ISWARAN THE STORY TELLER {ENGLISH PRESENTATION2}.pptx

ISWARAN THE
STORY TELLER
IX-B ENGLISH PRESENTATION
THIS PRESENTATION IS MADE BY
MERVIN.
1
{PAPER WORK}

GROUP MEMBERS
• N.MERVIN(GROUP LEADER) – INTRODUCTION AND SUMMARY.
• N.MANOJ MURALI KRISHNA – WORD MEANINGS.
• PRATEEK PANIGRAHI – QUESTION AND ANSWERS
• ASHISH KUMAR SUKRI – CHAPTER READING
2

FEW LINES ABOUT THE
WRITER ⬆
RASIPURAM KRISHNASWAMI LAXMAN WAS AN INDIAN CARTOONIST,
ILLUSTRATOR, AND HUMORIST. HE IS BEST KNOWN FOR HIS CREATION
THE COMMON MAN AND FOR HIS DAILY CARTOON STRIP, YOU SAID IT IN
THE TIMES OF INDIA, WHICH STARTED IN 1951..
3

LET’S READ THE STORY…
• PARA1-2:
THE STORY WAS NARRATED TO GANESH BY A YOUNG MAN, MAHENDRA BY NAME. HE WAS
A JUNIOR SUPERVISOR IN A FIRM WHICH OFFERED ON HIRE SUPERVISORS AT VARIOUS TYPES
OF CONSTRUCTION SITES: FACTORIES, BRIDGES, DAMS, AND SO ON. MAHENDRA’S JOB WAS
TO KEEP AN EYE ON THE ACTIVITIES AT THE WORK SITE. HE HAD TO KEEP MOVING FROM
PLACE TO PLACE EVERY NOW AND THEN AS ORDERED BY HIS HEAD OFFICE: FROM A COAL
MINING AREA TO A RAILWAY BRIDGE CONSTRUCTION SITE, FROM THERE AFTER A FEW
MONTHS TO A CHEMICAL PLANT WHICH WAS COMING UP SOMEWHERE.
HE WAS A BACHELOR. HIS NEEDS WERE SIMPLE AND HE WAS ABLE TO ADJUST HIMSELF TO
ALL KINDS OF ODD CONDITIONS, WHETHER IT WAS AN ILL-EQUIPPED CIRCUIT HOUSE OR A
MAKESHIFT CANVAS TENT IN THE MIDDLE OF A STONE QUARRY. BUT ONE ASSET HE HAD
WAS HIS COOK, ISWARAN. THE COOK WAS QUITE ATTACHED TO MAHENDRA AND
FOLLOWED HIM UNCOMPLAININGLY WHEREVER HE WAS POSTED. HE COOKED FOR
MAHENDRA, WASHED HIS CLOTHES AND CHATTED AWAY WITH HIS MASTER AT NIGHT. HE
COULD WEAVE OUT ENDLESS STORIES AND ANECDOTES ON VARIED SUBJECTS.
4

SUMMARY-
The story begins like a young man named Mahendra was narrating a story to the listener
Ganesh. Ganesh was a journalist. He used to write many articles about the servants in
his chronicle "Servants of India". Mahendra had invited Ganesh to listen to the story of his
cook named Iswaran.
Mahendra was working as a junior supervisor in a company. The company had hired
many supervisors for various construction sites on a contract basis.
The supervisors got posted at different construction sites like factories, bridges,
and dams, and Mahendra was one among them. Mahendra’s job was to keep an eye on
the workers whether they were doing their work or not. As Mahendra was a site engineer,
he had to change his workplaces often because he had to work at various locations as per
the instructions from his head office.
At first, Mahendra worked in a coal mining area; then, he shifted his work spot to
a railway construction site. Later he was scheduled to work in a chemical plant
construction site which was coming up somewhere.
As Mahendra was unmarried, he was able to live in the temporary quarters provided at
the construction sites. Mahendra had to stay in an ill-equipped circuit house or
sometimes he had to stay in his construction site by making a portable tent. Mahendra, a
5

S.No Words Meanings
1 Supervisor
A person who directs and
oversees the work of another
person
2 Anecdote
A short amusing or
interesting story about a real
incident or person
3 Bachelor An unmarried man
4 Canvas tent
A portable shelter made of
some kind of cloth stretched
over a frame or poles
5 Ill-equipped
Lacking the ability or
equipment necessary to do
something well
6 Quarry
A place, typically a large,
deep pit, from which stone or
other materials have been
extracted
WORD MEANINGS
6

Para3-4:
Iswaran also had an amazing capacity to produce vegetables and cooking
ingredients, seemingly out of nowhere, in the middle of a desolate landscape
with no shops visible for miles around. He would miraculously conjure up
the most delicious dishes made with fresh vegetables within an hour of
arriving at the zinc-sheet shelter at the new workplace.
Mahendra would be up early in the morning and leave for work after
breakfast, carrying some prepared food with him. Meanwhile Iswaran would
tidy up the shed, wash the clothes, and have a leisurely bath, pouring several
buckets of water over his head, muttering a prayer all the while. It would be
lunchtime by then. After eating, he would read for a while before dozing off.
The book was usually some popular Tamil thriller running to hundreds of
pages. Its imaginative descriptions and narrative flourishes would hold
Iswaran in thrall. 7

Summary:
Iswaran was not only a good storyteller, but he was also a great cook. Mahendra
was always surprised by Iswaran's capacity to cook delicious food using fresh
ingredients, especially within an hour of their arrival at their new accommodation.
They lived in areas where they could not find any house and people, and
they stayed under temporary shelters made of roofs with zinc sheets. As they lived
in the middle of a desolate landscape, there would not be any shops nearby. So
Iswaran would have to walk a longer distance to find a grocery or vegetable shop.
Here, Mahendra describes the talent of Iswaran as he would get the fresh
vegetables and ingredients needed for cooking from the desolate landscape,
prepare delicious food, and everything within an hour's time. Cooking was an art,
and Iswaran was good at that.
Mahendra would wake up early in the morning, get ready and leave for work after
eating his breakfast. Also, he would carry his lunch along with him. After he left,
Iswaran would clean their living place, wash Mahendra’s clothes and have a nice
bath. He would pour several buckets of water over his head, and he would
always mutter a prayer. Later, he would eat his lunch. After lunch, he had a habit of
reading books. Iswaran was interested in reading Tamil thriller books, and the
book would contain a lot of pages. While reading the story, Iswaran would go
deeper into the narrative style and descriptions given in the book. He feels very
8

S.No Words Meanings
1 Ingredient
Any of the food or
substances that are
combined to make a
particular dish
2 Desolate
A place seemed to be empty
without any houses or shop
3 Miraculously
In a way that suggests or
resembles a miracle
4 Conjure
To make something appear
by magic
5 Leisurely Without hurry
6 Muttering
To speak quietly and in a low
voice that is not easy to hear
7 Dozing off Fall lightly asleep
8 Description
A written or spoken
statement about something
that enables a reader or
listener to picturize it
The state of being in
someone's power, or of
9

Para5:
His own descriptions were greatly influenced by the Tamil authors that he read.
When he was narrating even the smallest of incidents, he would try to work in
suspense and a surprise ending into the account. For example, instead of saying
that he had come across an uprooted tree on the highway, he would say, with
eyebrows suitably arched and hands held out in a dramatic gesture, “The road was
deserted and I was all alone. Suddenly I spotted something that looked like an
enormous bushy beast lying sprawled across the road. I was half inclined to turn
and go back. But as I came closer I saw that it was a fallen tree, with its dry
branches spread out.” Mahendra would stretch himself back in his canvas chair
and listen to Iswaran’s tales uncritically.
10

Summary:
Iswaran was greatly influenced by the Tamil writers and he used to read
their stories with great enthusiasm. The descriptions and scenes used in the
story attracted Iswaran, and he used to narrate the stories to Mahendra in the same
tone. Mahendra remembered that Iswaran would describe even a minor
incident with a lot of suspense and surprise, making it very interesting for
the listener. For instance, instead of saying that "he walked down the highway and
came across a fallen tree on the road", Iswaran would use his facial
expressions, bodily gestures and exaggerated descriptions to narrate it. Iswaran
would raise his eyebrows and stretch out his hands to show the dramatic
descriptions.
First, Iswaran would say that the road was empty and he was all alone on the road.
This would create suspense in the listener’s mind. Then he would say that suddenly
he had seen something which seemed to be like that of a giant beast lying across
the road. As he walked ahead, his mind would be telling him to turn and go back.
As he reached closer, he would have seen a tree that had fallen and lying on the
road. The branches of the tree had spread out and seemed to be a giant beast.
Mahendra says that the talent of Iswaran made the simple story fascinating, and
it attracted him.
11

S.No Words Meanings
1 Incident
An instance of something
happening; an event or
occurrence
2 Suspense
A state or feeling of excited or
anxious uncertainty about
what may happen
3 Surprise
An unexpected or astonishing
event or fact
4 Tale
A fictitious or true narrative or
story, especially one that is
imaginatively recounted
5 Deserted
Of a place without any human
inhabitant
6 Enormous
Very large in size, quantity, or
extent
7 Beast
An animal, especially a large
or dangerous four-footed one
8 Sprawled
Spread out over a large area in
an untidy or irregular way
9 Inclined
Leaning or turning away from
the vertical or horizontal;
sloping
12

Para6-7:
“The place I come from is famous for timber,” Iswaran would begin. “There is a richly
wooded forest all around. The logs are hauled on to the lorries by elephants. They are
huge well-fed beasts. When they turn wild even the most experienced mahout is not able
to control them.” After this prologue Iswaran would launch into an elaborate anecdote
involving an elephant.
“One day a tusker escaped from the timber yard and began to roam about, stamping
on bushes, tearing up wild creepers and breaking branches at will. You know, sir, how an
elephant behaves when it goes mad.” Iswaran would get so caught up in the excitement
of his own story that he would get up from the floor and jump about, stamping his feet
in emulation of the mad elephant.
13

Summary:
Mahendra recollects another story told by Iswaran, and he narrates it to Ganesh.
Iswaran describes his town to Mahendra. He said that his native town
was surrounded by a big forest full of trees and it was famous for timber. One can
see lots of timber trees in his town. As a result, one can see wild elephants in his
village. The woods of timber were sold for commercial purposes. They
were transported onto the lorries with the help of elephants. The elephants would
carry the timber woods and leave them in the lorries.
The elephants were big, and if they went mad, they would get out of control, and
even the elephant's caretaker would not be able to control them. After
his introductory session about the giant elephants, Iswaran started narrating a story
based on an elephant with his gestures and exaggerated descriptions.
One day, an elephant with long tusks escaped from the forest and roamed all around
the places. It stamped on the bushes and crushed them, tore the creeper plants and
broke the branches of the trees that came on its way. Iswaran asked Mahendra
whether he knew how an elephant would behave if it went mad. Then, to make his
story more interesting, Iswaran stood up and jumped around the place, hitting his
foot on the ground to show the actions of a mad elephant.
14

S.No Words Meanings
1 Timber
Trees grown for use in building
or carpentry
2 Hauled
Of an animal or person used
to pull or drag something with
great effort or force
3 Mahout
A man who looks after the
elephant or caretaker of the
elephant
4 Prologue
A separate introductory section
of a literary, dramatic, or musical
work
5 Tusker
An elephant or wild boar with
well-developed tusks
6 Stamping
Bring down one's foot heavily on
the ground or on something on
the ground
7 Creepers
Any plant that grows along the
ground, around another plant, or
up a wall by means of extending
stems or branches
8 Emulation
An effort to show
something typically by imitation
15

Para8:
“The elephant reached the outskirts of our town; breaking the fences down like
matchsticks,” he would continue. “It came into the main road and smashed all the stalls
selling fruits, mud pots and clothes. People ran helter-skelter in panic! The elephant now
entered a school ground where children were playing, breaking through the brick wall. All
the boys ran into the classrooms and shut the doors tight. The beast grunted and
wandered about, pulling out the football goal-post, tearing down the volleyball net,
kicking and flattening the drum kept for water, and uprooting the shrubs. Meanwhile all
the teachers had climbed up to the terrace of the school building; from there they
helplessly watched the depredations of the elephant. There was not a soul below on the
ground. The streets were empty as if the inhabitants of the entire town had suddenly
disappeared.
16

Summary:
Later, the elephant reached the outer boundary of their town, and it broke
the fences like matchsticks. Here, Iswaran portrays how the walls were broken
like matchsticks. Then, the elephant reached the main road and broke all
the stalls selling different things like fruits, mud pots and clothes. The people
ran here and there with great fear and confusion. After that, it broke the walls of
a school and entered the ground.
When the elephant entered the school the children were playing in
the playground. On seeing the elephant, all the boys ran back into
their classrooms and closed the doors tightly. At that moment, the elephant
screamed and roamed around the school ground. As the elephant lost its
control, it started to break things.
At first, the elephant broke the goal post on the football ground, then it tore the
net that had been put up in the volleyball court, and later, it kicked out
the water drum and broke it. Moreover, the elephant pulled out many plants
with its trunk. Due to fear, the teachers ran to the roof of the school
building and watched helplessly as the elephant destroyed the school property.
They were eagerly waiting for someone to save them. But there was not even a
single person to be seen around the school. All the streets of the town seemed
empty. People were scared of the mad elephant, and so they were inside their
17

S.No Words Meanings
1 Outskirt The outer part of a town or city
2 Fence
A barrier, railing, or other upright
structure, typically of wood or wire,
enclosing an area of ground to
prevent or control access or escape
3 Smashed
Violently or badly broken or
shattered
4 Stall
A stand, booth, or compartment for
the sale of goods in a market or
large covered area
5 Helter-skelter
Involving disorderly haste or
confusion
6 Panic
Sudden uncontrollable fear or
anxiety, often causing wildly
unthinking behaviour
7 Grunted A sound made by an elephant
8 Depredation An act of attacking or plundering
9 Inhabitant
A person or animal that lives in or
occupies a place
18

Para9:
“I was studying in the junior class at that time, and was watching the whole
drama from the rooftop. I don’t know what came over me suddenly. I grabbed
a cane from the hands of one of the teachers and ran down the stairs and into
the open. The elephant grunted and menacingly swung a branch of a tree
which it held in its trunk. It stamped its feet, kicking up a lot of mud and dust.
It looked frightening. But I moved slowly towards it, stick in hand. People were
watching the scene hypnotized from nearby housetops. The elephant looked at
me red-eyed, ready to rush towards me. It lifted its trunk and trumpeted
loudly. At that moment I moved forward and, mustering all my force, whacked
its third toenail on the quick. The beast looked stunned for a moment; then it
shivered from head to foot — and collapsed.”
19

Summary:
At the time of the incident Iswaran was studying in the high school. He
was watching the elephant and the destructions caused by the elephant from
the rooftop. To his surprise, Iswaran decided that he should do something about
the situation. He took a stick from one of the teachers and ran downstairs towards
the school ground. At that time, the elephant grunted when it saw a schoolboy
coming near it. Then, the elephant pulled a tree and threw it.
Later, the elephant stamped its foot on the ground, which caused a lot
of mud and dust to fly into the air. The elephant seemed to be threatening
Iswaran, but Iswaran was not afraid of its behavior. Slowly, Iswaran moved
towards the elephant with the stick in his hand.
Many people had climbed onto the terrace of their houses and were watching the
incident. They were standing still and were curious to see what would happen
next. Iswaran saw that the elephant had red-colored eyes. It shows the elephant
was in anger, and it was continuously staring at him.
The elephant again lifted its trunk and made a loud noise. Within a moment,
Iswaran moved forward, gathered all his force, and quickly hit the elephant’s third
toenail. The elephant stood stunned for a moment, and it was not sure what
happened. Then, the elephant shivered from head to foot, and it fell on the
ground and became unconscious.
20

S.No Words Meanings
1 Rooftop
The outer surface of a building's
roof
2 Grabbed
Grasp or seize suddenly and
roughly
3 Cane
A long, thin stick used, to
punish someone by hitting them
4 Hypnotised
To keep the attention so
strongly in someone or
something and feel that it was
unable to move on from that
5 Trumpet Sound of an elephant
6 Mustering
Bringing up the power to hit or
attack something or someone
7 Whacked Hit forcefully with a sharp blow
8 Stunned
A person or an animal
gets shocked and it is
temporarily unable to react
21

Para10-12:
At this point Iswaran would leave the story unfinished, and get up mumbling, “I will
be back after lighting the gas and warming up the dinner.” Mahendra who had been
listening with rapt attention would be left hanging. When he returned, Iswaran would
not pick up the thread of the story right away. Mahendra would have to remind him
that the conclusion was pending. “Well, a veterinary doctor was summoned to revive
the animal,” Iswaran would shrug casually. “Two days later it was led away by its
mahout to the jungle.”
“Well, how did you manage to do it, Iswaran — how did you bring down the beast?”
“It has something to do with a Japanese art, I think, sir. Karate or ju-jitsu it is
called. I had read about it somewhere. It temporarily paralyses the nervous system,
you see.”
22

Summary:
While narrating the story of the wild elephant to Mahendra, Iswaran left the story
without finishing it. Iswaran in a soft voice said that he would return after lighting
the gas stove because he wanted to warm the dinner. Mahendra was
very curious to know what happened next, but he felt disappointed that Iswaran
had left the story unfinished. When he returned after warming the food, he did not
continue with the same incident, as he wanted to create curiosity in Mahendra.
Mahendra was eager to know how the story ended, but Iswaran wanted Mahendra
to remind him to conclude the story. It shows that Iswaran wanted to know how
curious was his master in listening to his stories.
When Mahendra reminded him about the same story, Iswaran said casually that
a veterinary doctor was called to treat the elephant. The veterinary doctor brought
the elephant back to consciousness. After two days, the mahout took the elephant
back to the jungle.
After hearing his exciting story, Mahendran had a few doubts in his mind. So he
asked him how the young Iswaran managed to overpower the vast elephant and
the method he followed to bring down the beast.
At that moment, Iswaran said that he probably performed Japanese martial art. He
said it was called Karate or ju-jitsu. Iswaran added that he had read about it
somewhere in a book. It was mentioned that a technique from the martial art would
23

S.No Words Meanings
1 Unfinished
Not finished or concluded;
incomplete
2 Mumbling
Speaking or spoken in a
quiet and indistinct way
3 Rapt
Giving complete attention,
or showing complete
involvement
4 Unconscious
Not awake and aware of and
responding to one's
environment
5 Veterinary doctor
A person who gives
treatment for farm and
domestic animals
6 Paralyses
Cause a person or part of
the body to become partly
or wholly incapable of
movement
7 Summoned
Order someone to be
24

Para13-14:
Not a day passed without Iswaran recounting some story packed with adventure,
horror and suspense. Whether the story was credible or not, Mahendra enjoyed
listening to it because of the inimitable way in which it was told. Iswaran seemed to
more than make up for the absence of a TV in Mahendra’s living quarters.
One morning when Mahendra was having breakfast Iswaran asked, “Can I make
something special for dinner tonight, sir? After all today is an auspicious day —
according to tradition we prepare various delicacies to feed the spirits of our
ancestors today, sir.”
25

Summary:
Every day Iswaran would narrate a story. The stories would be filled
with adventures, horror and thrill. While Iswaran was telling a story to Mahendra,
sometimes he felt that the story was real or unreal. Even though the
story seemed true or untrue, he was never bothered about it. Instead, he would enjoy
listening to his stories because of the unique way in which Iswaran narrated them. As
there was no television in their room, these stories would entertain him. He was never
bothered about the absence of television in their dwelling place. It was all because
of Iswaran's storytelling skill.
One fine morning, when Mahendra was having his breakfast. Iswaran asked him
whether he could prepare a special meal for dinner as it was a special day. Iswaran
added that according to the Hindu tradition and belief, they would prepare different
varieties of delicious food items, and offer them to their ancestors on a full-moon
night. It is believed that the spirit of the ancestors would come to enjoy the feast. So,
he asked Mahendra about the preparation of the special dinner.
26

S.No Words Meanings
1 Recounting
Tell someone about something;
give an account of an event or
experience
2 Adventure
An unusual and exciting or
daring experience
3 Horror stories
A literary or film genre
concerned with arousing
feelings of horror
4 Credible Able to be believed; convincing
5 Inimitable
Good or unusual as to be
impossible to copy; unique
6 Tradition
The transmission of customs or
beliefs from generation to
generation, or the fact of being
passed on in this way
7 Delicacies
Something especially rare or
expensive that is good to eat
8 Ancestors
A person, typically more
remote than a grandparent,
from whom one is descended
9 Spirit
The form of a dead person or
27

Para15-17
That night Mahendra enjoyed the most delicious dinner and complimented Iswaran
on his culinary skills. He seemed very pleased but, unexpectedly, launched into a
most garish account involving the supernatural.
“You know, sir, this entire factory area we are occupying was once a burial
ground,” he started. Mahendra was jerked out of the pleasant reverie he had drifted
into after the satisfying meal.
“I knew on the first day itself when I saw a human skull lying on the path. Even
now I come across a number of skulls and bones,” Iswaran continued.
28

Summary:
After having breakfast, Mahendra moved to his work site. Later, Iswaran started
preparing a variety of dishes for dinner. Finally, Mahendra returned home from his
site. The night had come. Iswaran started serving the cooked food items.
Mahendra enjoyed the feast and praised Iswaran's cooking talent. Iswaran felt very
happy when Mahendra was praising him, but suddenly, Iswaran started narrating
an incident relating to ghosts or supernatural beings.
Iswaran said that the factory Mahendra was working was once a burial ground. On
hearing that, Mahendra felt uncomfortable.
Iswaran continued his story and started to tell that on the first day itself he saw
a human skull lying on the ground while he was returning after buying vegetables.
Later, he continued that he had come across several skulls and bones lying around
the place. 29

S.No Words Meanings
1 Complimented
Politely congratulate or praise
someone for something
2 Culinary
Connected with cooking,
especially as a developed skill
or art
3 Pleased
Feeling or showing pleasure
and satisfaction, especially at
an event or a situation
4 Unexpectedly
In a way that was not expected
or regarded as likely
5 Supernatural
Of a manifestation or event
attributed to some force
beyond scientific
understanding or the laws of
nature or ghost
6 Burial ground
An area of ground set aside for
the burying of human bodies
7 Jerked
To make a short sudden
movement out of fear or
anxiety
8 Reverie
A state of being pleasantly lost
in one's thoughts; a daydream
9 Drifted
Move passively, aimlessly, or
involuntarily into a certain
situation or condition
30

Para18-19:
He went on to narrate how he sometimes saw ghosts at night. “I am not easily
frightened by these things, sir. I am a brave fellow. But one horrible ghost of a
woman which appears off and on at midnight during the full moon... It is an ugly
creature with matted hair and a shrivelled face, like a skeleton holding a foetus in
its arms.”
Mahendra shivered at the description and interrupted rather sharply, “You are
crazy, Iswaran. There are no such things as ghosts or spirits. It is all a figment of
your imagination. Get your digestive system examined — and maybe your head as
well. You are talking nonsense.
31

Summary:
Iswaran continued his story. He stated that sometimes he saw ghosts at night,
but he wasn't scared of them because he was a brave man. On the other hand,
during the full-moon nights, he often saw a horrible ghost. It was an ugly
female ghost with rough and unkempt hair and bony, wrinkled face. The ghost
looked like a skeleton holding an unborn baby in its hands.
After hearing the frightful description, Mahendra became nervous, and he
started to interrupt Iswaran from talking about the ghost. Mahendra was angry,
and he scolded him and said that Iswaran had gone mad.
Mahendra contradicted by telling that the creatures, like ghosts or spirits, did
not exist in this world. He added that it was all about Iswaran’s imagination.
Mahendra thought that it was all because of reading horror books.
Mahendra asked, "Iswaran to get himself checked up with a doctor". He used the
statement figuratively to suggest that Iswaran has gone mad as he was talking
about ghosts in the middle of the night. In addition, Mahendra also asked him
to test his digestive system. The reason behind the statement to get his
digestive system examined was because people tend to lose sleep if there was
some problem with digestion. So, that would lead people to imagine things that
are not real.
32

1 Frighten Make someone afraid or anxious
2 Horrible Very unpleasant
3 Ugly
Unpleasant or repulsive,
especially in appearance
4 Shrivelled
Wrinkled and shrunken,
especially as a result of loss of
moisture or old age
5 Skeleton
The frame of bones supporting
a human or animal body
6 Foetus An unborn child
7 Imagination
The ability of forming new
ideas, images or concepts of
external objects not present to
the senses
8 Nonsense
Spoken or written words that
have no meaning or make no
sense
33

Para20-22
He left the room and retired for the night, expecting Iswaran to sulk for a couple
of days. But the next morning he was surprised to find the cook as cheerful and
talkative as ever.
From that day on Mahendra, for all his brave talk, went to bed with a certain
unease. Every night he peered into the darkness outside through the window next
to his bed, trying to make sure that there was no movement of dark shapes in the
vicinity. But he could only see a sea of darkness with the twinkling lights of the
factory miles away.
He had always liked to admire the milk-white landscape on full-moon nights.
But after hearing Iswaran’s story of the female ghost he avoided looking out of his
window altogether when the moon was full.
34

Summary:
Later, Mahendra left the room, and he went to bed. While thinking about Iswaran,
Mahendra had expected that Iswaran would remain quiet for a few days because
Mahendra had scolded him. But the following day, Mahendra was surprised to see
a cheerful Iswaran, and he spoke to him in a casual way. It shows Iswaran
had forgotten what happened the previous night, and he was speaking to his
master in a relaxed manner.
Even though Mahendra bravely spoke about the lack of existence
of ghost or spirit in the world, Iswaran's ghost story lingered in his mind. So every
night before going to sleep, Mahendra would look out of the window next to his
bed to confirm that there was no ghost or movement of any dark shades. But
instead of ghosts, Mahendra saw only the dark landscape with the twinkling lights
of the factory, which was shining miles away from the living place.
Mahendra was a nature lover, and he liked to see the white coloured
landscape during full-moon nights. So during full-moon nights, its brightness hits
the landscape, and seemed to be milk-white colour. However, after hearing the
story of a ghost woman, Mahendra stopped enjoying the full-moon night and its
beauty. So whenever it was a full-moon night, he would remember Iswaran's ghost
story.
35

S.No Words Meanings
1 Sulk
Be silent, and bad-tempered
out of annoyance or
disappointment
2 Cheerful
Noticeably happy and
optimistic
3 Talkative Fond of or given to talking
4 Unease Anxiety or discontent
5 Vicinity
The area near or surrounding a
particular place
6 Landscape
A large area of countryside,
especially in relation to its
appearance
36

Para23:
One night, Mahendra was woken up from his sleep by a low moan close to his
window. At first he put it down to a cat prowling around for mice. But the sound was
too guttural for a cat. He resisted the curiosity to look out lest he should behold a
sight which would stop his heart. But the wailing became louder and less feline. He
could not resist the temptation any more. 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. Mahendra broke into a cold sweat
and fell back on the pillow, panting. As he gradually recovered from the ghastly
experience he began to reason with himself, and finally concluded that it must have
been some sort of auto suggestion, some trick that his subconscious had played on
him.
37

Summary:
Mahendra got scared when he thought about the ghost story. Then, one night while
Mahendra was in his deep sleep, he was awakened by the sound of someone crying.
He thought that it could be the sound of a cat because the cats tend to roam here
and there in search of mice during nighttime. So he tried convincing himself that it
was nothing and tried to get back to sleep.
Again Mahendra heard the same sound, and it became harsher and seemed to be
horrible. Mahendra wanted to look out of the window, but he had stopped himself
because he was worried that he might see something terrible that could stop his
heart. Later, as time passed, the crying sound became louder, and he concluded that
it was not the sound made by a cat.
Even though Mahendra was in great fear, he could not stop himself from knowing
what was happening around him. So he lowered his head nearby the window to see
whether anything was there. In the moonlight, Mahendra saw something that seemed
to be in the form of a dark cloud. The dark cloud seemed like a ghost holding a
bundle in its arms.
Mahendra panicked after seeing the figure, and his face was filled with sweat
because of anxiety. He started breathing heavily and fell back on the bed. After some
time, Mahendra slowly recovered from the scary experience and told himself that his
thoughts were the reason behind everything. Mahendra assumed that he had been
38

S.No Words Meanings
1 Moan
Make a long, low sound expressing
physical or mental suffering
2 Prowling
Of a person or animal move about
restlessly and stealthily, especially
in search of prey
3 Guttural Harsh-sounding
4 Curiosity
A strong desire to know or learn
something
5 Feline Appearing or behaving like a cat
6 Clutching Grasp something tightly
7 Auto suggestion
The practice of suggesting
thoughts to oneself
8 Ghastly Causing great horror or fear
9 Subconscious
The part of your mind that notices
and remembers information when
you are not actively trying to do so,
and influences your behavior even
though you do not realize it
10 Trick
A cunning act or scheme intended
to deceive or outwit someone
11 Panting
Breathing with short, quick breaths;
out of breath
39

Para24-25:
By the time he had got up in the morning, had a bath and come out to have his
breakfast, the horror of the previous night had faded from his memory. Iswaran
greeted him at the door with his lunch packet and his bag. Just as Mahendra was
stepping out Iswaran grinned and said, “Sir, remember the other day when I was
telling you about the female ghost with a foetus in its arms, you were so angry with
me for imagining things? Well, you saw her yourself last night. I came running
hearing the sound of moaning that was coming from your room...”
A chill went down Mahendra’s spine. He did not wait for Iswaran to complete his
sentence. He hurried away to his office and handed in his papers, resolving to leave
the haunted place the very next day!
40

Summary:
The next morning Mahendra woke up from his bed, took his morning bath and
came out to have his breakfast. The horror experience from the previous
night had faded from Mahendra's memory by then.
Later, Iswaran met Mahendra at the door to give him his lunch packet and bag. As
Mahendra was about to leave the house, Iswaran smiled and said he had heard
the moaning sound of Mahendra from the room the previous night. Iswaran
reminded Mahendra that he had scolded him for discussing the ugly ghost, but
Mahendra himself saw the same spirit last night. Iswaran tried to prove him that
these horrible things would happen around their living place during full-moon
nights.
When Iswaran reminded him of the previous night, Mahendra got scared again.
Mahendra did not wait for Iswaran to complete his sentence about the ghost.
Mahendra hurried off to his office, and he decided to resign from the job and
leave the haunted place the next day itself. He could not live in the scary place
any longer.
41

S.No Words Meanings
1 Faded
Gradually grow faint and
disappear
2 Memory
The ability to remember
information, experiences, and
people
3 Greet
Give a polite word of
recognition or sign of welcome
when meeting someone
4 Grin Express with a broad smile
5 Haunted Of a place occupied by a ghost
6 Hurried
Done something in a hurry or
rushed manner
42

NOW, THE QUESTION AND ANSWERS OF
THE CHAPTER
QUESTION 1.
WHICH ART HELPED ISWARAN TO BRING DOWN THE BEAST ?
(A) BOXING
(B) WRESTLING
(C) JU-JITSU
(D) YOGA
ANSWER: (C) JU-JITSU
43

QUESTION 2.
WHERE DID THE SCHOOL BOYS HIDE THEMSELVES TO SEE THE MAD ELEPHANT ?
(A) ON TREES
(B) IN THEIR HOUSES
(C) IN THEIR CLASSROOMS
(D) IN THE HEADMASTER’S ROOM
ANSWER: (C) IN THEIR CLASSROOMS
QUESTION 3.
WHAT HAPPENED TO THE ELEPHANT WHEN ISWARAN HIT ON THE THIRD TOENAIL OF
THE ELEPHANT ?
(A) GRUNTED LOUDLY AND COLLAPSED ON THE
(B) RAN AWAY FROM THERE GROUND
(C) CAUGHT ISWARAN IN HIS TRUNK AND THREW HIM
(D) MADE FRIENDSHIP WITH ISWARAN AWAY
ANSWER: (A) GRUNTED LOUDLY AND COLLAPSED ON THE GROUND 44

QUESTION 4.
FROM WHERE WAS ISWARAN WATCHING THIS INCIDENT
(A) FROM A ROOM
(B)FROM THE CUPBOARD
(C) FROM A TREE
(D) FROM THE ROOFTOP
ANSWER:(D) FROM THE ROOFTOP
QUESTION 5.
WHAT WAS THE SPECIAL FEATURE OF HIS STORIES ?
(A) LIGHT HUMOR
(B) SATIRE ON SYSTEM
(C) TRAGIC ENDING
(D) SUSPENSE AND A SURPRISE ENDING
ANSWER: (D) SUSPENSE AND A SURPRISE ENDING 45

NOW, SOME TEXT QUESTIONS.....
46
Question 1.
In what way is Iswaran an asset to Mahendra?
Answer:
Iswaran was an obedient person. He was Mahendra’s cook. He was very caring
and hardworking. He did all the jobs such as cooking meal, washing clothes
and chatting with Mahendra at night. He obeyed his master with full
dedication. So, he was an asset to Mahendra.
Question 2.
How does Iswaran describe the uprooted tree on the highway? What effect does
he want to create in his listeners?
Answer:
Iswaran was greatly influenced by the Tamil authors. He was in the habit of
creating suspense. He had the quality of narrating even the smallest incident in
impressive way. He presented the incident related to the uprooted tree on the
highway in a dramatic way. He was alone and the road was deserted. He saw
something that looked like an enormous beast lying across the road. But as
soon as he came closer, he found there nothing but a fallen tree. His main

47
Question 3.
How does he narrate the story of the tusker? Does it appear to be
plausible?
Answer:
Iswaran narrated the story of the tusker exaggeratedly. The Tusker, having
escaped from the timber yard, stamped on bushes, tore up wild creepers
and broke the branches at his will. The elephant became uncontrollable
and entered the school ground. It created chaos there. Everyone in the
school tried to escape. No one dared to face the tusker. In the meantime
Iswaran grabbed a cane from a teacher and moved towards the elephant.
He hit its third toenail and the beast collapsed. He claimed that he had
used the Japanese art to control the tusker. But this story seems totally
implausible as it is very difficult to believe that a child can control a mad
elephant.
Question 4.
Why does the author say that Iswaran seemed to more than make up for
the absence of a TV in Mahendra’s living quarters?
Answer:
Iswaran was an expert in telling adventurous and mysterious stories in a
dramatic way. It was his daily routine to entertain Mahendra at night.

48
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 as he did not
believe in ghosts. One day Iswaran told him about a female ghost holding a
foetus in her arms. On a full-moon night he woke up from his sleep and
looked outside the window. He got shocked to see the same figure and
began to sweat profusely.
Question 6.
Can you think of some other ending for the story?
Answer:
The present story ends with Mahendra’s resolve to leave the haunted place.
But it is not the appropriate ending. Mahendra should not have decided to
leave the haunted place without knowing the reality. The story could end
like this: Courageously Mahendra approached the woman and tried to know
the reality. As soon as Mahendra caught the woman, it became the
revelation of the mystery. It was none but Iswaran in the guise of a ghost of
woman.

THANK YOU
……………….……………X……………………………
49

ISWARAN THE STORY TELLER {ENGLISH PRESENTATION2}.pptx

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