The Peasant's Bread Class 11th Question's and Answers| PSEB| English| Chapter no 6

 

CLASS-11^th

^{Chapter No-6}

THE PEASANT’S BREAD

(Section C- Lessons for Extensive Study)

(Leo Tolstoy)

QUESTION’S/ ANSWER’S

 

Q1. What was the peasant’s routine before breakfast?

Ans.  The present would go to his field early in the morning. He would take his breakfast with him. There he would plough his field before taking his breakfast.

Q2. Who had stolen the peasant’s bread? Why?

Ans. An imp had stolen the peasant’s bread. He had come there to obey his master’s command. He had been ordered to corrupt the gentle peasant. He wanted to make the peasant swear. He wanted to make him call on the name of the devil.

Q3. What was the peasant’s reaction when he found his breakfast stolen by the imp?

Ans. When the peasant found his breakfast stolen, he didn’t get angry. He did not swear in the name of the Devil. He only said, After all, I shall not die of hunger! No doubt, whoever took the bread needed it. May it do him good!

Q4. Why was the imp upset to find the peasant calm?

Ans. The imp was upset because he had failed in his business. He had stolen the peasant’s bread to provoke him to swear in the name of the Devil. But the peasant did not get angry. Rather he remained calm. The imp had not been able to make the peasant do any wrong. So he was upset.

Q5. What was the threat given to the imp by his master, the devil?

Ans. The devil had ordered the imp to corrupt the gentle peasant. But the imp failed in it. At this the devil became angry with the imp. He said to the imp that if in three years, he did not get the better of the peasant, he would be thrown into water.

Q6. What advice did the imp give to the peasant in the first year?

Ans. The imp wanted to make the gentle peasant corrupt. For this, he decided to make the peasant rich. And that could be done only if the peasant had good crops. So the first year, the imp advised the peasant to sow corn in a low-lying damp place.

Q7. What was the result of the imp’s advice?

Ans. The peasant took the imp’s advice and sowed corn in low-lying damp place. That year happened to be a very dry one. The hot sun burnt up the crops of the other peasants. But the poor peasant had a very good crop.

Q8. What was the imp’s advice the second year?

Ans. The second year, the imp advised the peasant to grow corn on a hill.

Q9. What happened during the second year?

Ans. That year, it happened to be a wet summer. It rained heavily. As a result, the crops of the other people were beaten down with rain. But the peasant’s crop was on the hill. It grew very fine once again and it made the peasant rich.

Q10. What did the imp teach the peasant to do with the excess grain he had?

Ans. The imp taught the peasant how he could crush the grain and make vodka from it. In fact, the imp had got the better of the peasant. He had only made certain that the peasant had more grain than he needed. Then he showed him the way to get pleasure out of it. He showed him the way of drinking.

Q11. What happened when the guests in the peasant’s house drank the first glass of vodka?

Ans. When the guests in the peasant’s house drank the first glass of vodka, they started telling nice lies about each other. They made soft speeches full of lies. They behaved like foxes, trying to please each other. Thus they began to cheat each other with their false talk.

Q12. What happened as they drank the second glass?

Ans. As they drank the second glass of vodka, they talk become wilder and rougher. Instead of making soft speeches, they began to grow angry. Soon, they started behaving like fierce wolves. They started fighting and abusing each other. They hit each other on the nose.

Q13. What happened when the guests had their third glass?

Ans. When the guests had their third glass of vodka, they stopped fighting with each other. Now they started behaving like pigs. They made strange noise. They shouted without knowing why. They did not listen to one another.

Q14. What exactly had the imp done?

Ans. The imp had got the better of the peasant. He had only made certain that the peasant had more grain than he needed. Then he showed him the way to get pleasure out of it. He showed him the way of drinking.

Q15. How was the imp rewarded by his master?

Ans. The imp had finally succeeded in his plan to corrupt the gentle peasant and thus he had obeyed the command of his master. The master forgives the imp for his former mistake and gives him a position of high honour.

           

Long Question Answer

Q1. Describe the scene of the party going on at the peasant’s house.

Ans. The peasant had invited his wealthy friends. He was giving them drinks. His wife was going round with the drinks. She fell against a table and a glassful fell on the floor. The peasant shouted angrily at her. He began to serve the drinks himself. Then he also sat down to drink with his friends. Soon, they started behaving like foxes. They tried to please each other. Then they took another glass each. Now they started fighting like wolves. They hit one another on the nose. And after another glass, they started making noise like the pigs. When the guests started leaving, the peasant went out to bid them goodbye. He fell down on his nose in the mud. He lay there making noise like a pig.

Q2. What made the devil happy?

Ans. The devil saw that peasant had invited his wealthy friends. He was giving them drinks. His wife was going around with the drinks. She fell against a table. A glassful fell on the floor. The peasant shouted angrily at her. He began to serve the drinks himself. A poor man came in. he was very tired and thirsty. But the peasant did not give him any drink. He kept drinking with his rich guests. Soon, they started behaving like foxes. They told nice lies about each other. Then they took another glass each. Now they started fighting like wolves. And after another glass, they started making noise like pigs. Then the guests started leaving. The peasant went out to bid them goodbye. He fell on his nose into the muddy water. He lay there making noise like a pig. All this pleased the devil very much.

Q3. Describe the effect of vodka on the peasant’s guests.

Ans. The peasant and his guest behaved like wild animals after drinking vodka. First they behave like foxes. They told nice lies about each other. They were trying to please each other. When they drank another glass each, their talk became wilder and rougher. They began to shout at one another. Soon, they started fighting. They hit one another on the nose. The peasant also joined in the fight. All of them looked like wolves. After talking another glass each, they started behaving like pigs. They made strange noises. They shouted without knowing why. They didn’t listen to one another. When the guests started leaving, the host went out to bid them goodbye. He fell on his nose in the mud. He lay there making noises like a pig.

Q4. What was the message contained in the story. The Peasant’s Brread’’? Explain.

Ans. The message contained in this story is that when a man has more than he needs, he begins to find ways of pleasure. And these pleasure at last land him into the hands of the devil. As long as the peasant, the main character in the story, was poor, he remained contented. He made no trouble when he lost only piece of bread. But when he had much corn to spare, he looked for pleasure in vodka. Now the blood of wild animals like the fox, the wolf and the pig showed itself in him. In fact, the blood of wild animals is always there in men. It is kept under control as long as men have as much as they need. But when they more than they need, the blood of wild animals automatically springs up in them. And they fall into hand of the devil.

Q5. Is wealth bad in itself? How can it destroy people? Give your views.

Ans. In fact, nothing is good or bad in itself. It all depends upon the use we put it to. Similarly wealth too is not bad in itself. No doubt, wealth is a great source of pleasuring. But it depends on us what sort of pleasuring we want to derive from it. Wealth itself does not lead man to the way of destruction. Wealth destroys only those people who adopt evil ways in their life. It kills the human instinct in those persons and turns them into heartless beasts. The rich persons, who use their money in drinking and gambling, surely go to the dogs one day. And the wealthy men who use their money for the welfare of other are adored by the world.