Chapter 6: A Tiger Comes To Town (II) Textbook Solutions

NIOS Class 10 English Chapter 6 Question Answer

INTEXT QUESTIONS 6.1

Answer the following questions.

1. ‘Do you mean to say you are going in as you are, without arms or protection.’ they asked him. ‘Yes, that’s what I’m going to do. We have no time to waste.’

a. Where did the above conversation take place?

Ans: The above conversation took place outside the Headmaster’s room.

b. Who were the ‘they’ being referred to?

Ans: The teachers who had gathered outside the Headmaster’s room were the ‘they’ being referred to in the conversation.

c. Who were ‘they’ talking to?

Ans: They were talking to the tiger’s Master.

d. Why did they want to know if he was going unarmed?

Ans: They felt that a tiger was a ferocious animal and could attack the Master. They could not imagine him facing a tiger without any weapon for self-defence.

e. Why do you think he said, ‘We have no time to waste.’?

Ans: The tiger had woken up. If he was kept locked for too long, he could get irritated. It was not good to try an animal’s patience. He could become dangerous and harm the Headmaster.

2. Where was the tiger all this time?

Ans: The tiger was in the Headmaster’s room all this time.

3. The Headmaster was already nervous. Which actions of the tiger further added to his fear?

Ans: Seeing that the tiger had woken up, put his legs on the table, stretched himself, and given out a growl made the Headmaster more nervous.

4. What did the tiger want to tell the Headmaster?

Ans: He wanted to assure the Headmaster that he was not going to harm him.

5. Give two reasons why the people outside did not allow the Master to go in.

Ans: The people outside did not allow the Master to go in because he was planning to go unarmed for self-protection. They feared the tiger could kill him.

6. The Master’s attempts to go in are compared to:

a. life

b. suicide

c. death

d. war

Ans: b. Suicide

7. Which statement made by the Master confused the Chairman of the Tiger Committee?

Ans: The Master’s statement that he knew how to tame a tiger and that, after all, it was he who was risking his life, confused the Chairman of the Tiger Committee. He wondered how a sensible person could risk his life.

8. When the Chairman asked the Master to sign an affidavit before he was allowed to enter the room, he was trying to put a condition on his entry. Which of the following statements correctly interprets the condition?

a. that the Master shall not take the tiger away

b. that he must pay an entry fee

c. that everybody outside would share the responsibility of his action

d. that he would not hold anybody responsible for whatever happened to him

Ans: d. that he would not hold anybody responsible for whatever happened to him

LET US LEARN NEW WORDS 6.1

In the table below you can see three columns: A, B, and C.

1. Column A consists of words from the text but there are some letters missing in each word. Column B consists of the meanings of the words in Column A. Refer to the text to guess each word from its meaning. Then insert the missing letters to complete each word.
2. Column C contains a list of words that are opposite in meaning to the words in Column A. They are in mixed order. Guess the antonym/opposite of each word in Column A.

Draw a line to join each word’s meaning with its antonym.

One example has been done for you.

	Column A	Column B	Column C
	Word	Meaning	Antonym
1	C O W E R	to crouch in fear	Invisible/hidden
2	A __ __ U __ E	to make sure, convince	brave
3	P A__ I __	sudden and unreasonable fear	relevant
4	TI __ __ D	easily frightened	to be undecided
5	D E __ E__MI __ __ D	to be firm in one’s decision	to remain calm
6	V __ S __ __ LE	capable of being seen	to act bravely
7	I __ __ ELE __ __ NT	not important	to be unsure

Ans:

	Column A	Column B	Column C
	Word	Meaning	Antonym
1	C O W E R	to crouch in fear	to remain calm
2	ASSURE	to make sure, convince	to be unsure
3	PANIC	sudden and unreasonable fear	to act bravely
4	TIMID	easily frightened	brave
5	DETERMINED	to be firm in one’s decision	to be undecided
6	VISIBLE	capable of being seen	Invisible/hidden
7	IRRELEVANT	not important	relevant

INTEXT QUESTIONS 6.2

Answer the following questions.

1. ‘All right, give me a piece of paper and tell me what to write.’

a. Who is the speaker in the above line?

Ans: The tiger’s Master is the speaker in the above line.

b. Who is he/she talking to?

Ans: He is talking to the Magistrate.

c. Why does he/she ask for a piece of paper?

Ans: He asks for a piece of paper to write the affidavit he has been asked to write.

2. Why wasn’t the Master happy to write the affidavit?

Ans: He was unhappy to write the affidavit because he was sure he could bring out the tiger without causing any harm to anyone. He wrote it because no one believed him.

3. In what language did the Master write the affidavit? Why did he do so?

Ans: He wrote the affidavit in Sanskrit. He did so because Sanskrit is the language of the Gods and of our scriptures. It is also considered the mother of all languages. He wanted to prove to the learned teachers and magistrates how hollow their own learning was. Despite their high qualifications and degrees, they could not read and understand the language, which was the mother of many languages.

4. Why wasn’t the Magistrate happy to see the affidavit? Why did he finally accept it?

Ans: The Magistrate was not happy to see the affidavit because it was written in Sanskrit, which he could not read. So, he was unable to make out what was written in it. He finally accepted it because Sanskrit is one of the official languages of India, and being a Government officer, he could not have refused it.

5. What advice did the Master give the tiger before leaving? Choose the correct option from the ones given below.

a. Growl and make a noise to show your anger.

b. Chase the teachers and children to create a sensation.

c. Stare hard at the Magistrate.

d. Don’t look at human beings if you want peace of mind.

Ans: d. Don’t look at human beings if you want peace of mind.

LET US LEARN NEW WORDS 6.2

1. Given below are some sentences. Fill in the blanks with words/phrases from the text which are given in the box. Refer to a dictionary to check the meanings of the words if necessary.

stretched, growled, absolved, exercise unnecessary authority, blustered, peace of mind

a. A good team leader is one who works along with his team and does not ______ on others.

Ans: exercise unnecessary authority

b. Since there was plenty of evidence and several eyewitness reports in support of her, the court finally ____________________ her of all blame for the accident.

Ans: absolved

c. The dog ____________________ at every passerby.

Ans: growled

d. “Get out of my office, you scoundrel!” _________________ the officer when he came to know that his most trusted officer had cheated him

Ans: blustered

e. If you want to lose weight don’t lose your __________ but start exercising daily.

Ans: peace of mind

f. As he __________________ his arm to pick up the bowl of salad lying at the far end of the table, his hand accidentally hit his mother’s favourite jug, which fell and broke.

Ans: stretched

2. Given below is a crossword puzzle grid. Read the given clues and identify words of the same meaning in the lesson. Fill in the words in the puzzle grid.

Clues:

Across	Down
3. the front legs of an animal	1. confused
4. moving back in fear	2. to say something with confidence in order to remove doubt
5. made a low sound in the throat to show anger	7. a person who sees something and makes a statement about it in court
6. a designation given as a mark of respect /honour, usually without payment	9. a room just below the roof, used for storing things
8. a written statement /legal document

Ans:

Across	Down
3. the front legs of an animal – forelegs	1. confused- bewildered
4. moving back in fear – cowering	2. to say something with confidence in order to remove doubt – assure
5. made a low sound in the throat to show anger – growled	7. a person who sees something and makes a statement about it in court -witness
6. a designation given as a mark of respect /honour, usually without payment – honorary	9. a room just below the roof, used for storing things – attic
8. a written statement /legal document – affidavit

Exercise

1. Given below is an interesting puzzle. Jumbled words are given for different examples of body language. Form correct words by rewriting the letters of each jumbled word.

a. You suddenly become red in the face because of shame or embarrassment. (BSHUL)

Ans: BLUSH

b. You give a broad smile. (NIRG)

Ans: GRIN

c. Your body shakes because you are feeling cold. (SVIHRE)

Ans: SHIVER

d. You pull your eyebrows to show you are angry or worried. (RFOWN)

Ans: FROWN

e. You raise your shoulders to show that you don’t care or are not interested. (RSUGH)

Ans: SHRUG

4. ‘Roared’ and ‘growled’ are words that express sounds made by animals. Given below are some animal sounds. Fill the correct words in the sentences given below. The first one has been done for you.

croak, chirping, barked, howled, neighed, roared, hooting.

a. The lion roared at the hunter.

Ans: The lion roared at the hunter.

b. The owl was heard ______ in the night.

Ans: The owl was heard hooting in the night.

c. The boy fell down in fear when the horse _________ suddenly.

Ans: The boy fell down in fear when the horse neighed suddenly.

d. The dog ____________ at the stranger.

Ans: The dog barked at the stranger.

e. The wolves _________ in the jungle.

Ans: The wolves howled in the jungle.

f. The ___________ of birds wakes us up in the morning.

Ans: The chirping of birds wakes us up in the morning.

g. Frogs ____________ on rainy days.

Ans: Frogs croak on rainy days.

Exercise

Given below are two groups of words, Group A and Group B. In Group A, we have some prefixes and in Group B, there are some words. Match the two to make new words. You can use a prefix more than once. You will be able to make at least ten words. One example is done for you.

• co + curricular = cocurricular

Group A	Group B
inter ir unco mis anti hyperdis	regular school tension acceptable available honestlyi nterest reversible answerable curricular

Ans: Prefixes: irregular, dishonestly, unacceptable, hypertension, unavailable, irreversible, unanswerable, interschool, disinterest.

Exercise

Change the following direct speech sentences to indirect speech.

The Magistrate said: I order you not to enter the room.

1. The Magistrate said that _________

Ans: The Magistrate ordered him not to enter the room.

The Master asked the people: Why do you prevent me from going near the tiger

2. The Master asked ____________

Ans: The Master asked why he was being prevented from going near the tiger.

The Chairman said to the secretary: Tell me what is it that you have written there

3. The Chairman asked ______

Ans: The Chairman asked what he had written there.

The master assured the people: I can tame the tiger.

4. The Master assured the people ______

Ans: The Master assured the people that he could tame the tiger.

The master told the tiger: Don’t look at them.

5. The Master told the tiger ____________

Ans: The Master told the tiger not to look at them.

Exercise

Write the following sentences using contracted forms of the words given in italics.

a. I cannot cheat anyone.

Ans: I can’t cheat anyone.

b. I am not going for the picnic with my friends.

Ans: I’m not going for the picnic with my friends.

c. Do not touch electrical gadgets or appliances with wet hands.

Ans: Don’t touch electric gadgets and appliances with wet hands.

d. Can I not buy one more ice cream?

Ans: Can’t I buy one more ice cream?

e. The thief was eventually caught, was he not?

Ans: The thief was eventually caught, wasn’t he?

f. You are not to be blamed.

Ans: You’re not to be blamed.

g. They are going to Manali during the summer holidays.

Ans: They’re going to Manali during the summer holidays.

h. We are going to have lots of fun at the party.

Ans: We’re going to have lots of fun at the party.

i. She is busy completing her homework.

Ans: She’s busy completing her homework.

TERMINAL QUESTIONS

1. Given below is a summary of the story you have read so far. Complete the summary with the help of the words and phrases given in the box.

stretched, nervous, entering the room, woke up from his sleep, arrived, outside the room, an affidavit, put to risk, something happened to him, tame a tiger, growl, in the attic

After some time the tiger _______________. He kept his legs on the table, _______________ himself and gave out a soft _______________.The Headmaster who was sitting crouched ______________ became more _______________.

Meanwhile, _______________ there was a commotion. The Magistrate too had _______________. He stopped the Master from _______________. When the Master said that he knew how to _______________ and that it was his life which was being _______________, the Magistrate asked him to sign _______________ that he would hold no one responsible in case _______________.

Ans: After some time, the tiger woke up from his sleep. He kept his legs on the table, stretched himself, and gave out a soft growl. The Headmaster, who was sitting crouched in the attic, became more nervous. Meanwhile, outside the room, there was a commotion. The Magistrate, too, had arrived. He stopped the Master from entering the room. When the Master told him that he could tame a tiger and that it was his life which was being put to risk, the Magistrate asked him to sign an affidavit that he would hold no one responsible in case something happened to him.

2. Read the following statements. State whether they are true or false by ticking the correct option given against each statement. Give reasons for your answer.

a. The tiger had entered a house. True/False

Ans: False (The tiger had entered a school.)

b. The tiger sat under the table because he was frightened of the headmaster. True/False

Ans: False (The tiger sat on the floor in front of the table. The Headmaster was scared of the tiger.)

c. The tiger was roaming around without his Master. True/False

Ans: True (The tiger had come out on the street on his own.)

d. The Master had no difficulty in entering the room. True/False

Ans: False (He had a lot of difficulty in entering the room because the teachers and the Magistrate would not allow him to go in without a weapon.)

e. The Chairman asked the Master to sign an affidavit. True/False

Ans: True (He asked him to write an affidavit saying that he alone would be responsible for the outcome.)

f. The Master wrote the affidavit in English. True/False

Ans: False (He wrote in Sanskrit.)

g. The Headmaster tried to scare the tiger with a rod. True/False

Ans: False (He did not try to scare the tiger. He climbed up into the attic to save himself.)

h. The Magistrate helped the Master to bring the tiger out. True/False

Ans: False ( He did not allow the Master to enter the room till he had signed the affidavit.)

i. The Master was a learned man. True/False

Ans: True (The Master was well versed in Sanskrit.)

j. The Magistrate fined the Master for being careless. True/False

Ans: False (He did not give him any punishment.)

3. The Master deliberately wrote the affidavit in Sanskrit. The Magistrate could not read or understand Sanskrit. He was angry. He could have ordered the Master to write it again in English or Hindi, but he did not do so. Why?

(Hint: The Master was annoyed when some teachers called the tiger a brute, and also when he was prevented from going into the room by the Magistrate despite his assurance that the tiger would not harm anyone. He knew that neither the teachers nor the Magistrate understood the tiger. By writing in a language which he knew the Magistrate could not understand, he was in a way mocking their limited knowledge and understanding.)

Ans: The Magistrate did not insist on asking the Master to write the affidavit in English because:

a. Sanskrit is not only the language of the scriptures but alsoone of theofficial languages of India. Being a government employee holding a responsible post, he could not show disrespect to the law of the country.
b. He felt that if he confessed his ignorance, he would be laughed at.

4. Which incident in the story did you find funny and why? Write your answer in 30 – 40 words.

We all look at an issue from our own perspective. Our perspectives differ on account of our temperament, awareness, needs, experience, level of maturity, status, etc. After reading both Parts I and II of the story, we saw how different people, including the Magistrate, reacted towards the tiger.

Ans: Individual responses. Write about any part of the story you found funny. Give reasons for your choice.

5. Do you think the Magistrate was right in not allowing the master to enter the Headmaster’s room?

Ans: Suggested response: The Magistrate was right in not allowing the Master to enter the room without any protection because he was holding a position of responsibility. It was his duty to ensure the safety of people.

6. Complete the table below by summarising some of the actions and behaviour of different

people towards the tiger.

	Different people	What they did	What they said	Why they behaved the way they did
a.	The people on the street	_______	no statement	_______
b.	The Headmaster	Used harsh words like brute and beast for the tiger. Called the Master ‘reckless fellow’ and even asked him sarcastically if he knew who he was	no statement	they were frightened
c.	The children	ran to the hall	shouted school is closed	they were excited as well as frightened
d.	The teachers	Locked the children in a safe place________Waited for someone with the authority to take the tiger safely out of the roomDid not allow the Master to go in	Used harsh words like brute and beast for the tigerCalled the Master ‘reckless fellow’ and even asked him sarcastically if he knew who he was	_________They wanted to ensure everybody’s safety_________
e.	________	________________	________	________
f.	________	nothing	nothing	________They were concerned about the security of their children
g.	The Master	________Wanted to enter the Headmaster’s office to bring the tiger out	Don’t call him a brute or a beast Do you know ________No one is going out of the school. You will see the tiger come out when I walk off with me.I can tame a tiger.	He understood the tiger well He was sure the tiger was not going to ________He was hurt to hear ________He did not like the idea of giving an affidavit
h.	The tiger	Went out for a simple strollSat at the coffee shopSlept ________	Wanted to say:I thought human beings were brave I am full, don’t ________I love sleeping ________I will not attack you	He was confused to see people run away from himHe was amused by ________

Ans:

	Different people	What they did	What they said	Why they behaved the way they did
a.	The people on the street	ran helter-skelter, hid in cupboards and drains	no statement	they were frightened
b.	The Headmaster	looked shocked, climbed up to the attic and sat there shivering	no statement	they were frightened
c.	The children	ran to the hall	shouted school is closed	they were excited as well as frightened
d.	The teachers	Followed the tiger to school. Wanted to enter the Headmaster’s office to bring the tiger out	Locked the children in a safe place. Locked the Headmaster’s room. Waited for someone with the authority to take the tiger safely out of the room. Did not allow the Master to go in	He was duty-bound to provide safety to the people. He had to use his authority
e.	The Magistrate	Gave ordersAsked the Master to write an affidavit	They were scared but wished to remain alert. They wanted to ensure everybody’s safety. They wanted to take charge of the situation	He ordered the master not to open or enter the room. You will have to sign the affidavit absolving us of all responsibilities
f.	The parents	nothing	nothing	He understood the tiger well. He was sure the tiger was not going to harm anyone. He was hurt to hear the remarks of the teachers. He did not like the idea of giving an affidavit
g.	The Master	Don’t call him a brute or a beast. Do you know who you are?No one is going out of the school.You will see the tiger come out when I walk off with me.I can tame a tiger.	They were shocked to hear the news. They were concerned about the security of their children	Wanted to say:I thought human beings were brave. I am full, don’t be afraid. I love sleeping on the cool floor. I will not attack you
h.	The tiger	Went out for a simple strollSat at the coffee shopSlept in the headmaster’s room	He was confused to see people run away from him. He was amused by what he saw	Wanted to say:I thought human beings were brave. I am full, don’t be afraidI love sleeping on the cool floor. I will not attack you

7. You must have heard the oft-quoted proverb, ‘Don’t try the patience of a calm man’ or ‘Beware the wrath of a patient man’. This means that there is a limit to one’s patience. If someone provokes a calm, cool and patient man beyond his limits, even he will retaliate in anger. The tiger in this story was calm and harmless. Under what circumstances could he have become dangerous? Think of at least three such situations. One situation has been done as an example.

Example: if the crowds, instead of hiding, had started throwing stones at him.

Ans: