Introduction - Iswaran the Storyteller | English Literature for Grade 9 PDF Download

Introduction of the story

This is an interesting story about lswaran, a cook. I le served as a cook to Mahendra, a junior supervisor. lswaran was deVoted to his master. He was an expert cook. Another quality of lswaran was that he was a master storyteller. He narrated even the smallest incident of his story by weaving suspense around it. One day, he told his master a story about a mad elephant. On another day, he told Mahendra that the ghost of a woman appeared around the house on the full moon night. One night, Mahendra woke up on hearing some sound. He kicked out of the window. He saw a dark cloudy figure. He began to sweat with fear. The next morning, he hurried to his office and handed in his papers for transfer from that place

Introduction of the story(2)

Story telling is an art. It can be made interesting by adding an element of surprise and adventure. “Iswaran the Storyteller” is a story about a person who was a master storyteller. He was so good at his craft that the listener would end up believing the story to be true.

THEME

The theme of the story is ‘the art of storytelling’. A good story becomes interesting only when the narrator twists and turns the action to make the narrative surprising yet plausible. Iswaran, a master of this art told gripping stories in a graphic and dramatic manner such that his listeners listened to him in rapt attention and bewilderment. Once the story of a female ghost that he recounted so terrified his master that he quit his job and left the haunted place.
Another theme is that one must not let oneself be influenced by superstitions like ghosts or spirits unless one has a faint belief in one’s own subconscious. Mahendra believed that he had seen the female ghost because his subconscious seemed to have already accepted the presence of ghosts and spirits.

Theme (2)

Nobody is free from fears. Everybody accepts the presence of ghosts and spirits but feels hesitant to express this truth openly. If fear lies in our heart, we should try to know the proper cause of this fear. In fear, we may take some wrong decisions and put our lives into problems. Therefore, we have to be bold enough to make good decisions in all circumstances.

TITLE

“Iswaran the Storyteller” is a perfectly suitable title for a story that deals with the character ‘Iswaran’ and his mastery of the art of storytelling. The whole story deals with the dramatic manner in which Iswaran made-up and recounted stories, which were admirable more for the style in which elements of suspense, horror, and adventure were added to them than for their contents. Hence, this title stands justified.
Mahendra, the narrator, had a servant named ‘swarm’. Iswaran entertained Mahendra by Willing his many stories. Most of his stories were full of surprise and thrill. He narrated the smallest incident in detail. He was very imaginative. Mahendra always enjoyed his stories. So it is appropriate to name the lesson as ran the storyteller’.

Vocabulary

Narrated—told a story; Junior—lower in rank; Supervisor—observer; Construction—making building; Keep an eye on—watch; Mining—digging; Bachelor—unmarried; Odd—unfavourable; equipped—lacking facility; Makeshift—portable; Quarry—open mining; Meanwhile—at the same time but in another place; Leisurely—with comfort; Mutter—to say in low voice; Thriller—full of excitement; Imaginative—full of imagination; Description—explanation; Incident—event; Suspense—feeling of excitement; Uprooted—removed from ground with roots; Dramatic—full of drama; Enormous—huge; Sprawled—spread arms and legs carelessly; Canvas—strong rough cloth; Uncritically—without criticising; Timber—wood; Experienced—skilled;Control—to handle; Prologue–introduction; Elaborate—detailed; Anecdote—short amusing story; Timber yard—a yard where wood is stored; Creepers—a plant with long stems that grow along the ground; Excitement—a feeling of great enthusiasm; Stamping—crushing; Emulation—copying something; Outskirt—outer area of a town or city; Smashed—broke something noisily; Beast—an animal; Flattening—levelling something; Shrub—a kind of fern; Depredation—damage; Inhabitant—people who live in a particular place; Disappear—vanished; Entire—whole; Grabbed—held in hand; Menacingly—in a harmful manner; Hypnotised—put someone in a state of hypnosis; Trumpeted—produced loud sound (of animal); Shivered—trembled; Collapsed—fell down; Mumbling—speaking unclearly; Conclusion—final part of something; Veterinary—connected with taking care of animals; Shrug—to raise shoulders to express lack of interest; Temporarily—for some time; Paralyse—to lose ability to move or feel; Nervous system—main system of nerve control; Horror—strong feeling of fear; Credible—trustworthy; Inimitable—which cannot be copied; Auspicious—good omen; Tradition—a belief; Culinary skill—cooking skill; Supernatural—not natural; Occupy—to fill place; Burial ground—place to bury dead people; Satisfy—to please someone by giving what one wants; Skull—bones of head; Ugly—very unattractive; Shrivelled—full of wrinkles; Skeleton—frame of bones supporting human or animal body; Foetus—young human being before birth; Interrupted—stopped someone in the middle of something; Figment—imagination which seems real but is not; Digestive—relating to digestion; Examine—to check; Retire—to take rest; Cheerful—happy; Talkative—one who talks a lot; Unease—anxiety; Peer—peep into; Vicinity—in immediate surrounding; Ghost—spirit of dead; Altogether—completely; Moan—long low sound of pain; Prowl—looking for a prey; Guttural—sound produced from the back of the throat; Behold—see; Wail—to cry sadly; Feline—relating to cats; Resist—prevent from doing something; Temptation—desire to do or have something; Lower—to move something down; window sill—a piece of wood that forms the base of window; Panting—breathing quickly and loudly with mouth; Ghastly—deadly; shocking; Autosuggestion—ideas of a person; Subconscious—connected with feelings; Horror—fear; Fade—to lose colour; Grin—wide smile; Chill—feeling of fear; Spine—body (here); Resolve—to determine.

WORD-MEANINGS

Sweat = perspiration = पसीना ; supervisor = one who supervises =निरीक्षक ; site = place = स्थान ; bridge = a way across a river or canel =पुल ; bachelor = unmarried = कुंवारा ; ill-equipped = with meagre facilities = कम सुविधाओं वाला ; makeshift = temporary = अस्थाई ; quarry = mine = खान ; chatted = talked = बात करता था ; weave out = tell = बताना ; anecdotes = stories = कहानियाँ ; varied = different = भिन्न ; amazing= surprising = हैरानीपूर्ण ; ingredients = parts =हिस्से  ; desolate = barren =सुनसान ; miraculously = marvelously =चमत्कारी रूप से ;  conjure up = create as if by magic = जैसे कि जादू से बनाना ;   shelter = shed = छप्पर ; tidy up = clean = साफ़ करना ; leisurely = without hurry = बिना जल्दी के ; pouring = putting = डालना ; muttering = murmuring = बुड़बुड़ाना ; thriller = novel or story with a suspense = रोमांचक उपन्यास या कहानी ; narrative = story = कहानी ; flourishes = decorative language = सजावटी भाषा ; in thrall = excited = उत्तेजित ;  arched = bent =मुड़ा हुआ ; gesture = sign = इशारा ; deserted = lonely = अकेला , सुनसान ; enormous = huge = बड़ा sprawled = spread out = फैला हुआ Logs = big pieces of wood =लकड़ी के लट्ठे ; hauled = carried = उठाना ; wild = untamed = उठाना ; mahout = the person who controls an elephant =महावत ; prologue = preface = भूमिका  launch = start = आरंभ करना ; elaborate = detailed = विस्तृत  tusker = elephant = हाथी ; stamping = romping =पाँव पटकना ; creepers = creepers = बेलें ; emulation = imitation = नक़ल ; outskirts = outer area = बाहरी क्षेत्र ; fences = hedges = बाड़ ; smashed = broke = तोड़ना ; helter-skelter : = here and there = इधर-उधर ; panic = fear = डर ; grunted = made a sound =आवाज करना ; flattening = making flat = चपटा करना ; shrubs = plants = पौधे ;  terrace = raised platform = चबूतरा ; depredation = destruction = विनाश ; inhabitants = persons living = निवासी ; grabbed = took hold of =पकड़ी ; menacingly = threateningly =खतरनाक ढंग से ; frightening = terrifying = भयानक ;  hypnotized = as if under magic spell = जैसे कि जादू के प्रभाव में ; trumpeted = squealed =चिंघाड़ा;  mustering= gathering इकट्ठा करते हुए ; whacked = struck = प्रहार किया Toenail = nail of the toe =पाँव का अगूंठा ; stunned = thunderstruck = भौचक्का रह गया ; shivered = trembled = काँपा ; collapsed = fell down =गिर गया ; mumbling = muttering = बुड़बुड़ाते हुए ; rapt = complete = पूर्ण ; conclusion = end = अंत ; pending = incomplete = अधूरा ; veterinary doctor = doctor of animals =पशुओं का डॉक्टर ; summoned – sent for =बुलाया ; revive = bring to life again =पुनर्जीवित करना ; shrug = pull shoulders back = कंधे उचकाना ; karate or jitsu = Japanese martial arts = जापानी युद्ध कला ; paralysis = make very weak =बहुत कमजोर होना ; recounting = telling =बताना  ; horror = terror = भय ; credible = believable = विश्वसनीय ; inimitable= which cannot be copied = जिसकी नक़ल न हो सके ; auspicious= holy =पवित्र  ; delicacies = delicious dishes =स्वादिष्ट व्यंजन  ; ancestors = forefathers =पूर्वज ; complimented =congratulated = बधाई देना ; culinary = concerning cooking meals = भोजन पकाने संबंधी ; garish = gaudy = तड़कीला – भड़कीला ; supernatural =occult = अलौकिक ; jerked = shook out of = झटका लगा ; reverie = day dream = दिवास्वप्न  Frightened =terrified = भयभीत ; ugly = bad looking =भद्दा ; matted = tangled = उलझा हुआ ; shrivelled = dried = सूखा हुआ ; foetus = embryo =भ्रूण ; crazy = mad = पागल ; figment = part = भाग ; digestive system = that digestive =पाचन प्रणाली ; sulk = feel angry =नाराज होना ; peered = stared =घूरा ; vicinity = area = क्षेत्र ; twinkling = shining =चमकना ; moan = groan = कराहना ; prowling = moving = घूमना ;  guttural = throat sound = गले की आवाज़ ; resisted = controlled = नियंत्रित किया ; curiosity = inquisitiveness = जिज्ञासा ; wailing = weeping = रोना ; feline = of the cat = बिल्ली संबंधी ; clutching = holding = पकड़े हुए ; panting = gasping =हाँफना ; auto-suggestion = self advice =आत्म सलाह ; subconscious = half conscious = अर्धचेतना ; faded = disappeared =गायब हो गया ; spine = backbone = रीढ़ की हड्डी ; resolving = determining =निश्चय करना ;  haunted = ghostly =भूतहा I