Answers to textbook exercises

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Last edited 11 days ago by Learn LoopHQ.

Chapter: 01. The Cabuliwallah

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A. Answer these questions.

What is the speaker’s relationship with Mini?

The speaker is Mini’s father.

At first, what did Mini think was there in the Cabuliwallah’s bag?

At first, Mini had a blind belief that inside the Cabuliwallah’s bag there were perhaps two or three other children like herself.

Why did the policemen arrest the Cabuliwallah?

The policemen arrested the Cabuliwallah because he had struck a neighbor who falsely denied having bought a Rampuri shawl from him and owed him money.

How did the Cabuliwallah look when he got released after eight years of imprisonment?

When he was released, the Cabuliwallah had no bag, nor the long hair he used to have, nor the same vigor. He looked changed and was not immediately recognizable to the narrator.

Why was Mini’s father reluctant to let the Cabuliwallah meet his daughter? What changed his mind later on?

Mini’s father was reluctant because he saw Rahmun as a man who had wounded his fellow, and he felt it would be better-omened if Rahmun had not shown up on his daughter’s wedding day. His mind changed when Rahmun showed him the ink-smeared handprint of his own daughter, Pārbati, which made the narrator realize that Rahmun was also a father with the same deep love and longing for his child.

How did the speaker help the Cabuliwallah meet his own daughter?

The speaker helped the Cabuliwallah meet his own daughter by giving him a banknote, telling him to go back to his country, Kabul, and reunite with his child. He even curtailed some of Mini’s wedding festivities to afford this gift.

B. Answer these questions with reference to the context.

They had many quaint jokes, which afforded them much amusement.

a. Whom does the word ‘they’ refer to?

‘They’ refers to Mini and the Cabuliwallah (Rahmun).

b. What were some of the jokes ‘they’ had?

One joke was Mini asking, “O Cabuliwallah! Cabuliwallah! What have you got in your bag?”, to which he would reply, “An elephant!” Another joke was Rahmun asking Mini, “Well, little one, and when are you going to the father-in-law’s house?”, to which Mini would innocently ask, “Are you going there?”, and Rahmun would pretend to thrash an invisible “father-in-law” (policeman).

c. Did the speaker think these jokes were funny?

The speaker found the child’s talk with a grown-up man “strangely fascinating” and noted how both Mini and Rahmun enjoyed the fun, implying he appreciated their unique humor.

The wail of the tune, ‘Bhairavi’, seemed to intensify my pain at the approaching separation.

a. What does the word ‘Bhairavi’ mean here?

‘Bhairavi’ refers to a specific musical tune or raga, mentioned as one that denotes separation.

b. What kind of emotion does the tune make the speaker feel?

The tune makes the speaker feel intensified pain and sorrow.

c. What is the separation mentioned here?

The separation mentioned here is the speaker’s impending separation from his daughter, Mini, as she is about to get married and leave home.

C. Think and answer.

The speaker realises that although the Cabuliwallah is a poor fruit-seller, he and the man have something in common. What do they have in common and how does the speaker feel about this thread that links them?

They both have in common the deep, unconditional love of a father for his daughter. The Cabuliwallah’s showing of his own daughter’s handprint makes the speaker realize that despite their different social statuses and backgrounds, they share the same profound fatherly bond. The speaker feels a surge of empathy and connection, recognizing that “what was I more than he? He also was a father.” This realization breaks down his initial societal prejudices and leads to a profound sense of shared humanity and a desire to help.

Generosity does not make a man poorer. Describe a time in your life when you saw this proverb in action. Explain the meaning of the proverb in the context of the incident.

Sample Incident: During a school-wide food drive, I decided to donate a large portion of my packed lunch and snack money, even though I was quite hungry that day. I saw a classmate, who seemed genuinely in need, receive the donated food. Seeing the relief and gratitude on their face filled me with a warmth and satisfaction that far outweighed my momentary hunger.

Meaning in Context: In this incident, “generosity does not make a man poorer” means that when you give, especially from the heart, you might lose something material (like money or food), but you gain something invaluable in return—a sense of joy, fulfillment, and connection. The “wealth” gained is not financial, but emotional and spiritual, making one richer in spirit and understanding.

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