EXTRA QUESTIONS
1.Where did the narrator meet the boys the first time?
The narrator was driving through the foothills of the Alps when his car
was stopped by the two boys.
2. What did the driver warn the narrator against? Why?
The driver warned the narrator against buying the strawberries from
the boys. The driver felt that narrator would get better fruit in the
market. Besides that the two boys’ shabby appearance made him
suspect that they were hard up for money and would cheat the
narrator out of some money.
3. What do the following phrases mean?
a. ‘doing a brisk business’- doing active business
b. as trade slackened – as business became slower
4. What does the narrator refer to by the phrase ‘remarkable demeanour’?
The narrator refers to the childlike innocence and the trusting nature
of the boys. Jacopo was lively and Nicola had an engaging smile. Yet
they both exhibited a seriousness that would scarcely be found in any
other teenagers.
5. ‘We are not complaining, sir.”
What does this statement tell you about the boys?
This statement speaks of the boys’ willingness to work hard, their grit
and determination to face problems squarely without whining.
6. Why does Nicola seem ‘put out’ when his brother asks the
author for a favour?
Nicola has a sense of dignity. He believes that the problems of life can
be resolved by being responsible and working hard with the available
resources. He does not want a hand out given in sympathy. So he
gets annoyed with his brother when he asks the narrator for a favour.
7. What do you understand by the following statements?
a. “We do many things, sir,” Nicola answered seriously .He
glanced at us hopefully.
The narrator was bemused to find the two boys who had sold him
strawberries the previous day, polishing shoes the next morning. He
had taken them to be fruit vendors. When he asked them about this
change of trade they explained that they did many different jobs to
earn money and elaborated on the kind of work they did.
b. He coloured deeply under his sunburn and then grew pale.
When the narrator asked the boys what they did with their money,
they were taken aback. This question was an intrusion into their
privacy and they were certainly not willing to share their private life
with him. Moreover, they felt a little embarrassed when they
considered what the narrator would think of them as they led a frugal
life despite making a decent sum of money.
c. He smiled uncomfortably. “Just plans sir,” he answered in a low
voice.
The narrator was curious to know what the boys did with the money
they earned. He assumed that just like many others who migrate to a
land of opportunity, the boys too had plans to go to the united States.
The boys in turn did not want to share any of their problems with the
narrator so they did not elaborate on their plans.
d. Yet in both these boyish faces there was a seriousness which
was far beyond their years.
The writer impresses upon the reader the cruelty of war. The two
young teenagers ought to be going to school, playing games and
enjoying life without the burden of earning a living. The war had
robbed them of a father and their elder sister was battling
tuberculosis. They had to earn money to pay for her treatment and to
satisfy their needs too. They did odd jobs from morn to midnight
without complaining. The challenges of life had made them grow up
before their time and their faces reflected the maturity they had
attained the hard way.
1.Where did the narrator meet the boys the first time?
The narrator was driving through the foothills of the Alps when his car
was stopped by the two boys.
2. What did the driver warn the narrator against? Why?
The driver warned the narrator against buying the strawberries from
the boys. The driver felt that narrator would get better fruit in the
market. Besides that the two boys’ shabby appearance made him
suspect that they were hard up for money and would cheat the
narrator out of some money.
3. What do the following phrases mean?
a. ‘doing a brisk business’- doing active business
b. as trade slackened – as business became slower
4. What does the narrator refer to by the phrase ‘remarkable demeanour’?
The narrator refers to the childlike innocence and the trusting nature
of the boys. Jacopo was lively and Nicola had an engaging smile. Yet
they both exhibited a seriousness that would scarcely be found in any
other teenagers.
5. ‘We are not complaining, sir.”
What does this statement tell you about the boys?
This statement speaks of the boys’ willingness to work hard, their grit
and determination to face problems squarely without whining.
6. Why does Nicola seem ‘put out’ when his brother asks the
author for a favour?
Nicola has a sense of dignity. He believes that the problems of life can
be resolved by being responsible and working hard with the available
resources. He does not want a hand out given in sympathy. So he
gets annoyed with his brother when he asks the narrator for a favour.
7. What do you understand by the following statements?
a. “We do many things, sir,” Nicola answered seriously .He
glanced at us hopefully.
The narrator was bemused to find the two boys who had sold him
strawberries the previous day, polishing shoes the next morning. He
had taken them to be fruit vendors. When he asked them about this
change of trade they explained that they did many different jobs to
earn money and elaborated on the kind of work they did.
b. He coloured deeply under his sunburn and then grew pale.
When the narrator asked the boys what they did with their money,
they were taken aback. This question was an intrusion into their
privacy and they were certainly not willing to share their private life
with him. Moreover, they felt a little embarrassed when they
considered what the narrator would think of them as they led a frugal
life despite making a decent sum of money.
c. He smiled uncomfortably. “Just plans sir,” he answered in a low
voice.
The narrator was curious to know what the boys did with the money
they earned. He assumed that just like many others who migrate to a
land of opportunity, the boys too had plans to go to the united States.
The boys in turn did not want to share any of their problems with the
narrator so they did not elaborate on their plans.
d. Yet in both these boyish faces there was a seriousness which
was far beyond their years.
The writer impresses upon the reader the cruelty of war. The two
young teenagers ought to be going to school, playing games and
enjoying life without the burden of earning a living. The war had
robbed them of a father and their elder sister was battling
tuberculosis. They had to earn money to pay for her treatment and to
satisfy their needs too. They did odd jobs from morn to midnight
without complaining. The challenges of life had made them grow up
before their time and their faces reflected the maturity they had
attained the hard way.
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