Question 1 : Read the given extract below and answer the questions that follow.
“What shall I do? asked Sher Singh, who was feeling ill inside him because of his brother. I will get the sticks for the fire. And the dung. I will get the water. Let me tear up the rag.”
i) Where is Sher Singh at the present moment? To whom is he talking to? Where is his father?
Answer : Sher Singh is at present in his house at Laldwani. The night is about to fall. He is talking to his mother. His father is a well-known hunter and is out on a hunting expedition.
ii) For whom on for what is Sher Singh arranging the items?
Answer : Sher Singh’s younger brother is very ill. He is suffering from severe stomach ache. He is arranging all these items so that they could help his younger brother get some relief by putting rags dipped in hot water on his stomach to soothe his pain.
iii) Later, She Singh is seen performing an arduous task. What was the task that he undertook?
Answer : Sher Singh’s little brother, Knuwar, needed to go to the hospital or he could have died. His condition was deteriorating fast. His father was not at home, nor were there any men in the village. Sher Singh took the responsibility of taking his brother to the hospital on his shoulders.
iv) Sher Singh’s mother was a bit tentative about sending him. Then why did she agree?
Answer : Kunwar, Sher Singh’s younger brother was in urgent need of medical help or he could have died. Sher Singh wanted to go and fetch his father so that he could take him to the hospital but it might have taken him days. Finally, he volunteered to take Kunwar to the hospital. His mother had no choice except to trust her son.
v) Was Sher Singh able to perform the task that he was required to do? Why did the doctor called him ‘bahadur’?
Answer : Yes, Sher Singh was able to save his younger brother by getting him to the hospital in time. He braved many hardships but never deterred from his path. It was not easy. The distance and the jungle combined with a flooding river took his test and pushed him to the edge. However, he did not fall. His bravery made the doctor call him ‘bahadur’.
[alert-announuce]Question 2 : Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow.
“Then a smile broke all over the doctor’s great gentle face so he looked like a brown moon.
‘Sher Singh Bahadur!’ he said. “Your brother will live. Come and see.”[/alert-announce]
i) Who is Sher Singh’s brother? Why is he in the hospital?
Answer : Kunwar is Sher Singh’s brother. He had severe abdominal pain and his mother knew that putting hot rags over his stomach would not help. If medical help would not have been provided to him then he could have died. That was why Sher Singh had brought him to the hospital.
ii) Where is the hospital situated? Where has Sher Singh come from? How far is the hospital from his home?
Answer : The hospital is situated in Kalaghat. Sher Singh has come from Laldwanti. The hospital is almost a at a distance of fifty miles from Sher Singh’s village separated by a jungle and two rivers.
iii) How did Sher Singh react earlier when he was addressed by his father’s name?
Answer : The doctor has earlier called Sher Singh as Sher Singh Bahadur. The tag ‘bahadur’ was given to his father who was known for his bravery. Sher Singh was embarrassed by it. Perhaps he did not think that he was as brave as his father.
iv) What made the doctor call Sher Singh as ‘Sher Singh Bahadur’?
Answer : Sher Singh displayed exemplary courage when he took his younger brother all the way from Laldwani to Kalaghat. He crossed a fearsome jungle and crossed a flooding river. If it had not been for bravery, his brother could have died. Such a thing could only be performed by a valiant person, hence the doctor addressed him as ‘bahadur’.
v) Why couldn’t Sher Singh’s father or mother bring his brother to the hospital?
Answer : Sher Singh’s father was a very well-known hunter. He could not resist the temptation of big game hunting. He was out on such a hunting expedition and was not at home when the crisis happened. She Singh’s mother had to stay back and feed the cattle or they would have died. Hence, Sher Singh had to complete the task.
Long Answer Type Question
Question 1 : If it has not been the valiant efforts of Sher Singh, his brother would not have survived. Justify with reference to the story, ‘Journey by Night’.
Answer : Sher Singh was just twelve years old. One day, his younger brother, Kunwar fell seriously ill. His mother tried to provide him with some relief by putting hot water rags on his stomach but it was of no use. She knew that he needed to be taken to the hospital. At the mention of the hospital, Sher Singh realised that his brother was dying.
Moreover, their father was not at home. He was out on a hunting expedition. Sher Singh said to his mother that he would go and fetch him but it could have taken him days and they did not have that much time. His mother also could not take him to the hospital as she had to feed the cattle or they would surely have died. Seeing the crisis, Sher Singh stood up to the situation and took upon himself the responsibility of taking his brother to the hospital.
But there was a dark jungle in front of him. He had not even taken many steps into the jungle when a cobra confronted him. Sher Singh had to back away and let the cobra pass. The weight of his younger brother on his back was already starting to feel heavy and he had to reach Kalaghat which was about fifty miles away.
Then he saw bear prints and remembered a man who was mauled by a bear. His face was torn away. He quickened his steps but after a while, was not able to move as he was very much tired. He sat down but could not rest for long as he heard elephants near him. He could not out run them or scare them away. Fortunately, they left and he could sneak to the first river.
It was cold but he crossed it anyhow. Coming out of the river, he saw the wet footprints of a tiger. The wet prints meant that the tiger was very much near. He somehow reached the second river but there was no relief for him as the second river was flooding and the bridge had sunk. He tried to make his way through the remains of the bridge while Kunwar was tied to him. He could hardly keep his hold due to the cold. He got banged and bruised but was lucky enough to make it to the other end in one piece.
From there, he met with civilisation and reached the hospital. He did not rest at the hospital and worked to arrange for a meal. The doctor was astonished by his efforts and called him ‘bahadur’. Indeed, it was no exaggeration.
What Sher Singh did that night is a great example of courage and bravery. If he had not taken the initiative, then his brother might not have survived. He showed that he was ‘bahadur’ like his father.