Iswaran was an asset to Mahendra as his obedient cook and servant who did many jobs like cooking, washing clothes, and chatting with Mahendra at night with full dedication. As a storyteller, Iswaran liked to dramatize even small incidents and create suspense in his listeners. In describing an uprooted tree on the highway, he presented it as an enormous beast to build suspense, though it was just a fallen tree. His goal was to engage and surprise his audience with his narratives.

1. ISWARAN THE STORYTELLER
- R.K LAXMAN

2. R.K LAXMAN

3. NEW WORDS
ILL – EQUIPPED = not having the necessary resources or
qualities for a particular role or task
CANVAS TENT = a tent made of canvas fabric.
QUARRY = a place, typically a large, deep pit, from which
stone or other materials are or have been extracted.
UNCOMPLAININGLY = accepting, doing, or dealing with
something difficult or unpleasant without complaining.
ANECDOT = a short amusing or interesting story about a real
incident or person

4. DESOLATE = feeling or showing great unhappiness or loneliness
MIRACULOUS = of the nature of a miracle or having the power to
work miracles
CONJURE = cause (a spirit or ghost) to appear by means of a
magic ritual
LEISURELY = acting or done at leisure; unhurried or relaxed
MUTTER = say something in a low or barely audible voice,
especially in dissatisfaction or irritation.

5. THRALL = a slave, servant, or captive.
ARCHED = constructed with or in the form of an arch or
arches
ENORMOUS = very large in size, quantity, or extent
SPRAWLED = spread out over a large area in an untidy or
irregular way.
INCLINED = leaning or turning away from the vertical or
horizontal; sloping.
UNCRITICALLY = with a lack of criticism or consideration of
whether something is right or wrong

6. MAHOUT = a person who works with, rides, and tends an elephant.
PROLOGURE = a separate introductory section of a literary,
dramatic, or musical work
TUSKER = an elephant or wild boar with well-developed tusks.
STAMPING = bring down (one's foot) heavily on the ground or on
something on the ground
EMULATION = effort to match or surpass a person or achievement,
typically by imitation

7. CANVAS TENT = A TENT MADE
OF CANVAS FABRIC.

8. QUARRY = A PLACE, TYPICALLY A LARGE,
DEEP PIT, FROM WHICH STONE OR OTHER
MATERIALS ARE OR HAVE BEEN EXTRACTED.

9. ANECDOT = A SHORT AMUSING OR
INTERESTING STORY ABOUT A REAL INCIDENT
OR PERSON

10. DESOLATE = FEELING OR SHOWING GREAT
UNHAPPINESS OR LONELINESS

11. MIRACULOUS = OF THE NATURE OF A
MIRACLE OR HAVING THE POWER TO WORK
MIRACLES

12. CONJURE = CAUSE (A SPIRIT OR GHOST) TO
APPEAR BY MEANS OF A MAGIC RITUAL

13. LEISURELY = ACTING OR DONE AT LEISURE;
UNHURRIED OR RELAXED

14. MUTTER = SAY SOMETHING IN A LOW OR
BARELY AUDIBLE VOICE, ESPECIALLY IN
DISSATISFACTION OR IRRITATION.

15. THRALL = A SLAVE, SERVANT, OR CAPTIVE.

16. ARCHED = CONSTRUCTED WITH OR IN THE
FORM OF AN ARCH OR ARCHES

17. ENORMOUS = VERY LARGE IN SIZE,
QUANTITY, OR EXTENT

18. SPRAWLED = SPREAD OUT OVER A LARGE
AREA IN AN UNTIDY OR IRREGULAR WAY.

19. INCLINED = LEANING OR TURNING AWAY
FROM THE VERTICAL OR HORIZONTAL;
SLOPING.

20. MAHOUT = A PERSON WHO WORKS WITH,
RIDES, AND TENDS AN ELEPHANT

21. PROLOGURE = A SEPARATE INTRODUCTORY
SECTION OF A LITERARY, DRAMATIC, OR
MUSICAL WORK

22. TUSKER = AN ELEPHANT OR WILD BOAR
WITH WELL-DEVELOPED TUSKS.

23. STAMPING = BRING DOWN (ONE'S FOOT)
HEAVILY ON THE GROUND OR ON
SOMETHING ON THE GROUND

24. EMULATION = EFFORT TO MATCH OR
SURPASS A PERSON OR ACHIEVEMENT,
TYPICALLY BY IMITATION

25. 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

26. 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 purpose
was to create suspense and surprise.