1.

The Lost Child _________________________________________________________ 2

2. The Adventure of Toto __________________________________________________ 4
3. Iswaran the Storyteller __________________________________________________ 6
4. In The Kingdom of Fools ________________________________________________ 8
5. The Happy Prince _____________________________________________________ 10
6. Weathering The Storm in Ersama _______________________________________ 12
7. The Last Leaf _________________________________________________________ 14
8. A House is not a Home_________________________________________________ 16
9. The Accidental Tourist _________________________________________________ 18
10. The Beggar __________________________________________________________ 20
 1. The Lost Child

The child goes to the fair

It was the spring fair. All the people were going to it. Some walked. Some rode on
horses, some in bullock carts. The little child ran with his parents. He was overjoyed.
When he remained behind, his father asked him to come. He remained behind to
see the toys in the shops. The little boy wanted the toy. But his parents couldn’t buy
it. So they asked him to look at other things.

Other things attract the child

It was the season of mustard flowering. The fields looked gold with it. The dragon-
flies were fluttering over the mustard flowers. The child tried to catch one of them.
But he was called by his mother. He ran gaily towards his parents. He heard the
dove cooing. He had picked up the petals in the grove then. He also ran round the
banyan tree. But again he was called by his parents.

The child with parents reaches the fair

Soon the child reached the fair. He heard a sweetmeat seller calling ‘gulab-jamun,
rasogulla, burfi, jalebi’. The sweet shop was greatly decorated with different sweets.
Seeing the sweets, the child’s mouth watered. He said, ‘I want that burfi’. ‘Burfi’ was
his favourite sweet. But his saying so was unheeded.

Various scenes of the fair

The child went ahead with his parents. He heard a flower-seller saying ‘A garland of
gulmohur’. The child went to the flower basket. He wanted a garland. But he knew
his parents would refuse to buy him that. So he moved on. Then he saw a balloon
seller. He had balloons of various colours. The child knew his parents would not buy
him a balloon. So he walked on farther.

The child is lost

The child then saw a snake-charmer. He was playing a flute to a snake. He went
near the snake-charmer. But he knew that his [ parents had asked him not to hear
such music. So he went ahead. Then he saw a merry-go-round. Men, women,
children etc, were enjoying a ride on it. The child called, “I want to go on the
roundabout, please, Father, Mother”. But there was no reply. The child had been
lost.

The child in a very bad shape .

A full deep cry rose within the child’s deep throat. He cried, “Mother, Father”. Tears ”
rolled down his eyes. He cried and cried and ran to and fro. But he couldn’t see his
parents. People laughed hnd talked. Then he ran to a shrine. There was a big crowd
there. The child went a bit ahead between the people’s feet. But he was pushed
back. A man heard his cry. He lifted him up in his arms.
The man tries to locate the child’s parents
The man asked the child how he got there. He also asked him the names of his
parents. But the child only said, “I want my father”. The man took the child to the
merry-go-round. He asked him if he wanted to ride on the horse. But the child said
only that he wanted his mother. Then the man asked him if he would take a balloon.
But the child sobbed and sobbed. He wanted his father and mother only.

The child is taken to the flower-seller and sweetmeat shop

The man then took the child to the flower- seller. He asked him if he would like to put
a flower garland round his neck. The child turned his nose. He only said, “I want my
mother. I want my father”. Then the man asked him which sweet he would like. The
child turned his face. He only said, “I want my mother. I want my father.”
 2. The Adventure of Toto

Toto monkey is bought

The narrator’s Grandfather bought a monkey from a tonga-driver. He cost him Rs.
five. It was Toto. Grandfather bought him to keep in his private zoo.

Toto is described
Toto was a pretty monkey. He had mischief in his shining eyes. His teeth were white
like pearls. His hands were dried-up. His fingers were quick. His tail served as a third
hand.

Toto is kept ip a secret place

The narrator’s Grandmother fussed when his Grandfather added a new animal to his
zoo. So Toto was kept in a secret place. It was a little closet. It opened into the
narrator’s bedroom. Toto was kept tied to a peg.

Toto’s mischiefs
A few hours later, the narrator found a change in his bedroom. Toto had removed the
ornamental paper from the walls. He had also pulled out the peg. He also tore up the
narrator’s school blazer. Grandfather seemed pleased with Toto’s mischiefs.

Toto is transferred to servants’ quarters

Toto was now transferred to a big cage. It was in the servants’ quarters. There
Grandfather’s other animals lived sociably. These were a tortoise, a pair of rabbits, a
squirrel, a pet goat. The monkey didn’t allow them to sleep peacefully. Grandfather
had to leave Dehradun. He had to collect Ris pension from Saharanpur.

Toto travels with Grandfather secretly

Grandfather got a big black canvas kit-bag. He put Toto into it. Toto couldn’t take his
hands out of this bag. It was too strong for him to bite. Toto remained in the bag as
far as Saharanpur. Grandfather was coming out of the railway station. Toto grinned
at the ticket- collector at the gate. The ticket-collector was taken aback. He told
Grandfather that he had a dog with him. So he would have to pay Rs. three as fare
for this ‘dog’. In vain, argued the Grandfather that Toto was not a dog. He had his pet
tortoise with him also. So he asked the ticket-collector how much he should pay for
it: The ticket-collector said that it was not a dog. So there was no charge for that.

Toto is finally accepted in the house

Finally, Toto was accepted in the house. Grandfather gave Toto a comfortable place
in the stable. There Toto got Nana, the family female donkey, as a companion. But
Toto continued teasing her. They could never become friends.
Toto at mischief again
In winter Grandfather gave Toto a large bowl of warm water. It was for him to bathe
in. Toto would sit inside the bowl. Then he would apply soap on his body and rub all
over. When the water became cold, he would come out of it. Then he would run to
the kitchen fire. There he would warm himself. If anyone laughed at him, he would
refuse to bathe.

Toto nearly boiled himself alive

Once Toto nearly boiled himself alive. There was a large kitchen kettle left on the
fire. It was to boil for tea. Toto decided to remove the lid. He found the water warm to
bathe. He got in. Just then the water began to boil. Toto raised himself a little. But he
sat down again. He continued jumping up. Grandmother came there. She took him
out of the kettle.

Toto’s mischiefs continue

Toto always made mischiefs. He tore things to pieces. He tore up the dresses of the
aunt of the narrator. One day, the narrator found Toto eating rice on the dining table.
Grandmother screamed. Toto threw a plate at her. One of the narrator’s aunts
rushed forward. Toto threw a glass of water at her face. When Grandfather came,
Toto ran out with the dish of pullao in his hand. He ran up to the branches of the
jackfruit tree. He threw the dish at Grandmother when she screamed at him.

Toto is sold back to his original owner

Toto caused much loss to the family. Dishes were broken. Clothes, curtains, wall
papers were torn. The family couldn’t bear this. So Grandfather sold Toto back to the
tonga-driver for only three rupees.
 3. Iswaran the Storyteller

Mahendra’s job
Mahendra was a junior supervisor in a firm. The firm offered on hire supervisors at
construction sites, factories, bridges, dams, etc. Mahendra’s job was to keep an eye
on the activities at the work site. He had to go from one place to another. He was a
bachelor. He could adjust himself to all conditions.

Iswaran, Mahendra’s amazing cook

Mahendra had a cook named Iswaran. Iswaran had an amazing capacity. He could
produce vegetables and cooking things from nowhere. He would conjure up the most
delicious dishes made with fresh vegetables within an hour or so. Mahenflra would
go to work early in the morning with some food.

Iswaran’s job
After Mahendra’s departure, Iswaran would make up the shed. He washed the
clothes. He would take a bath praying. He used to read a Tamil thriller to doze off
after lunch. He had a strange method of narrating stories. His stories had the effect
of the thriller.

Iswaran’s method of narrating stories

Iswaran had a strange way of narrating even the smallest incident. He would work up
in suspense. He would add a surprising end. This was because he was very
imaginative. Mahendra would listen to him uncritically.

Iswaran narrates the story of a tusker

One day Iswaran told a story of a tusker. One day a tusker escaped from the timber
yard. It roamed here and there. It tore up creepers and broke branches. Iswaran
would get so affected with the story that he would jump about here and there.

The tusker creates panic among the people

The tusker reached a town. It smashed all the stalls of fruits .’People ran here and
there. The students hid themselves in the classrooms. The streets were empty.
Iswaran was then a junior student. He didn’t know what happened to him. He got a
cane and followed the elephant.

How Iswaran concludes the story

The elephant grunted and stamped its feet. The people were hypnotised. Then
Iswaran struck the elephant’s toenail. It shivered from head to foot and fell down. A
veterinary doctor was called. After two days the tusker was taken by the mahout.
Iswaran was asked how he did that. He told that he did so with a Japanese art,
karate or ju-jitsu etc.
Iswaran’s other story of a ghost
One day Iswaran told Mahendra something about the place. That factory area was
once a burial ground. He himself once came across a human skull lying on the path.
He also saw ghosts at night. He was not frightened as he was brave. But there
appeared a horrible ghost of a woman. It had matted hair and dried-up face. It was
ugly. It held a foetus in its arms.

Mahendra’s reaction
Hearing Iswaran, Mahendra shivered. He called Iswaran crazy. He told him that
there were no ghosts. These were the product of the mind. He asked Iswaran to get
himself medically examined. Mahendra then retired for the night.

Mahendra was affected

From that time Mahendra had unease every night. Every night he peered into the
darkness to see if there was any movement. He always liked to admire the sky on
full-moon nights. But after Iswaran’s story he avoided looking out of the window.

Mahendra sees a ghost

One night Mahendra was awakened up from his sleep by a moan. It was near his
window. He resisted to look out. But the wailing became louder. He looked out. He
saw a dark cloudy form. It was clutching a bundle. He perspired and panted. Later,
he thought that it might h&ve been some trick from his sub-conscious mind.

Mahendra decides to leave the place

Next morning, Mahendra was ready to go to office. The horror of the night had faded.
But Iswaran came to him. He told him about the ghost. He told Mahendra that he
also heard the moan the previous night. He saw him (Mahendra) see the ghost
himself. A chill went down Mahendra’s body. He went to office the next morning. He
handed in his papers. He had determined to leave the haunted place the very next
day.
 4. In The Kingdom of Fools

The kingdom of fools

In the kingdom of fools the king and the minister were idiots. They ordered all things
to be reversed. They decided to change night into day and day into night. They
ordered people to do day’s work in night and sleep in the day. Anyone not obeying
was to be punished with death. So people out of fear did ’ as they were asked to do.
This delighted the king and the minister.

A guru and disciple see the city

Once a guru aiyd his disciple arrived in the city. They found everyone asleep during
the r day. No activity was observed. It amazed them. They wandered till evening.
Then the people woke up. They started doing their nightly businesses. Now the two
were hungry. They bought some food items. The price of everything was same, a
single duddu. This surprised and delighted them. The guru realized that it was really
a kingdom of fools.

Guru leaves the city but disciple remains behind

The guru decided to leave the city of fools. He asked his disciple also to leave the
place. But the disciple didn’t want to do so for cheap food. The guru advised the
disciple that nothing could be predicted of fools. But the disciple didn’t care. He
remained behind. Time passed on. The disciple ate to his fill. As a result he became
very fat.

A thief breaks into a rich merchant’s house

One day a thief broke into a rich merchant’s house. He was taking out the stolen
things. Just then the wall of the old house fell on his head. He was killed instantly.
The brother of the thief complained to the king about his death. He blamed the owner
of the house for his brother’s death.

The owner is summoned

The king heard the accused. He accused him of killing the thief. But the owner said
that he was innocent. He said that the person who built the wall was responsible. He
didn’t make the good wall. The king decided to summon the bricklayer.

The king summons the bricklayer

The king asked the bricklayer if he had built the wall. He accused him of killing the
thief. Before the king could order his death, the bricklayer pleaded innocence. He
told the king that he could not concentrate while building the wall. A dancing girl
moved in the street. So she was responsible for it.

The dancing girl is summoned

The king charged the dancing girl of killing the thief. The dancing girl said that the
goldsmith was responsible for it. She had given some gold to him. He had to make
some jewellery for her. He was lazy. He did not make the jewellery early. So she had
to walk up and down the street. So it was the goldsmith’s fault.

The goldsmith and his plea

The king now ordered to summon the goldsmith. The goldsmith replied that there
was a wedding in the rich man’s house. He had to make jewellery for him. So he
could not finish the jewellery of the dancing girl in time.

The rich man is summoned before the king

The king declared the rich man to be the murderer. He was also the owner of that
house. But he said that his father had ordered the jewellery. The king consulted his
minister. He decided that the owner be punished in his father’s place. The king
asked for a new stake to be made ready for the owner to die. But the owner was very
thin. He could not be executed. The king was worried about it. Then he ordered to
search a man who was fit for the stake. He should be executed.

The disciple is in trouble

The disciple was found fit for the stake. He was brought to the place of execution.
The disciple now remembered his wise guru’s words. He prayed to his guru. The
guru had magic powers to see the past and the future. He saw everything. He
arrived at once to save his disciple. He told his disciple something in a low voice.
The disciple understood this.

The guru’s trick to save his disciple

The guru and the disciple now started fighting. The guru wanted to die first. The king
asked the guru why he wanted to die. The guru told the king in his ears that their city
was unique. This was the stake of god of justice. The stake was new. It was never
used earlier on crimirfals. Whoever died on it first, would be born a king. Whoever
died next, would be born as a minister.

The king decides to die

The king thought over the whole case. He didn’t want to lose the kingdom even in his
next birth also. So he talked to his minister. The king said that they would go on
stake themselves. Thus they would be reborn as king and minister again. The king
and minister went secretly to the prison. They released the guru and the disciple.
They put themselves in their places. So they were taken to the stake and executed.

The guru and disciple become the king and the minister
The dead bodies of the king and the minister were taken down. The people mourned
their deaths. They discussed the future of the kingdom. Suddenly some people
thought of the guru and the disciple. They’ were secretly leaving the city. People saw
them. They requested them to be their new king and the minister. But they put one
condition. It was to change all the old laws. So they changed the laws.
 5. The Happy Prince

Statue of the Happy Prince

There stood the statue of the Happy Prince on a tall column in the city. He was
gilded all over. He had thin leaves of fine gold. He had two bright sapphires for eyes.
A large ruby glowed on his sword hilt.

A little swallow sits on the statue

A little swallow came and sat on the statue. He decided to spend the night on it. But
as he was going to sleep, a large drop of water fell on him. The swallow was
amazed. There was no cloud, yet it rained. The second drop of water made the
swallow decide to fly off. The third drop of water made him to look at the statue. It
was weeping.

The statue speaks out

The statue spoke to the swallow. It said that when it was alive it had not known what
tears were. His courtiers called him a Happy Prince. Now he sat very high. He saw
the miseries of the city.

The swallow is sent to help a woman

The Happy Prince told the swallow that there lived a woman far away. She was a
seam¬stress. She was embroidering flowers on the satin gown of the Queen’s maid
of honour. The maid was to wear it at the next Court ball. In the bed, there lay ill her
little boy. He was suffering from fever. The Happy Prince asked the swallow to pick
the ruby from his sword hilt. He should give that to the woman.

The swallow helps the woman

First the swallow said that his friends had gone to Egypt. He was waited for in Egypt.
But the happy Prince requested him to stay one night. The swallow agreed. He
picked up the ruby and flew to the woman’s house. He put the ruby near the
woman’s thimble. He also fanned the boy’s forehead. The boy felt a bit better. He
sank into a deep slumber.

The swallow is asked again to help a play-wright

The swallow flew back to the Happy Prince. He felt warmer though it was cold. The
Happy Prince told him that it was because he had done a good act. The swallow
wanted to fly to Egypt. But the Happy Prince told him to stay there one more night.
He told the swallow that he saw a playwright in a little room. He was trying to finish a
play for the Director of the Theatre. But he was too cold to write. He was hungry
also. He asked the swallow to pluck one sapphire from his eye and give that to the
playwright.

The swallow returns to the Happy Prince

The playwright saw the sapphire. He was happy. Now he hoped to finish the play.
The swallow went to the Happy Prince. He told him that he had come to bid him
goodbye. But the Happy Prince asked him to stay one more night.

The swallon is sent to help the matchgirl

The Happy Prince told the swallow that there was a little matchgirl in the square
below. All her matches had fallen in the gutter. Her father would beat her if she didn’t
bring home some money. She was crying. He asked the swallow to pluck out the
sapphire from his other eye and give that to her. The swallow flew with the sapphire.
He put the sapphire into the little girl’s hand.

The swallow decides to live with the Happy Prince

The swallow flew back to the Happy Prince. He told the Prince that he would stay
with him as he had gone blind. The Happy Prince asked him to fly over the city and
tell him what he saw. He also told the swallow that the most marvellous thing was
human suffering. And human misery was the greatest mystery.

The swallow reports what he sees

The swallow flew over the city. He saw hungry children. He also saw many poor
people. The Happy Prince asked him to take leaf after leaf of the fine gold over his
body and give to them. The poor now laughed and the children played.

Winter sets in
Then there came the snow and then frost. Everything looked white. The poor little
swallow grew colder and colder. But he didn’t leave the Happy Prince. However, he
could no longer keep himself alive. He at last knew that he was going to die. The
swallow asked the Prince to let him kiss his hand. The Prince told him that he was
happy he was going to Egypt. So he told him to kiss him on the lips. But the swallow
told him that he was not going to Egypt. He was going to the house of Death. And he
fell down dead.

The statue breaks and is melted

At that moment there appeared a crack in-side the statue. The heart of the Happy
Prince broke into two. The dead swallow lay at its feet. The next morning the Mayor
and the Town Councillors came that way. They looked at the statue. They declared
that the Happy Prince was no longer beautiful. So he was no longer useful. Then
they melted the statue in a furnace. But the broken heart didn’t melt. It was thrown
away.

God asks for two most precious things

God asked one of His Angels to bring Him the two most precious things in the city.
The Angel brought Him the leaden heart of the Happy Prince and the dead bird. God
told that in the garden of Paradise the little bird would sing forever. The Happy
Prince would praise Him forever in His city of gold.
 6. Weathering The Storm in Ersama

Prashant’s visit to Ersama and coming of storm

Prashant went to his friend’s house in Ersama on 27 October, 1999. It was seven
years after his mother’s death. In the evening, Heavy and continuous rain filled the
darkness. Trees were uprooted. The waters entered his friend’s house. The speed of
the wind was 350 km. per hour.

Scene of destruction
Everything was destroyed there. The scene of destruction was horrible. Prashant
and his friend’s family had taken refuge on the roof. Prashant won’t forget the
horrible scene that he saw. He was greatly shocked to see a huge sheet of water all
over. It covered everything as far as the eye could see. Houses were broken. Dead
animals and human bodies floated everywhere. Huge trees had fallen. Two coconut
trees l^ad fallen on the house of Prashant’s friend. Its tender coconuts kept them
alive for several days.

Prashant readies to go home

For a couple of days Prashant sat huddled on the roof-top with his friend’s family.
They were nearly frozen in cold wind. Prashant thought of his family. He decided to
go, though his friend’s family asked him to stay back. Prashant was worried about
his family. So he got a strong stick. He then started on his eighteen-kilometre journey
to his village. The flood waters were swollen.

Prashant on way to his village

Prashant waded through water. On the way he found two friends of his uncle. They
were also returning home. They had to push away many floating dead bodies of
human beings and animals to move ahead.’There were hardly any houses left in the
villages that they passed. Prashant wept thinking that no one in his family would
have survived.

Prashant reaches his village

Finally, Prashant reached his village Kalikuda. The roof was the only thing that was
left of his house. So he went to the Red Cross shelter to look for his family there. He
saw his maternal grandmother there. It was a miracle for them to see Prashant alive.
They had thought Prashant to be dead. Prashant’s family was there.

Prashant, now leader of his village

Prashant decided to assess the damage and the danger awaiting the survivors. All
the houses in the village had been washed away. Prashant organized a group of
youths of his village. It pressurized the merchant to give them some rice. They made
a fire and cooked the rice. However, the rice was rotting. His next step was to clean
the place of filth, urine and floating dead bodies.
Children devise a method to get food from above
On the fifth day, a military helicopter dropped food. But it didn’t return. The group
deputed the children to lie there. They had the empty utensils on their stomachs. It
was to communicate to the passing helicopters that they were hungry. Finally, they
got food through airdropping.

Prashant becomes a saviour and a social worker

Prashant became a saviour. He brought the orphaned children and made a shelter
for them. He asked the women to look after them. But he soon found that women
and children were sinking deeper and deeper in their grief. He made them join the
food-for-work programme. It was started by a Non- Govemment Organization (NGO).
He engaged other volunteers to help keep widows to start their lives. He also
believed that orphans should be resettled in their own community.

After six months

Six months passed soon after the super cyclone. Prashant now thought about
himself. Earlier he had no time to bother about his own pain. The widows and
orphaned children of the village thought of Prashant only in their hours of grief.
 7. The Last Leaf

Sue and Johnsy, two young artists

Sue and Johnsy were two young artists. They lived together in a small flat. It was
situated on the third storey of an old house.

Johnsy caught pneumonia

Johnsy fell seriously ill in November. She had pneumonia. Sue was worried. She
sent for the doctor. But the doctor told Sue that Johnsy had lost the will to live.
Medicines will not help her.

Sue comforted her

Sue tried her best to make Johnsy to take interest in things around her. She talked
about clothes and fashions. Sue brought her drawing-board into Johnsy’s room and
started painting. She also whistled while painting.

Johnsy’s strange fancy

Johnsy looked at an ivy creeper outside on the wall. It was shedding its leaves
because it was autumn. Johnsy was counting backwards from twelve onwards. Sue
asked what it was all about. Johnsy told her that she would die with the falling of the
last leaf. It would happen in three days. Sue called it nonsense. She also told her
that she would be all right soon. But it had no effect on Johnsy.

Sue met Behrman

Behrman was an old painter. He lived on the ground floor. He was sixty-years old.
He had a dream that one day he would paint a masterpiece. But he had no success
so far. Sue told Behrman about Johnsy’s strange fancy. Both he and Sue went to
Johnsy’s room. Johnsy was sleeping. They saw that the ivy creeper had only one
leaf left on it. It was raining. It seemed that the last leaf would fall any time.

Johnsy saw the last leaf

Johnsy awoke from her sleep. She looked out of the window. She looked at the last
leaf. She asked Sue to look at it. It was green and healthy. Johnsy looked at the leaf
every hour. But it didn’t fall even in the stormy evening. This revived a will to live in
Johnsy.

Johnsy accused herself

Johnsy accused herself. She called Sue. She admitted before her that she had been
a bad girl. She told Sue that she was very wicked. The last leaf had shown her that.
Now she felt that it was a sin to want to die. She then asked for a mirror. She had
lots of hot soup also.
Sue told Johnsy of Behrman
Next morning Sue told Johnsy about Behrman. Behrman was ill for only two days.
The guard found him on his bed. His clothes and shoes were wet. He was shivering
in the stormy night. Hfe had painted the last leaf on the wall in that night. He had
caught pneumonia and died. Sue asked her if she hadn’t wondered why the leaf had
not fluttered. She told her that the last leaf was Behrman’s masterpiece. He painted it
the night the last leaf fell.
 8. A House is not a Home

The author misses his old school and friends

The author says that his first year at school was not pleasant. He felt like a
freshman. His school was twice bigger than his old school. His old friends;had gone
to a different high school. So he felt lonely. He missed his old teachers also. He
visited them. They advised him to take part in school activities.

House on firv.
One Sunday afternoon the author was sitting at home. He was doing homework. It
was cold. Fire went on in the fireplace. He had his cat nearby. His mother stoked the
fire. Suddenly, he noticed smoke from the ceiling. It increased. They came in the
front yard. But the fire had surrounded the place. It was spreading. His mother ran
back into the house. The author ran to the neighbours to call the fire department.

Author and mother caught in the fire saved

The author’s mother then ran out of the house with important documents. She ran
back into the house again. She wanted to get the pictures and letters of her
husband. He ran after her. But the fireman caught him. The author told him that his
mother was inside. The fireman seated him wrapped in a blanket in the car. Soon
another fireman brought the author’s mother. He put her in the truck with an oxygen
mask over her mouth. She was otherwise all right. She had only inhaled a little more
smoke.

Author’s cat seen nowhere

After five hours, the fire was finally put out. The house was completely burned down.
It struck the author that he had not seen his cat. He started weeping. He cried also.
The firemen did not allow him to go inside the house. They went to the author’s
grandparents for the night.

The author gets sad, wants to die

The next day the author went to school. He was in his old dress with no shoes. He
had no books or homework. His backpack was also gone. He felt sad. He felt if he
would be an outcast all his life. He did not want to grow up. He wanted to die. But he
walked to school.

House visited on way to school

The author walked through his house to school. Everything had been destroyed.
Only the photo albums, documents etc, were not destroyed. His heart ached for his
cat. His mother took him soon from there. They would have to find a place to live. He
would have to buy clothes for school also.

The author keeps thinking of the cat

Soon the rubble was being cleared off from the place. The author would go over
there. He kept thinking of his cat. He kept thinking how the cat would climb him and
fall asleep into his pocket.

The author’s plight known to all, he makes friends

Soon all came to know about the author’s plight. People collected around him to take
him to the gymnasium. The author was surprised. Soon he knew it. The table inside
had a collection of school things. These were : notebooks, clothes, jeans, tops,
sweatsuits. The author grew emotional. He felt great relief as people came to meet
him. They were those who had not visited him earlier. He made many friends that
day.

Life good again, like the earlier one

A month later, the author was at his house. It was being rebuilt. His two friends from
school visited him. The fire was responsible to open up all the wonderful people
around him. He realized that his life was getting the same again.

Cat given to the author by a woman

Soon a woman came to him. She had a cat with her. She asked the author if the cat
was his. The author got the cat from her at once. The cat purred happily. The
author’s friends were hugging him. As for the cat, it had run away from the fire. That
woman got it. She telephoned as the author’s telephone number was written on its
collar.

Sweef feelings come again

The author sat with his friends. The cat curled up in his lap. The feelings of loss and
sad event had vanished. He felt gratitude for his life and his new friends. He also felt
it for the kindness of a stranger and the purr of his cat
 9. The Accidental Tourist

Author’s forgetfulness
The author finds that living in the real world is the most outstanding. Other people do
things without any difficulty. But it is not so for him. A number of times he could not
find the lavatory in a cinema. He also forgot his room number in a hotel.

Author makes mess at airport

Once the author went on a big trip with his family. It was Easter. They were flying to
England for a week. They were checking in Logan Airport in Boston. He remembered
then that he had recently joined British Airways’ frequent flyer programme. He also
remembered that he had put the card in his carry-on bag. It hung around his neck.

Contents of author’s bag out

The zip on the bag was jammed. He got angry. He pulled at it in anger. The zip gave
way. His things Jike the tin of pipe tobacco, magazines, passport, money etc, spread
over a large area. He looked at these things in great surprise. He cried at his
tobacco. He had got his finger injured. Blood was coming from it. There was a deep
wound. He was greatly confused. His wife looked at him in wonder.

Author pinned to the floor

The author was always confused in his air travels. He caused great inconveniences
to other passengers. Once he bent over to tie his shoelace. Then someone pushed
his seat back. He got pinned on the floor. He had to catch the leg of the man near
him.

The author knocks a soft drink on a lady

On another occasion he knocked soft drinks on to the lap of a lady two times. The
lady looked at him in surprise. She uttered an oath with ‘Oh’. This was not his worst
experience.

When pen leaked while flying

His worst experience was another. On a plane flight he was writing his thoughts. He
had his pen in his mouth. It leaked while he was talking to a lady next seat. He went
to the toilet. He saw that his mouth, chin, tongue, teeth and gums had got navy blue.

How he flew
The author’s wife cautioned the children on plane flights about the author. He would
cut the meat. But it would fly. But when alone, he did not eat or drink. He would sit
quietly. This would cut his laundry bills.

Why he couldn’t gather miles

The author did not get his flyer miles in that way. He couldn’t find the card in time. He
knew that others were flying first class to Bali with their air miles. But he couldn’t
collect anything. He must fly 100,000 miles a year. But he had hardly gathered only
about 212 air miles from twenty-three airlines.

This was because he forgot to ask for the air miles. Sometimes the airline didn’t
record these. The airline clerk informed him that he was not entitled to them.

Reason for not gathering miles

In January he flew to Australia. He hoped to get about a zillion air miles. But the clerk
told him that he was not entitled. He asked the reason. The clerk told that the ticket
was in the name of B. Bryson. But the card was in the name of W. Bryson. He
explained that both Bill and William were hardly different. But she didn’t accept that.

Result of not gathering miles

Thus, the author didn’t get his air miles. He won’t fly to Bali first class. He could
never go that long without eating.
 10. The Beggar

Advocate Sergei is detained

Advocate Sergei was detained by a beggar one day. The beggar was crying to have
pity on him. He said that he had nothing to eat. He had been a school teacher for
eight years. But he lost the place.

The beggar is described

The beggar was in rags. He had dull and drunken eyes. He had the red spot on
either cheek. He wore one high and one low shoe.

Sergei recognises the beggar

Sergei recognised the beggar. He told him that he had met him in Sadovya street.
Then he had called himself a student. Sergei warned him that he would send for the
police. The beggar admitted and told the truth.

Sergei puts him to work

The beggar asked Sergei for work. Sergei asked the beggar to chop wood for him
when he asked for work. The beggar agreed to do that work, though unwillingly. The
beggar was s taken by Sergei’s servant Olga to the shed. He had to chop woods
there. Sergei could see Olga and the beggar in the shed.

The beggar readies for work

Olga gave the beggar an axe. But seeing the expression on his face, she scolded
him. The beggar put a billet of wood between his feet, Then he struck it feebly with
his axe. The billet fell down. Meanwhile, Sergei went away. He had set a drunken
and spoiled man at work in the cold. He began to feel sorry for it.

The beggar is given various kinds of work

Sergei found work for the beggar. The beggar would cut the wood on the first of
every month. He would also shovel snow. He would . beat dust out of the rugs and
mattresses. He would put the wood-shed in order. Sergei ’ moved into another
house. The beggar packed and carried the furniture.

Lushkoff, the beggar, offered other employment

Lushkoff, the beggar, was now offered other employment. Sergei asked him to go to
his friend. There he would be given some copying work as he could write. Sergei
was happy as he had put a man on the right path.

Sergei and Lushkoff meet after two years

Two years went by. One evening Sergei was standing at a ticket window of a
theatre. He was paying for his seat. He saw a little man beside him. That man wore a
curly fur and a worn sealskin cap. Sergei recognised him. He asked him how he was.
Lushkoff tells about himself
Lushkoff told Sergei that he was a notary then. He was paid thirty-five roubles a
month. Sergei was very pleased to hear him. Lushkoff thanked Sergei for what he
had done for him. He told Sergei that if he had not helped him, he would have still
been telling lies. He thanked Sergei and Olga, the cook. He told Sergei that Olga had
actually saved him.

Lushkoff tells more about Olga, the cook

Lushkoff told Sergei that Olga would rebuke him. Then she would sit opposite to him
and weep. She would call him various names. She would grow sad also. Then she
would chop the wood for him. He amazed Sergei by saying that he didn’t chop a
single stick of wood for him. Due to Olga’s actions, there came a change in his heart.
He was set right by Olga and he won’t forget her. He told Sergei that it was time for
the bell. And he departed to the gallery.