NCERT Solutions for Class 9 English Moments Chapter 3 - Iswaran the Storyteller

Q1. In what way is Iswaran an asset to Mahendra?

Ans: Iswaran is an asset to Mahendra because he is loyal, hardworking and resourceful. He not only cooks meals and washes clothes but also takes care of all domestic needs without complaint, even in remote and difficult places. His remarkable ability to procure fresh vegetables in desolate areas and his entertaining storytelling provide both comfort and companionship to Mahendra, making his isolated life pleasant.

Q2. How does Iswaran describe the uprooted tree on the highway? What effect does he want to create in his listeners?

Ans: Iswaran, influenced by Tamil writers, enjoyed adding suspense and drama to ordinary events. He described the uprooted tree on the highway in a vivid and dramatic way - first suggesting that he had seen a huge animal lying on the road and then revealing that it was only a fallen tree. He aimed to surprise and excite his listeners by building tension and then giving a sudden, unexpected explanation, so that his account sounded thrilling and memorable.

Q3. How does he narrate the story of the tusker? Does it appear to be plausible?

Ans: Iswaran narrated the incident of the wild elephant in an exaggerated and highly dramatic manner. He described the tusker as having escaped from a timber yard, trampling bushes and breaking branches, and then entering a school ground where everyone fled in panic. He went on to say that he bravely approached the animal, took a cane from a teacher and tapped its third toenail, and that the elephant immediately fell - claiming to have used a Japanese fighting move. This account seems implausible because it is unlikely that a single person could calm or topple a rampaging elephant so easily; the details are too theatrical to be taken at face value.

Q4. Why does the author say that Iswaran seemed to more than make up for the absence of a TV in Mahendra's living quarters?

Ans: Iswaran was an expert storyteller who nightly entertained Mahendra with dramatic and mysterious tales. His lively narration allowed Mahendra to imagine action, suspense and characters in detail, much as a television programme would. Because Iswaran's tales provided regular entertainment and kept Mahendra company, he more than compensated for the lack of a television.

Q5. Mahendra calls ghosts or spirits a figment of the imagination. What happens to him on a full-moon night?

Ans: Mahendra strongly dismisses the idea of ghosts, calling them a figment of the imagination. However, after hearing Iswaran’s frightening story about a female ghost, he becomes uneasy and avoids looking out on full-moon nights. One night, disturbed by strange moaning sounds, he looks outside and imagines seeing a dark, ghostly figure, which terrifies him and reveals how fear and suggestion overpower his rational thinking.

Q6.  Can you think of some other ending for the story?

Ans: The narrative could end in several different ways. One alternative is to show Mahendra facing his fear: he might stay and investigate the figure with Iswaran's help and discover a simple, non-supernatural explanation, which would underline courage and reason. Another possibility is that Mahendra and Iswaran leave the place together, reinforcing their friendship and mutual support. A third option is that Iswaran later admits he invented the frightening tale to tease Mahendra, which would emphasise Iswaran's playful, dramatic nature and restore calm between them.