The Queen of the Village Question and Answer

The Queen of the Village

Answer these questions in one or two words.

1. In which tree was a machan put up?

Ans: A machan was put up in an oak tree.

2. Where is Mokameh Ghat?

Ans: Mokameh Ghat is located on the banks of Ganga in eastern Bihar.

3. Who is the 'White Sadhu'?

Ans: White Sadhu is a title given by the people of Kumaon to Jim Corbett.

4. Who is the bania's first costumer?

Ans: The bania's first costumer was a small boy accompanied by an even smaller sister who were proud possessor of one pice.

5. How many pice makes an anna?

Ans: Pice is also called paisa, a former monetary unit of India equal to one quarter of an anna.

Answer these questions in a sentence or two.

1. How do the villagers plough the narrow fields?

Ans: The villagers plough the narrow fields by using a short shaft along with a group of well-bred cattle or goats on the hills.

2. Describe the dress of a high caste hill woman.

Ans: The dress of a high caste hill woman consists of solid gold band on their neck along with a number of thin gold rings in the upper cartilage and from her nose hangs a gold ring, five inches in diameter, the weight of which is partly carried by a thin gold chain looped over her right ear. Her dress consists of a shawl, a tight-fitting bodice of warm material, and a voluminous sprint skirt.

3. How did the tiger kill his first victim?

Ans: The first victim of the tiger was a twelve-year-old girl who was suddenly attacked by the tiger when she attempted to run to her mother for protection. Her head was severed from her body.

4. What items are sold by the bania in his stall?

Ans: The items that are sold such as atta, dal, ghee, salt, stale sweets, hill potatoes, enormous turnips, cigarettes and matches, a tin of kerosene oil and an iron pan in which milk is kept throughout the day.

5. How do the inhabitants of Kumaon village get news of the outside world?

Ans: The inhabitants of Kumaon village get news of the outside world through telegram radio and the well-informed packmen telegrams. Even the urgent once takes a lot of time in transmission.

Answer these questions briefly.

1. Describe the episode involving the sportsman from the time of his arrival at the machan to his departure.

Ans: A sportsman from Nainital who was out an all-day shoot arrived by accident at the spot and says that he was a friend of Corbett. The sportsman told the men of the author to go away as he would sit up for the tiger himself. When the sportsman lit the lantern and as he was letting it down on the length of string to illuminate the ground, the string slipped through his fingers and the lantern crashed to the ground and caught fire. The illumination from the fire reveals that the kill was indeed taken away by the tiger. But the sportsman at the stage lost all interest in the tiger. Because of the strong wind, the fire receded from the vicinity of the tree and eight hours later, a heavy rain and hail had completely extinguished it. Thus, it was the sportsman first and the last attempt to make contact with the tiger. The sportsman left the village after his experience of nearly having been burnt and later having been frozen that night.

2. Would you agree that through the bania and his customers, Corbett presents a snapshot of life in a typical Kumaon village? Write a reasoned answer.

Ans: Through the description of the Bania's shop and his customers, Corbett has successfully presented a proper snapshot of life and the people in Kumaon village; for he presented a wide-range of customers largely belong to the depressed sections of society who despite their oppressions, struggles and discriminations were a simple, intensely proud and a peace-loving community who were not only hardworking and brave but also genuinely expressed a general sense of gratitude, affection, goodwill, honesty and hospitability for all. He sits squat cross legged on a wooden platform as few customers gather in front of his shop. The first customer was a small boy accompanied by his younger sister. The young boy was carrying one pice, all of which he was anxious on investing on sweets. Next comes a woman of the lower class who has two annas to spend on shopping. A group of men carrying cloth from the Moradabad handloom to the markets in the interior of the hills gathered in the bania shop. The four men in charge have sat down on the bench provided by the Bania for his customers and they treat themselves to a cigarette and a glass of milk. The bania is selling items such as atta, dal, ghee, salt, stale sweets, hill potatoes, enormous turnips, cigarettes and matches, a tin of kerosene oil and an iron pan in which milk is kept throughout the day.

Thus, various types of man flocks to the Bania shop and that is why, it is clear that through the Bania's shop and his customers, Corbett present the snapshot of life in a typical Kumaon village.

3. Describe the two instances when the villagers display bravery and courage.

Ans: The two instances that the villagers displayed bravery and courage were after the first attack of the man-eating tiger that left the human body of his hunt. Fearing that it would compel the tiger to return to claim and take away his hunt, the villagers despite the anxiety of the free tiger, took the wrapped body in a thick blanket and tied it to the topmost branch of a thirty-foot rhododendron tree. While, the second incident occurred when the tiger took the tied body remains from the tree branch. Seeing this, the men followed the drag for half a mile despite a probable attack for the beast. In both the cases, the villagers showed commendable courage as they were completely unarmed to manage the ferocious animal.

4. Why did the villagers send Corbett a telegram? Why did it take him long to arrive at the village?

Ans: The villager sent an urgent telegram to Corbett seeking help to fight the man-eating tiger that was creating havoc in their villagers However, with the long transmission period of a telegram, even with urgent ones, Corbett arrival to the situation was delayed. Further, after receiving the telegram, Corbett had to make an arduous journey as he had to travel thousand miles by rail and road, while the last twenty miles were to be covered on feet. These conditions delayed Corbett's arrival by a week. Even the urgent telegram takes long time in the process of transmission. As the telegram was sent on the first incident of the tiger killing a twelve-year-old girl, the Telegram reached him quite late as Corbett had to do a journey of a thousand miles by rail and by road and the last 20 miles from foot; almost a week had a lapsed between the sending of the telegram and the arrival of the writer at the village and in the meantime time, the tiger makes another kill. V. Answer these questions in detail.

Additional

1. Do you think that 'The Queen of the Village' is an appropriate title? Discuss.

Ans: The title of the story seems quite appropriate. The story, "The Queen of the Village" was first published in Corbett's famous collection, My India which sketched Corbett as a kind and tender soul within the ruthless hunter. The story is narrated in first-person by an unnamed speaker. In this story, Corbett attempts to provide a bird view of Cheena, whose hill were structured into well-maintained terraced fields to facilitate agricultural activities in the hill-station. After providing an illustrious description of the place and its people, the readers are told that Corbett knew them as an urgent telegram was sent by them to Nainital seeking aid and assistance against a man-eating tiger that was roaming wild in the region. The tiger struck the twelve-year-old girl, struck her, severed her and took her body to the nearby jungle; while leaving behind her head near her mother's feet. This incident consequently left the mother in complete shock and distress whose painful screams resonated the region.

Further addressing this system, the speaker also hinted on the changing structure of lifestyle in the hills. The influence of modernism and capitalism has resulted in high prices of objects and the prevalence of dowry. Following this thread, there has been a detailed description of the dressing custom of the hill women.

While detailing it, the speaker suddenly shifted his attention to discuss the general atmosphere of the bazaar in Nainital through a description of a Bania's shop that sold a wide range of wares such as atta, rice, dal, ghee, salt, stale sweets, potatoes, turnips, cigarettes, matches and kerosene oil; along with fresh brewing and simmering milk tea that was served throughout the day. In addition to the shop, the readers are also been given a description of the local customers to the shop who largely belong to the depressed sections of society. Such an attitude of the people seems to originate from their genuine expression of gratitude, affection, goodwill, honesty and hospitability of the Indian people.

2. It is generally considered that Corbett was very sympathetic in his portrayal of the hill people. Do you agree? Write a reasoned answer.

Ans: The assumption that Corbett was very sympathetic in his portrayal of the hill people holds true; an idea that has been made evident in the story "The Queen of the Village" where he provided a detailed presentation of the local people of the Kumaon village across ages and situations; who despite their struggles, discriminations and oppressions-maintained gratitude, hospitability, goodwill and affection towards others. This was because he had a firsthand experience with them; most of whom belonged to the depressed sections of society; yet were not hostile and vengeance towards nature, animals and their fellow humans; with whom they maintained a thread of reverence and brotherhood.

1. What is meant by machan?

Ans: A machan is a platform usually built on a tree to conceal the hunter as well as to track the animals.