DAV Class 8 English Literature Book Solutions Chapter 4 Father’s Help

Tracking progress through consistent use of DAV Class 8 English Literature Book Solutions Chapter 4 Father’s Help is a helpful practice.

DAV Class 8 English Literature Chapter 4 Question Answer – Father’s Help

Pre-Reading Task

Question 1.
Have you ever experienced Monday morning blues while going to school after an enjoyable weekend? Share some such experiences with your friends.
Answer:
Yes, sometimes I don’t like to go to school on Monday. After enjoying weekend it seems irksome to attend the school. Once, I visited Mount Abu and returned on Sunday. Next day I didn’t go to school. Because after hectic schedule in Mount Abu, I exhausted. I was only enjoying those moments.

Question 2.
Suppose you do not wish to go to school some day. Do you

• pretend to have a headache,
• tell your parents that you do not have any important class,
• tell your parents the truth,
• make some other excuse?

Share your response with your friends.
Answer:
It is true from my side that so many times I do not like to attend the school. To escape from it, I have to make other excuses like headache or stomach pain, etc.

I. Understanding the Story

A. Write ‘T’ for true statements and ‘F’ for false ones.

Question 1.
Swami did not want to go to school because he had a headache.
Answer:
True

Question 2.
Swami’s school began at 9:00 a.m.
Answer:
False

Question 3.
Samuel taught arithmetic and history to Swami and his class-fellows.
Answer:
True

Question 4.
Swami decided to fling the complaint letter written by his father into a gutter.
Answer:
False

Question 5.
Swami was overjoyed at getting the complaint letter against Samuel.
Answer:
False

Question 6.
Swami reached the school an hour late.
Answer:
False

Question 7.
Samuel had two arithmetic periods with Swami’s class on Monday.
Answer:
False

Question 8.
Samuel gave Swami eight cuts of cane.
Answer:
False

Question 9.
Swami delivered the complaint letter to the headmaster after the last bell rang.
Answer:
False

B. Answer the following questions in about 30 words each.

Question 1.
How did Swami’s father react when Swami told him that he was not going to school? How different was his reaction from that of Swami’s mother?
Answer:
Swami’s father was stubborn. He got very angry. He wanted that Swami should go to school at any cost. His mother who was meek reacted softly to Swami’s demand of not going to school. She replied that he could stay back if he was not feeling well.

Question 2.
‘Father’s behaviour took an unexpected turn’. What was unexpected about Swami’s father’s behaviour?
Answer:
Swami made an effort to convince his father that his teacher Mr. Samuel would beat him on being late. This made his father very angry. He told that parents were not sending their children to be beaten up in the school.

Question 3.
Why didn’t Swami hand over the complaint letter to the headmaster in the morning?
Answer:
Swami knew well that he had given wrong description of Mr. Samuel to his father. So he didn’t hand over the complaint letter to the headmaster in the morning. He wanted that Samuel should do such an act that might make him justified for the punishment.

Question 4.
Could Swami deliver the complaint letter to the headmaster after the school? Why/ Why not?
Answer:
Swami got success in annoying his teacher too much that he caned him. He found Mr. Samuel’s act was justified for the punishment. So after the school was closed, he went to the headmaster’s room, but he could not deliver the letter of complaint to the headmaster because the headmaster had gone on earlier.

II. HOTS

‘Swami went to school feeling that he was the worst perjurer on earth. ’ Describe Swami’s feelings at this point. Why did he feel like ‘the worst perjurer’? (About 60-80 words)
Answer:
Swami told several lies about his teacher Samuel for not going to school. He was feeling very bad because after reading the letter, the headmaster might dismiss him and hand him over to the police. Samuel was not a bad teacher but Swami made him so saying that he beats boys severely. Sadly, he felt like ‘the worst perjurer’. His conscience chided him for his false imagination.

III. Life Skills

What impression have you formed of Swami’s relation with his father? How should children and their parents behave with each other?
Answer:
Swami’s father is a veiy strict person. He never listens excuses for not going to school. He is disciplined in nature and wants the same in his son. At the same time, he is a caring father. He feels angry when he hears that Samuel beats children severely. He even writes a letter to the headmaster so that the children would be escaped from the punishment and Samuel must be punished for his cranky attitude towards students.

IV. Values

Swami gives a very unfair description of Samuel to his father. How would you have behaved, had you been in Swami’s place?
Answer:
For self-attempt.

V. Writing Skills

A. Imagine that you are Swami. Write a diary entry relating your experience with Samuel in the school.
Answer:
23rd July, 20XX 10:00 p.m.
Monday
What a bad day it was for me! I was forced by my father to go to school. Unwillingly,
I had to go to school. I made an excuse that my teacher Mr. Samuel would beat me because I was late. Being angry, my father wrote a letter against him and asked me to give it to my headmaster. I reached school and I knew that I told lies to my father about Mr. Samuel. I decided to provoke my teacher to beat me. The teacher said nothing on my lame excuse of getting late and not doing homework. It was four then. Samuel came again and I began to ask him silly questions loudly. He scolded me several times and asked me to shut my mouth. But he found me quite indisciplined.
He took out his stick from the drawer and beat me. It was I who provoked him to do so.

B. Imagine that you are Samuel. Write a diaiy entry expressing your surprise at Swami’s strange behaviour in the class and your feelings at caning him.
Answer:

10:00 p.m.

23rd July, 20XX
Monday
Oh! What a bad experience I had today in my class! Today, I was teaching arithmetic when Swami came in. He was half-an-hour late. When I asked him the reason, he answered that he was having a headache. He had not done his homework. I said nothing. It was four then. It was my history period in Swami’s class. I felt that he was behaving in an unusual manner as he did never before. He asked me a question in a loud voice. I controlled my anger and told him to sit down, I even told him that his headache had made him mad. I threatened to cane him. I asked question on the Mughal period. Swami stood and began to interrupt. He provoked me with his annoying questions. It made me out of temper. I canned him but I felt very sad. I am never in favour of corporal punishment in schools. But he provoked me so much that I had to beat him. My heart is heavy till then.
Samuel

DAV Class 8 English Literature Chapter 4 Solutions – Father’s Help

Question 1.
Do you think children always give lame excuses for not going to school or there may be some reason behind their unwillingness?
Answer:
It is true that many children show their unwillingness to go to their schools and they want to enjoy one more day without any restrictions of the schools. But many times their problems are genuine. They do not find school atmosphere very interesting which make them reluctant to go to schools. While pestering and persecuting, teachers are the prime reason for the child trying to keep away from school. In presence of such a teacher, a child has nothing to do at all but to bear the burnt of things or to evade the school. Thus, students’ excuses should not be taken as lame excuses but the parents should try to find out the truth hidden behind their excuses.

Question 2.
Rearrange the letters given below to form words which mean the same as following.

	Jumbled letters	Correct word
(a) friendly	Engail
(b) blame	Glaaleinot
(c) skilful methods to persuade others	Ctctisa
(d) to continue to do something	Erspist
(e) stubborn, self-willed	sbitoanet

Answer:

	Jumbled letters	Correct word
(a) friendly	Engail	Genial
(b) blame	Glaaleinot	Allegation
(c) skilful methods to persuade others	Ctctisa	Tactics
(d) to continue to do something	Erspist	Persist
(e) stubborn, self-willed	sbitoanet	Obstinate

Father’s Help Summary in English

Swami got up on Monday morning. He had to go to school. But he did not want to go. He told his mother that he was having a headache. He also told that there were not important lessons going on. He also gave an excuse to his father of having a headache. Swami’s father was very stubborn. He forced him to go to school. He told if he would reach school late his teacher Mr. Samuel who was very cranky would beat him. He made shocking account of beating by Samuel to the boys. Swami’s father now took it as a challenge. He decided to send Swami very late. He wrote a letter and asked Swami to give that to his headmaster. When Swami enquired about the content of the letter his father told that he had written about Mr. Samuel.

Swami was aware that he had given wrong description of his teacher. Mr. Samuel was a jovial person, but it was true that he beat students. In reality, Swami was himself confused about his teacher’s character. He did not want to give the letter to him.

Swami thought that it would ruin Samuel’s reputation. The headmaster would dismiss him and police would take action. He was angry with his father.
When Swami entered school, he decided that he would not give the letter immediately but at the end of the day.

Samuel was teaching arithmetic. Swami was half an hour late in the class. He told that he had a headache. Samuel said nothing to him. Samuel asked Swami for his homework. But he again gave excuse of headache.

Samuel remained calm. The last period was of history. Swami asked with his loud voice a question, “Why did not Columbus come to India, Sir’? Samuel answered that he lost his way. Swami was speaking very loudly. Samuel ordered Swami to shut up and sit down. Swami just wanted to irritate Samuel by his behaviour. He was doing so that Samuel could be proved to deserve dismissal as well as imprisonment.

Swami was happy that Samuel shouted at him and also caned him. Now’ at 4:30 p.m., he went to the headmaster to give his father’s letter, but he had gone earlier. His new assistant was Samuel. Swami came back and did not give the letter. His father took away the letter and threw it into the dustbin.

Father’s Help Summary in Hindi

स्वामी सोमवार की सुबह उठा । उसे अपने स्कूल जाना था। परन्तु वह जाना नहीं चाहता था। उसने अपनी माँ से कहा कि उसके सिर में दर्द था और स्कूल में कोई महत्त्वपूर्ण पाठ भी नहीं चल रहा था। उसने अपने पिता से भी सर में दर्द होने का बहाना बनाया।
स्वामी के पिता बहुत जिद्दी थे। उसके पिता ने उसे स्कूल जाने को कहा। स्वामी ने बहाना बनाया कि अब स्कूल जाने में बहुत देर हो चुकी थी और उसके अध्यापक मि० सेम्यूल उसे मारेंगें। उसने अपने अध्यापक सेम्यूल के विषय में बताया कि वे लड़कों को बहुत पीटते हैं। इस पर उसके पिता को क्रोध आ गया। उन्होंने स्वामी को देर से स्कूल जाने के बारे में कहा। उन्होंने प्रधानाध्यापक के नाम एक पत्र लिखा और स्वामी को उन्हें देने के लिए कहा। जब स्वामी ने अपने पिता से इस पत्र के विषय-वस्तु के बारे में पूछा तो उसके पिता ने कहा कि उन्होंने सेम्यूल के बारे में लिखा है।

स्वामी को पता था कि उसने सेम्यूल के विषय में बहुत झूठ बोला है। मि॰ सेम्यूल एक प्रसन्नचित व्यक्ति थे। लेकिन यह सच था कि वे छात्रों को पीटते थे। वास्तव में, स्वामी अपने शिक्षक के व्यवहार के बारे में खुद दुविधा में थे। वह उन्हें यह पत्र नहीं देना चाहता था।
स्वामी ने सोचा कि यह सेम्यूल की प्रतिष्ठा को दांव पर लगा देगा। इस पत्र के कारण प्रधानाध्यापक सेम्यूल को स्कूल से निकाल सकते थे और पुलिस भी उन्हें ले जा सकती थी । इसलिए वह अपने पिता से नाराज था।
जब स्वामी स्कूल आया तो उसने निश्चय किया वह इस पत्र को तुरन्त नहीं देगा परन्तु दिन के समाप्त होने के समय देगा।

सेम्यूल अंकगणित पढ़ा रहे थे। स्वामी कक्षा में आधे घंटे देर से आया। उसने कहा कि उसके सर में दर्द था। सेम्यूल कुछ नहीं बोले। सेम्यूल ने उसके टास्क के बारे में पूछा। लेकिन उसने फिर अपने सरदर्द का बहाना बनाया। फिर भी सेम्यूल शांत थे।

अंतिम घंटी इतिहास का था। स्वामी ने तेज स्वर में एक प्रश्न पूछा, “सर, कोलम्बस भारत क्यों नहीं आया ? ” सेम्यूल ने उत्तर दिया कि वह अपना रास्ता भटक गया था। स्वामी बहुत तेज स्वर में बोल रहा था। सेम्युल ने उसे शांत होकर बैठने को कहा। स्वामी, सेम्यूल को अपने आचरण से उत्तेजित करना चाहता था। वह ऐसा गलती को सिद्ध करने के लिए बोल रहा था जिससे कि सेम्यूल को दंड मिल सके।

स्वामी खुश था कि सेम्यूल सजा का हकदार बन गया था। शाम 4:30 बजे छुट्टी होने पर स्वामी प्रधानाध्यापक के कमरे में अपने पिता के पत्र को देने गया । परन्तु प्रधानाध्यापक पहले ही जा चुके थे। प्रधानाध्यापक का नया सहायक सेम्यूल था। स्वामी पत्र दिये बिना ही लौट आया। उसके पिता नाराज हुए और पत्र को कूड़ेदान में फेंक दिया।

• Shudder – tremble – कांपना;
• Moment – a short period of time – क्षण;
• Earthquake – disturbance of earth – भूकम्प;
• Wailed – cried with pain- विलख-बिलख कर रोना;
• Arithmetic – अंकगणित;
• Apprehensively – anxiously – चिंतित;
• Worst – too bad – खराब;
• Perjurer – false witness – गलत गवाह;
• Genial – friendly and pleasant – प्रसन्नचित और मित्रवत;
• Allegations – charges – आरोप;
• Impulse – urge – आवेग;
• Grieved – to feel sadness – गहरी उदासी;
• Disgrace – insult – बद्नामी;
• Bulge – big size – बड़ा;
• Executioner – one who hangs – फांसी देने वाला, जल्लाद;
• Merely – only- केवल, मात्र;
• Sensible – practical – समझदार, व्यवहार कुशल;
• Blandly – not showing any emotion – भावहीन;
• Desolate – miserable – निर्जन;
• Neglected – failed to give proper care – उपेक्षित;
• In half – languor-with dull mind – हल्का दिमाग;
• Jolted – pushed or shaked abruptly – झटका देना;
• Withstood – successful in resisting – बर्दाश्त कर सकना;
• Glance – having a view – एक नजर देखना;
• Obtrusive – difficult to understand – समझने में कठिन;
• Scowled – looked angrily – गुस्से से देखा ;
• Emperor – king – राजा, शासक;
• Blenching – showing sign of fear – भय के संकेत दिखाना;
• Throttles – strangles – गला घोंटना;
• Fled – ran away – भाग गया;
• Muttered – speaking in unclear voice – बुदबुदाया।