Short & Long Answer Question - The Beggar

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 beggar's name 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 the beggar a couple of days earlier in Sadovaya Street.
Q5: What work did Sergei offer the beggar?
Ans: He offered Lushkoff the work of chopping wood.
Q6: Who was Olga?
Ans: Olga was Sergei's maid-servant (cook).
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 day 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 Sergei that he was now a notary and earned thirty-five roubles a month.

Short Answer Type Questions

Q1: How did Sergei recognise the beggar?
Ans: Sergei looked carefully at the beggar and found his face familiar. He tried to remember where he had seen him before. Then he noticed the beggar's shoes - one shoe was higher than the other. This small detail helped him recall that he had seen the man earlier in Sadovya Street.

Q2: The beggar was a liar. What two lies did he tell Sergei?
Ans: Two lies told by Lushkoff to Sergei were:

• When he first met Sergei, he claimed to be a student who had been expelled from college for not paying fees.
• When he met Sergei the second time, he claimed he was a school teacher for eight years who had lost his position due to plots and lies. He also lied about having a job offer in Kaluga to gain travel money. 

Q3: What kind of work was given to Lushkoff initially? Why did he agree to do it?
Ans: Sergei refused to give alms and instead offered Lushkoff work. He took him home and asked Olga to make him chop wood in the woodshed. Lushkoff agreed not because he was fit for hard work but because of shame and pride. He had already told lies about being willing to work, so he could not openly go back on his words.
His agreement therefore came from embarrassment and a desire to keep up appearances rather than genuine eagerness to work.

Q4: How did Olga treat Lushkoff in the beginning? Why did she do this?
Ans: At first, Olga treated Lushkoff harshly. She scolded him and called him a drunkard. Yet, she also felt pity for him. She would sit and look at him sadly, sometimes weeping. Moved by compassion, she took to chopping the wood herself to help him earn money. She behaved this way because she wanted to correct him and give him a chance to reform.

Q5: Where did Sergei send Lushkoff? What advice did he give him?
Ans: Sergei sent Lushkoff to a friend who needed a copyist, because Lushkoff could write. He advised him to work hard and to stop drinking. Sergei asked him not to forget this advice and hoped it would help Lushkoff lead an honest life.

Q6: Where did Sergei see Lushkoff after two years? What work was he doing then?
Ans: Two years later Sergei saw Lushkoff at a theatre ticket window, buying a seat. Lushkoff was neatly dressed, wearing a coat with a curly-fur collar and a sealskin cap. He told Sergei that he had become a notary and was earning 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 log between his legs and struck it feebly with an axe. The log kept slipping and falling. His blows were weak and unskilled, which showed that he did not know how to chop wood properly.

Q8: Write a brief character sketch of Olga.
Ans: Olga was Sergei's maidservant and cook. She seemed stern and strict, but she had a kind and compassionate heart. She scolded Lushkoff for his drunkenness, yet she wept for him and secretly did his work to help him survive. Her sympathy, firmness and quiet kindness helped to change Lushkoff's life for the better.

Q9: What plea does Lushkoff make to Sergei when he appears at his yard?
Ans: Lushkoff begged Sergei to have pity on him. He said he had not eaten for three days and had no money even for lodging. He also claimed that he had been a village school teacher for eight years but had lost his job because of scheming and lies.

Q10: Describe the physical appearance of Lushkoff when Sergei observes him in his yard.
Ans: When Sergei looked at Lushkoff he saw a ragged man in a worn fawn-coloured overcoat. His eyes were dull and showed the effect of drink, and his cheeks had red spots. Altogether, he looked an unkempt and pitiable beggar.

Q11: Why does Lushkoff want to go to Kaluga?
Ans: Lushkoff claimed that he had an offer of a position in Kaluga after a long period without work. He said he wanted to go there but had no money for the journey.

Q12: Has Lushkoff become a beggar by circumstance or by choice?
Ans: Lushkoff became a beggar mainly due to his own weakness and the circumstances created by it. His habit of drinking ruined his health and employment, and he depended on lying instead of honest work to survive. Thus, his beggary resulted from alcoholism and moral weakness, though circumstances later trapped him in it.

Q13: Why was the beggar taken aback when Sergei asked if he remembered having met him earlier?
Ans: The beggar was startled because he realised his lies might be exposed. He knew that being found out could bring shame or even get him into trouble with the police, so Sergei's question surprised and worried him.

Q14: What reason does Lushkoff give Sergei for telling lies? 
Ans: Lushkoff admitted that he lied because people were more likely to help a man with a respectable story than a drunkard. He found that lies earned him sympathy and money, which kept him alive.

Q15: Is Lushkoff a willing worker? Why, then, does he agree to chop wood for Sergei?
Ans: Lushkoff was not truly a willing or capable worker; his strength had been sapped by drink. He agreed to chop wood because of pride and shame. Having declared himself ready to work, he felt he could not withdraw that claim and so complied.

Q16: Who was Olga? What task did Sergei assign to her?
Ans: Olga was Sergei's cook and maidservant. Sergei asked her to take Lushkoff to the woodshed and set him to chop wood so that he could earn some money.

Q17: How did Lushkoff follow Olga to the woodshed? What did this reveal about his willingness to work?
Ans: Lushkoff followed Olga slowly and reluctantly. His gait showed weakness and lack of energy, which revealed that he was not truly willing or able to do 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 to look through the window, from where the woodshed and the yard were visible. From there, he saw Olga angrily scolding Lushkoff, the beggar sitting on a log, and his weak, clumsy attempts at chopping wood in the cold.

Q19: Who was the 'pseudo teacher and why did he sit on a log?
Ans: The 'pseudo-teacher' was Lushkoff, who had falsely claimed to be a village schoolteacher. He sat on a log because he was physically weak, ashamed, and unwilling to work, his strength having been ruined by alcoholism.

Q20: How did Sergei feel after he saw Lushkoff chopping wood?
Ans: Seeing Lushkoff struggle, Sergei no longer felt angry. He felt sorry and a little ashamed for having set such a hard task for a man who seemed ill and weak. He realised that the work was too harsh for him in the cold.

Q21: What remuneration was paid to Lushkoff for chopping wood for the first time? What additional offer was made at this time?
Ans: For chopping wood the first time, Sergei paid Lushkoff half a rouble. He also offered him regular work, telling him that he could come on the first day of every month to earn money by doing small jobs.

Q22: When and why did Sergei hire Lushkoff? How did he appear at this time?
Ans: When Sergei moved to a new house he hired Lushkoff to help pack and haul furniture. At that time Lushkoff appeared sober but quiet and gloomy.

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 said this because Lushkoff looked sober and had worked during the move, so Sergei believed his influence had helped. He was partly right - his kindness had given Lushkoff opportunities - but the real credit for Lushkoff's reform belonged more to Olga's quiet care and sacrifice.

Q24: What revelation was made by Lushkoff to Sergei at the theatre?
Ans: At the theatre Lushkoff revealed that he had never actually chopped a single stick of wood himself. Olga had silently done the work for him, wept for him and taken on the hard labour to help him survive and reform.

Q25: "Thank you, too". Why does Lushkoff say this to Sergei?
Ans: Lushkoff thanked Sergei because, although Olga did most of the actual work of reforming him, Sergei's interest and the chance he gave were important. Sergei's help opened the path that led to his recovery.

Q26: How and why did Sergei express his pleasure before parting from Lushkoff?
Ans: Before parting, Sergei tapped Lushkoff gently on the shoulder and shook hands with him. He did this because he believed Lushkoff had reformed and deserved respect and good wishes for the future.

Q27: How did Sergei help Lushkoff to live respectfully?
Ans: Sergei helped Lushkoff by giving him odd jobs so that he could earn money instead of begging. He also provided a letter of recommendation to a friend, which helped Lushkoff get honest employment as a copyist.

Q28: Lushkoff is earning thirty-five roubles a month. How is he obliged to Sergei for this? 
Ans: Lushkoff was obliged to Sergei because Sergei recommended him to his friend and arranged for the copier's job that led to his steady income.

Q29: Why did Sergei call Lushkoff his 'godson'?Ans: Sergei called Lushkoff his 'godson' because he felt responsible for guiding him onto a better life and was glad to see him reformed. The term shows affection and a sense of having helped to raise him morally.

Q30: Who does Lushkoff give the credit for reforming him? Why?Ans: Lushkoff gives the main credit to Olga. Although she seemed harsh, she showed deep sympathy and quietly did the hard work for his sake. Her kindness, tears and care motivated Lushkoff to stop drinking and become 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 in shabby clothes who was crying and begging for mercy. The man said he had a job offer in Kaluga but lacked money for the fare. Sergei looked at him carefully and recognised some features from an earlier meeting in Sadovya Street. At first the beggar denied Sergei's suspicion, but then admitted that he often survived by telling lies. He gave his name as Lushkoff and explained that he was out of work.

Sergei refused to give alms but offered Lushkoff work instead. He took him home and told his maid Olga to set him to chop wood. From the dining room Sergei watched the scene unfold. He saw that Lushkoff was weak and struggled with the axe. After about an hour Olga told him the wood was chopped. Sergei then gave Lushkoff half a rouble and told him he could come back on the first of every month to earn small sums. Sergei's action showed pity combined with a desire to help the man become self-respecting.

Q2: Sergei brought Lushkoff home to get some wood chopped. How did he help afterwards?
Ans: Lushkoff began to come on the first of each month to do small tasks for Sergei. Sometimes he chopped wood, other times he shoveled snow, arranged the wood-shed, or beat dust out of mattresses and rugs. For these small jobs he earned between twenty and forty kopecks. Later, when Sergei moved house, he employed Lushkoff to help with packing and moving furniture. During that work Lushkoff appeared sober but quiet.

Seeing some improvement, Sergei decided to help further and wrote a letter of recommendation to a friend who needed a copyist. He gave this letter to Lushkoff and advised him to be honest and to stop drinking. Sergei felt satisfied that he had provided Lushkoff with steady opportunities and a chance to lead an honest 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 met Lushkoff at a theatre ticket window. Lushkoff was smartly dressed with a fur-collared coat and a sealskin cap. He told Sergei he was a notary earning thirty-five roubles a month. Sergei congratulated him, but Lushkoff then revealed the truth: it had been Olga, not Sergei, who had actually reformed him.

Olga had silently done the hard work of chopping wood for him, wept for him and displayed patient kindness. Her stern words and her quiet help won him away from drink and gave him the courage to change. Her example and sacrifices inspired Lushkoff to work honestly and, eventually, secure a respectable post.

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 saved Lushkoff through a combination of firmness and compassion. Though she appeared ill-tempered, she felt deep pity for him. She scolded him for his drinking but also wept and secretly did the hard physical labour so that he could earn money and keep his dignity. By showing both sternness and kindness, she encouraged him to give up alcohol and to start working. Her consistent care and sacrifice were the main reasons for Lushkoff's recovery and eventual respectable employment.