The passage provides a detailed summary of Khushwant Singh's short story "The Portrait of a Lady". It describes the author's close relationship with his grandmother during his childhood, the changes that occurred when the family moved to the city, and his grandmother's declining health and eventual death. The summary highlights key details about the grandmother's appearance and daily routines, the impact of the family's relocation, and the grandmother's peaceful passing surrounded by sparrows who mourned her death.

1. Hornbill
The Portrait of a Lady Summary
Class 11th English
-By Khushwant Singh
The Portrait of a Lady’ is written in first person and is in the biographical
mode. In this story, the writer gives a detailed account of his Grandmother
with whom he had a long association. Khushwant Singh recalls his
Grandmother as short, fat and slightly bent. Her silver hair was scattered
untidily on her wrinkled face. She hobbled around the house in white
clothes with one handresting on her waist and the other telling the beads of
her rosary. Khushwant Singh remembers her as not very pretty but always
beautiful. He compares her serene face to that of a winter landscape,
During their long stay in the village, Grandmother woke him up in the
morning, plastered his wooden slate, prepared his breakfast, and escorted
him to school. While he studied alphabets, she read the scriptures in the
temple attached to the school. On their way back home she fed stale
chapattis to stray dogs. The turning point in their relationship came when
they went to live in the city. Now, the author went to a city school in a
motor bus and studied English, law of gravity, Archimedes’ principle and
many more things which she could not understand at all.
Grandmother could no longer accompany him to school nor help him in his
studies. She was upset that there was no teaching of God and scriptures at
city school. Instead he was given music lesson which, according to her, was
not meant for gentlefolk. But she said nothing.
When Khushwant Singh went to a university, he was given a separate room.
The common link of their friendship was snapped. Grandmother rarely
talked to anyone now. She spent most of her time sitting beside her
spinning wheel, reciting prayers, and feeding the sparrows in the afternoon.
When the author left for abroad, Grandmother did not get disturbed.
Rather, she saw him off at the railway station. Seeing her old age, the
narrator thought that it was his last meeting with her. But, contrary to his
thinking, when he returned after a span of five years, Grandmother was
there to receive him. She celebrated the occasion by singing songs of the
home coming of warriors on an old dilapidated drum, along with the ladies
of the neighbourhood.

2. Next morning she got ill. Although the doctor said it was a mild fever and
would go away soon, she could foresee that her end was near. She did not
want to waste time talking to anyone. She lay peacefully in bed praying and
telling the beads till her lips stopped moving and the rosary fell from her
lifeless fingers. To mourn her death thousands of sparrows flew in and sat
scattered around her body. There was no chirruping and when Khushwant
Singh’s mother threw breadcrumbs to the sparrows, they took no notice of
the bread. They flew away quietly when the dead body of Grandmother was
carried away for last rites.
A Photograph Summary Class
11th English
By Shirley Toulson
The poem, ‘A photograph’, contrasts the eternal state of nature and the
transitory state of human beings. The poet describes a photograph that
captures interesting moments of her mother’s childhood when she went for
a sea holiday with her two girl cousins. The poet draws a contrast between
nature, changing at a snail’s pace and the fast-changing human life.
The poet recollects how her mother laughedat the photograph and felt
disappointed at the loss of her childhood joys. The sea holiday was her
mother’s past at that time, while her mother’s laughter is the poet’s past
now. With great difficulty and at different periods of time, both reconcile
with their respective losses and the pain involved in recollecting the past.
For the poet, the death of her mother brings great sadness and an acute
sense of loss. The painful ‘silence’ of the situation leaves her with no words
to express her grief. Thus, the ‘silence silences’ her.
The three stanzas of the poem depict three different stages of life i.e. early
adolescence (girlhood).adulthoodand death.
We’re Not afraid to Die—If We Can
All Be Together Summary
by Gordon Cook and Alan East
The story, ‘We’re Not afraid to Die-if We Can All Be Together’ is a story of
extreme courage and skill exhibited by Gordon Cook, his family and

3. crewmen in a war with water and waves for survival. In July 197 6, the
narrator, his wife Mary, son Jonathan and daughter Suzanne set sail from
Plymouth, England to duplicate the round-the world voyage made 200
years earlier by Captain James Cook. They took the voyage in their
professionally built ship, the Wavewalker, accompanied by two experienced
sailors – Larry Vigil, an American and Herb Seigler, a Swiss, to tackle one
of the world’s roughest seas – the Southern Indian Ocean.
The first part of the journey, that is, about 105,000 kilometres up to Cape
Town passed off very, pleasantly. On the secondday out of Cape Town, -
they began to encounterstrong gales. Gales did not worry the narrator. But
the size of the waves was alarming – up to 15 metres, as high as the main
mast. On 25th December, the writer’s ship was in the southern Indian
Ocean, 3500 kilometres to the east of Cape Town. The family celebrated
their new year on board the ship.
At dawn on January 2, the waves were gigantic. Unfriendly weather and
gigantic waves compelled the sailors to slow their speed, drop storm jib and
take other precautions. The danger was so obvious that the sailors
completed life-raft drill, attached lifelines and life jackets.
Suddenly at 6 pm, a tremendous explosion shook the Wavewalker and the
author was thrown overboard. The ship was about to capsize when another
gigantic wave hit it tossing it upright once again. The authorwas thrown
back onto the deck, his head and ribs smashing against the walls. In spite of
his injuries, the narrator took charge of the situation. Somehow he found
the wheel, lined up the stem for the next wave and hung on till Mary
appeared and took charge of the wheel. Larry and Herb started pumping
out water like madmen. The whole starboard side bulged inwards. The
narrator managed to cover canvas across the gaps to prevent water from
entering the ship. Then came more problems. Their hand pumps stopped
working and electric pumps short-circuited. Fortunately, the narrator
founda spare electric pump underthe chartroom that worked. The entire
night was spent in pumping, steering, repairing and sending radio signals.
The narrator checkedcharts and calculated that He Amsterdam, a French
scientific base was their only hope.
Sue and Jon were injured but they said that they were not afraid to die if
they could all be together. Sue’s head was swollen and she had a deep
injury. The narrator became more determined seeing his children’s
courage. Finally, they reached lie Amsterdam, a volcanic island where they
were welcomed by 28 inhabitants. Thus, the collective strength and never
failing optimism of the sailors made it possible for them to come out of the
jaws of death. Though Jonathan and Suzanne did not do anything to save

4. Wavewalker but their courage, forbearance, faith and optimism gave extra
strength and persistence to the narrator and his team. The bravery of the
strong-willed children is noteworthy in the story.
Discovering Tut: the Saga
Continues Summary Class 11th
English
By A. R. Williams
Discovering Tut: the Saga Continues’ gives an insight into the mystery
surrounding the life and death of Tutankhamun, the last teenage ruler of
the powerful Pharaoh dynasty that had ruled Egypt for centuries. He was
the last of his family’s line, and his funeral brought an end to this powerful
dynasty. Not much is known about his family. Tut’s father or grandfather,
Amenhotep III was a powerful pharaoh who ruled for about four decades
during the dynasty’s golden age.
His son, Amenhotep IV shockedthe country by attacking Amun, a major
God, smashing his images and closing all his temples. He changed his name
to Akhenaten and promoted the worship of Aten or the sun disk. After his
death, a mysterious ruler, Smenkhkare appeared briefly and exited with
hardly a trace. When Tut took over, he changed his name from Tutankhaten
to Tutankhamun and restored the old ways. However, Tut ruled for nine
years and then died mysteriously and unexpectedly. In order to unravel the
mystery of his death, King Tut’s mummy was scanned after a thousand
years, thus opening new perceptions regarding the cause of his death. In
1922, his tomb was discovered by Howard Carter who used all kinds of
means to remove Tut’s mummy from the coffin. The ritual resins had
hardened, thereby cementing Tut to the bottom of his solid gold coffin.
Carter finally had to chisel the mummy away having no otheroption. Every
major joint was severed. In 1968 an anatomy professor X-rayed the
mummy and revealed that Tut’s breastbone and front ribs were missing.
Such a revelation would not have been possible without technological
precision. This fact gives us a clue that Tut, in all likelihood did not die a
natural death. Tut’s mummy was scanned in 2005 under the supervision of
Zahi Hawass, Secretary General of Egypt’s Supreme Council of Antiquities.
The ComputedTomography Scan couldn’t solve the mysterious death of
Tut but gave us clues for sure.

5. The lesson also provides a comprehensive awareness of ancient Egyptian
culture. The ancient Egyptians believed that there was life after death. That
is why the Pharaohs were buried with the tremendous amount of wealth
including things of daily use so that they could use them in their life after
death. It was also believed that gold would guarantee their resurrection.
The Voice of the Rain Summary
Class 11th English
By Walt Whitman
The Voice of the Rain’ celebrates rain and the accompanying water cycle that supports life
and benefits the Earth. The poet recounts a ‘conversation’ he had with the falling raindrops.
He asks the rain, ‘And who art thou?’ and strangely, the rain answers, calling itself ‘the Poem
of Earth’. The rain says that it is born in the form of intangible vapours that rise eternally
from the earth’s land and deep water bodies. It then reaches upwards towards heaven in the
form of clouds, impalpable, vaguely formed and altogether changed. Yet, at its core, it
remains the same as it was at birth. It, then, returns to its origin, the Earth, as raindrops to
wash away the dust and rejuvenate the drought-ridden and dry land.
The poet compares the rain to a poem/song. A song is born in the heart of a human and after
giving pleasure and joy to one and all come back to the creator in the form of appreciation.
Similarly, rain originates from the Earth and the bottomless sea; soars up to heaven taking the
form of clouds and comes down to give joy to its birthplace (Earth) and makes it clean, pure
and beautiful.
The Ailing Planet Summary Class
11th English
By Nani Palkhivala
The lesson, ‘The Ailing Planet: the Green Movement’s Role’ focuses on the
deteriorating health of the Earth because of human being’s growing lust to
exploit all its natural resources. A Zoo in Lusaka, Zambia calls the man as
the most dangerous animal in this world. Fortunately, the Green movement
launchedin 1972 has been responsible for a new awareness that has
dawned upon the human race. There has been an irrevocable shift from a
mechanistic view to a holistic and ecological view of the world. There is a
growing worldwide consciousness that the earth itself is a living organism -
an enormous being of which we are parts. It has its own metabolic needs

6. that must be respected and preserved. But, today, its vital signs reveal a
patient in declining health. In 1987, the World Commission on
Environment and Development popularized the concept of sustainable
development – a development that meets the needs of the present without
compromising the ability of the future generations to meet their needs.
According to Mr Lester R. Brown, there are four biological systems, namely
fisheries, forests, grasslands and croplands. They form the basis of the
global economic system. They supply food to us and raw materials for our
industries. But in large areas of the world, these systems are reaching
unsustainable levels. Their productivity is being damaged.
For the first time in human history, we are concerned about the-Survival of
not just the people but of the planet. In this era of responsibility, an
industry can play a crucial role. Today, many industrialists and politicians
have realized their responsibility in preserving the natural resources for the
future generation.
The growth of world population is anotherfactor distorting the future of
our children. Development is not possible if population increases. The
writer says that fertility falls as incomes rise, education spreads, and health
improves. Thus, development is the best contraceptive.
The Browning Version Summary
Class 11th English
By Terence Rattigan
The Browning Version’ presents a conversation between a lower fifth-grade
student, Taplow and Mr Frank, a teacher from the school where Taplow
studies. From their conversation, we come to know that Taplow is there to
do extra work extra duty as punishment for his teacher, Mr Crocker-Harris.
Although we do not see CrockerHarris in the play, we get to know a lot
about him through Taplow’s conversation with Mr Frank According to
Taplow, Mr Crocker-Harris is a different kind of a teacher.
He is too strict and ‘hardly human’. Unlike other teachers, he does not tell
his students their results before the last day of the term. Tap low had asked
Mr CrockerHarris about his remove and in response, the teacher told him
that he has given Taplow exactly what he deserves – “No less; and certainly
no more”.

7. Frank admits envying Mr Crocker-Harris for the effect he has on his
students. He asks Tap low if Mr Crocker-Harris beat his students. However,
Taplow tells Frank that unlike one or two other teachers, Mr Crocker-
Harris is not a ‘sadist’. He is not the sort of a person who would beat
students and vent out his frustration on students. He is hard like a nut all
shrivelled up. He is heartless. He possesses no feelings at all. Tap low
admits that in spite of all this, he likes Mr Crocker-Harris.
At this point, Millie, the wife of Mr. Crocker-Harris arrives there and sends
Taplow to a chemist’s shop with a prescription.
Childhood Summary Class 11th
English
By Markus Natten
In the poem ‘Childhood’, Markus Natten depicts the reality of childhood
innocence gradually transforming into adult rationality, hypocrisy and
individuality. The poem begins with the poet wondering when did his
childhood go – was it the day he ceased to be eleven; was it the day when he
could distinguish between fantasy and reality by realizing that heaven and
hell don’t exist since they are not foundin geography books; was it the day
when he could understand the hypocrisy of adults by realizing that people
were not all that they pretended to be; or was it the day when he became
conscious of his own growing individuality by realising that he had a mind
of his own and that he was capable of producing thoughts and opinions that
were different from other people.
In the final lines, the poet concludes the speculations in his mind regarding
his lost childhood. He now tries to understandwhere his childhood has
gone. Though he is not aware of the day he lost his childhood, he knows
that it has gone to some forgotten place, that is, on the face of an infant. The
poet believes that though his childhood has become a memory for him, it
has become a reality for some other child. Childhoodis a cyclic process,
where it leaves one person and goes to another.
Father to Son Summary Class 11th
English

8. – By Elizabeth Jennings
‘Father to Son’ describes the troubled relationship between a father and his
son. The poem talks about generation-gap between the father and the son
and voices the father’s pain and helplessness in failing to understandhis
child.
The father wants the same kind of bond with his son as he had when the
son was a little child. But now, silence is what surrounds their relationship
and there is a complete lack of communication between them. Though they
have lived in the same house for years, they behave as strangers.
The father sees his son as the ‘the prodigal son’ who would soon return to
his father’s house which was once his very own. The father is unable to
understand why in his grief he becomes angry with his son.
As there is still love between both of them, they try to find out a way to
resolve their differences but that seems futile. Elizabeth Jennings says that
fathers and sons all over the world shouldlearn to live on the same globe
and same land. The poem talks about the universal problem – lack of
communication and understanding.

9. The Summer of the Beautiful White
Horse Summary Class 11th English
This is a story of two tribal Armenian boys who belonged to the
Garoghlanian tribe. For their family, even in times of extreme poverty
nothing could match the importance of honesty. They never did anything
wrong and never lied or never even stole anything. The story talks about an
incident that revolves aroundtwo cousins Aram who is nine years old and
Mourad who is thirteen. The world, for Aram, at that time, seemedto be a
delightful and extremely joyous yet mysterious dream. People believed in
every imaginable kind of magnificence. Mouradwas considered to be crazy
by everybody he knew.
The story opens with Mourad coming to Aram’s house at four in the
morning one fine day. He tapped on the window to Aram’s room. When
Aram lookedout of the window, he was taken aback and startled to see
Mourad riding a beautiful white horse. In fact, he was so dazed that Mourad
had to say “Yes, it’s a horse. You are not dreaming.” All this was too
unbelievable because Aram knew that they were too poor to be able to
afford to buy a horse. The only way Mourad could possess it could be by
stealing. They were too honest to lie and yet too crazy to ride a horse.
Thus, they kept the horse for two weeks, enjoying its ride in cool air and
singing to their heart’s content on the country roads. They hid it from the
rest of the world by keeping it in a barn of the deserted vineyard.
Meanwhile, Aram came to know that the horse was stolen from John Byro.
They planned not to return it to him so soon although it pricked their
conscience to steal, which was completely their ethics and tribal norms.
One fine day they came across John, the farmer. Such was the boys’ family
famous for their honesty that the thought of his horse being stolen by the
boys nevercrossed John’s mind. He was just amazed at the resemblance
and said: “I would swear it is my horse if I did not know yourparents.” This
moving experience led the boys towards John’s vineyard the very next
morning. They left the horse in the barn after patting it affectionately. Later
that Based on day, John seemedto be very pleased and shared the news of
the return of his horse with Aram’s mother. The story teaches us the
importance and necessity of honesty even in the face of greed and passion.

10. The Address Summary Class 11th
English
The story The Address is all about the human predicament that follows the
war. The story narrates how a daughter goes to her native place in Holland
in search of her mother’s belongings after the war.
At the beginning of the story, it is narrated how the protagonist was given a
cold reception when she went to her native place after the war in search of
her mother’s belongings. After ringing the bell of House Number46 in
Marconi Street, a woman opened the door. On being introduced, the
woman kept staring at her in silence. There was no sign of recognition on
her face. The woman was wearing her mother’s green knitted cardigan. The
narrator could understand that she had made no mistake. She asked the
woman whethershe knew her mother. The woman could not deny this.
The narrator wanted to talk to her for some time. But the woman cautiously
closed the door. The narrator stopped there for some time and then left the
place. In the subsequent sections, the memories of the narrator’s bygone
days come to light. Her mother had provided the address years ago during
the war. She went to the home for a few days. She could find that various
things were missing. At that time her mothertold her about Mrs Dorling.
She happened to be an old acquaintance of the narrator’s mother. Lately,
she had renewed contact with her and had been coming there regularly.
Every time she left their house she took something home with her. She told
that she wanted to save all their nice possessions. The next day the narrator
saw Mrs. Dorling going out of their house with a heavy suitcase. She had a
fleeting glimpse of Mrs. Dorling’s face. She asked her mother whetherthe
woman lived far away. At that time the narrator’s mother told about the
address: Number 46, Marconi Street. After many days the after the war, the
narrator was curious to take record of the possessions that must still be at
Number 46, Marconi Street. With this intention, she went to the given
address. The concluding part of the story describes the second visit of the
narrator. As the narrator’s first visit yielded no result so she planned to go
once again. Interestingly, a girl of fifteen opened the door to her. Her
mother was not at home.
The narrator expressed her wish to wait for her. The girl accompanied her
to the passage. The narrator saw an old fashionediron candle holder
hanging next to a mirror. The girl made her sit in the living room and went
inside. The narrator was horrified to find herself in a room she knew and
did not know. She found herself in the midst of familiar things which she

11. longed to see again but which troubled her in the strange atmosphere. She
had no courage to look around her. But she no longer had the desire to
possess them. She got up, walked to the door, and left the room. She
resolved to forget the address and moved on.
Ranga’s Marriage Summary Class
11th English
Ranga’s Marriage, by Masti Venkatesh Iyengar, is a story about a boy who
returns to his village after receiving education in English medium from
Bangalore. The boy is the son of the accountant of the village. They live in
the village Hoshali in Mysore. The boy when returns, the whole village
floods over him to see if there is any change in his personality. However, to
their dismay, he still has the same eyes and mouth and everything else. He
did the traditional namaskar and all dispersed.
The story is a first person narrative and a major portion of the story is in
flash back. The speakerdirectly addresses the reader.The narrator is a
neighbor of the protagonist. He introduces the story with a difference by
first giving a detailed description of their village Hoshali. He praises the
mangoes from his village. He asks the reader if he/she has ever heard of the
village. He replies to the question himself, for the village was not located in
any of the maps for the English babus and the ones in our country forgot to
put it there. Then he introduces Ranga, the protagonist, in a time ten years
ago. Ranga had gone to Bangalore for studies and returned home after six
months. It was the time when English was a language not popular and a few
people used it. All used to converse in Kannada. All the villagers arrived at
Ranga’s place and began scrutinizing him. To their dismay, he was still the
same old Ranga and they left disappointed. However, the narrator stayed
back and shared a few jokes with the boy and then left. Later in the
afternoon, Ranga arrived at the narrator’s home with a few oranges. The
narrator judged the boy and felt it appropriate to marry such a well
educated and humble boy. However, Ranga had no plans to settle as a
married man. He put his views on marriage in front of the narrator that he
wanted to get married to a girl who is mature and someone Rangappa could
admire.
Ranga left after the discussion and the narrator decided then that he would
get the boy married. Determined, he began considering Rama Rao’s niece
Ratna as a suitable bride for Ranga. She was from a big town and knew how
to play veena and harmonium. He came up with a plan. He asked Rama
Rao’s wife to send Ratna to his place to fetch some buttermilk. So she came

12. on Friday wearing a grand saree. He requestedRatna to sing and sent for
Ranga. Ranga reached the narrator’s place and stopped outside the room as
he did not want to disrupt the singing but was curious to see her face so
peeped in. Ratna noticed the stranger
and stopped abruptly. Ranga came in and the girl left.
Curiously he inquired about the girl and narrator cleverly played at his
words. He told Ranga that the girl was married off a year ago and noticed
the disappointment flaring Ranga’s face. He was infatuated to the girl. The
narrator was happy as his plan was working. As his next step, the next day
the narrator took Ranga to an astrologer who he had already tutored what
to say. It was the meeting with the astrologer when the narrator’s name is
disclosed. Shyama, he was. The astrologer pretended to read the natal chart
of Rangappa and declared that the boy was in love with a girl who had a
name of something foundin the ocean. Shyama said it could be Ratna,
Rama Rao’s niece. Ranga’s smile was not hidden from Shyama. But the girl
was married!
The narrator took the boy to Rama Rao’s home and asked him to wait
outside. When he came outside he confirmed that the girl was not married,
that there had been some confusion. After all, the narrator had to come up
with something. Even Ranga then admitted that he had been attracted to
the girl. Later a conversation between the astrologer and the narrator is
described as how the astrologer says that though the narrator had given
him clues, he could have foundit all out by himself through astrology.
The story moves forward ten years, or to say, returns to the present.
Rangappa came one day to the narrator, inviting him at his son Shyama’s
third birthday. Obviously, Ratna and Ranga had been married. And now
they have a three years old son whom Ranga named after the narrator.
Albert Einstein at School Summary
Class 11th English
The father of modern physics, Albert Einstein is famous to have discovered
the theory of relativity which marked a revolution in physics. However, how
many of us know the fact that in his early school days he was a dull student
and got expelled from his school. No teacher liked him and he too, in turn,
disliked attending school. This led to the school finally taking a decision in

13. chasing him away.
The narrative begins with Albert being asked about a date by his history
teacher. This was when he was very abrupt and crude in replying that he
foundit pointless to memorise dates when one could flip through the
necessary pages wheneverone needed to. He believed in education but
didn’t consider learning facts as education. He hated school because he
hated the conventional form of education and the teachers foundhim to be
a ‘disgrace.’ Finally, the teacher, disgusted and fed up, asked him to be
taken away by his father. Einstein also hated going home, not for the
obvious reasons of bad food and lack of comfort, but because he hated the
atmosphere of ‘slum violence.’
He was so against the idea of going to school and adapting to the set
educational pattern that he once confided in his friend that he thought he
would never pass the exams for the school diploma. He once told his cousin
Elsa that he wanted to study science simply because he liked it. He didn’t
need additional reasons to study the subject he was interested in. He was
sent to Munich to study where within six months he grew disinterested and
foundit wrong to waste his father’s money, especially when it was so
unfruitful and unproductive.
This was the moment of Albert’s childhood epiphany when he gleamed with
a sudden bright idea of averting school forever. He asked his friend Yuri to
search for a friendly doctor who would write him off as a lunatic at school.
He wanted the doctor to certify him as a person suffering from nervous
breakdown so that he could stay away from school. To this doctor, Albert
revealed his love for mathematics and his maths teacher. Later, in school,
he askedfor a reference letter from his maths teacher. This is when he
heard the most surprising comment from his maths teacher who said: “I
knew you were going to leave before you knew yourself.”
Finally, the day when Albert was called by the headmaster he was not
worried when this happened. However, he was taken aback when the
headmaster said that he couldn’t tolerate Albert’s attitude towards
education and his behavior in the classroom which disturbed an ideal
environment for studying. Thus, he wanted Albert to leave school. Albert
felt the medical report burning a hole in his pocket.
He left the school where he had spent five miserable years, without turning
his head to give it a last look. He felt like seeing only Yuri before he left
Munich. Elsa was back in Berlin when he left. Yuri bade him farewell and
wished him good luck.

14. Albert Einstein at School Summary
Class 11th English
The father of modern physics, Albert Einstein is famous to have discovered
the theory of relativity which marked a revolution in physics. However, how
many of us know the fact that in his early school days he was a dull student
and got expelled from his school. No teacher liked him and he too, in turn,
disliked attending school. This led to the school finally taking a decision in
chasing him away.
The narrative begins with Albert being asked about a date by his history
teacher. This was when he was very abrupt and crude in replying that he
foundit pointless to memorise dates when one could flip through the
necessary pages wheneverone needed to. He believed in education but
didn’t consider learning facts as education. He hated school because he
hated the conventional form of education and the teachers foundhim to be
a ‘disgrace.’ Finally, the teacher, disgusted and fed up, asked him to be
taken away by his father. Einstein also hated going home, not for the
obvious reasons of bad food and lack of comfort, but because he hated the
atmosphere of ‘slum violence.’
He was so against the idea of going to school and adapting to the set
educational pattern that he once confided in his friend that he thought he
would never pass the exams for the school diploma. He once told his cousin
Elsa that he wanted to study science simply because he liked it. He didn’t
need additional reasons to study the subject he was interested in. He was
sent to Munich to study where within six months he grew disinterested and
foundit wrong to waste his father’s money, especially when it was so
unfruitful and unproductive.
This was the moment of Albert’s childhood epiphany when he gleamed with
a sudden bright idea of averting school forever. He asked his friend Yuri to
search for a friendly doctor who would write him off as a lunatic at school.
He wanted the doctor to certify him as a person suffering from nervous
breakdown so that he could stay away from school. To this doctor, Albert
revealed his love for mathematics and his maths teacher. Later, in school,
he askedfor a reference letter from his maths teacher. This is when he
heard the most surprising comment from his maths teacher who said: “I
knew you were going to leave before you knew yourself.”
Finally, the day when Albert was called by the headmaster he was not
worried when this happened. However, he was taken aback when the
headmaster said that he couldn’t tolerate Albert’s attitude towards
education and his behavior in the classroom which disturbed an ideal

15. environment for studying. Thus, he wanted Albert to leave school. Albert
felt the medical report burning a hole in his pocket.
He left the school where he had spent five miserable years, without turning
his head to give it a last look. He felt like seeing only Yuri before he left
Munich. Elsa was back in Berlin when he left. Yuri bade him farewell and
wished him good luck.
Mother’s Day Summary Class 11th
English
Mother’s Day, a play by J. B. Priestley, portraying the status of a mother in a household.
Priestly humorously explores the story when Mrs. Pearson, in her forties, stands up for her
rights and how her family reacts at this. Mrs. Pearson is very fond of her family and works
day and night to support her family member in the best possible manner. However, she is
upset at the way she is being treated. Nobody cares for her or asks about her. All day long she
stays at home doing all the work. In the evening when the kids and her husband return she
gave threw her in meeting their demands. She did not want any dislikeable thing to happen in
her household yet she craved for their attention and a little respect. She went to her neighbor
Mrs. Fitzgerald, a fortune teller and a magician. Older and heavy, Mrs. Fitzgerald comes with
a plan. She proposed that they could exchange bodies and then with Pearson’s body, she
would teach a lesson to Pearson’s family that Mrs. Pearson could not herself for she was too
humble and nice to do that.
Though reluctant, Mrs. Pearson agreed to the idea and the two exchanged their bodies. Mrs.
Pearson was still not sure and asked Mrs. Fitzgerald if she could get her body back. However,
determined Fitzgerald tells Pearson to not worry and that she would handle the matter
carefully. She left for Pearson’s home with Mrs. Pearson’s body. She entered the home and
knew what she was to do to teach Pearsons’ a lesson so they would not bother Mrs. Pearson
in future unnecessarily. Mrs. Pearson (Mrs. Fitzgerald’s soul) smoked a cigarette and was
confident than ever. A few moments later, her daughter, Doris Pearson, entered the house and
started demanding tea and her dress. Mrs. Pearson was sure to make her realize that she was
Doris’ mother and not a servant. She was stunned to see her mother smoking and that she had
not prepared tea for her and that her dress was not ready as well. Doris told her mother that
she was to go out with her beau Charles Spencer on which the mother remarked if she could
not find someone better. This broke Doris and she left weeping.
Then came the son, Cyril Pearson, who is amused at his mother’s strange behaviour. They get
into an argument. The children could not baffle the situation. When the mother left to fetch
the stout, the children discussed their mother’s behaviour. Doris felt that it might have been
that mother got her head hit. Then enters mother with a bottle of stout and a glass half filled
with it. The children began to laugh and the mother chided them and asked them to behave
like grown-ups. Doris then asked her mother for her such behaviour and if they had done
something wrong. Then Mrs Pearson tells them that it is actually the children’s and her
husband’s behaviour that has disturbed her. They always come and go without bothering
about her. They demand duties from her and she does her best to keep everyone happy and

16. still nobody is bothered about her. She remarks that while the three of them do a job of forty
hours a week with two days at the weekend, she goes on working seven days round the clock.
She proclaimed that she would do some work on Saturday and Sunday only if she is thanked
for everything.
When the mother scolded Doris and Cyril duly, entered George Pearson and is annoyed at her
wife sipping stout. He told her that he would have supper at the club and that he did not want
tea. The wife told him that there was no tea. He got annoyed and the wife then said that when
he did not want tea then why he was fighting for it. Mr. Pearson is flabbergasted at such
conduct of his wife. The wife continues to rebuke the husband telling him that why he goes to
the club when he is a joke among all there. He is stunned and demanded the truth from his
son. Cyril got upset at his mother yet told the father that it was the truth.
Then enters Mrs. Fitzgerald (actually Mrs. Pearson). Mrs. Pearson (actually Mrs. Fitzgerald)
told her that she was just putting everyone at place and that the things were alright. Mrs.
Pearson (Mrs. Fitzgerald in body) requested to have her body then and Mrs. Pearson (Mrs.
Fitzgerald in body) on a condition that Pearson would not go soft on her family again. They
got into their original bodies and Mrs. Fitzgerald left. The mother and the children and
husband smiled at each other and it was decided that they all will have the dinner together
and play a game of rummy.
Birth Summary Class 11th English
The story Birth is an excerpt from The Citadel. It relates how a medical
fresher handles a child delivery case in a mysterious way and brings back
life in a seemingly dead born child. In doing so he applies his medical text
book knowledge as well as intuition. He finds that text book knowledge
alone is not sufficient to handle such cases. The story expresses the anxiety
and excitement of the doctor, Andrew Manson and his team.
In the beginning of the story, it is narrated how Andrew Manson who had
recently passed out from a medical school, was returning home after a
disappointing evening with his girl friend, Christine. It was midnight and
when he reached near his house he was requestedby Joe Morgan to attend
to his wife immediately. She was expecting her first child. Andrew agreed to
go despite late night.
At the patient’s house, Andrew saw that the lady was being attended to by a
midwife. Mrs. Morgan was very serious. Andrew examined the patient and
could understand that it would take some time for the delivery to take
place. He took a break. In this period Andrew’s mind started wavering in
stray thoughts. He started thinking about Barnwell who was foolishly

17. devoted to a woman who deceived him meanly. Then he thought of Edward
page who was married to the ill-natured Bowden, and was now living
unhappily, apart from his wife. Andrew thought all marriages were a dismal
failure. In the meantime Andrew had to go back to attend to the patient.
The subsequent section narrates how after an hourlong harsh struggle a
child was born towards the dawn. But the child was still born. When
Andrew gazed at the lifeless form, he shivered with horror. Then he looked
at the mother. She required immediate attention. Andrew was to decide to
whom to attend: the child or the mother.
Andrew gave the child to the nurse and turned his attention to the mother
who was unconscious. Gradually, her heart strengthenedand Andrew could
now leave her to attend to the baby.
Andrew asked about the child. The midwife was thoroughly frightened.
Taking it as a still child, she had dumped it beneath the bed amongst
soaked newspaper. Andrew pulled out the child. The child was perfectly
formed. Andrew could understand that it was a case of suffocation due to
lack of oxygen and excess of carbon-dioxide in the blood. Andrew started
giving the necessary treatment. He did not lose heart. The midwife again
and again told him that it was a still born child. But Andrew did not heed.
He continuedwith his treatment.
Towards the end of the story, a miracle happened he rubbed the child with
a towel crushedand relaxed the little chest with both his hands. Thus, he
tried to infuse breath into that limp body. The little chest gave a short,
convolutedheave. The child started turning around. It was no longer still
born.
At last Andrew heaved a sigh of relief. He handed the child to the nurse. He
told the entire story to Joe standing outside and walked down the street
with some miners with a sense of deep satisfaction that he could achieve
something great.
The Tale of Melon City Summary
Class 11th English
The poem The Tale of Melon City is a narrative poem about how a melon,
following a custom, was chosen to become the king of a state. It narrates in

18. an amusing tone the events leading to such a situation when no other but a
melon was coroneted as the king.
The poem begins with the description of a just and peace loving king ruling
an ancient state. Once the king planned to construct an arch, spanning the
main thoroughfare. The purpose of the arch was to improve the onlookers
morally and provide aesthetic joy to them. The plan of the king was
executed immediately.
One day the king was passing by the side of the thoroughfare. The arch was
constructed very low so that the king’s crown struck against it and fell off.
Immediately the king responded negatively. He felt dishonored. He decided
to hang the chief of builders holding him responsible. Necessary
arrangements were made for the hanging.
The chief of builders in his defence shifted the responsibility to the
laborers. On hearing so, the king adjourned the proceedings for a moment,
and then decided to have all the laborers hanged. According to the laborers,
it all happeneddue to faulty size of the bricks. So, the king summonedthe
masons. They, in their turn, put the blame on the architect. The king
decreed to hang the architect. The architect reminded the king that he had
made certain amendments to the plans when they were shown for his
approval. In a way, the architect indirectly put the blame on the king. The
argument of the architect left the king completely confused. Considering
the matter to be intricate, the king sought the advice of a wise man. He
ordered to bring to him the wisest man in the country.
The king’s men could find out the wisest man and, accordingly, he was
brought to the court of the King. He was so old that he could neither walk
nor see. According to the old man, the real culprit was the the arch. It was
the arch that hit the crown violently and it fell off. So, the arch was to be
hanged. The arch was led to the scaffold. At that time, a councilor said that
it would be very shameful act to hang the arch that hit the king’s head.
The crowd was getting restless. In order to appease the mass, the king
commented that someone must be hanged as it was the public demand. The
noose was set up. It was somewhat high. Each man was measuredturn by
turn. Interestingly, there was one man who was tall enough to fit in the
noose, and it was the King. So, his majesty was hanged.
The ministers heaved a sigh of relief that they were able to find someone,
otherwise the crowd might have risen in revolt. Now the issue came up as to
who would be the king of the state. The old custom was invoked. They sent
out the heralds to proclaim that the next to pass the City Gate would choose

19. the King. An idiot happened to pass the City Gate. The idiot was asked who
was to be the king. The idiot uttered Melon. Actually that was his pet
answer to all questions since he liked melons. The ministers coroneted a
melon and placed the melon king reverently at the throne.
All these events took place long long ago. Now when someone asks the
people how is it that their King appears to be a melon, they reply that if His
majesty takes delight in being a melon, which is all right with them. They
have no right to say what he should be as long as he leaves them in peace
and liberty. It seems that the principles of non-interference are well
established in that state.