Extra Questions for A Baker From Goa Class 10 first Flight
Important Questions1
He used to come at least twice a day. Once, when he set out in the morning on his selling round, and then again when he returned after emptying his huge basket’.
(a) Who is ‘he’ and where is he from?
(b) Name the items he sold from his huge basket.
(c) When did he come during the day?
(d) Where did he empty his huge basket?
Answer
(a) ‘He’ is the ‘baker’. He is from ‘Goa’.
(b) Bread loaves, cakes, bread–bangles, sweet bread, etc.
(c) He came twice—once in the morning on his selling round and again after the sale was over.
(d) He emptied his huge basket in the houses of his customers.
2
The baker usually collected his bills at the end of the month. Monthly accounts used to be recorded on some wall in pencil. Baking was a profitable profession in the old days. The baker and his family never starved. He, his family and his servants always looked happy and prosperous. Their plump physique was an open testimony to this. Even today any person with a jackfruit-like physical appearance is easily compared to a baker.
(a) Where were the monthly accounts of the baker recorded?
(b) Why did the baker and his family never starve?
(c) Why did the baker and his family always look happy and prosperous?
(d) What are bakers compared within today’s time?
Answer
(a) On some wall in pencil.
(b) Because baking was a profitable profession.
(c) Because they never starved as baking was a profitable business.
(d) A person with a jackfruit-like physical appearance.
3
The baker usually collected his bills at the end of the month. Monthly accounts used to be recorded on some wall in pencil. Baking was a profitable profession in the old days. The baker and his family never starved. He, his family and his servants always looked happy and prosperous. Their plump physique was an open testimony to this. Even today any person with a jackfruit-like physical appearance is easily compared to a baker.
(a) When did the baker collect his bills?
(b) How can you say baking was a profitable profession?
(c) Who is being described in the above passage?
(d) What kind of business was baking considered?
Answer
(a) At the end of the month.
(b) Because the baker and his family always looked happy and prosperous.
(c) The baker.
(d) Baking was a profitable business in the old days.
4
The baker made his musical entry on the scene with ‘bang, jhang’ sound of his specially made bamboo staff one hand supported the basket on his head and the other banged the bamboo on the ground.
(a) How did the bakers announce their entry?
(b) How were both of his hands occupied?
(c) How did the baker make his entry musical?
(d) How did he balance the basket on his head?
Answer
(a) By banging their bamboo staff on the ground.
(b) One hand supported the basket and the other banged the bamboo staff on the ground.
(c) He made ‘jhang-jhang’ musical sound with his bamboo staff.
(d) He balanced the basket on his head by sporting it with his one hand.
5
The presence of the baker’s furnace in the village is absolutely essential. The baker or bread-seller of those days had a peculiar dress known as the habai. It was a single piece long frock reaching down to the knees. In our childhood, we saw bakers wearing a shirt and trousers which were shorter than full-length ones and longer than half pants. Even today, anyone who wears a half pant which reaches just below the knees invites the comment that he is dressed like a pader!
(a) Why is a baker essential in the Goan village?
(b) How is a traditional baker recognised?
(c) What is a person called if he wears half pant that reaches just below his knees?
(d) What does the passage tell us about?
Answer
(a) People need bread for daily use and it is also essential for all festive seasons.
(b) The one who wore a single piece long frock reaching below the knees or one who wore pants longer than half pants, but shorter than full pants was instantly recognised as a traditional baker.
(c) He is called a pader or baker.
(d) The passage tells us about the dress of modern bakers.
6
We kids would be pushed aside with a mild rebuke and the loaves would be delivered to the servant. But we would not give up. We would climb a bench or the parapet and peep into the basket, somehow. I can still recall the typical fragrance of those loaves. Loaves for the elders and the bangles for the children. Then we did not even care to brush our teeth or wash our mouths properly. And why should we? And why was it necessary at all? The tiger never brushed his teeth. Hot tea could wash and clean up everything so nicely, after all!
(a) How did the children manage to see what was there in the baker’s basket?
(b) What did the children like most to eat?
(c) Why would the children peep into the basket?
(d) Why did he push aside the children?
Answer
(a) The children would climb a bench or the parapet to look into the baker’s basket.
(b) The children like bread-bangles the most.
(c) To check for their choice of bread.
(d) He did so because they used to peep into his basket and did not let him deliver the bread.
1
Answer
He came daily twice. Once in the morning when he set out for his selling and the other time after selling the bread.2
Answer
The baker or pader was an important person in the author’s life. He was treated like a friend. He used to come twice a day, once in the morning to sell the bread and then while returning after emptying his basket. The author used to run to meet him in order to take the bread-bangles. He chatted and gossiped with him.3
Answer
The bakers were known as pader. These bakers wore a peculiar dress known as the ‘kabai’. It was a single piece long frock reaching down to the knees.4
Answer
Kabai wan a particular dress — a single piece long frock reaching down the knees which the bakers used to wear in old days. Later it was replaced by a shirt and trousers which were longer than the shorts and shorter than the full length.5
Answer
Baking was indeed a profitable profession in the old days. The baker and his family never starved. He, his family and his servants always looked happy and prosperous. Their plump physique was an open testimony to this.6
Answer
The children would know about his arrival from the ‘jhang, jhang’ sound of his bamboo stick. They would run to meet and greet him. They tried to surround the basket but were pushed aside until the bread was delivered to the maid. Then they were allowed to choose their bread-bangles.7
Answer
Bread is still an important part of Goan life. Marriage gifts are meaningless and a party or a feast loses its charm without bread. Sandwiches are important for a daughter’s engagement. That is what that explains the fact that the bread makers are still there.8
Answer
The author recalls that a baker used to visit the village twice a day. He used to be the author’s friend and guide. He used to carry a bamboo stick. The sound of this stick used to wake up the author and others from sleep.9
Answer
The village baker was especially important for festive occasions. The villagers were much fond of the sweet bread known as ‘bol’. Marriage gifts were meaningless without these sweetbreads. Sandwiches, cakes and bolinhas were a must for Christmas as well as other festivals. These were made with the bread.10
Answer
The baker usually collected his bills at the end of the month. In the household, the baker’s monthly accounts used to be recorded on some wall in pencil. Baking was a profitable business in those days. Their families never starved. Their plump bodies showed that they were prosperous.1
Answer
The Portuguese and their famous loaves of bread had made a permanent impact on Goan soil. The eaters of those loaves might have vanished but the makers of the loaves — the bakers still have an important place in the society. The Goan village still has the mixers, moulders and those who bake the loaves. There are also the age-old time-tested furnaces which exist till date. The bakers are still important in the village. The lady of the house must prepare sandwiches on the occasion of her daughter’s engagement. Cakes and bolinhas are a must for Christmas as well as other festivals. Thus, the presence of the baker’s furnace in the village is still essential.2
Answer
A baker had an important place in the village life of Goa. Marriage gifts were meaningless without sweet bread, cakes and bolinhas at Christmas and other festivals. In old days the bakers used to wear a peculiar dress — kabai – a single piece long frock reaching down the knees. Later they started wearing a shirt and trousers which were longer than the shorts and shorter than the full-length pants. They used to be prosperous. They, their family and servants never starved. Their plump physique was a testimony of their prosperity and good income. The baker used to be a good friend, companion and guide for the author. He would come twice a day and then, the children of the house would crowd around his basket to choose the bread-bangles. Even today, baking and bakers are famous in Goa. They still use the traditional furnaces to bake bread and cakes. These bakers are known as paders in Goa.3
Answer
The author’s childhood memories are full of fun. He remembers them and gets nostalgic. The pader or baker was an important person in the Goan village as well as in the author’s life. He used to mix, mould and bake the loaves of bread in age-old, tested furnaces. He used to come twice a day, once in the morning to sell the bread and then while returning after emptying his basket. He made his musical entry with the `jhang, jhang’ sound of his bamboo staff. The author with other children used to run to meet him in order to take the bread-bangles or sometimes the sweet bread of special make. He chatted and gossipped with him.4
Answer
The village baker was especially important for all occasions. The villagers were much fond of the sweet bread known as ‘Bor. Marriage gifts were meaningless without these sweetbreads. Sandwiches, cakes and bolinhas were a must for Christmas as well as other festivals. These were made with the bread. Thus the presence of a baker’s furnace was very essential in each village. The baker or the bread-seller wore a special, peculiar dress. It was known as the ‘kabai‘. It was a single-piece long frock. It reached -down to his knees. During narrator’s childhood bakers wore trousers which were shorter than full-length and longer than half pants. Even today if someone wears a half pant, he is said to be dressed like a pader.