03 Iswaran, The Storyteller - G 9

Meanings of words and phrases

• to keep an eye: to watch someone or something carefully
• now and then: something that happens sometimes but not very often or regularly
• ill-equipped: not having the necessary resources or qualities for a particular role or task
• makeshift: something temporary and of low quality, but used because of a sudden need
• asset: a useful or valuable thing or person
• miraculously: very effective or surprising, or difficult to believe
• conjure: to make something appear by magic
• leisurely: in a relaxed way, without hurrying
• dozing off: to fall into a light sleep unintentionally
• thrall: the state of being in someone’s control
• influenced: the power to have an effect on people or things
• dramatic: full of action and excitement
• gesture: a movement of the hands, arms, or head, etc. to express an idea or feeling
• deserted: empty or abandoned
• sprawled: spread across
• inclined: likely or wanting to do something
• uncritically: accepting something too easily
• hauled: pull or drag with effort or force
• emulation: to copy something achieved by someone else and try to do it as well as they have
• helter-skelter: run quickly and in all directions
• panic: a sudden strong feeling of fear that prevents reasonable thought and action
• depredations: damage or destruction
• menacingly: in a way that suggests the presence of danger
• hypnotised: the state of being captured in attention of someone
• mustering: to bring together
• whacked: hit someone or something noisily
• collapsed: fall down and become unconscious as a result of illness or injury
• rapt: to be completely fascinated or absorbed by what one is seeing or hearing
• summoned: called
• revive: bring something back to life, health, existence, or use.
• shrug: raise one’s shoulders slightly to express doubt, ignorance, or indifference
• paralyses: cause someone to become partly or wholly incapable of movement
• credible: to be believed or trusted
• inimitable: very unusual or of very high quality and therefore impossible to copy
• delicacies: a delightful or pleasing choice of food
• garish: unpleasantly bright
• reverie: pleasant dream-like thoughts
• drifted: carried away by thoughts
• matted: hair twisted into a firm, messy mass
• shrivelled: something wrinkled and shrunken
• foetus: the young one of a human or an animal in the womb or egg
• figment: something that seems real but is not
• vicinity: surroundings
• moan: a low sound, usually made when one is unhappy or in pain
• prowling: move around quietly in a place trying not to be seen or heard, such as an animal does when hunting
• guttural: a deep sound produced at the back of the throat
• wailing: make a long, high cry, usually because of pain or sadness
• feline: belonging or relating to the cat family
• grinned: a wide, broad smile

VALUE POINTS

• The story was narrated to Ganesh by Mahendra. 
  
•  Mahendra was bachelor, junior supervisor in a construction firm.
  
•  His job was to keep an eye on different construction sites.
  
•  Mahendra always had his asset, his cook, Ishwaran with him.
  
• Ishwaran had amazing capacity to produce vegetable and cooking ingredients any where.
  
•  Ishwaran would read popular Tamil thriller stories.
  
•  His own description was greatly influenced by the Tamil author.
  
• He weaved endless stories and played a roll of TV in Mahendra's  living quarters.
  
• He weaved a tale of a tusker, which destroyed everything on the way and how he made him collapsed in the end with help of a small cane and karate .
  
• Ishwaran linked the auspicious full moon night to a story of female ghost holding a foetus.
  
• Mahendra rebuked him for explaining such baseless stories.    
  
•  He thought that was only a figment of imagination and nothing else.
  
• One night Mahendra heard a low moan near his window. He put it as a cat but sound became louder and louder.
  
•  Mahendra saw a cloudy figure holding a bundle.
  
• It affected him very much that he could not sleep properly.     
  
• Next morning Ishwaran greeted him and told about the last night's experience.
•  At last Mahendra resolved to leave the place the very next day, handed in his paper.

===============================================================================================

Think about IT

1. In what way is Iswaran an asset to Mahendra?

A. Iswaran is an obedient person. He is Mahendra's cook. He is very caring and hardworking. He does all the jobs such as cooking meal, washing clothes and chatting with Mahendra at night. He obeyes his master with full dedication. So, he is an asset to Mahendra.

2. How does Iswaran describe the uprooted tree on the highway? What effect does he want to create in his listeners?

A. He is half inclined to turn and go back. But as he comes closer he sees that it is a fallen tree, with its dry branches spread out. The effect he wants to create is suspense and a surprise ending to every small incident that he narrates to his readers.

3. How does he narrate the story of the tusker? Does it appear to be plausible?

A. Iswaran narrates the story of the tusker exaggeratedly. The Tusker, having escaped from the timber yard, stamped on bushes, tore up wild creepers and broke the branches at his will. The story does not appear to be plausible.

4. Why does the author say that Iswaran seemed to be more than make up for the absence of a TV in Mahendra's living quarters?

A. The author says that Iswaran seemed to be more than make up for the absence of a TV in Mahendra's living quarters because Iswaran was a great entertainer for Mahendra. He would chat with him at night and tell him countless stories packed with adventure, horror and suspense.

5. Mahendra calls ghosts or spirits a figment of the imagination. What happens to him on

a full-moon night? 

A. Mahendra calls ghosts or spirits a figment of the imagination as he did not believe in

ghosts. One day Iswaran told him about a female ghost holding a fetes in her arms. On a full-moon night he woke up from his sleep and looked outside the window. He got shocked to see the same figure and began to sweat profusely.

6. Can you think of some other ending for the story?

A. Instead of resigning from his job, Mahendra could have been shown as a real courageous man and proving the ghost theory wrong. Another ending can be of both Mahendra and Iswaran leaving the place together and in turn continuing their bond which is depicted earlier in the story.

Talk about IT

Is Iswaran a fascinating storyteller? Discuss with your friends the qualities of a good

storyteller. Try to use these qualities and tell a story.

A. Undoubtedly, Iswaran is a fascinating storyteller. He is well-versed in story telling. Telling stories is an art. It is not everybody's cup of tea. He has the quality of making others realize the true spirit of story. He makes use of gestures and dramatic skills to give sound effect.