Class 9 English Chapter 1 Question Answers - Moments

The Class 9 English Supplementary Reader ‘Moments’ consists of a short story named The Beggar. This is a story of a poor drunkard beggar named Lushkoff who was provided work by Sergie, an advocate. Let's see some Short & Long Answer Questions of the chapter.

Very Short Answer Type Questions

Q1: What was the name of the beggar?
Ans: The name of the beggar was Lushkoff.

Q2: Who did Lushkoff beg from?
Ans: Lushkoff begged from Sergei.

Q3: What was Sergei’s profession?
Ans: Sergei was an advocate.

Q4: What did Sergei remember about the beggar on seeing him?
Ans: Sergei remembered that he had seen him a couple of days before in Sadovya street.

Q5: What work did Sergei offer the beggar?
Ans: He offered the beggar the work of chopping wood.

Q6: Who was Olga?
Ans: Olga was a maid-servant at Sergei’s home.

Q7: What did Sergei give Lushkoff after the wood was chopped?
Ans: He gave him half a rouble.

Q8: When did Lushkoff use to visit Sergei’s home?
Ans: Lushkoff used to visit Sergei’s home on the first of every month.

Q9: Where did Sergei meet Lushkoff after an interval of two years?
Ans: Sergei met Lushkoff at the ticket window of a theatre.

Q10: What did Lushkoff tell Sergei about his profession when he met him after two years?
Ans: He told him that now he was a notary and was paid thirty-five roubles a month.

Short Answer Type Questions

Q1: How did Sergei recognise the beggar?

Ans: Sergei looked at the beggar. His face appeared familiar to him. He tried to recollect where he had seen him. Suddenly, his eyes fell on the beggar’s shoes. One shoe was high and the other was low. Now he clearly remembered where he had seen the beggar before. He had seen the beggar in Sadovya Street.

Q2: The beggar was a liar. What two lies did he tell Sergei?

Ans: Two lies told by begger to Sergei were:

• When the beggar met Sergei for the first time, he told him that he was a student and had been expelled from the college. 
• When he met Sergei, for the second time, he told him that he had been offered a position in Kaluga, but he had no money for the fare to get there.

Q3: What kind of work was given to Lushkoff initially? Why did he agree to do it?
Ans: Sergei refused to give alms to Lushkolf, the beggar, instead offered to give him work. He took him home and gave him the work of chopping wood. 

Lushkoff agreed to do this work, not because he was hungry and scanted work. He agreed to do it because of pride and shame and because he had been trapped by his own words.

Q4: How did Olga treat Lushkoff in the beginning? Why did she do this?
Ans: In the beginning, Olga treated Lushkoff callously. She called him a drunkard. She rebuked him. Then she would sit before him and grow sad. She looked into his face and wept. Then she chopped wood for him.  She did so because she felt pity for him. Secondly, she wanted to put him on the right path.

Q5: Where did Sergei send Lushkoff? What advice did he give him?
Ans: Sergei wanted to give Lushkoff better, cleaner employment. His friend needed a copywriter. As Lushkoff was able to write, so Sergei sent him to his friend. Sergei advised him to work hard and not to drink. He asked him not to forget his advice.

Q6: Where did Sergei see Lushkoff after two years? What work was he doing then?
Ans: One day, after two years, Sergei came across Lushkoff standing at the ticket window of a theatre, paying for a seat. He was wearing a coat collar of curly fur and a sealskin cap. Sergei recognized him. Lushkoff told him that now he was a notary and was paid thirty-five roubles a month.

Q7: Was Lushkoff not good at chopping wood?
Ans: No, Lushkoff was not good at chopping wood. He pulled a piece of wood towards him, put it between his legs, and hit the wood feebly with the axe. The piece of wood became unsteady and fell down. He again pulled it and struck it. The piece of wood again fell down. This shows that Lushkoff did not know how to chop wood.

Q8: Write a brief character sketch of Olga.

Ans: Olga was the maidservant of Sergei. She was stem-looking, but she was kind at heart. She rebuked Lushkoff. But then she took pity on him as he was weak and hungry. She did the chopping work for Lushkoff. Olga’s kindness had a great effect on Lushkoff. He gave up drinking and started taking interest in work. Thus Olga’s kindness saved Lushkoff’s life. 

Q9: What plea does Lushkoff make to Sergei when he appears at his yard?
Ans: Lushkoff pleads to Sergei to have pity on him. He says that he has not eaten anything for three days and does not have five copecks for lodging. He further tells Sergei that he had been a village school teacher for eight years and had lost his job due to scheming and lies.

Q10: Describe the physical appearance of Lushkoff when Sergei observes him in his yard.
Ans: Sergei observed Lushkoff closely when the latter came to his yard asking for alms. At that time, Lushkoff had a ragged appearance. He had worn a fawn-coloured overcoat and his eyes were dull and drunken. There was a red spot on either cheek. He looked every bit a disgusting beggar.

Q11: Why does Lushkoff want to go to Kaluga?
Ans: Lushkoff wants to go to Kaluga because he claims that he has an offer of a position in this province, after having lived without work for nearly a year. However, he cannot go there because he does not have any money.

Q12: Has Lushkoff become a beggar by circumstance or by choice?
Ans: Lushkoff has become a beggar not by choice but by circumstance. He was a singer in a Russian choir but was sent away for his drunkenness. Alcoholism had made him weak and he could not toil, so he took to begging for survival.

Q13: Why was the beggar taken aback when Sergei asked if he remembered having met him earlier?
Ans: The beggar was taken aback because he knew that his lies were going to be caught soon. The repercussions of extracting money by exploiting the sympathy of people could be very harsh for him. He could even be handed over to the police.

Q14: What reason does Lushkoff give Sergei for telling lies? 
Ans: Lushkoff tells Sergei that he was telling lies because no one would help him if he told the truth about his drunkenness. Instead, lies helped him get both sympathy and money that he required desperately to keep himself alive.

Q15: Is Lushkoff a willing worker? Why, then, does he agree to chop wood for Sergei?
Ans: Luskhoff is not a willing worker since alcohol has made him very weak, both physically and emotionally. Still, he agrees to do the menial job of chopping wood because of his pride and shame. Earlier he had expressed his willingness to do any work provided he was offered one and now he could not go back on his words.

Q16: Who was Olga? What task did Sergei assign to her?
Ans: Olga was Sergei’s cook. She appeared to be ill-tempered but eventually played an instrumental role in reforming Lushkoff with her words and noble deeds. Sergei told her to take Lushkoff to the woodshed and make him chop wood for them.

Q17: How did Lushkoff follow Olga to the woodshed? What did this reveal about his willingness to work?
Ans: Lushkoff followed Olga in a gait that showed his reluctance to work. It was obvious that his strength had been destroyed by ‘vodka’ and he was too weak to do any type of hard physical labour.

Q18: Why did Sergei hurry into the dining room? What did he see from there?
Ans: Sergei hurried into the dining room because he wanted to check the beggar’s behaviour while chopping wood. He saw both Olga and Lushkoff walking towards the shed. He also saw Olga’s expression of wrath towards the beggar and the manner in which he struggled to chop wood in the acute cold.

Q19: Who was the ‘pseudo teacher and why did he sit on a log?
Ans: The ‘pseudo teacher was the beggar Lushkoff. He sat on a log, lost in his thought as his frail health did not allow him to undertake the hard task of chopping wood but he could not get away from it either.

Q20: How did Sergei feel after he saw Lushkoff chopping wood?
Ans: Sergei didn’t feel angry anymore after he saw Lushkoff chopping wood. Instead, he felt a little sorry and ashamed at having given the tough task of wood-chopping to Lushkoff who seemed to him a spoiled, drunkard and probably a sick man. It was difficult for him to do such a menial task in the severe cold.

Q21: What remuneration was paid to Lushkoff for chopping wood for the first time? What additional offer was made at this time?
Ans: Sergei paid a rouble as remuneration to the beggar for chopping wood and instructed Olga to tell him that if he wanted, he could come back and chop wood on the first day of each month.

Q22: When and why did Sergei hire Lushkoff? How did he appear at this time?
Ans: Sergei hired Lushkoff when he moved into another house. He hired him to help in packing and hauling the furniture. This time Lushkoff appeared sober but gloomy and silent.

Q23: Sergei says, “I am happy that my words have taken effect.” Why does he say so? Is he right in saying this?
Ans: Sergei says so because Lushkoff looked sober and seemed to have helped in the packing and hauling of furniture. He is partially right in saying this because his constant support had at least given Lushkoff an option to quit his disgusting life as a beggar

Q24: What revelation was made by Lushkoff to Sergei at the theatre?
Ans: Lushkoff revealed to Sergei that he did not chop even a single stick of wood at his yard. All the toil was done by the good and noble cook, Olga, who tried to help him and underwent misery and shed tears for his sake.

Q25: “Thank you, too”. Why does Lushkoff say this to Sergei?
Ans: Lushkoff says this to Sergei because although Olga was the one who had actually reformed him but Sergei’s contribution too was important. He had taken interest in the life of a disgusting beggar and helped him drag himself out of the mess he was in.

Q26: How and why did Sergei express his pleasure before parting from Lushkoff?
Ans: Sergei expressed his pleasure by tapping Lushkoff gently on the shoulder and shaking hands with him at parting. He expressed pleasure in this manner because he was convinced that the beggar was now a reformed person and deserved respect and honour.

Q27: How did Sergei help Lushkoff to live respectfully?
Ans: Sergei helped Lushkoff to live respectfully by giving him odd jobs every time he came to the yard. Now Lushkoff did not need to beg alms since he got money for all the little tasks that he was given by Sergei. Lastly, Sergei sent Lushkoff to his friend with a letter of recommendation for cleaner employment as a copier.

Q28: Lushkoff is earning thirty-five roubles a month. How is he obliged to Sergei for this? 
Ans: Lushkoff is obliged to Sergei for earning thirty-five roubles a month because the latter had paved the way for this achievement. He had recommended Lushkoff to his friend and arranged the job of a copier for him.

Q29: Why did Sergei call Lushkoff his ‘godson’?
Ans: Sergei called Lushkoff his ‘godson’ because he had given him a push along the right path and his efforts had lifted him out of the pit of begging. He had shown interest in Lushkoff’s life and had felt happy to see him reformed.

Q30: Who does Lushkoff give the credit for reforming him? Why?
Ans: Lushkoff is grateful to Sergei for employment but he gives true credit for his reformation to Olga, Sergei’s cook. Outwardly Olga is full of anger and spite, but her heart is full of human sympathy and kindness. While she severely scolds Lushkoff for being a miserable drunkard, she weeps for him and chops wood for him. She is the chief reason why Lushkoff gives up his bad habits and transforms into a hardworking man.

Also Check at EduRev: 

• The Beggar (Q and A) 
• Character Sketches - The Beggar 

Long Answer Type Questions

Q1: Describe the first meeting between Sergei and Lushkoff. How did Sergei take pity on Lushkofl?

Ans: One day, advocate Sergei met a beggar dressed in very shabby clothes. The beggar was crying and asked Sergei to have mercy on him. He said he had a job offer in Katuga but didn't have money for the fare, so he needed some money. Sergei looked at him closely and suddenly remembered seeing him the day before on Sadovya Street. Then, the beggar had claimed he was a student expelled for not paying his fees.

At first, the beggar denied this accusation. But after Sergei scolded him, he admitted that he survived by lying. He said his name was Lushkoff and that he was out of work. Sergei refused to give him money but offered him work chopping wood instead. He brought Lushkoff home and told his maid, Olga, to take him to the woodshed to chop some wood. Sergei watched from a room and saw that Lushkoff was weak and unwilling to do the work. However, after an hour, Olga told Sergei that the wood had been chopped. Sergei then gave Lushkoff half a rouble.

Q2: Sergei brought Lushkoff home to get some wood chopped. flow did he help Afterthought?

Ans:  Lushkoff chopped the wood, Sergei felt happy that he had helped someone in need. He believed he had managed to reform a beggar. Sergei told Lushkoff that he could come on the first of every month to chop wood for money. So, Lushkoff came every month, even though he was very weak and could barely stand. There was always work for him to do, and he did it. Sometimes, he chopped wood.

Other times, he shoveled snow, organized the woodshed, or beat the dust out of mattresses and rugs. Each time, he was paid between twenty to forty kopecks. One day, when Sergei moved to a new house, he hired Lushkoff to help with packing and moving furniture. During this time, Lushkoff was quiet and serious. After the job was done, Sergei offered to help Lushkoff find a better job. He wrote a letter of recommendation to a friend and gave it to Lushkoff, telling him it would help him get a job copying documents. Sergei felt satisfied, believing he had helped Lushkoff get on the right track in life.

Q3: Describe the last meeting between Sergei and Luslikoff. How did Olga help Lushkoff to be a real man?

Ans: Two years later, Sergei saw Lushkoff at a theater, buying a ticket. Lushkoff was dressed in a coat with a fur collar and a sealskin hat. Sergei recognized him and learned that Lushkoff was now a notary, earning thirty-five roubles a month. Sergei was happy for him and congratulated him on his success. However, Lushkoff revealed that it wasn't Sergei but his maidservant, Olga, who had helped him change. When he used to come to chop wood, he couldn't do it because he was weak and unskilled. Olga felt sorry for him and did the chopping for him. Lushkoff admitted that he never chopped any wood himself; it was all Olga's doing. Her kindness inspired him to stop drinking and start working hard to earn a living. Thus, it was Olga's kindness that changed his life.

Q4: During their conversation, Lushkoff reveals that Sergei’s cook, Olga, is responsible for the positive change in him. How has Olga saved Lushkoff?

Ans: Olga, Sergei’s seemingly ill-tempered cook, had been the main motivating factor behind Lushkoff’s positive change. She saved him by rousing the positivity in him that had got suppressed due to his alcoholism. She scolded him, cursed him but also shed tears for him and suffered misery for his sake.

Outwardly she expressed disgust for Lushkoff but went out of her way to help him reform himself. She risked the displeasure of her master, Sergei, by hiding the truth about the odd jobs assigned to Lushk off. She gave true humane affection to him and showed both pity and concern. Her affection is exhibited by the fact that she chops wood for him so that he can earn some money to feed himself and stay alive. It is Olga’s sincere and selfless efforts that finally give Lushk off a lease of life. Lushk off too remembers her with gratitude for her kind words and her noble deeds.