NCERT Solutions for Jalebis Class 8 It So Happened English
Book Solutions1
Why didn't he pay the school fees on the day he brought
money to the school?
Answer
The boy couldn't pay the school fees on the day he brought
money to school because the teacher Master Ghulam Mohammed was on leave. So, it
would be collected the next day.
2
(i) What were the coins 'saying' to him?
(ii) Do you think they were misguiding him?
Answer
(i) The coins in the boy's pocket urged him to buy
fresh jalebis.
(ii) Yes, the coins were misguiding him because the
money was meant for paying school fees, they persuaded him to spend it on the
jalebis.
3
Why didn't he take the coin's advice? Give two or three
reasons.
Answer
The body didn't take the advice of the coins seriously for a
couple of reasons.
(i) He did not want to misuse the money he brought for
paying the school fees.
(ii) He was honest and smart to not use the money for school
fees or buying jalebis.
(iii) The boy knew the harsh nature of the Master Ghulam
Mohammed and the punishment he would give him for doing wrong.
4
(i) What did the oldest coin tell him?
(ii) Did he follow his advice? If not, why not?
Answer
(i) The oldest coin convinced him that they were
telling him for his own good. He persistently persuaded him to not suppress his
desire for jalebis. Instead, pay the school fees from the scholarship money.
(ii) He didn't follow his advice because he didn't
want to get defamed and hurt his reputation of a good boy. He was an honest and
promising student. He was from a good family of repute.
5
He reached home with the coins in his pocket. What
happened then?
Answer
After reaching home it felt as if the coins were successful
in persuading him to buy jalebis. He couldn't suppress his temptations for
fresh Jalebis anymore. Therefore, he rushed to the shop of halwai, bought
jalebis and enjoyed them.
6
(i) Why didn't he eat all the jalebis he had bought?
(ii) What did he do with the remaining Jalebis?
Answer
(i) He had bought jalebis for one rupee. But he
couldn't eat all of them because of the quantity of jalebis was more to be
finished by a child alone.
(ii) The quantity of jalebis was more to be finished
by a child alone. So, he distributed the remaining Jalebis among the boys from
the neighbourhood.
7
"The fear was killing me." What was the fear?
Answer
There were many fears killing him. The first was the fear of
getting caught for cheating. Secondly, he had eaten so many jalebis that there
was the problem of digesting them all. His fear was that one jalebi or two
would come out with a burp.
8
"Children's stomachs are like digestion
machines." What do you understand by that? Do you agree?
Answer
"Children's stomachs are like digestion machines."
It means that children have the capacity to digest a lot of things that they
overeat. This is mainly because children do more physical activities, so they
are able to digest more than their usual diet.
9
How did he plan to pay the fees the next days?
Answer
He planned to pay the fees the next day when he would get
his monthly scholarship.
10
When it is time to pay the fees, what does he do? How is
he disobeying the elders by doing so?
Answer
When it is the time to pay the fees, he tucked the bag under
his arm and fled from the school. He also disobeyed his elders by crossing the
railway track.
11
What was the consequence of buying jalebis with the fees
money?
Answer
The consequences of buying jalebis with the fees money were
worse as the boy expected.
(i) He got the bad news that the scholarship money will be
paid the next month.
(ii) On getting this news, he had no option left but to run
away from school.
(iii) He had to be absent from school for the first time in
his life.
12
His prayer to God is like a lawyer's defense of a bad
case. Does he argue his case well? What are the points he makes?
Answer
Yes, he argued his case very well. He tried every bit to
please God with his requests and the recitation of the entire Namaz. He
admitted that he made a mistake. He said that he was a good student who was
honest and good followers of religion too. He explained his mistake that he
wouldn't have spent his money on ialebis if he had known about the delay in
scholarship. Thus, he argues his case like a lawyer.
13
He offers to play a game Allah Miyan. What is the game?
Answer
The game is that he will go up to the signal, touch it and
come back. And in the mean-time God should put four rupees under a big rock or
in his bag.
14
Did he get four rupees by playing the game? What did he
get to see under the rock?
Answer
No, he didn't get four rupees by playing the game. When he
lifted the rock, he saw a hairy worm instead of coins.
15
If God had granted his wish that day, what harm would it
have caused him in later life?
Answer
If God had granted his wish that day, he wouldn't have
learned a lesson to not cheat in future and fall into the bad habits. Then, he
would keep on repeating mistakes and then ask God to get rid of his deeds.
1
Select and read sentences that show
(a) that the boy is tempted to eat jalebis.
(b) that he is feeling guilty
(c) that he is justifying a wrong deed.
Answer
(a) The following lines show the meaning of the given
statement: "that the boy is tempted to eat jalebis."
(i) Jalebis are meant to be eaten, and those with money in
their pocket can eat them.
(ii) But then, these jalebis are no common sort of Jalebis
either. They're crisp, fresh and full of syrup.
(iii) My mouth watered. I rushed out of the house barefoot
and ran towards the bazaar.
(b) The following lines show the meaning of the given
statement: "that he is feeling guilty."
(i) When the recess bell rang I tucked my bag under my arm
and left the school.
(ii) Now for the crime of eating a few Jalebis, for the
first time in my life I was absent from school.
(iii) Sitting under a tree, at first I felt like crying.
(c) The following lines show the meaning of the given
statement: "that he is justifying a wrong deed."
(i) I didn't eat them all by myself, and I fed them to a
whole lot of children.
(ii) Allah Miyan! I am a good boy.
(iii) I have memorized the entire namaz and the last ten
surats of the Quran by heart.
2
Discuss the following points.
(a) Is the boy intelligent? If so, what is the evidence
of it?
(b) Does his outlook on the jalebis episode change after
class VIII? Does he see that episode in a new light?
(c) Why are coins made to 'talk' in this story? What
purpose does it serve?
Answer
(a) Yes, the boy is intelligent. The first evidence that
proves this is that he gets monthly scholarship every month. He knows the
difference between right and wrong. With his smartness and presence of mind, he
argues his case before God like a lawyer.
(b) Yes, his outlook on the jalebis episode changed after
class VIII. He later realised that nothing comes without a price. We have to
work hard and stay true in all times. If God were to grant all one's wishes for
the asking, man would not learn any skill.
(c) "The coins" are made to talk because they
reflect the conflict going on in his own mind.