WBBSE 9th Class English Solutions Chapter – 2 All About a Dog
WBBSE 9th Class English Solutions Chapter – 2 All About a Dog
West Bengal Board 9th Class English Solutions Chapter – 2 All About a Dog
WBBSE 9th Class English Solutions
Introduction
About the Author: Alfred George Gardiner (1865-1946) was a British journalist and author. His essays, written under the pen-name, ‘Alpha of the Plough’, are highly regarded. His uniqueness lay in his ability to teach the basic truths of life in an easy and amusing manner. The Pillars of Society’, ‘Pebbles on the Shore’, ‘Many Furrows and Leaves in the Wind are some of his well known writings. In this text, which is an edited version of Gardiner’s essay of the same name, the author observes how a bus conductor makes a lady go up to the uncovered top of a double-decker bus on a freezing evening just because she is carrying a dog. While watching the incident and its reaction among other passengers, the author wonders whether rules should be tempered with goodwill in order to make them more humane.
A. G. Gardiner, the son of a cabinet-maker and alcoholic, was born in Chelmsford. As a boy he worked at the Chelmsford Chronicle and the Bournemouth Directory. He joined the ‘Northern Daily Telegraph’ in 1887. In 1899, he was appointed editor of the Blackburn Weekly Telegraph’. From 1915 he contributed to ‘The Star’ under the pseudonym ‘Alpha of the Plough.’ His essays were elegant, graceful and humorous. He died in 1946.
SUMMARY AND CRITICAL PERSPECTIVE OF THE STORY
‘All About a dog’ by Gardiner is a story that gives birth to some questions related to our society and social rules and regulations.
It was a cold winter night. The passengers were all eager to reach home early. A young lady carrying a little dog boarded the bus. Immediately, the conductor asked the lady to go up to the uncovered top with the dog. But the other passengers were quite sympathetic towards the lady with the dog, considering the weather. Moreover, the lady was suffering from cough and cold. So they raised no objection to carrying the dog inside the bus. But the bus conductor could not ignore the rule so easily. He compelled the lady to go to the top of the bus on winter night. Initially the lady was reluctant to do that and persisted on staying inside. She also argued with the conductor. But the conductor was rigid in his decision. So he stopped the bus in the midway, creating trouble to everyone in the bus. Ultimately the lady had to obey the dictate.
Later, when the bus developed some engine trouble, the passengers had to tolerate the delay. But the conductor refused to compromise. All through the journey, the lady had to travel on the top of the bus. At the end, the narrator of the story tried to advise to the conductor that rules should be modified according to the circumstances and should be tempered with goodwill.
Rules are formed for comfort but should not cause inconvenience. That is the spirit of a rule. That means, in our society the most needed thing is not the rules and regulations but its application with humanitarian consideration.
QUESTIONS ANSWERS
Tick (√) the correct answer from the given alternatives:
1. The younger woman carried a little —
A. spaniel
B. bull dog
C. Pekinese dog
D. spitz
2. The younger woman was suffering from—
A. stomach pain
B. back pain
C. fever
D. cough
3. The bell was pulled by the —
A. conductor
B. driver
C. younger woman
D. older woman
4. The number of policemen to whom the woman expressed her anger was —
A. three
B. four
C. five
D. six
5. The problem the bus faced was with the —
A. tyre
B. engine
C. brake
D. horn
6. The time of travelling in the bus was —
A. afternoon
B. morning
C. midnight
D. night
7. The night was—
A. hot
B. very cold
C. moderate
D. very hot
8. The vacant places in the bus were filled by —
A. two men and a woman
B. two women and a man
C. two men and two women
D. two women, a man and a dog
9. The lady with the dog got support from —
A. a policeman
B. the conductor
C. all the co-passengers
D. a few passengers
10. The conductor noticed the Pekinese dog when—
A. the bus stopped
B. the driver pointed to it
C. he was collecting fares
D. the woman refused to oblige him
11. The eyes of the Pekinese dog were like —
A. marble balls
B. square boxes
C. beads
D. dots
12. The conductor had a general grievance against —
A. the dog
B. the driver
C. the passengers
D. none of these
13. The conductor shivered at the—
A. roof
B. window
C. door
D. gate
14. Everybody in the bus supported the —
A. conductor
B. driver
C. Pekinese dog
D. lady with the Pekinese dog
15. Some passengers claimed their –
A. luggage back
B. boots back
C. fares back
D. none of these
16. The conductor disagreed to give back their—
A. belongings
B. rent
C. amount paid to travel
D. none of these
17. “The conductor was as cold as…” Here ‘cold’ means —
A. without heat
B. frozen
C. indifferent
D. none of these
18. If the young lady would go to the top of the bus, according to the man’s opinion, she would suffer from—
A. fever
B. indigestion
C. pneumonia
D. cholera
19. The bus stopped for the second time because –
A. the tyre got punctured
B. the engine developed trouble
C. the brake failed
D. the passengers wanted it to stop
20. The ‘long job’ refers to-
A. development of the engine
B. selling ticket to the passengers
C. repairing the engine
D. changing the tyres
Answer the following questions
1. How many people got into the bus with the younger woman?
Ans. Two people got into the bus with the younger woman.
2. What was the conductor’s order to the younger woman?
Ans. The conductor ordered the younger woman to take the dog out of the bus.
3. Why did the conductor stand triumphant?
Ans. He stood triumphant for the lady had to go upstairs.
4. What is the rule which cannot be broken without danger to life and limb?
Ans. The rule of the road cannot be broken without danger to life and limb.
5. What kind of a night was it?
Ans. It was a bitterly cold night with piercing east wind.
6. Describe the dog that was with the younger woman.
Ans. It was a little Pekinese dog. It had beady eyes.
7. How did the animal react to the fuss caused by himself?
Ans. The little animal sat blinking at the dim lights, unconscious of the fuss caused by himself.
8. How was the temperament of the conductor as predicted by the author?
Ans. According to the author, the conductor was of an irritable temperament.
9. What opportunity did the conductor seek?
Ans. The conductor sought the opportunity to show his power to the passengers.
10. Why did the conductor stop the bus by pulling the bell?
Ans. It was because a younger woman boarded the bus with a little dog.
11. How did the policemen react to the protest of the passengers ?
Ans. The policemen were mostly indifferent and were mere spectators from a distance.
12. What was the author’s parting advice to the conductor?
Ans. The advice was to observe the rules for guidance in its true spirit only.
13. Why was the conductor dead against allowing the dog’s entry to the bus?
Ans. He abided only by the rules that prohibited the dog’s entry.
14. Which rules should be applied for dogs?
Ans. Rules with a little good will and good temper should be applied for dogs.
15. What is the message of the story?
Ans. Rules are to be observed in the spirit only unless their violation causes casualties.
16. When did the author feel that trouble was coming up?
Ans. The conductor was collecting fares. At that time the Pekinese dog drew his attention. When the author saw this, he felt trouble was coming up.
17. Mention two demands made by the passengers when the bus stopped.
Ans. First, the passengers demanded the conductor should give their fares back. Next, they demanded that he should not leave them there all night.
18. How are rules of guidance to be observed?
Ans. To observe the rules of guidance, common sense is to be applied. These kinds of rules are to be observed in the spirit, and not literally.
19. Why was the conductor angry particularly?
Ans. The conductor was particularly angry with passengers because they came and sat in his bus while he shivered at the door.
20. What was the particular grievance of the conductor as predicted by the narrator of the story?
Ans. The narrator predicted that the conductor had a grievance particularly against the passengers. They came and sat inside the bus while he shivered at the door.
21. Why was the young woman reluctant to go to the top of the bus?
Ans. It was a bitterly cold night. The woman already had a cough. So, she was reluctant to go to the top of the bus. It might kill her.
22. What did the lady do taking advantage of the conductor’s absence?
Ans. Taking advantage of the conductor’s absence, the lady with the dog stole down the stairs and re-entered the bus.
23. What is the ‘gale’ mentioned in the story?
Ans. The ‘gale’ mentioned in the story was the joint protest of the passengers and the commotion created by their voices. It was because the conductor stopped the bus pulling the bell.
24. Why did the woman with the Pekinese dog ultimately go to the top of the bus ?
Ans. The obstinate conductor would not allow the bus to Imove unless the dog was taken out. So, the woman ultimately had to go to the top.
Complete the following sentences with information from the text:
1. The night was so cold that………………………
Ans. The night was so cold that even at the far end of the bus, the east wind cut like a knife.
2. The conductor wanted to…………………………..
Ans. The conductor wanted to make the most of the situation.
3. The conductor was fixed his decision because……………….
Ans. The conductor was fixed on his decision because the law was on his side.
4. The rules about the dogs are described by the storyteller as…………………………….
Ans. The rules about the dogs are described by the storyteller as rules to be observed in the spirit, not in the letter, for the comfort of the passengers.
5. According to the storyteller, the conductor had kept the rule, but …………………….
Ans. According to the storyteller, the conductor had kept the rule but broken its spirit.
State True or False. Write T’ for True and ‘F’ for False
1. The author was travelling in a bus on a hot summer night.
Ans. F
2. The gust of wind is compared to the blow of a knife.
Ans. T
3. In ‘All About a Dog’ the conductor stood comfortably at the door of the bus.
Ans. F
4. The conductor’s order was illegal.
Ans. F
5. The passengers protested jointly.
Ans. T
6. The passengers demanded their fares back.
Ans. T
7. There were two police constables altogether.
Ans. F
8. The male companion of the young lady apprehended that she might suffer from dysentry.
Ans. F
9. The engine of the bus was repaired within a few seconds.
Ans. F
10. No policeman turned up.
Ans. F
11. The passengers protested mildly.
Ans. F
12. The author believed that the conductor broke spirit of the law.
Ans. T
13. The author’s criticism made the conductor angry.
Ans. F
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