Bihar Board Rainbow English Book Class 12 SolutionsChapter 3 'A Pinch of Snuff by Manohar Malgaonkar'
Text Book Questions and Answers
B.1.1. Complete the following sentences on the basis of what you have studied -
a) Nanukaka was coming to visit the narrator’s family.
b) The narrator was an under secretary on probation.
c) Nanukaka was to stay for two or three days.
d) Nanukaka was coming to Delhi to see a minister.
e) His mother informed the under secretary about Nanukaka’s visit.
f) The under secretary had to put a charpoy for himself in back verandah because his mother had installed Nanukaka in his bedroom.
g) Nanukaka was related to the narrator as he was his mother’s brother.
B.1.2. Answer the following questions briefly -
1. The news that made the mother happy disturbed her son. Why were their responses so different?
Ans: Nanukaka was his mother’s brother. She loved him and was happy to know that he was coming to stay with them. But for the narrator his stay meant inconvenience. He was expected to be at Nanukaka’s back and call during his stay.
2. Do you have a similar experience? Has your response to the news of the arrival of any guest ever been different from that of other members of the family?
Ans: Yes, I have had a similar experience. The news of the arrival of my cousin made me happy but my family was disturbed. I and my cousin are best of friends. When she arrives, we spend most of our time together. She comes from a small town and likes to go to movies, restaurants, shopping complexes, museums, and the zoo. I spend money don’t allow her to spend any. My family does not like my going out with her and spending so much money.
3. ‘Had to travel second on a third class ticket? But it was all arranged quite amicably ?’ What ‘arrangement’ Nanukaka is referring to? How can such arrangement be 'amicable'?
Ans: Nanukaka was a very clever man. He could manage to come out of any difficult situation. He must have explained to the ticket collector why he had to travel second class on a third class ticket. Then he might have bribed him too. This arrangement was amicable because both the ticket collector and Nanukaka were gainers, and the kitten travelled free.
B. 2. 1. Write T for True and ‘F’ for False statements -
a) It was very easy for the narrator to get sent on a foreign assignment. - F
b) Ratiram was the son of Sohanlal Ratiram. - T
c) Sohanlal Ratiram was the Party boss in Delhi. - T
d) Nanukaka went to Lala Sohanlal because they both were Zamindars. - F
e) Nanukaka visited Lala Sohanlal in the guise of an astrologer. - F
f) Nanukaka’s meeting with Sohanlal Ratiram was very successful. - T
B.2.2. Answer the following questions briefly -
1. The under secretary always obeyed Nanukaka, although he was never willing to do so. Why?
Ans: The under secretary was never willing to serve Nanukaka as his Secretary or his driver. But he had to obey him because his mother insisted on it. He could not displease his mother.
2. “This tie-and -collar business is no good these days.” What did Nanukaka mean to say?
Ans: It was a time when India had v/on her independence only a few years ago. People did not like ties and collars. They liked native clothes.
3. How did the under secretary change his appearance to accompany Nanukaka?
Ans: The under secretary changed into a close-collar Jadhpuri coat and put on a turban, to accompany Nanukaka.
4. Who is a zamindar? Do you know any zamindar in your locality? What do the people in your locality think about him?
Ans: A zamindar is an owner of large lands. There is a zamindar in our locality. People think he is very rich and powerful.
5. How did Nanukaka impress Sohanlal Ratiram?
Ans: Sohanlal Ratiram wanted to send his son as a Trade Commissioner to Hajrat Barkat Ali, the ambassador of India in Beirut. But his efforts had failed because Hajrat Barkat Ali refused to have him. Nanukaka pretended that Hajrat Barkat Ali was his close friend. When Sohanlal heard this, he was eager to meet Nanukaka. Nanukaka assured him that it was quite easy for him and he would surely help him.
6. What important information did he collect at Ratiram’s place?
Ans: Nanukaka wanted to meet a minister to get some work done. He learned that the minister wanted to get his daughter married to a prince of Ninnore. The proposal was being considered but the horoscopes were not exchanged yet.
7. Who is a prince? Do we have any prince now? If yes, do they enjoy the same privileges which they used to do?
Ans: A prince was a raja of an Indian princely state. But there are no longer any princely states in India now. The princes do not enjoy the privileges they used to enjoy under British rule.
B.3. Answer the following questions briefly -
1. Who was the second important person Nanukaka had planned to meet?
Ans: The second important person Nanukaka had planned to meet was the welfare minister.
2. What preparation did he make to meet him?
Ans: He firstly managed to get an enormous, outlandish car to drive to the minister’s office. Secondly, he got undersecretary dressed in his Jodhpur coat and turban, and lastly, he dressed and sat in the car in a manner that he looked like a hereditary pundit from a princely state.
3. What new role did Nanukaka give the Under-Secretary to play?
Ans: This time he made the under secretary play the role of the driver of the car, in which he went to the minister’s office. The under secretary was dressed as a liveried chauffeur.
4. How did he manage to impress the Sikka Auto dealers?
Ans: He managed to impress Sikka Auto dealers by the demonstration of his wealth. He made a plan with the Dhobi. According to this plan, when he went to Sikka Auto dealers, the Dhobi came with an old coat of Nanukaka in his hand showed him the cheque saying that he left a cheque of Rs. 1000 in his coat. It was a part of his plan. The manager was impressed with his status, Nanukaka managed to show him.
5. What did he do at the minister’s residence?
Ans: With an idea to produce (present) his image of a big zamindar and highly rich person to nigh repute Nanukaka did the following at minister’s residence. Firstly he managed a luxurious car for his visit to the minister’s residence. The writer sat on the chauffer’s (driver) seat in a white Jodhpur coat and the orange turban. Navnukaka set on the back in a royal dress, looking like a hereditary pandit, and drove to the minister's residence. At the minister’s residence, he asked the minister’s secretary for the visitor’s book as he had not timed due to some other urgent appointment and that too he did not like to disturb the minister.
Nanukaka wrote his name, the writer’s (undersecretary) Delhi address as his own and added in his introductory note, “Hereditary Astrologer to the Maharaja of Ninnore”. Thus he left a deep impression on them of his personality. Without speaking anything more and directing the writer to take him to “Maharaja Sutkatta’s palace”. And the car immediately left the place. He was warmly saluted by the secretary and orderly while leaving the minister’s house.
6. How did he impress the minister?
Ans: He came in an outlandish car with a uniformed chauffeur. Secondly, he dressed like a hereditary pundit from the princely state. While visiting the minister’s residence and then after getting into the car he shouted to take him to a maharaja’s palace to show he had contacts with many aristocrats. Lastly, he wrote his name in the visitor's book as the Hereditary Astrologer to the Maharaja of Ninnore. This is what he did to impress the minister.
7. Is the under-secretary impressed with Nanukaka at any point? When and Why? Find out the evidence from the story.
Ans: Yes, finally, he was impressed with Nanukaka after he had used his wit to accomplish his mission. He was impressed with Nanukaka for the way he used his brain and finally had a meeting with the minister. The evidence which proves Nanukaka’s dealing with the minister impressed the under secretary deeply for his presence of mind. In the last, he says that if the minister comes to know about the reality, he is sure that Nanukaka will deal with the situation without allowing a single fold of his anghocha to fall off place.
C.1. Long Answer Questions -
1. Nanukaka tells lots of lies. Why does he do so? Does he succeed in his pursuit?
Ans: Nanukaka tells lots of lies to have a meeting with the welfare minister. Nanukaka makes many false statements because if he had not done so, he could not have met the minister in two to three days. He would have to wait for months to get an appointment for his meeting with the minister.
Yes, Nanukaka was successful in his pursuit of meeting the minister. He did not only manage the meeting with the minister in his sweet will but with his brain, he met the minister in only two days.
2. What impression does Nanukaka make on you? Do you like him? Attempt character sketch of Nanukaka?
Ans: Nanukaka makes an impression of a clever, witted, and sensible man on me who knows very well how to be successful in his pursuit. He doesn’t hesitate to speak lies in the matter of his work. No, I do not like him. Nanukaka is a quick-witted, clever man who does not hesitate in telling a lie to gain his goal. It is a bad thing. He is cunning and knows how to use situations to his profit. He can deceive people easily. He can do and speak anything to complete his mission and work. He is a funny man.
3. Suppose you have Nanukaka as your uncle. How would you behave with him? Explain in detail.
Ans: If Nanukaka has been my uncle, I would behave very nicely with him because he is my uncle, my mother’s brother. I would take part in his affairs and help him possibly as much I could. I would share my thoughts with him and would take interest in his talks. I would respond nicely to him and would like to be a part of his adventurous comedy. I would respect him and follow whatever he says, wholeheartedly. I would never show my disregard and do the most to help him out. I would show my affection to him and make him feel what can I do to be my uncle. I would show him that loved him very much and do for him and proud to have him as my uncle.
4. Nanukaka made a big promise to Sohanlal Ratiram. Did he even fulfill his promise?
Ans: Nanukaka promised Sohanlal to talk about his son’s promotion with the ambassador Hazrat Barkat Ali. Sohanlal said that somebody has poisoned the mind of the ambassador about his son and he would be obliged if Nanukaka would persuade his son the ambassador as Nanukaka to that he was a schoolmate of the ambassador Hazrat Barkat Ali and was on very good terms with him. No, Nanukaka never fulfilled his promise. And even if he had wanted to, he could not because he had fabricated a false story to Sohan Lai. He did not know the ambassador at all then how could he have written to him.
5. Can a person like Nanukaka be more successful in the present society? Give reasons.
Ans: Yes, a person like Nanukaka will be more successful in society because now the world is changed. People who are well-behaved, simple, pious, and moral by high are taken to be foolish. They always have to suffer because of their goodness but on the other hand, people who are clever, cunning, crafty are thought to be wise efficient, and humane. People who speak lies are mean and selfish. Though, they manage to do their work easily. Nanukaka happened to be the person of the same category of mean and crafty people. It is quite evident from his manners of conducting the issues and managing the things through all possible wrong acts to achieve his mission and he was able to succeed in fulfilling his selfish end. In the present society, deceitful and deceptive people are given more respect than truthful and good people. Secondly, clever people outwit everybody and Nanukaka happens to represent such persons (of the same colour and nature). He easily outwitted the minister and Sohanlal.
C. 3. Composition -
Write a paragraph in about 100 words on each of the following -
a) A scene at the railway platform.
Ans: The railway platform is a very interesting place particularly when the station is big and overcrowded round the clock. Different kinds of people can be seen there. People from different parts of the country with different languages, dress, food items, and topics of conversation can be seen there. Beggars make an ugly scene but vendors and porters make it a colourful place. It was watching a railway platform closely we can also see happy people going home and sad people leaving their dear ones. Some are eager to et a seat others are ready to fight. Thieves and robbers, pickpockets, and policemen all remain busy in their jobs. I like the railway platform.
b) Influence of an astrologer.
Ans: An astrologer tells our future by looking up the stars. We do not know anything about the future. But we always want to know it ahead of its coming, some people think that they would be better equipped to face the future if they know it beforehand. Some people want to determine their present course keeping the future in mind. So almost everybody is interested in the prediction of an event. And here comes the astrologer. He reads the star and tells the future. This is the way astrologer is consulted before any big event. The astrologer gets the most important place.
D. Word Study -
D.1. Dictionary Use -
Ex. 1. Correct the spelling of the following words -
- mustach — moustache
- assinment — assignment
- ambasador — ambassador
- secretry — secretary
- campainer — campaigner
- cautiond — cautioned
- genuin - genuine
- casualy - casually
- leiger - leisure
- hearditary - hereditary
Ex. 2. Lookup a dictionary and write two meaning of the following words - the one which is used in the lesson and the one which is more common -
- interview - a meeting to find out if one is suitable for a job; a meeting at which a journalist asks somebody questions to find out his/her opinion
- transfer - to move; to arrange for something to belong to, or be controlled by, somebody else
- blast - explosion; strong current of air
- trade - a type of business; buying or selling of goods
- course - route; a complete series of lessons
- touch - to put your hand on something; to make somebody feel sad
- surprise - the feeling that you have when something happens that you do not expect(verb); something that you did not expect(noun)
- match - pair for marriage; a small stick of wood used for starting a fire
- snort - to make a noise by blowing air through the nose and mouth(animals); to blow out air noisily as a way of showing that you do not like something(humans)
D. 2. Word-formation -
Read carefully the following sentences carefully:
a) Mother’s announcement shook me.
b) He seldom sees, er, visitors without a previous appointment.
In the first sentence ‘announcement’, which is a noun, is derived from 'announce' which is a verb. Similarly, in the second sentence ‘appointment’ is derived from ‘appoint’. Nouns can be derived by
adding different suffixes such as ‘-ment', '-ion, ’-ance’ etc.
Use suffixes to the verbs given below to make them noun -
- impress — impression
- arrange — arrangement
- transact — transaction
- explain — explanation
- acquaint — acquaintance
- manage - management
- demonstate - demonstration
- marry - marriage
D. 3. Word-meaning -
Ex 1. Find from the lesson words the meanings of which have been given on the left hand side.
The last part of each word is given on the right hand side -
- in a friendly manner and without argument - comfortably.
- large in size or quantity - enormous.
- attracting your interest or attention - breathtaking.
- small nail with a flat top - tracks.
- correct according to law - legitimate.
- extremely strange and unusual - outlandish.
D. 4. Phrases -
Ex. 1. Read the lesson carefully and find out the sentences in which the following phrases have been used. Then use the phrases in sentences of your own -
- at daggers drawn — Opposite armies were at daggers drawn against each other.
- drop in — He asked me to drop in Priya at home.
- as soon as — Ram touched his parents' feet as soon as he saw them.
- turnout — The project has turned out to be a success,
- of course — Of course, the party will be held tonight.
- try out — The driver said to try out for the screw properly in the market
E. Grammar -
Read the following sentences from the lesson carefully:
You’ve got a close-collar Jadhpur coat, haven’t you?
(It is) Amazing, isn’t it?
In the above examples ‘haven’t you?' and 'isn’t it?' are tag-questions. Write tag-questions for the following sentences -
1. Amod was speaking in an unusually loud voice. - Wasn't he?
2. That should be quite simple. - Shouldn't it?
3. Nanukaka chucked his tongue several times. - Didn't he?
4. You will do the work. - Won't you?
5. Gulu is eating a mango. - Isn't he?
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