ENGLISH the magic word book of CLASS 11 ... english subject ko essay or summary..... ..

THE LOVING MOTHER - A Story From the Island of Hokkaido,Japan

Mr Shoji Sakota was a pharmacist in the city of Sappora on Hokkaido Island in northern Japan. He used to have his own drug store in the same building, where he used to live. He used to live alone in the rear part of the building because his wife had died several years earlier. One stormy winter night in 1964, he was working in his room at about mid night. As it was the end of the fiscal / financial year, he was very busy with the profit, loss and the accounts of the whole year. At that time, there was a knock at his door. At first, he avoided it. But the knocking persisted or repeated. At last, he opened the door thinking that somebody might have come for some very important medicine. It was a woman who wanted an ame (Japanese candy used for pacifying young children) on a stick for her baby. Mr Sakota was quite surprised at it because the lady was buying sweet at that time of night. He was very much moved or surprised by the appearance of the lady. She was so strange that her hair was disheveled / messy / uncombed / untidy and her eyes were quite strange.

In short, she looked a lady from another world. The lady went from there but somehow or other Mr Sakota could not forget her appearance and at last he left working and went to the bed. On the next night, the same woman came and both the times she asked for an ame. Mr Sakota was all the more worried. He had a friend with whom he shared his worries. The friend was a photographer. So, they planned to snap the lady if she came the next time or next night.

The next night also, the lady came at the same time and with the same demand. The photographer friend was hiding in the shop and he snapped the lady from different angles. But, when the photographs came, they were quite surprised to find that all articles were present in the photograph but not the lady. Then the two friends decided to follow her the next time if she came.

The next night also, the lady arrived at the same time and asked for an ame. When she left the shop, the two friends followed her quietly. Finally, they reached to a room in an old building. In the room, they found a baby sucking or licking an ame and the woman appeared to be sleeping there in the bed. When they tried to wake up the lady, they realized that she was dead and they felt that she had been dead for several days.

The conclusion is that after her death the lady's soul was worried about the child. She not only wanted to arrange for food for her child but she also wanted someone to come and know that she had been dead and her child was in a helpless situation. She had selected Mr Sakota for this.


Important Questions :

1. Summarize the story "The Loving Mother".

Ans: See the summary above for complete answer.

2. Describe the women who visited Mr. Sakota's pharmacy late at night.

Ans: The women who visited Shoji Sakota's pharmacy late at night, was abnormally pale. Her hair was untidy and she had mysterious eyes. She looked to be rather slim and thin. Her appearance was not usual.

3. Show the points of similarities and differences between the supernatural stories" A House Call" and "The Loving Mother"

Ans: Both the stories 'A House Call' and 'The Loving Mother' are the supernatural stories. In the story 'The House Call' a small girl's spirit comes and visits doctor. Similarly in the story 'The Loving Mother' the spirit of death mother comes and visits the pharmacist. In both stories there is description of love and affection between the mother and the child. Both stories show that even after someone's death, their spirit visits their loving members of the family. The difference is that in the story of 'The House Call' small girl visit the doctor but in the second story the mother visits the pharmacist. In the first story, the little girl requests the doctor to get to her house but in the second story, the mother asks for ame.


Question for Practice :

Why did Mr. Sakota want the picture taken?
Why did not Mr. Sakota go to the door at the first knocking?FEAR - The Story from Puebla, Mexico

Though the story Fear is from the unit of the supernatural stories, it is not a supernatural story. In fact, it is a psychological story. It's a thriller / suspenseful story based on human fear of a nervous man. This story also shows how a man behaves in a state of panic and nervousness.

The main character of the story is Armando Gonzalez. He was a man who had to look after a big family of nine members. However, he had a dream. It was a common dream to have a house of his own. With this aim, he had saved 50,000 pesos since the last many years (20 years).

On that very day, he went to the bank to withdraw 50,000 pesos because he had seen a house within that limit. The deal was finalized and he had to do the payment. He was very careful from the beginning. The bank was slightly crowded that day and he did not like it. In his turn, the bank accountant started to count the money loudly which Armando did not like. He feared other people would know that he was carrying a heavy amount and anybody could loot him.

He caught a bus to go home. There he met a man whom he had already seen in the bank. Not only that he had dashed against him and he had given a double look at Armando Gonzalez. Here, he found the same man getting on the same bus. Now, there was no doubt to Armando that man intended to rob him. Everybody in the bus was looking at him only because he was putting his hat backwards. But, what Armando thought was that they were looking at him because they had the knowledge that he was carrying 50,000 pesos. He started to see a thief on each face. This increased his nervousness all the more.

After some time, he found that the man was talking to three other boys. He thought that they were making secret plans to loot him. This heightened his nervousness and he made a plan to get off the bus at next stop and to take another bus from there and he did accordingly.

Suddenly, he also saw that the same three boys had got off there. Now, it was sure to Armando that it was a part of the robbery. Now, he was panic stricken. He started to run shouting for help. The three boys also started to run after him only with the intention to help him. But, there was no limit to Armando's fear and he was running as fast as he could. Suddenly, his feet got entangled with some thing and he fell down. Before he got up, the three boys came up to him. Armando started to implore / beg / plead them not to rob him. They were also surprised at it and they said that they were not intending to loot him. Rather they were students and they were there for a football tournament and that they were running after him because he was shouting for help.

Now, his fear is gone and he got up and put his cap on and this time he put it rightly. At this time, all the four walked up slowly back to the street.


Important Questions :

1. Summarize the story `Fear'.

Ans: See the summary above for complete answer.

2. What were the things which made Armando think that someone was going to rob him?

Ans: There were so many things that made Armando think that somebody was going to rob him out. They were; a man in the bank ward and some boys in the bus looking at him etc. When Armando was at the bank, the cashier counted the money loudly. Everyone saw him withdrawing money from the bank. Next the fat man was beside him looking at him at the bank. Thirdly the fat man got on the same bus. Fourth he thought that three boys were sent by the fat man to rob him. He also found that the three boys were also following him. These things made Armando think that someone was going to rub him.

3. Why is Armando afraid of the heavy man in the bus?

Ans: Armando is much afraid of the heavy man in the bus because the heavy man was looking at him and standing next to him at the bank. The heavy man also got on the same bus. Armando wanted to be free from fear of heavy man by getting off from the bus. Those three boys, who were talking with heavy man, also got off from the bus. Armando thought that these three boys might have been sent by the heavy man. He thought they might be the helper of the heavy man. So he was always afraid of the heavy man.



Question for Practice :

How did Armando's wife Eva, earn a little money?
What made Gonzalez think that he was going to be robbed?
Why did Armando believe that everyone in the bank was watching him? What was the truth?
Explain the changes in Armando's behabiour as a result of fear?
Write the story of "Fear" in about 300 words.
Why were the people looking at Armando?
What did Armando think was the reason some people looked at him?
Describe what effect fear had on Armando.
Why did Armando leave the bus?
Why did Armando have the idea that everyone in the bank was watching him? And describe what various sights made him more and more nervous.THE LOST DOLL - A Story from Colombia, South America

Carmen was the only child of Roberto and Rosa Soto. She was beautiful, bright and loving child. However she was sick from the day of her birth. When she was four, she fell sick seriously and died. A few days after the funeral ceremony, Rosa gave away Carmen's playthings and clothes to a priest of another village so that she couldn't see them time and again. She thought that she wouldn't have another child as she was told at the time of Carmen's birth. When Roberto knew about it, he became very unhappy because he was hopeful that they would have another child. He asked about her the little dolly which Carmen always carried with her. Rosa said that she didn't give it away. Then they searched everywhere in the house as well asked the villagers too but they couldn't find it.

However they soon forgot about the lost doll because Rosa became pregnant. On the first anniversary of the death of Carmen, Rosa gave birth to another child. Roberto and Rosa became very happy. She was named Evangelina, which meant "good news". When Evangelina grew she looked very much similar to her sister Carmen. But she was healthy girl. When she was about four, she told her mother that she had been sick a long time ago. She also told her aunt that she had a little, beautiful doll with blue eyes and red dress. She had buried it under a tree in the yard. She requested her mother to dig up the doll. When Rosa dug up the ground, she found the lost doll. She looked surprised, shocked and sick because it was difficult for her to believe. Evangelina also said that when she was sick, the nice man came and helped her to bury that doll under the tree.

The story accounts the supernatural significance regarding its particular focus on the concept of reincarnation. When Evangelina was born and grown up, she looked very much similar to that of Carmen's actions, characters, behaviors and other many things were very much similar. The priest said that God healed Carmen and sent her back in the form of healthy Evangelina. Though Rosa did not believe that her newly born child as the reincarnation of Carmen but she could not reject the mysterious fact towards the end of the story. When Evangelina reported everything about past and about her doll, Rosa could say nothing anymore.


Important Questions :

1. Summaries the story "The Lost Doll".

Ans: See the summary above for complete answer.

2. How were Carmen and Evangelina alike and different? Or In what ways Mariya Del Carmen and Evangelina alike?

Ans: Evangelina was Rosa's second daughter and Carmen was the first one. Evangelina's actions and body structure were similar to her sister Carmen who had died after being sick. Evangelina looked as Carmen. The difference was that Carman was sick but Evangelina wasn't sick.

3. What evidences are there in the story to show that the Soto family was poor?

Ans: Roberto and Rosa were both husband and wife. They had little daughter who died at the age of four. When Roberto doesn't find the doll of Carmen, he wants to save that doll for next child. This shows the poor condition of Soto family. They were living a simple and ordinary life.

Question for Practice :

Why did they name the new baby Evangelina?
Why did Roberto want to save Carmen's things?
Write your opinion about Carmen in brief.
What could be the reasons for attending Carmen's funeral by almost everyone?
Do you believe "The Lost Doll" is a story of reincarnation? How was it possible for Evangelina to lead her parents to the site where the lost doll was buried?
Why did Rosa said that there was no reason to save Carmen's things?
Rosa said to her husband. "False hope is not good". When does hope become false? How can we know when hope is false?THE RECURRING DREAM - A Story from England

The story starts with a description of Kimberly Clark, the protagonist of the story, who is twenty five yeas old with all qualities of a normal young woman. She is pretty, she loves to dance, and she has many friends and a good position in the office of a large company. Despite these all, she has a problem. She has been troubled by a strange and mysterious dream that haunts her every night.









The strange dream always begins on a country road. Kim stands on this road and sees a lane with a white fence and a hedge on each side. At the end of the lane, on the top of a little hill, she sees a small white cottage with green shutters. Then she walks up the lane to the house, goes in and looks around. In one of the rooms, she finds a man asleep in bed. He is a little old man with white hair and a white beard. When she comes near his bed, the man wakes up. Then he sits up and looks at her. When she tries to speak to him, she wakes up. She is very surprised troubled by the dream because she has never known any little old man like that and neither the place.

Kim's roommate knows everything. So, one day she proposes Kim to visit her (Janet's) parents' farm house to feel peace in mind. As they pass through a country road, Kim sees the similar scene which she sees in her dream. They stop there. Janet does not want Kim to go and see the small cottage but Kim goes.

The house was exactly the same, except for a sign in front of the house which said 'FOR SALE'. Unlike her dream, Kim goes to the door of the house and knocks and to her surprise the same old man answers the door who immediately closes the door. After Kim's request, he opens the door. Kim again asks why the house is for sale. The old man reveals that the house is haunted by a ghost. Kim tries hard to think to say something instead asks who the ghost is. The old man gets surprised and shocks her by replying that she herself is the ghost.


Important Questions :

1. Write about a dream that you have seen recently.

Ans: Yesterday I saw a terrible dream about a ghost. In my dream I found myself sitting with my friends in the jungle. When I was a little away from my friends, I saw a ghost dancing around me. It was telling me that I was going to be killed. In my dream, I cried so badly. I was asking for a help. My friends did not listen to me what I was saying. I fell in a critical condition. I thought I had to kill the ghost. Then, the fight began between me and the ghost. The ghost had had very sharp claws and redred eyes. It was so furious so I was. I tried to thrash it on the stone. Fortunately, I succeeded on my own and the ghost was thrown into the river nearby. Finally, I went to my friends who were looking at me. They asked me how the fight was like. I also narrated the event as it was happened. The next day, the result of my dream came true. I got the first division in exam.

2. Do dream have any connection to our real life? Discuss your personal view. Also relate to the story. "The Recurring Dreams."

Ans: Of course, dreams have connection to our real life. I have got such experience in my life. Once I saw my friend Mohan fallen down from a tree in my dream. After few days, I heard the news that he met an accident. He was rushed to the hospital. His condition became worse. His hands and legs were broken and ultimately died.

3. Why do some people have recurring dreams? Give your opinion.

Ans: Many people have their dreams at night. We have also got some experiences of dreams. In our dreams sometimes we see ghosts, wild animals, great buildings, juggles, death person, friends etc. In my opinion we see these persons, animals, things because of our unsatisfied desires. We have experienced that what we desire in a daytime, occurs in our dream at night. So desire of getting something might be the cause of recurring dream. In the same way sometimes we see same dream day by day. We have experienced the fact that we fail in our exam in the dream if we are waiting for exam result. So fear might be the cause of dream.

4. Why does Janet want to take Kim to her parent's farm for a few days?

Ans: Janet wants to take her friend to her parents' farm because Kim had a problem of recurring dream. She used to see the same old man and the white house in her dream. Kim tried to speak to that old man in her dream but suddenly woke up from her dream. This happened daily. Her friend, Janet wanted to take Kim to her parent's farm so that Kim will feel easy and forget that recurring dream. So Janet takes Kim to her own parents' farm for a few days.


Question for Practice :

Why do you think cottage is for sale?
Describe a village house in about ten sentences.
Narrate the story of "The Recurring Dream" in 200 words.
What do you think is the reason some people having recurring dream?
Describe the man Kim sees in the house.






THE HOUSE CALL - A Story from Germany

The story took place on 26th December, 1903 in Berlin, Germany. The famous German surgeon, Dr. Emil Braun, was sitting alone in the dining room of his apartment trying to write notes about the surgery while having his dinner. Soon he dozed off but woke up when he heard the doorbell ring. He heard a child talking about her sick mother to Mrs. Braun. He went to the door and saw in the semidarkness a little girl of perhaps six or seven who was wearing a cotton dress and shabby shoes. Over her head, she had a ragged shawl which she was holding together at the neck. The doctor felt sympathy for the child and her sick mother and became ready to go with her.

It was raining lightly outside as the doctor walked down the steps to the street but the girl was already almost a block up the street, waiting for him. She walked too fast, however. Stopping only for a moment at each corner to make sure he saw where she was going. The girl led the doctor through the poorest part of Berlin, the section of the city around the hospital where Dr. Braun was head surgeon. Finally they reached an old tenement house where the girl's mother was living. The doctor climbed up stairs up to the fifth storey. As the doctor entered the room, he heard the door close softly behind him.

The woman was lying in the bed. The doctor recognized her as a person who at one time worked as the maintenance staff at the hospital. She was suffering from pneumonia. When the doctor talked about the girl, daughter of the woman, Elda said that her daughter, Adelheid, had died of the flu in September just three days after her seventh birthday.

The doctor was surprised. The little girl was not there. Elda told that she had kept Heide's shoes and shawl to remind her of Heide. The doctor got up and looked. He saw the same ragged shawl on a hook and a pair of shabby shoes on the floor. As he looked closely he found them wet. Elda said that she had been thinking about him earlier that night hoping and praying for him. As she was talking she felt asleep. Then, touching her feverish head once more, he took his black bag, stepped out into the dark hallway, and closed the door.



Important Questions :

1. Summarize the story "The House Call"

Ans: See the summary above for complete answer.

2. Why did the doctor have a look of surprise on his face when Elda told him that little daughter died in September?

Ans: It was so because Elda's little daughter had gone to Dr. Braun's house to call him for the treatment of her sick mother. Dr. Braun had followed the same girl on the way. So, the doctor had a look of surprise.

3. What did Dr. Braun discover when he went with the girl who came to house?

Ans: The doctor reached to Elda's house. He saw that girl at the door. But Elda said that her daughter had died in September. Dr. Braun surprised when he heard this. He finally realized that he might have been called by Elda's dead daughter's sprit. It shows that it was a dead sprit of Elda's daughter who haunted the door of the doctor.



Questions for Practice :

What sickness did the woman have?
What was the doctor doing when the doorbell rang?
What details in the story suggest to the reader that the little girl is in fact a ghost?
What do you think the doctor thought when he found out that the shoes were wet and the shawl damp?
Why do you think the little girl walked ahead of the doctor instead of walking with him?