Sparrows by K. A. Abbas (Question and Answer)

Sparrows

by K. A. Abbas

(Question and Answer)

 

1.               Who is the writer of the story, 'Sparrows?

-    K. A. Abbas.

 

2.               What had the peasants gathered at the chaupal for?

-    For their evening smoke.

 

3.               Who called Rahim Khan the hard-hearted devil'?

-    Kallu.

 

4.               Who was Nanhe?

-    The fat sweet-seller."

 

5.               Who was Ramnath?

-    The village zaildar.

 

6.               Whose mare had gone into Rahim Khan's field?

-    The zaildar's.

 

7.               Who told Rahim Khan that his wife had gone to Nurpur?

-    An old woman in the neighbourhood.

 

8.               How long had Rahim Khan been married?

-    Thirty years.

 

9.               Who was Bundu?

-    Rahim Khan's elder son.

 

10.        Who was Nuru?

-    Rahim Khan's younger son.

 

11.        What profession did Rahim Khan want to take up in his youth?

-    He wanted to join a touring circus.

 

12.        Who did Rahim Khan fall in love with in his youth?

-    Radha

 

13.        Who was Radha?

-    The village banya's daughter.

 

14.        What was Rahim Khan's occupation?

-    Rahim Khan was a peasant. He was a fine athlete and wanted to join circus. But his father didn’t allow him to do so. He thought it immoral and below the dignity of a respectable peasant.

 

15.        “He walked with a haughty and unfriendly air....”. What does this suggest about Rahim Khan reputation in the village?

-    Rahim Khan had a very bad reputation in his village. Nobody liked him. He was hated and feared. He was thought to be a cruel person. The children looked on him with fear and would run away at his sight. People called him a hard-hearted devil.

 

16.        What does the phrase ‘cautious whispers’ suggest about the attitude of the villagers, towards Rahim Khan: respect / fear/a mixture of both?

-    It suggests, that the villagers were afraid of him. They considered him a cruel person The children looked on him with fear and would run away at his sight. He was called a hard- hearted devil.

 

17.        “The other day he very nearly killed my mare..." said the zaildar. Was Rahim khan entirely to blame?

-    One day Rahim Khan beat the Zaildar's mare cruelly. But he was not entirely to blame. In fact, the Zaildar's sons had acted mischievously. They had, knowingly, driven their mare into Rahim Khan's fields. And the Zaildaar knew this fact.

 

18.        What news did Rahim Khan get on returning to his hut?

-    Rahim Khan got the news, that his wife had gone away to her brother. She had not gone simply to visit him. She had gone to live with him.

 

19.        What were Rahim Khan's ambitions as a young man ? Were they fulfilled?

-    Rahim Khan had two ambitions in his life. His first ambition was to join a touring circus. The other was to marry a Hindu girl named Radha. But neither of these ambitions was fulfilled. His parents killed both his ambitions.

 

20.        Why was Rahim Khan not able to join the circus?

-    Rahim Khan was a fine athlete and he wanted to join circus. But Rahim Khan’s father was against it. He did not let him join the circus. He thought it immoral and below the dignity of a respectable peasant.

 

21.        How did Rahim Khan's romance with Radha end?

-    Rahim Khan fell in love with Radha, who was a Hindu girl. Rahim Khans father was furious when he came to know of it. He suggested Radha's father to marry off Radha. Radha’s father found a middle aged banya for Radha. Rahim Khan, was married to a Muslim girl. Thus, Rahim Khan's romance with Radha came to end.

 

22.        Iron entered his hitherto kindly soul. Explain.

-    Rahim Khan's parents and society were responsible for turning him into a beast They had killed all his ambitions very cruelly. Poor Rahim Khan's heart was filed with bitterness. And iron entered into his kindly soul. Now Rahim Khan wanted to destroy everything.

 

23.        Who did Rahim Khan hold responsible for the frustration of his dreams? How did he avenge himself?

-    Rahim Khan held society and his parents responsible for the frustration of his dreams. He   avenged himself by being cruel to his wife. He beat her almost every day. He ill-treated his children and his bullocks also.

 

24.        Something made Rahim Khan desist from wrecking the sparrows' nest. What do you think it was? What influence did the nest have on him?

-    The mother-sparrow's love for its young ones moved Rahim Khan's heart. It kindled his hidden goodness of his heart. The nest of the sparrows completely transformed Rahim Khan. And his behaviour towards the sparrows shows, that he was at heart a kind person. It was only his circumstances that had made him cruel.

 

25.        Can you say how Rahim Khan felt when a group of children ran away from him?

-    Rahim Khan was hated and feared in his village. The children looked on him with fear and would run away at his sight. But Rahim Khan was no longer cruel. He wanted the children to come to him. He felt very miserable when the children ran away from him.

 

26.        How did Rahim Khan get drenched? What was his only worry during the last moments of his life?

-    It was raining heavily. The roof just above the sparrows' nest was leaking. Rahim went up to the roof to repair it. Thus, he got drenched. During the last moments of his life, Rahim Khan's only worry was about the sparrows. He was worried about who would feed them after his death.

 

27.        What does Rahim Khan's behaviour towards the sparrows show about his own nature?

-    The nest of the sparrows completely transformed Rahim Khan. It kindled the hidden goodness of his heart. His behaviour towards the sparrows shows, that he was at heart a very kind person. It was only his circumstances that had made him cruel.

 

28.        Friends keep vigil over the body of a dear one. Who kept vigil over the body of Rahim Khan?

-    The sparrows kept vigil over Rahim Khan's body. When a person dies, his near and dear ones, his relatives and friends keep a vigil over his body. When Rahim Khan died, there was no one to keep vigil over his body. The sparrows performed this duty. This is the reason that they are referred to as 'friends'.

 

29.        Write a character-sketch of Rahim Khan.

-    We see two sides of Rahim Khan's character in this story. He was loving as well as beastly. He used to be a very cheerful boy in his youth. He had an intense desire to join a touring circus. He wanted to marry a Hindu girl. But both these ambitions of Rahim Khan were most cruelly trampled by his family and society. As a result, his heart was filled with bitterness. And from a cheerful young man, he became a heartless devil. But when the sparrows came into his life, they rekindled the hidden goodness of his heart. They brought out the true self of Rahim Khan. He was very kind at heart. He gave his life for the sake of those little creatures. Thus, we see, that Rahim Khan was a nice human being. It was only his circumstances that had made him cruel.

 

30.        Rahim Khan was known to be cruel and heartless. Briefly trace the incidents which changed his nature.

-    Rahim Khan ill-treated his wife and his sons. Due to his cruel behaviour, his wife and his sons left him one by one. Now in their absence, Rahim Khan started feeling lonely. He realized, how much this woman, whom he hated, had become a part of his life. One day, Rahim Khan saw a sparrows’ nest near the roof of his hut. There were two baby sparrows in the nest. He had a mind to destroy the nest and finish off the sparrows. But the mother- sparrow attacked him, when he tried to touch the baby sparrows. The mother-sparrow's love for its young ones moved Rahim Khans heart. A strange feeling of pity arose in him. He would feed them and play with them. He would call the baby sparrows by the names of his sons, Nuru and Bundu. He developed deep love for them. The sparrows transformed Rahim Khan completely. They rekindled the goodness of his heart.

 

31.        What is the message conveyed in the story? Explain.

-    The message conveyed in the story is that nobody is bad by birth. If one is bad there are bound to be some social or domestic reasons behind it. This is what happens with Rahim Khan, the main character of this story. Rahim Khan had two ambitions in his life, first, he wanted to join a touring circus. Secondly, he wanted to marry a Hindu girl, Radha, but his parents killed both these ambitions. They did not let him join the circus. They got him married to a Muslim girl against his wishes. All this brought about a big change in Rahim Khan's nature. He used to be very cheerful. But now he became very bitter and cruel. He began to ill-treat his wife, children and even his bullocks, He came to be hated and feared. But when the sparrows came in his life, they rekindled the hidden goodness of his heart. He came out as a kind person. This was his true self.