Gujarat Board Textbook Solutions Class 9 English Moments Chapter 3 Iswaran the Storyteller

Gujarat Board Textbook Solutions Class 9 English Moments Chapter 3 Iswaran the Storyteller

GSEB Solutions Class 9 English Moments Chapter 3 Iswaran the Storyteller

Iswaran the Storyteller Summary in English

Iswaran the Storyteller Summary:
Iswaran’s story was told to Ganesh by Mahendra who worked as a junior supervisor at different construction sites. As Mahendra was unmarried, he was able to live in the temporary shelters provided by the construction company. Iswaran accompanied Mahendra wherever he went. He was an advantage to him as he provided him company, cooked food for him and even washed his clothes.

Mahendra says that Iswaran would gather all the things required to prepare a meal within no time. Every morning Mahendra would get ready, eat his breakfast, take his lunch along and go for his work. In the meantime, Iswaran would clean the living place, wash the clothes, take a bath, eat his lunch, read his favourite Tamil storybook and take a nap. In the evening, Iswaran would entertain Mahendra with his stories.

He had the art of storytelling as he would use his body gestures, facial expressions and voice modulation in order to bring his characters to life. Even though the stories seemed untrue, Iswaran narrated them in such a unique way that Mahendra listened to him with curiosity. Iswaran would start a story with an introduction, he would lay the background of the character, followed by the story.

He described a simple incident in such detail, along with actions that it would create suspense in the listener’s mind. Once he told Mahendra the story of an elephant that had escaped from the jungle and entered the town. The beast reached Iswaran’s school. As it destroyed the school property, all the students locked themselves up in the classroom. At that time, Iswaran was studying in one of the junior classes.

He was watching the incident from the rooftop. He took a stick from the teacher and came downstairs, in the ground. He walked towards the elephant as it threatened to attack him. Iswaran was not scared of it. He gathered all his strength and hit the elephant on its toenail quickly. This attack stunned the elephant, it fainted and fell on the ground. He did not complete the story and said that he was getting late for the dinner.

He went to get the dinner but Mahendra was curious to know what happened next. As Iswaran did not continue with the story, Mahendra had to remind him that the ending was pending. Then Iswaran said that a veterinary doctor was called. He brought the elephant back to consciousness and after two days a mahout was called who took the elephant back to the jungle. Mahendra asked Iswaran that how did he manage to overpower the huge beast.

Iswaran replied that he used the technique of a Japanese martial art which was either Karate or Jujitsu. He had read about it somewhere, that the martial art was able to make a person unconscious by paralyzing the nervous system. Every day Iswaran would narrate one or the other story which was entertaining for him and fulfilled the absence of a television in his living quarter. One morning Iswaran asked permission to cook a special dinner as it was the day when they cooked meal for the dead elders of the family.

That evening Mahendra enjoyed a tasty meal and complimented Iswaran on his cooking skills. As Mahendra was relaxing after the meal, to his dislike, Iswaran started narrating a story related to ghosts and supernatural powers. He said that the factory area where they lived was earlier a burial ground. On the very first day, he had seen a human skull lying around. He added that he was not afraid of ghosts and saw many bones and skulls.

On a full moon night, he saw an ugly ghost of a woman who had a shrunken face, matted hair and held an unborn baby in its arms. Mahendra was uneasy and scolded Iswaran for talking nonsense. He said that ghosts did not exist and ordered him to get himself examined as he thought that he had gone mad. Since that day, Mahendra felt uneasy and would peep out of the window in order to check the presence of any ghost around.

One night, Mahendra woke up from his sleep as he heard someone crying. At first, he thought that it was a cat looking for mice. As the sound became more harsh and deep, Mahendra could not ignore it and gave into the desire of peeping out of the window. As he looked out, he saw the white moonlight and a dark shadow holding a bundle in its arms. As he saw the ghost he started sweating, breathing heavily and fell back on the bed. After some time, Mahindra thought that probably his subconscious mind was playing a trick on him and actually there was no ghost.

He got ready the next morning and had forgotten the incident of the previous night. Iswaran greeted him and gave him his lunch bag. He said that a few days ago Mahendra had scolded him for discussing the ghost but last night he saw it himself. Iswaran had heard Mahendra crying at night. It was confirmed that Mahendra had seen the ghost the previous night and it was not a trick played by his mind. Once again, Mahendra was frightened, he left in a hurry and resigned from the job. He could not live at a haunted place for a single day.

GSEB Class 9 English Iswaran the Storyteller Text Book Questions and Answers

Think about It

Question 1.
In what way is Iswaran an asset to Mahendra?
Answer:
Iswaran was a good domestic assistant for Mahendra. Apart from cooking and doing household chores, he was a great entertainer for his master. He was good at managing resources as he could find vegetables out of nowhere, also never had complaints while accompanying his master.

Question 2.
Haw, does Iswaran describe the uprooted tree on the highway? What effect does he want to create in his listeners?
Answer:
Iswaran describes the uprooted tree on the highway with eyebrows suitably arched and hands held out in a dramatic way. He would begin by saying that the road was deserted and he was all alone. Suddenly he spotted something that looked like an enormous bushy beast lying sprawled across the road. He was half inclined to turn and go back. But as he came closer he saw that it was a fallen tree, with its dry branches spread out. The effect he wants to create is suspense and a surprise ending to every small incident that he narrates to his readers.

Question 3.
How does he narrate the story of the tusker? Does it appear to be plausible?
Answer:
He started the story of the elephant by giving a prologue in which he called elephants s ‘huge well-fed beasts.’ He said that after escaping s from the timber yard, the elephant started roaming about, stamped on bushes and tore up wild creepers. It then came to the main road of the town and smashed all the stalls selling fruits, mud pots, and clothes. It then entered a school ground where the children were playing.

It pulled out the football goal-post, tore down the? volleyball net, flattened the drum kept for water s and uprooted the shrubs. All the teachers and students were so afraid that they climbed up to s the terrace of the school building.

According to Iswaran, he was studying in the junior class at s that time. He grabbed a cane from the hands of one of the teachers and ran into the open. The elephant continued grunting and stamping its feet. It looked frightening. However, he moved 5 slowly towards it. When the elephant was ready to rush towards him, he moved forward and whacked its third toenail. It looked stunned and then collapsed. This story does not appear to be plausible.

Question 4.
Why does the author say that Iswaran s seemed to more than makeup for the absence of a TV in Mahendra’s living quarters?
Answer:
The author says so because Iswaran? provided a great company to Mahendra. He S would chat with Mahendra at night when he returned from his work. Iswaran would also entertain Mahendra by telling stories. Thus, with Iswaran around Mahendra never felt bored and never felt the necessity of having a TV for entertainment.

Question 5.
Mahendra calls ghosts or spirits a figment of the imagination. What happens to him on a full-moon night?
Answer:
Mahendra calls ghosts or spirits a figment of the imagination because Iswaran informed him that they were living on a burial site and kept narrating to him stories of various ghosts he himself had encountered. On one full-moon night, Mahendra was woken up from his sleep by a low moan close to his window. At first, he thought that it was a cat prowling around for mice. But the sound was too deep and guttural for a cat.

He resisted looking outside as he did not want to witness a sight that might stop his heartbeat. But the crying became louder and less subtle. He could not resist the temptation anymore. Lowering himself to the level of the windowsill he looked out at the white sheet of moonlight outside. There, not too far away, was a dark cloudy form clutching a bundle. He broke into a cold sweat and fell back on the pillow, panting.

Question 6.
Can you think of some other ending for the story?
Answer:
The story could have ended on a more positive note. Instead of resigning from his job, Mahendra could have been shown as a real courageous man and proving the ghost theory wrong. Another ending can be of both Mahendra and Iswaran leaving the place together and in turn continuing their bond which is depicted earlier in the story. Iswaran has been explained as a man of all seasons for Mahendra.

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