we thought was gratitude and went on his way. We just went back to our shelter, empty-handed and a few coins poorer. What a useless day.
A. Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs)
B. Fill in the Blanks
1. Two robbers lay _______________ in a small forest.
Ans: crouched
2. 'Things are very quiet on the _______________ today,' grumbled one.
Ans: road
3. The traveller wore very plain, _______________ clothes.
Ans: threadbare
4. The traveller had guessed that they might do him _______________.
Ans: harm
5. One robber was rather _______________, 'Let's give him a few pennies'.
Ans: soft-hearted
C. Short Answer Type Questions (1 Mark)
1. What was the weather like when the story began?
Ans: It was windy and rainy.
2. What did the first robber grumble about?
Ans: He grumbled that things were very quiet on the road that day.
3. How did the robbers know someone was coming?
Ans: One of the robbers was peering down the high road and saw someone coming.
4. What did the second robber do when he saw the traveller?
Ans: He stretched his cramped legs and reached for his sword.
5. What was the only weapon the traveller seemed to have?
Ans: The traveller seemed to have only a knife.
6. What was the traveller's cloak like?
Ans: His cloak was fairly new, despite his other clothes being old.
7. How did the traveller signal that he was hungry?
Ans: He signalled that he was hungry and had no money.
8. What did the grumbling robber think of the traveller's trick?
Ans: He thought the traveller was mad.
9. What kind of tears did the traveller shed?
Ans: The traveller shed tears of laughter.
10. What did the traveller plan to do with the robbers' money?
Ans: He planned to buy a good meal for himself at the next town.
11. Who had a broken sword in his belt?
Ans: One of the robbers had a broken sword in his belt.
12. What did the robbers think the traveller was?
Ans: They thought he was a poor beggar.
13. Did the traveller show that he knew the men were robbers?
Ans: No, he did not let them know that he knew they were robbers.
14. What did the traveller do after receiving the money?
Ans: He thanked them with tears in his eyes and then let them go on their way.
15. How did the traveller feel as he walked on unharmed?
Ans: He felt relieved and was chuckling to himself.
D. Medium Answer Type Questions (2-3 Marks)
1. Describe the appearance of the traveller. Why was it deceiving?
Ans: The traveller appeared to be poor because he wore very plain and threadbare (worn-out) clothes. However, his cloak was fairly new. This appearance was deceiving because, hidden from sight, he was carrying a great deal of gold sewn into the lining of his jacket. The robbers judged him by his simple clothes and completely missed his hidden wealth.
2. Why did the traveller decide to speak in Latin? What was his plan?
Ans: The traveller was a clever man. When he saw the strong, ragged robbers, he knew he couldn't fight them. He quickly formed a plan to trick them. He decided to speak in Latin because he was sure they would not understand it. His plan was to act like a poor, possibly mad, beggar and ask them for money, instead of letting them ask him for his.
3. How did the two robbers have different reactions to the traveller's "begging"?
Ans: The two robbers reacted differently. The swordsman, who was more suspicious, grumbled, "We'll get nothing from him." The other robber, however, was "rather soft-hearted." He felt sorry for the "poor fellow" and suggested giving him a few pennies for a meal, thinking he was genuinely in need.
4. Explain the irony in the statement: "the traveller went on chattering away in the strange tongue."
Ans: Irony is when the opposite of what is expected happens. The irony here is that a man who is about to be robbed should be scared and quiet. Instead, the traveller is confidently "chattering away" in a strange language. He has taken control of a dangerous situation and turned it into a performance, which is the complete opposite of how a victim would normally behave.
5. Why did the robbers think "That didn't do us any good"?
Ans: The robbers said this because their plan was to rob a traveller and get money. Instead of getting richer, they ended up giving away some of their own coins to the traveller. The meeting was a complete failure for them as robbers; they not only failed to get anything but also lost money.
6. What does the story teach us about judging people by their appearance?
Ans: The story teaches us that it is a big mistake to judge people by their appearance. The robbers saw the traveller's threadbare clothes and assumed he was poor and had nothing. Because of this wrong judgment, they were easily fooled and missed the great deal of gold he was carrying. It shows that true worth or wealth is not always visible on the outside.
7. How did the traveller use both language and body language to fool the robbers?
Ans: The traveller used a combination of clever tactics. He spoke quickly in Latin, a language he knew the robbers wouldn't understand, which confused them. At the same time, he used body language to support his act: he stretched out his hands as if begging and signalled that he was hungry and had no money. This combination of confusing words and clear (but fake) gestures made his performance as a beggar very convincing.
8. What does the soft-hearted robber's comment, "One day we may be too old to be robbers," reveal about his character?
Ans: This comment reveals that the soft-hearted robber has some sense of empathy and can think about the future. It shows that he understands that their current life of crime might not last forever and that they too might one day become old, weak, and in need of help. This small bit of kindness and foresight makes him a more complex character than just a simple "bad guy."
9. How did the traveller's quick thinking save him?
Ans: The traveller's quick thinking was crucial for his survival. As soon as he saw the robbers, he didn't waste time being scared. He assessed the situation, realized he was physically weaker, and immediately came up with a clever plan. By taking the initiative and acting as a beggar before they could act as robbers, he controlled the entire encounter and walked away not only safe but also richer.
10. The traveller walked on "chuckling to himself." What was he chuckling about?
Ans: The traveller was chuckling at the success of his clever plan. He was amused by the complete reversal of the situation. He, the intended victim, had managed to fool two dangerous robbers into feeling sorry for him and giving him money. He was laughing at the irony and his own cleverness that saved his life and his gold.
E. Long Answer Type Questions (5 Marks)
1. Analyse the character of the traveller. What qualities made him successful in a dangerous situation?
Ans: The traveller is the hero of the story, not because of physical strength, but because of his sharp intellect and calm demeanor. Several qualities made him successful:
- Intelligence and Quick-Thinking: His greatest asset was his ability to think on his feet. He instantly devised a clever plan to use a language the robbers wouldn't know.
- Courage: Despite being frightened ("he trembled"), he did not panic. He had the courage to walk up to two armed robbers and execute his plan flawlessly.
- Acting Skills: He was a convincing actor. His use of gestures, outstretched hands, and even "tears of laughter" which the robbers mistook for sadness, shows his ability to perform under pressure.
- Knowledge: His knowledge of Latin, a language not commonly spoken, was the key to his entire strategy. It created confusion and gave him an advantage.
2. The story is a comedy of errors from the robbers' perspective. Explain this statement with examples from the text.
Ans: From the robbers' point of view, the entire encounter was a series of mistakes and misjudgments—a true comedy of errors.
- First Error: Misjudging the traveller's wealth. They saw his threadbare clothes and wrongly concluded, "It doesn't look to me as if he's got much money," missing the gold in his jacket lining.
- Second Error: Misinterpreting his language. They were "quite taken aback" by his Latin speech and failed to realize it was a trick, assuming instead that he was a beggar.
- Third Error: Misreading his actions. They saw his outstretched hands not as a sign of surrender but as a plea for alms. They completely misinterpreted his intentions.
- The Final Comedy: The ultimate comedic outcome is that the robbers, who set out to take money, ended up giving money away. Their failure was so complete that the encounter ended up costing them, which is the opposite of their goal.
3. Imagine you are the soft-hearted robber. Write a diary entry about your encounter with the strange traveller.
Ans:
Dear Diary,
What a strange day. We waited for hours in the cold and rain, and for what? Just one man came down the road, and he was the maddest fellow I've ever seen. Dressed in rags, but he walked right up to us and started talking in some bizarre language, waving his hands about. My partner was ready to jump him, but the man didn't even seem to notice we were robbers. He just looked hungry and desperate.
I felt a bit sorry for him. He looked so poor, and my partner rightly said he had no money. I thought, what's the harm? One day, we might be old and in need too. So, I convinced my partner to give him a few coins. The poor man started crying, he was so grateful. It felt strange, giving money away when we were trying to take it. My partner thinks it was a waste of time, but I don't know. It was just an odd, unsettling day. We came back with less money than we started with. Some robbers we are.
4. "He treated them as if they were rich gentlemen and he only a poor beggar." Explain the cleverness of this strategy. How did it disarm the robbers?
Ans: This strategy was incredibly clever because it completely reversed the expected power dynamic of the situation. Robbers expect their victims to be scared, submissive, and ready to hand over their valuables. By treating them as "rich gentlemen," the traveller placed them in the role of powerful benefactors, not violent thieves.
This disarmed the robbers in several ways:
- It caused confusion: Their roles were suddenly changed. They were no longer the aggressors; they were being appealed to for charity. This confusion made them hesitate and question the situation.
- It played on their ego and pity: By acting as a "poor beggar," the traveller made them feel superior and, in the case of the soft-hearted robber, even feel pity. It's harder to rob someone you feel sorry for.
- It removed the element of threat: Since the traveller was "begging," he didn't appear as a threat or a valuable target. This lowered their guard and made them less likely to use violence.
5. Discuss the moral of the story. Do you think it is only about being clever, or is there a deeper message?
Ans: While the story is certainly about the triumph of cleverness over brute force, there is a deeper message. The moral is that intelligence and wit are often more powerful weapons than swords or knives. It teaches that in a difficult situation, panicking is not the answer; thinking creatively can lead to an unexpected solution.
Beyond just cleverness, the story also subtly touches on themes of perception and assumption. The robbers' failure was a direct result of their wrong assumptions based on the traveller's appearance. Therefore, a deeper message is a warning against making quick judgments about people based on how they look. The story encourages us to look beyond the surface and reminds us that a sharp mind is the most valuable possession one can have.