Section D: Let's understand the text

1. What did the writer experience in the restaurant ? (ଲେଖକ ରେଷ୍ଟୁରାଣ୍ଟରେ କି ଅଭିଜ୍ଞତା ଲାଭ କଲେ?)

Answer: The writer experienced that the vegetarian restaurant was very crowded, and people were eating and drinking.

2. What did he notice there? (ସେଠାରେ ସେ କ’ଣ ଲକ୍ଷ୍ୟ କଲେ?)

Answer: He noticed a very young girl looking at him with large eyes that had a sad expression.

3. What was the writer's first impression of the girl? (ଝିଅଟି ବିଷୟରେ ଲେଖକଙ୍କର ପ୍ରଥମ ଧାରଣା କ’ଣ ଥିଲା?)

Answer: The writer's first impression was that she was very young, had large sad eyes, and she seemed to be a poor and anxious figure.

4. What made the writer surprised ? (କେଉଁ କଥା ଲେଖକଙ୍କୁ ଆଶ୍ଚର୍ଯ୍ୟ କଲା?)

Answer: The writer was surprised when the girl asked the cashier in a low voice if he was an Indian, looked at him once more, and then went out.

5. Why did he enquire from the cashier? (ସେ କାହିଁକି କ୍ୟାସିୟରଙ୍କୁ ପଚାରିଲେ/ଅନୁସନ୍ଧାନ କଲେ?)

Answer: He enquired because her strange behavior and her interest in him had aroused his curiosity about her.

6. What information did he get from the cashier? (ସେ କ୍ୟାସିୟର ବା ୱେଟରଙ୍କ ଠାରୁ କି ସୂଚନା ପାଇଲେ?)

Answer: He got the information that the girl came to have lunch there only on Saturdays, which was her pay day, implying she did not earn much.

7. Where did the writer go on the next Saturday? (ପରବର୍ତ୍ତୀ ଶନିବାର ଦିନ ଲେଖକ କେଉଁଠିକୁ ଗଲେ?)

Answer: On the next Saturday, the writer went to the same vegetarian restaurant.

8. Why did he arrange the chair opposite hers? (ସେ କାହିଁକି ତାଙ୍କ ବିପରୀତ ଦିଗରେ ଚୌକି ପକାଇ ବସିଲେ?)

Answer: He took the chair opposite hers to make brief remarks and start a conversation with her.

9. What query did the girl make about the writer ? (ଝିଅଟି ଲେଖକଙ୍କ ବିଷୟରେ କି ପ୍ରଶ୍ନ ପଚାରିଲା?)

Answer: The girl asked if he was an Indian.

10. What impression did the writer have about the family of the girl? (ଝିଅଟିର ପରିବାର ବିଷୟରେ ଲେଖକଙ୍କର କି ଧାରଣା ହେଲା?)

Answer: The writer learned that her only guardian was her brother, who was a soldier in India, and that she lived with her old, widowed mother who was very worried about him.

11. How was the writer treated at Maggie's house? Who was there to welcome him? (ମ୍ୟାଗିର ଘରେ ଲେଖକଙ୍କୁ କିପରି ବ୍ୟବହାର କରାଯାଇଥିଲା? ସେଠାରେ ତାଙ୍କୁ ସ୍ୱାଗତ କରିବାକୁ କିଏ ଥିଲେ?) Answer: The writer was treated with eagerness and respect. Maggie's mother, Mrs. Bethy, was there in the kitchen to welcome him.

12. What was Mrs. Bethy doing when the writer met her? Why was she unwilling to go for a handshake? (ଲେଖକ ଯେତେବେଳେ ମିସେସ୍ ବେଥିଙ୍କୁ ଭେଟିଲେ ସେତେବେଳେ ସେ କ’ଣ କରୁଥିଲେ? ସେ କାହିଁକି ହାତ ମିଳାଇବାକୁ ଅନିଚ୍ଛୁକ ଥିଲେ?)

Answer: Mrs. Bethy was making cakes when the writer met her. She was unwilling to shake hands because her hands were covered with flour.

13. Why did the girl usually visit the restaurant on Saturdays? (ଝିଅଟି ସାଧାରଣତଃ ଶନିବାର ଦିନ କାହିଁକି ରେଷ୍ଟୁରାଣ୍ଟକୁ ଯାଉଥିଲା?)

Answer: She visited the restaurant on Saturdays because it was her pay day, and being poor, she could only afford to eat there on that day.

14. What did Mrs. Betty believe about the ring ? (ମୁଦି ବିଷୟରେ ମିସେସ୍ ବେଥି କ’ଣ ବିଶ୍ୱାସ କରୁଥିଲେ?)

Answer: She believed that if an Indian concentrated on a distant person while gazing into the ring, they would be able to see the person's past, future, and what they were doing.

15. What made the author to tell a lie about the ring? (କେଉଁ କଥା ଲେଖକଙ୍କୁ ମୁଦି ବିଷୟରେ ମିଛ କହିବାକୁ ବାଧ୍ୟ କଲା?)

Answer: Mrs. Bethy was sick and in a serious condition, aggravated by her anxiety for her son. Maggie requested him to lie that Franky was alive to save her mother's life.

16. Did the telling of a lie benefit Mrs. Bethy? (ମିଛ କହିବା ଦ୍ୱାରା ମିସେସ୍ ବେଥିଙ୍କର କିଛି ଲାଭ ହେଲା କି?)

Answer: Yes, the lie benefited her greatly, as tears of happiness welled up in her eyes and she soon recovered from her illness.

17. Why did the writer feel guilty about himself? (ଲେଖକ କାହିଁକି ନିଜକୁ ଦୋଷୀ ଅନୁଭବ କଲେ?)

Answer: He felt ashamed and guilty because he calculated and found that Franky had already been dead for some days when he told his mother that he was alive and well.

18. What was Maggie's gift to the writer ? (ଲେଖକଙ୍କୁ ମ୍ୟାଗିର ଉପହାର କ’ଣ ଥିଲା?)

Answer: Maggie's gift to the writer was a shilling, which she asked him to use to buy flowers and place them on her brother's grave.

19. Why was it a priceless gift? (ଏହା ଏକ ଅମୂଲ୍ୟ ଉପହାର କାହିଁକି ଥିଲା?)

Answer: It was a priceless gift because the child had earned the shilling with much toil. She sacrificed it out of immense love for her brother, making the joy of doing it beyond all price.

20. Did Maggie love her brother dearly? Give reasons. (ମ୍ୟାଗି କ’ଣ ତା’ର ଭାଇକୁ ବହୁତ ଭଲ ପାଉଥିଲା କି? କାରଣ ଦର୍ଶାଅ।)

 Answer: Yes, Maggie loved her brother dearly. This is evident because she constantly worried about him, begged the writer to lie to save their mother for his sake, wore black in mourning, and parted with her hard-earned shilling to offer flowers at his grave in India.

Section E: Let's understand the text better

1. Why did the writer choose the corner table in the restaurant ? (ଲେଖକ ରେଷ୍ଟୁରାଣ୍ଟରେ କୋଣରେ ଥିବା ଟେବୁଲ୍ କାହିଁକି ବାଛିଲେ?)

Answer: The restaurant was very crowded, and some chairs and tables had been pushed into a corner. The writer chose the corner table so he could seat himself and start skimming through the newspaper.

2. How did the writer start a conversation with the young girl? (ଲେଖକ କିପରି ସେହି ଛୋଟ ଝିଅଟି ସହିତ କଥାବାର୍ତ୍ତା ଆରମ୍ଭ କଲେ?)

Answer: The writer went up to her, took the chair opposite hers, wished her a good afternoon, and then made one brief remark after another to start a conversation.

3. How could the writer guess the girl to be poverty-stricken? (ଲେଖକ କିପରି ଅନୁମାନ କଲେ ଯେ ଝିଅଟି ଦାରିଦ୍ର୍ୟ-ପ୍ରପୀଡ଼ିତ ଅଟେ?)

Answer: The writer could guess she was poverty-stricken because the waiter told him she came for lunch only on Saturdays on her pay day, meaning she did not earn much.

4. Which of the following do you think the author will talk about after meeting the girl?(ଝିଅଟିକୁ ଭେଟିବା ପରେ ଲେଖକ ନିମ୍ନଲିଖିତ ମଧ୍ୟରୁ କେଉଁ ବିଷୟରେ କଥା ହେବେ ବୋଲି ତୁମେ ଭାବୁଛ?) 

(a) Meeting the girl again

(b) Enquiring about her nature of work

 (c) about her family

(d) all the above.

Answer: (d) all the above.

5. 'I was moved by what he said'. What impression did the writer get about the girl ? ('ସେ ଯାହା କହିଲେ ତାହା ଶୁଣି ମୁଁ ବିଚଳିତ ହେଲି'। ଝିଅଟି ବିଷୟରେ ଲେଖକଙ୍କର କି ଧାରଣା ସୃଷ୍ଟି ହେଲା?)

Answer: The writer got the impression that she was a mysterious, poverty-stricken, sad, and anxious figure who might need help.

6. What impression did the girl have on India? (ଭାରତ ଉପରେ ଝିଅଟିର କି ଧାରଣା ଥିଲା?)

Answer: The girl and her mother had the impression that India was a dangerous country filled with too many snakes and tigers that killed people.

7. 'Will it be too much of a lie'? Why did the girl say so? ('ଏହା କ’ଣ ବହୁତ ବଡ଼ ମିଛ ହେବ କି?' ଝିଅଟି ଏପରି କାହିଁକି କହିଲା?)

Answer: She said so because she knew Indians loved the truth. However, she desperately wanted the writer to tell a lie about her brother being alive just to save her mother's life.

8. Why did the writer feel ashamed to face Mrs. Bethy at the time of his return to India? (ଭାରତ ଫେରିବା ସମୟରେ ଲେଖକ ମିସେସ୍ ବେଥିଙ୍କ ସାମ୍ନା କରିବାକୁ କାହିଁକି ଲଜ୍ଜିତ ଅନୁଭବ କଲେ?)

Answer: He felt ashamed to face Mrs. Bethy because he found out that Franky had been dead for some days when he told his mother that he was alive and well.

9. Why was the shilling Maggie presented to the writer was an invaluable offering? (ମ୍ୟାଗି ଲେଖକଙ୍କୁ ଦେଇଥିବା ଶିଲିଂଟି କାହିଁକି ଏକ ଅମୂଲ୍ୟ ଉପହାର ଥିଲା?)

Answer: It was an invaluable offering because the child had earned the shilling with so much toil and sacrificed it to buy flowers for her dead brother's grave, demonstrating a joy of doing it that was beyond all price.