AN ASTROLOGER'S DAY - FIRST LANGUAGE ENGLISH NOTES - CLASS 09 - KSEEB

Unit- 9

AN ASTROLOGER’S DAY

R.K. Narayan

Comprehension:

C1. Get into pairs/ groups and discuss the answers the following questions:

1) What articles did the astrologer carry?

Ans: The astrologer carried his professional equipment, which consisted of a dozen cowry shells, a square piece of cloth with obscure mystic charts on it, a notebook and a bundle of Palmyra writing. Even he applied sacred ash on his forehead and vermilion.

2) What were the different names given by the nuts vendor for his business?

Ans: The different names given by the nuts vendor for his business were Bombay Ice Cream, Delhi Almond and Raja’s Delicacy.

3) What kind of life would the astrologer have in his own village?

Ans: If the astrologer had lived in his own village, he would have carried on the work of his forefathers- namely, tilling the land, living, marrying, and ripening in his cornfield and ancestral home.

4) How much did the astrologer charge his clients?

Ans: The astrologer charged his clients three paise per question.

5) Why did the astrologer remain silent for at least ten minutes, initially?

Ans: The astrologer remained silent for at least ten minutes initially because he was observing his customers and listening to them and collecting information and at last he was answering the questions of the customers. Overall he was studying them psychologically.

6) What was the signal for the astrologer to bundle up?

Ans: As soon as the nuts vendor blew out his flare and rose to go home, that was a signal for the astrologer to bundle up and to go home.

7) How much did the astrologer demand from his new client to answer his question?

Ans: The astrologer demanded five rupees in beginning and later eight annas from his new client to answer this question.

8) What did the astrologer ask Guru Nayak to do?

Ans: The astrologer asked Guru Nayak to return back to his village as soon as possible and never travel southwards again.

C2. Working in pairs, discuss the answers to the following questions and write them in your notebook.

1) Why did the astrologer have no light of his own for his business?

Ans: The astrologer did have any light of his own for his business because he did not want any of his client to know him or read his face, as he was unaware of astrology even didn’t have any idea what would happened next, his work was more a matter of study, practice and shrewd guesswork. The place was lit up by shop lights. one or two had hissing gaslights, some had naked flares stuck on poles, some were lit up by old cycle lamps, and one or two, like the astrologer’s, managed without lights of own.

2) Why did the astrologer close his business when the nuts vendor blew out his flare?

Ans: The astrologer closed his business when the nuts vendor blew out his flare because the astrologer did not have any sort of light of his own. As soon as the nuts vendor blew out his flare and rose to go home, that was a signal for the astrologer to bundle up and to go home.

3) How efficient was the astrologer in his business?

Ans: The astrologer was much a stranger to the stars as were his innocent customers. Yet he said things which pleased and astonished everyone; that was more a matter of study, practice and shrewd guesswork. All the same, it was as much an honest man’s labour as any other, and he deserved the wages he carried home at the end of the day. The astrologer remained silent for at least ten minutes initially because he was observing his customers and listening to them and collecting information and at last he was answering the questions of the customers. Overall he was studying them psychologically

4) “When shall I get him?”

a) Who was this question asked to?

b) Whom does “I” refer to?

c) Why does the speaker want to get him?

Ans: a) This question was asked to the astrologer.

b) Guru Nayak is “I” here.

c) The speaker wanted to take revenge from him.

5) “You look worried. What is wrong?”

a) Who is the speaker?

b) Who does ‘you’ refer to?

c) Why was he worried?

Ans: a) The astrologer’s wife is the speaker.

b) “You” refers to the astrologer.

c) He was worried because he had seen the man whom he thought he had killed (Guru Nayak).

C3. Working in pairs, discuss the answers to the following questions and write them in your notebook.

1) Why did the astrologer run away from his village?

Ans: The astrologer ran away from village when he was youngster. The astrologer had drunk and gambled in those days. Once he had a quarrel with Guru Nayak while gambling. He stabbed him and pushed him into a well. At that time the astrologer thought that he had killed him and he ran away from his village.

2) In the story, do you think the astrologer should be punished for his crime?

Ans: Of course every mistake is mistake, if it is done with or without intension. The astrologer in his youth he drank and stabbed a man, whom he thought dead and ran to escape from punishment. As per his sin, he should be punished for his crime even though he recognize his mistake at end or repent. It would be lesson for everyone when a person commit mistake he should be punished.

3) Describe how the astrologer felt at the end of the story.

Ans: The astrologer felt comforted at the end of the story, the astrologers in his youth he drank and stabbed a man, whom he thought dead and ran to escape from punishment. The astrologer had so burden and he felt always load on him. By a co-incident he met Guru Nayak by the evening and the astrologer recognized that his client was Guru Nayak. He felt relieved by knowing that the man was alive.

4) Describe the role of fate and chance in the story.

Ans: “What you sow that only you reap”, no one can flee from what is written in our fortune. The astrologer whose fate changed when he had drunk, gambled and quarreled with Guru Nayak and stabbed him and pushed him into well. The astrologer was had load on him and he was thinking every moment about that incident that he had killed a person. That particular situation taught him a lesson he changed from arrogant to innocent person and took his responsibility and started to lead a good and meaningful life.

5) Does the story make you think that all the astrologers are false?

Ans: One person’s mistake is not considered that whole group is wrong. Similarly the astrologer of story should not be compared with all astrologers. There are so many astrologers who had learnt the art of astrology and even they study about cosmos, stars and ancient science. Thus, the story’s astrologer did not have knowledge of astrology and his work was on guess and he was listening to his customers and reacting later by reading their faces.

6) How has R.K. Narayan portrayed the attractive appearance of the astrologer?

Ans: The astrologer applied sacred ash on his forehead which was resplendent, and his eyes sparkled with a sharp, abnormal gleam which was really an outcome of a continual searching look for customers, but which his simple clients took to be a prophetic light and felt comforted. Hence in such a way R.K. Narayan had portrayed the attractive appearance of the astrologer.

C4. Read the following sentences from the story and arrange them in the sequential order as they appear in the story:

1. Take the next train and go home.

2. The astrologer pressed his invitation.

3. He was as much a stranger to the stars as were his innocent customers.

4. The astrologer caught a glimpse of his face by the match light.

5. The place was lit up by shop lights.

6. The child has been asking for sweets since so many days.

7. The nuts vendor blew out his flare and rose to go home.

Ans:

1. The place was lit up by shop lights.

2. He was as much a stranger to the stars as were his innocent customers.

3. The nuts vendor blew out his flare and rose to go home.