Long Answers - Chapter - 10, Three Men in a Boat | English Class 9 PDF Download

Long answer type question

Q1. What problems did the three friends face in making the camp?

Ans. The three friends thought putting up the tent was an easy job but it turned out to be quite tedious. They struggled hard to put the hoops into sockets but they put them into wrong sockets. They had to take them out and during the process they hurted themselves. After fixing them they tried to cover over them. George unrolled the canvas and fastened one end, Harris stood in the middle to pass it on to the writer who stood on the other side. Harris bungled it and got himself wrapped in it and knocked over George who too got entangled in it. They had to struggle hard to disentangle themselves. Finally with Jim’s kind support they were able to disentangle themselves.

Q2. What makes the writer feel happy and contented?

Ans. The writer feels happy and contended when his stomach is full i.e. when he is satisfied with proper meal. He says that after a good meal we feel happy and contented. We feel so forgiving and generous after a hearty and well-digested meal– so noble minded and so kind-hearted that the whole world seems to us to be happy.

Q3. What were the feelings of the writer and his two friends after supper?

Ans. After the supper all the three friends felt satisfied, happy and contented. Before the supper they were quarrel some and ill-tempered. They felt irritated even while talking to each other. But after the supper, they became quiet, civilized and humble and they behaved humbly and politely. Harris, while moving about, trod on George’s corn but George did not react and Harris apologized for it. For the writer, it was quite amazingly pleasant to watch the two man behave so politely. So the writer said, “It was pleasant to hear them.”

Q4. Narrate the story of George’s father in your own words.

Ans. One night, George’s father had to stay at an inn along with his friend where they met a few more people and spent their evening with them. Then they took a candle to reach the room where there were two beds for them. But the candle went out and it was totally dark. Due to darkness they both landed on the same bed with one’s head on the pillow and the other’s legs on it. After sometime they told each other that there was someone lying in their bed and decided to fight him out. They both hit each other thinking they were hitting the strangers and fell down on the floor with a loud thud. Actually they both were on the same bed but because of darkness and drinks they had taken, they could not understand it and took each other to be a stranger.

Q5. What were the observations and feelings of the writer when after supper he walked on the bank of the river?

Ans. As the writer felt restless and uncomfortable in the boat, he could not sleep and came out of it and walked on the river-bank. He found the night to be a loving mother. Who lays her hand upon our favered head. She turns our sad faces to smiles. Without speaking a word she places our tormented cheek against her bosom and relieves us of our pains. Our day remains full of fret and care. Our hearts remain full of evil and bitter experiences. We moan, we cry and we groan but night, like a\ mother, understands our emotions of grief. Her heart melts as she cannot bear to see us tossing in pain. She soothes our emotions, she checks our lurking tears and makes us understand that pain and sorrow are but the angels of God. We are blessed with rest and peace of mind in the lap of night.

Q6. “We are but the veriest, sorriest slaves of our stomach.” What do these words signify? How do they reveal the character of the writer?

Ans. Man is the slave of his stomach. Morality and righteousness come later on. All human and worldly activities depend on the stomach. If our stomach is empty, we cannot work, we cannot think. Our stomach directs us to emotions and passions. After breakfast it says work, after lunch it says take rest and after supper it says sleep. After a stimulant it says to the brain, now rise and show your strength, be elegant, deep and tender. Search nature and soar up high and reach the gates of eternity. A full stomach makes us noble, benevolent, friendly and polite. Here the writer becomes philosophical and justifies the old Indian philosophy which says– one cannot meditate or sing in praise of God, if one’s stomach is empty.

Q7. Describe the character of the writer as a lover of nature.

Ans. The writer could not sleep in the boat. He woke up and got lost in the beauty of nature. He paints the beauty of the night and concludes that there is something greater present in nature that takes away pain and suffering. The writer becomes poetic and philosophical in his mood. The night, adorned with stars, provided him comfort and solace. He felt in its presence all sorrows creep away and like a mother, it embraces his tear stained face in its comforting lap. The pleasant star-lit might had great soothing effect on the writer. Thus we come to know that besides his humorous narration of events, he has a great love for nature. He seems to exaggerate the events in order to produce humour, at the same time he seems to be true and real while narrating beauty of nature.

Q8. What does the writer say about pain and sorrow?

Ans. The writer says that pain and sorrows have no language but only a moan. He regards the night as a caring mother who embraces our tear-stained faces in her comforting arms and relieves us of our sorrows. It takes our pained hearts into its fold and takes us to the Almighty where our sorrows appear to be too small to be felt. He feels that our pains and sorrows are the twin angels of God. Those who have undergone real sufferings, feel the glorious light but never speak of the mystery behind it.