The Home-Coming: Page 95 & 96
By
Rabindranath Tagore
Text
Phatik Chakravorti was the ringleader among the boys of the village. A new mischief entered his head. There was a heavy log lying on the mud-flat of the river, waiting to be shaped into a mast for a boat. He decided that they should all work together to move the log by main force from its place and roll it away. The owner would be angry and surprised, and they would all enjoy the fun. Everyone supported the proposal, and it was carried unanimously.
Just as the fun was about to begin, Makhan, Phatik’s younger brother, sauntered up and sat down on the log in front of them all without a word. The boys were puzzled for a moment. One of them timidly pushed him and told him to get up, but he remained quite unconcerned. He looked like a young philosopher meditating on the futility of games.
Phatik
was furious. “Makhan,” he cried, “if you don’t get down this minute, I’ll
thrash you!”
Makhan only shifted to a more comfortable position. Now, if Phatik was to keep his regal dignity before his followers, he had to carry out his threat. But his courage failed him at the crisis. His fertile brain, however, quickly devised another plan to disgrace his brother and entertain his friends.
He gave the word, and the boys began to heave at the log with all their might, calling out, “One, two, three—go!” At the word “go,” the log rolled—and with it went Makhan’s philosophy, dignity, and all.
The other boys shouted themselves hoarse with delight, but Phatik was frightened. He knew what was coming. Sure enough, Makhan rose from the mud, blind with rage, and screamed like a fury. He rushed at Phatik, scratched his face, beat and kicked him, and then went crying home. The first act of the drama was over.
Phatik wiped his face and sat down on the edge of a sunken tree trunk on the riverbank and began to chew a piece of grass. A barge came up to the landing, and a middle-aged man with grey hair and a dark moustache stepped ashore. He saw the boy sitting there idly and asked him where the Chakravortis lived. Phatik went on chewing the grass and said, “Over there,” but it was impossible to tell where he pointed. The stranger asked again. Phatik swung his legs to and fro on the side of the barge and said, “Go and find out,” continuing to chew as before.
Soon a servant came down from the house and told Phatik his mother wanted him. Phatik refused to move. But the servant was master on this occasion. He picked Phatik up roughly and carried him off, kicking and struggling in impotent rage.
When Phatik was brought into the house, his mother cried angrily, “So you have been hitting Makhan again?”
Phatik
said, “No, mother, I haven’t. You ask Makhan!”
But Makhan thought it best to stick to his lie. “Yes, mother,” he said. “Phatik did hit me.”
Phatik’s
patience was exhausted. Unable to bear the injustice, he rushed at Makhan and
beat him, shouting, “Take that! And that! And that—for telling lies!”
Glossary
Ringleader
– the chief or leader of a group, especially one involved in mischief or
trouble
Mischief
– playful wrongdoing or minor troublemaking
Mud-flat
– a stretch of muddy land, especially along a river or coast, exposed at low
tide
Mast
– a tall upright pole on a boat used to support sails
Main
force – great physical strength or effort
Owner
– the person who possesses or has legal right over something
Angry
– feeling or showing strong displeasure or annoyance
Surprised
– feeling astonishment or amazement
Sauntered
– walked in a slow, relaxed manner
Puzzled
– confused or uncertain about what is happening
Timidly
– in a shy or fearful way
Unconcerned
– not worried or bothered
Philosopher
– a person engaged in the study of wisdom or thought
Futility
– uselessness or pointlessness
Furious
– extremely angry
Thrash
– to beat or hit violently
Regal
dignity – royal or commanding self-respect and bearing
Courage
– the ability to face fear or difficulty bravely
Fertile
brain – an imaginative or inventive mind
Disgrace
– loss of respect, honor, or reputation
Heave
– to lift or pull with great effort
Delight
– great pleasure or joy
Frightened
– afraid or scared
Rage
– violent anger
Fury
– wild or intense anger
Scratched
– rubbed or scraped with sharp nails or claws
Kicked
– struck with the foot
Crying
– shedding tears or weeping
Drama
– a series of exciting or emotional events
Sunken
– having fallen in or below the normal surface
Barge
– a flat-bottomed boat used for carrying goods
Landing
– a place where boats come to shore
Middle-aged
– between young and old, around 40–60 years old
Grey
hair – hair that has turned white or grey with age
Moustache
– hair grown on the upper lip
Ashore
– onto or on the land from a ship or boat
Idly
– without purpose or activity
Chakravortis
– surname of Phatik’s family
Impossible
– not able to be done or achieved
Pointed
– directed a finger or object toward something
Servant
– a person employed to perform household duties
Occasion
– a particular time or instance
Roughly
– with force or lack of gentleness
Kicking
– striking repeatedly with the feet
Struggling
– making forceful efforts to resist or break free
Impotent
– powerless or lacking strength
Rage
– violent anger
Injustice
– unfair treatment
Exhausted
– very tired or worn out
Rushed
– moved quickly with urgency
Lies
– false statements made to deceive
Paraphrase
Phatik Chakravorti was the leader among the boys in his village. One day, a new mischievous idea came to his mind. There was a large log lying on the muddy riverbank, waiting to be carved into a boat mast. Phatik decided that all the boys should work together to move the log from its place and roll it away. The owner would be angry and surprised, and that would make the prank exciting for them. The other boys agreed enthusiastically, and everyone supported the plan.
Just when they were about to start their fun, Phatik’s younger brother, Makhan, strolled up and silently sat down on the log in front of them. The boys were confused for a moment. One of them nervously told Makhan to get up and gave him a little push, but he paid no attention. He looked calm and serious, like a young philosopher lost in thought about the uselessness of play.
Phatik
became very angry and shouted, “Makhan, if you don’t get down right now, I’ll
beat you!”
Makhan only adjusted himself to sit more comfortably. Phatik felt humiliated in front of his followers and knew that he had to act on his threat to maintain his pride. But when the moment came, he did not have the courage to hit his brother. His quick mind, however, thought of another way to embarrass Makhan and amuse his friends.
He gave the command, and the boys began pushing the log with all their strength, shouting together, “One, two, three—go!” At the word “go,” the log rolled—and Makhan rolled down into the mud with it, losing all his calmness and pride.
The boys burst into loud laughter, shouting in joy. But Phatik grew scared because he knew what would happen next. As expected, Makhan got up, covered in mud and burning with anger. He screamed like a wild creature, attacked Phatik, scratched his face, hit and kicked him, and then ran home crying. That ended the first part of the quarrel.
After this, Phatik wiped his muddy face and sat down on a fallen tree trunk by the riverbank, chewing a blade of grass. A boat arrived at the landing, and a middle-aged man with grey hair and a dark moustache got off. He saw Phatik sitting there and asked him where the Chakravortis lived. Phatik kept chewing the grass and said casually, “Over there,” but pointed vaguely so that the man couldn’t tell where. When the man asked again, Phatik simply swung his legs and said, “Go and find out,” still chewing as before.
Soon, a servant came from the house and told Phatik that his mother was calling him. Phatik refused to go. But the servant, acting on orders, roughly lifted Phatik up and carried him home while the boy kicked and struggled angrily.
When they reached home, Phatik’s mother shouted angrily, “So, you’ve been hitting Makhan again!”
Phatik
protested, “No, mother, I didn’t! Ask Makhan!”
But Makhan decided to stick to his lie. He said, “Yes, mother, Phatik hit me.”
Phatik
could not control himself any longer. Unable to bear the false accusation, he
lost his temper, jumped on Makhan, and began to beat him, shouting with every
blow, “Take that! And that! And that—for lying!”
he
lost his temper, jumped on Makhan, and began to beat him, shouting with every
blow, “Take that! And that! And that—for lying!”
घर वापसी
रवीन्द्रनाथ टैगोर द्वारा
फतिक चक्रवर्ती गाँव के लड़कों का अगुआ था। एक दिन उसके दिमाग में एक नई शरारत सूझी। नदी के कीचड़ वाले किनारे पर एक भारी लकड़ी का लट्ठ पड़ा था, जिसे नाव के मस्तूल में ढालने के लिए रखा गया था। उसने तय किया कि सब मिलकर उस लट्ठे को उसकी जगह से जोर लगाकर हटा देंगे और कहीं दूर तक लुढ़का देंगे। मालिक को गुस्सा और आश्चर्य होगा, और वे सब इस मज़े का आनंद लेंगे। सभी लड़कों ने यह प्रस्ताव मंज़ूर किया, और यह योजना सर्वसम्मति से तय हो गई।
जैसे ही मौज-मस्ती शुरू होने वाली थी, फतिक का छोटा भाई माखन वहाँ आकर बिना कुछ बोले लट्ठे पर बैठ गया। बाकी लड़के क्षण भर के लिए हैरत में पड़ गए। उनमें से एक ने डरते हुए उसे थोड़ा धक्का दिया और कहा कि उठो, पर वह बेपरवाह वहीं बैठा रहा। वह ऐसा लग रहा था मानो कोई छोटा दार्शनिक खेलों की व्यर्थता पर मनन कर रहा हो।
फतिक क्रोधित हो उठा।
“माखन,” वह चिल्लाया, “अगर तुम अभी नहीं उतरे तो मैं तुम्हारी पिटाई कर दूँगा!”
माखन केवल अपनी जगह और आराम से बैठ गया। अब फतिक को अपने साथियों के सामने अपनी शाही प्रतिष्ठा बनाए रखनी थी, इसलिए उसे अपनी धमकी पूरी करनी ही थी। लेकिन निर्णायक क्षण पर उसका साहस साथ छोड़ गया। फिर भी उसकी तेज़ बुद्धि ने तुरंत अपने भाई को नीचा दिखाने और अपने दोस्तों का मनोरंजन करने के लिए एक नया तरीका सोच लिया।
उसने संकेत दिया, और सब लड़के पूरी ताकत से लट्ठे को धक्का देने लगे, चिल्लाते हुए — “एक, दो, तीन—चलो!”
“चलो” कहते ही लकड़ी का लट्ठा लुढ़क गया—और उसके साथ माखन की दार्शनिकता, गरिमा और सब कुछ भी।
बाकी लड़के खुशी से चिल्ला-चिल्ला कर अपनी आवाज़ें खो बैठे, लेकिन फतिक डर गया। उसे पता था अब क्या होने वाला है। वास्तव में, माखन कीचड़ से उठा, गुस्से से पागल, और चिल्लाने लगा। उसने फतिक पर झपटकर उसका चेहरा नोचा, मारा-पीटा और फिर रोता हुआ घर चला गया। नाटक का पहला अंक समाप्त हुआ।
फतिक ने अपना चेहरा पोंछा और नदी के किनारे एक धंसे हुए पेड़ के तने पर बैठ गया और एक घास की डंडी चबाने लगा। तभी एक नाव आकर किनारे लगी, और एक मध्यम आयु का व्यक्ति, जिसके बाल सफ़ेद और मूंछें काली थीं, किनारे उतरा। उसने फतिक को यूँ बैठे देखा और पूछा कि चक्रवर्ती लोग कहाँ रहते हैं। फतिक घास चबाता हुआ बोला, “वहाँ,” लेकिन यह समझना मुश्किल था कि उसने किस ओर इशारा किया। उस आदमी ने फिर पूछा। फतिक ने अपने पैर हिलाते हुए कहा, “जाइए, खुद पता कीजिए,” और पहले की तरह घास चबाता रहा।
थोड़ी देर में घर से एक नौकर नीचे आया और फतिक से कहा कि उसकी माँ ने बुलाया है। फतिक उठने से मना कर दिया। लेकिन इस बार नौकर ही हावी था। उसने फतिक को ज़बरदस्ती उठाया और उसे कंधे पर डालकर घर की ओर ले गया, जबकि फतिक गुस्से में लात मारता और छटपटाता रहा।
जब फतिक को घर लाया गया, उसकी माँ गुस्से से बोली, “तो फिर तुमने माखन को मारा है!”
फतिक ने कहा, “नहीं माँ, मैंने नहीं मारा। माखन से पूछो!”पर माखन ने झूठ को सच बनाए रखना ठीक समझा। वह बोला, “हाँ माँ, फतिक ने मुझे मारा।”
फतिक का धैर्य जवाब दे गया। अन्याय सह न सका। वह माखन पर टूट पड़ा और उसे पीटते हुए चिल्लाया, “ले ये, और ये, और ये—झूठ बोलने के लिए!”
Q.1. Multiple Choice
Questions
1. Who was the ringleader
among the boys of the village?
a) Makhan b) Bishamber c)
Phatik Chakravorti d) The headmaster
Answer: c) Phatik
Chakravorti
2. What new mischief
entered Phatik’s head?
a) To steal mangoes b) To
move a heavy log c) To fight another group d) To swim across the river
Answer: b) To move a heavy
log
3. Where was the heavy log
lying?
a) In the field b) On the
mud-flat of the river c) In the forest d) Near the school
Answer: b) On the mud-flat
of the river
4. What was the log
waiting to be shaped into?
a) A door b) A mast for a
boat c) A bridge d) A pillar
Answer: b) A mast for a
boat
5. What did Phatik decide
they should all do?
a) Play football b) Move
the log by force c) Go fishing d) Cut the log
Answer: b) Move the log by
force
6. Who came up just then?
a) His brother Makhan b)
His mother c) The owner of the log d) His uncle
Answer: a) His brother
Makhan
7. What did Makhan do when
he came up?
a) Helped Phatik b) Sat
down on the log c) Broke the log d) Ran away
Answer: b) Sat down on the
log
8. What did Phatik shout
at Makhan?
a) “Get away from there!”
b) “Help me move it!” c) “Don’t touch it!” d) “Go home!”
Answer: a) “Get away from
there!”
9. What did Makhan do when
Phatik shouted at him?
a) He got off b) He
refused to move c) He laughed d) He hit Phatik
Answer: b) He refused to
move
10. What did Phatik do in
anger?
a) He pushed Makhan off
the log b) He cried c) He went home d) He ran away
Answer: a) He pushed
Makhan off the log
11. Where did Makhan fall?
a) Into the water b) On
the ground c) On the log d) Into the river
Answer: d) Into the river
12. What happened after
Makhan fell into the river?
a) He swam back b) The
boys laughed c) He cried and was rescued d) He drowned
Answer: c) He cried and
was rescued
13. Who ran to the scene
after hearing Makhan’s cry?
a) Their mother b) The
villagers c) Their uncle d) The headmaster
Answer: b) The villagers
14. Who reached the place
soon after the villagers?
a) Phatik’s mother b)
Bishamber c) The police d) The owner of the log
Answer: a) Phatik’s mother
15. What did the mother do
when she came?
a) She slapped Phatik b)
She comforted Makhan c) She scolded both d) She called the uncle
Answer: a) She slapped
Phatik
16. How did Phatik feel
after being slapped?
a) Angry b) Sorry and
humiliated c) Indifferent d) Happy
Answer: b) Sorry and
humiliated
17. What did Phatik say to
his friends after being slapped?
a) “Let’s go home.” b) “I
am going away.” c) “I won’t play again.” d) “I hate my brother.”
Answer: b) “I am going
away.”
18. Who arrived from
Calcutta soon after?
a) Phatik’s uncle
Bishamber b) His aunt c) His father d) The teacher
Answer: a) Phatik’s uncle
Bishamber
19. What relation was
Bishamber to Phatik’s mother?
a) Brother b) Cousin c)
Friend d) Husband
Answer: a) Brother
20. Where did Bishamber
live?
a) In Dacca b) In Calcutta
c) In the village d) In Bombay
Answer: b) In Calcutta
21. Why did Bishamber come
to the village?
a) To visit his sister b)
To take a boy to Calcutta for studies c) To settle property d) To sell land
Answer: b) To take a boy
to Calcutta for studies
22. What did Phatik’s
mother say about him?
a) He is obedient b) He is
mischievous c) He is brilliant d) He is weak
Answer: b) He is
mischievous
23. What did Bishamber
decide after hearing his sister?
a) To take Makhan b) To
take Phatik c) To stay there d) To go home
Answer: b) To take Phatik
24. How did Phatik feel
about going to Calcutta?
a) Reluctant b) Excited c)
Angry d) Nervous
Answer: b) Excited
25. What did his mother
say when he was leaving?
a) “Study well.” b) “Don’t
trouble anyone.” c) “Good riddance!” d) “Come back soon.”
Answer: c) “Good
riddance!”
26. Who accompanied Phatik
to Calcutta?
a) His mother b) Bishamber
c) A servant d) Makhan
Answer: b) Bishamber
27. What was Phatik’s
first impression of Calcutta?
a) He was amazed b) He was
frightened c) He was delighted d) He was tired
Answer: b) He was
frightened
28. What kind of house did
Bishamber have?
a) Large and busy b) Small
and lonely c) Simple and quiet d) Mud-built
Answer: a) Large and busy
29. How did Phatik feel in
the new place?
a) Free b) Lost and
unwanted c) Loved d) Proud
Answer: b) Lost and
unwanted
30. What was Phatik
admitted to?
a) A new school b) A
factory c) A college d) A temple
Answer: a) A new school
31. How did the boys in
school treat him?
a) Kindly b) Rudely c)
With curiosity d) With fear
Answer: b) Rudely
32. What did Phatik miss
the most?
a) His books b) His
friends and mother c) His meals d) His uncle
Answer: b) His friends and
mother
33. What kind of
punishment did he often get at school?
a) Expulsion b) Caning c)
Detention d) No punishment
Answer: c) Detention
34. What did his aunt
think of him?
a) He was a help b) He was
a burden c) He was clever d) He was polite
Answer: b) He was a burden
35. What did Phatik do
when scolded?
a) Answered back b)
Remained silent c) Ran away d) Cried aloud
Answer: b) Remained silent
36. What illness struck
Phatik?
a) Fever b) Cold c)
Typhoid d) Malaria
Answer: a) Fever
37. What happened when
Phatik was down with fever?
a) He was taken care of
lovingly b) He was neglected c) He was sent home d) He was scolded
Answer: b) He was
neglected
38. What did Phatik keep
asking during his illness?
a) “Where is my brother?”
b) “When will I get well?” c) “When can I go home?” d) “Give me water.”
Answer: c) “When can I go
home?”
39. What did Bishamber
promise him?
a) To write to his mother
b) To take him home soon c) To call a doctor d) To buy him toys
Answer: b) To take him
home soon
40. How did Phatik’s
condition change afterward?
a) He recovered b) He
worsened c) He escaped d) He slept soundly
Answer: b) He worsened
41. What message did
Bishamber send to the village?
a) To send Makhan b) To
inform the mother c) To call the doctor d) To bring food
Answer: b) To inform the
mother
42. When his mother
arrived, what did she find?
a) Phatik playing b)
Phatik unconscious c) Phatik sleeping d) Phatik gone out
Answer: b) Phatik
unconscious
43. What did the mother
cry out when she saw Phatik?
a) “My poor child!” b) “I
have come, my darling!” c) “Forgive me!” d) “Wake up, son!”
Answer: b) “I have come,
my darling!”
44. What did Phatik say
when he recognized her voice?
a) “Mother, forgive me.”
b) “Mother, I am so glad.” c) “Mother, the holidays have come.” d) “Mother, I
am going home.”
Answer: d) “Mother, I am
going home.”
45. What does Phatik mean
by “I am going home”?
a) Returning to the
village b) Going to heaven c) Leaving Calcutta d) Going to his house
Answer: b) Going to heaven
46. What is the theme of
“The Home-Coming”?
a) Friendship b) Love and
hatred c) A child’s yearning for affection d) Adventure
Answer: c) A child’s
yearning for affection
47. Who wrote “The
Home-Coming”?
a) R. K. Narayan b)
Rabindranath Tagore c) Premchand d) Ruskin Bond
Answer: b) Rabindranath
Tagore
48. What emotion dominates
the story’s ending?
a) Joy b) Pity c) Relief
d) Triumph
Answer: b) Pity
49. What moral does the
story convey?
a) Mischief leads to
punishment b) Love is necessary for a child’s growth c) Education is important
d) Obedience brings reward
Answer: b) Love is
necessary for a child’s growth
50. Which word best
describes Phatik’s character?
a) Cruel b) Sensitive c)
Proud d) Selfish
Answer: b) Sensitive
Q. 2. One-mark
Questions
1. Who is the author of
“The Home-Coming”?
Answer: Rabindranath
Tagore
2. Who was the ringleader
among the village boys?
Answer: Phatik Chakravorti
3. What was lying on the
mud-flat of the river?
Answer: A heavy log
4. What was the log
waiting to be shaped into?
Answer: A mast for a boat
5. Who sat down on the
log?
Answer: Makhan
6. What did Phatik order
Makhan to do?
Answer: To get away from
the log
7. What did Makhan do when
Phatik shouted at him?
Answer: He refused to move
8. What did Phatik do in
anger?
Answer: He pushed Makhan
off the log.
9. Where did Makhan fall?
Answer: Into the river
10. Who came running when
Makhan cried?
Answer: The villagers
11. Who arrived soon after
the villagers?
Answer: Phatik’s mother
12. What did Phatik’s
mother do to him?
Answer: She slapped him
13. What was Phatik’s
reaction to being slapped?
Answer: He felt humiliated
14. What did Phatik tell
his friends after being scolded?
Answer: He said he would
go away
15. Who came from
Calcutta?
Answer: Bishamber,
Phatik’s uncle
16. Why did Bishamber come
to the village?
Answer: To take a boy to
Calcutta for studies
17. Who did Bishamber
decide to take with him?
Answer: Phatik
18. What did Phatik’s
mother say when he was leaving?
Answer: “Good riddance!”
19. How did Phatik feel
about going to Calcutta?
Answer: Excited
20. What was Phatik’s
first impression of Calcutta?
Answer: He felt frightened
and lonely
21. What did Bishamber do
for Phatik in Calcutta?
Answer: Got him admitted
to a school
22. How did the boys in
school treat Phatik?
Answer: Rudely
23. What did Phatik miss
in Calcutta?
Answer: His mother and
friends
24. What did his aunt
think of him?
Answer: That he was a
burden
25. What kind of
punishments did Phatik get at school?
Answer: Detentions
26. How did Phatik behave
when scolded?
Answer: He remained silent
27. What illness did
Phatik catch?
Answer: Fever
28. What did Phatik often
ask during his illness?
Answer: “When can I go
home?”
29. What did Bishamber
promise Phatik?
Answer: To take him home
soon
30. What message did
Bishamber send to the village?
Answer: To inform Phatik’s
mother
31. When the mother
arrived, how was Phatik?
Answer: Unconscious
32. What did the mother
cry out to Phatik?
Answer: “I have come, my
darling!”
33. What did Phatik say
when he heard his mother?
Answer: “Mother, I am
going home.”
34. What does “going home”
mean in the story’s end?
Answer: Dying
35. Who was Makhan?
Answer: Phatik’s younger
brother
36. What did Phatik feel
about his mother’s partiality?
Answer: He felt hurt
37. What was Phatik’s main
fault according to his mother?
Answer: He was mischievous
38. What kind of family
did Bishamber have?
Answer: A large and busy
family
39. Who neglected Phatik
the most in Calcutta?
Answer: His aunt
40. What was Phatik’s
mental state in Calcutta?
Answer: Sad and homesick
41. What emotion dominates
the end of the story?
Answer: Pity
42. What does the story
“The Home-Coming” mainly deal with?
Answer: A child’s longing
for love and home
43. What was Phatik’s last
wish?
Answer: To go home
44. What does the title
“The Home-Coming” symbolize?
Answer: The soul’s return
to peace after death
45. How old was Phatik
likely to be?
Answer: About fourteen
46. What did Phatik’s
mother think of his mischief?
Answer: She disliked it
47. What kind of
punishment did Phatik face from life?
Answer: Emotional neglect
48. How did Phatik’s death
affect the reader?
Answer: It evokes sympathy
and sorrow
49. What lesson does the
story teach parents?
Answer: Children need love
and understanding
50. What is the tone of
the story “The Home-Coming”?
Answer: Sad and emotional
Q.3. RTCs
RTC 1: “Phatik
Chakravorti was the ringleader among the boys of the village.”
1. Who was the ringleader
among the boys?
Answer: Phatik Chakravorti
2. What does the word
“ringleader” mean here?
Answer: The chief or
leader of a group of mischievous boys
3. Where did Phatik live?
Answer: In a village near
the river
4. What kind of boy was
Phatik?
Answer: Mischievous and
adventurous
5. What does this line
introduce about Phatik’s nature?
Answer: His leadership and
love for mischief
6. What tone does the
author set through this line?
Answer: A playful and
lively tone
RTC 2: “There was a
heavy log lying on the mud-flat of the river, waiting to be shaped into a mast
for a boat.”
7. Where was the heavy log
lying?
Answer: On the mud-flat of
the river
8. What was the log
waiting to be shaped into?
Answer: A mast for a boat
9. Who noticed the log
first?
Answer: Phatik
10. What idea struck
Phatik about the log?
Answer: To move it by
force with the help of his friends
11. What quality of Phatik
does this show?
Answer: His daring and
leadership
12. What does the log
symbolize in the story?
Answer: The beginning of
trouble for Phatik
RTC 3: “Makhan came
up just then and sat down on the log in front of everybody.”
13. Who is Makhan?
Answer: Phatik’s younger
brother
14. What did Makhan do
when he came?
Answer: He sat down on the
log
15. How did Phatik react
to this act?
Answer: He shouted at
Makhan to move away
16. What did Makhan do
when Phatik shouted?
Answer: He refused to move
17. What followed this act
of defiance?
Answer: Phatik pushed
Makhan off the log
18. What does this
incident lead to in the story?
Answer: Phatik’s
humiliation before his mother
RTC 4: “The mother
came running out and began to scold Phatik without any enquiry.”
19. Who came running out?
Answer: Phatik’s mother
20. Why was she angry?
Answer: She thought Phatik
had harmed Makhan
21. Did she ask for the
reason before scolding?
Answer: No
22. What was Phatik’s
reaction?
Answer: He felt humiliated
and hurt
23. What does this show
about the mother’s attitude?
Answer: She was partial
and impulsive
24. What impact did this
have on Phatik?
Answer: It made him feel
unloved and unwanted
RTC 5: “Good
riddance!” she said as he left with his uncle.
25. Who said “Good
riddance”?
Answer: Phatik’s mother
26. To whom was it said?
Answer: To Phatik
27. When did she say this?
Answer: When Phatik was
going to Calcutta with his uncle
28. What does “Good
riddance” mean?
Answer: Relief at
someone’s departure
29. What feeling does this
line express?
Answer: The mother’s
irritation and lack of affection
30. How does it affect
Phatik emotionally?
Answer: It deepens his
feeling of rejection
RTC 6: “In his new
home, Phatik found himself a stranger.”
31. Where was Phatik now
living?
Answer: In Calcutta with
his uncle
32. How did he feel there?
Answer: Like a stranger
33. What does this line
show about his adjustment?
Answer: He could not fit
into the new environment
34. Who made him feel
unwanted?
Answer: His aunt
35. What was missing in
his new home?
Answer: Love and
understanding
36. What emotion does this
line evoke?
Answer: Loneliness and
pity for Phatik
RTC 7: “He longed to
go back to his village, to his mother and to his friends.”
37. What did Phatik long
for?
Answer: To return to his
village and his mother
38. Why did he want to go
back?
Answer: He felt neglected
and unhappy in Calcutta
39. What was missing in
his life there?
Answer: Affection and
freedom
40. What emotion does this
sentence express?
Answer: Homesickness
41. How does this longing
affect his health?
Answer: It weakens him
mentally and physically
42. What does this line
foreshadow?
Answer: His approaching
death
RTC 8: “When can I
go home?” he asked repeatedly.
43. Who kept asking this
question?
Answer: Phatik
44. To whom did he ask it?
Answer: His uncle and aunt
45. What does “home” mean
to Phatik here?
Answer: His village and
his mother
46. What does this
repetition show?
Answer: His deep yearning
to return
47. In what condition did
he ask this?
Answer: While suffering
from fever
48. What emotion dominates
this line?
Answer: Desperation and
sadness
RTC 9: “The mother
burst out crying, ‘I have come, my darling!’”
49. Who is the mother
addressing?
Answer: Phatik
50. Why did she burst out
crying?
Answer: Seeing her sick
and dying son
51. What emotion fills her
voice?
Answer: Guilt and love
52. What does this moment
show?
Answer: A mother’s
realization of her neglect
53. What is the tone of
this line?
Answer: Emotional and
tragic
54. What effect does this
have on the reader?
Answer: It evokes sympathy
and sorrow
RTC 10: “Mother, the
holidays have come.”
55. Who said these words?
Answer: Phatik
56. To whom were they
said?
Answer: His mother
57. What did Phatik mean
by “holidays”?
Answer: Death and eternal
rest
58. What was his condition
when he said this?
Answer: He was dying
59. What literary device
is used in “holidays have come”?
Answer: Irony
60. What does this line
symbolize in the story?
Answer: His final release
from suffering
Q. 4. Two-Mark
Questions
1.Why was Phatik
considered the ringleader among the boys of the village?
Ans. Phatik was considered
the ringleader because he was mischievous, adventurous, and full of new ideas.
The other boys admired his daring nature and followed his lead in all playful
and reckless activities, seeing him as their natural leader and guide in mischief.
2.What plan did Phatik
make about the heavy log lying on the riverbank?
Ans. Phatik planned to
roll the heavy log lying on the mud-flat of the river into the water. He
thought it would be a great adventure and fun for all the boys to work together
to move it by force and watch it float away.
3.How did Makhan spoil
Phatik’s plan with the log?
Ans. Makhan, Phatik’s
younger brother, climbed onto the log and sat there without helping. This made
Phatik angry, and in irritation, he pushed Makhan off the log, causing him to
fall into the muddy river water, turning the game into a family quarrel.
4.What was the reaction
of the boys when Makhan fell into the water?
Ans. The boys, frightened
by the accident, immediately stopped laughing and ran away from the spot. They
feared that Phatik would be scolded and punished for hurting his younger
brother, so they left him alone to face the consequences of his impulsive
action.
5.How did Phatik’s
mother react when she learned about the quarrel?
Ans. Phatik’s mother
became furious when she saw Makhan wet and crying. Without asking for the full
story, she scolded Phatik harshly, accused him of being cruel and wicked, and
even struck him, showing her partiality toward Makhan, whom she deeply loved.
6.How did Phatik feel
after being beaten by his mother?
Ans. Phatik felt deeply
hurt, humiliated, and unwanted. His mother’s unfair treatment broke his spirit,
making him feel unloved and lonely. He began to think that no one cared for
him, and he longed to escape from the place where he was always misunderstood.
7.Who was the
unexpected visitor to their village, and how did he affect Phatik’s life?
Ans. Phatik’s maternal
uncle came from Calcutta to visit his sister’s family. Seeing Phatik’s restless
and mischievous nature, he decided to take the boy to Calcutta, hoping that the
city’s discipline and education would reform him and make him more responsible.
8.How did Phatik’s
mother respond to the uncle’s offer to take him to Calcutta?
Ans. Phatik’s mother
readily agreed to send him with her brother. She believed Calcutta would help
improve Phatik’s behaviour and relieve her from the daily trouble caused by his
mischief. However, she did not realize how much her cold words would wound his
tender heart.
9.How did Phatik feel
about leaving his village for Calcutta?
Ans. At first, Phatik was
excited about the idea of going to Calcutta. He imagined it as a place full of
adventure and change. But when the moment of departure came, he felt sadness
and a strange emptiness as he realized he was leaving his familiar world behind.
10.What difficulties
did Phatik face in Calcutta?
Ans. In Calcutta, Phatik
faced loneliness, strict discipline, and homesickness. His cousins mocked him
for his rural manners, and his aunt disliked his clumsy ways. He missed his
mother, friends, and open village life, feeling lost in the noisy and
unfriendly atmosphere of the big city.
11.How did Phatik’s
aunt treat him in Calcutta?
Phatik’s aunt treated him
coldly and often complained about his behaviour. She considered him troublesome
and lazy, frequently comparing him unfavourably with her own sons. Her harsh
attitude made Phatik feel neglected, unwanted, and more homesick than ever
before.
12.How did Phatik’s
performance in school affect his state of mind?
Ans. Phatik struggled at
school because he could not adjust to the new environment or understand the
lessons. His teachers scolded him for inattention and dullness, while his
classmates ridiculed him. These failures deepened his feelings of isolation and
made him more miserable.
13.What made Phatik
fall seriously ill?
Ans. Phatik’s continuous
unhappiness, homesickness, and neglect weakened his body and mind. One rainy
day, drenched and shivering, he caught a severe fever. The illness worsened
because no one cared for him properly until it became too late to save him from
his tragic fate.
14.What were Phatik’s
last words before he died?
Ans. As Phatik lay dying,
he longed for his mother. When she finally came, he weakly said, “Mother, the
holidays are over, and I have come home.” These touching words revealed his
deep yearning for love and the peace he never found in life.
15.What message does
Tagore convey through “The Home-Coming”?
Ans. Tagore conveys the
tragedy of childhood neglect and the deep emotional need for love and
understanding. Through Phatik’s suffering and death, he highlights that
discipline and education are meaningless without compassion, and that every
child needs affection more than authority.
Q.5. Three-Mark
Questions
1. What mischief did
Phatik and his friends plan with the log?
Ans. Phatik and his
friends saw a heavy log lying on the mud-flat of the river, waiting to be
shaped into a mast for a boat. Mischief-loving Phatik decided that they should
work together to roll it away by force. They found the plan thrilling, but when
the owner of the log arrived angrily and scolded them, the fun turned into
confusion. Phatik fell into the water and was later beaten by his mother for
his troublemaking.
2. How did Phatik’s
mother behave toward him after the log incident?
Ans. After the incident
with the log, Phatik’s mother grew even more impatient and angry with him. She
scolded him harshly, calling him a constant source of worry. Being a widow
already burdened with responsibilities, she had little tenderness left to show.
Her heart was hardened by sorrow, and she misunderstood Phatik’s mischievous
nature as mere disobedience. The lack of affection at home deeply wounded
Phatik, leaving him lonely and eager for love elsewhere.
3. Why did Phatik’s
uncle decide to take him to Calcutta?
Ans. Phatik’s uncle, who
came from Calcutta to visit the village, noticed that the boy was restless,
mischievous, and unhappy. Seeing his mother’s harshness and his longing for
affection, the uncle thought a change of environment might help. He decided to
take Phatik to Calcutta, where he could study and grow disciplined. The
proposal excited Phatik, who hoped for a better life and love in the city. His
mother agreed, though half-heartedly, hoping it would bring peace.
4. How did Phatik feel
when he arrived in Calcutta?
Ans. When Phatik reached
Calcutta, he was initially full of joy and curiosity. However, the city soon
made him feel lost and unwanted. His aunt disliked him from the start,
considering him an uncivilized country boy. The noisy streets and unfriendly
faces terrified him. He missed his mother and village friends. The grand city
that once seemed promising now felt like a prison. Loneliness replaced
excitement, and Phatik began to realize how dearly he missed his home.
5. How was Phatik
treated by his aunt in Calcutta?
Ans. Phatik’s aunt
disliked him from the moment he arrived. She found his manners rough, his
clothes untidy, and his presence annoying. She constantly scolded him and
called him lazy and troublesome. Her complaints to her husband made Phatik feel
guilty and unloved. Unlike his dreams of affection and comfort, he received
coldness and rejection. The harsh words and lack of sympathy broke his spirit,
making him feel like a burden in the household.
6. How did Phatik
perform at his new school in Calcutta?
Ans. Phatik struggled at
his new school. The lessons seemed difficult, the teachers strict, and the
classmates indifferent. He could not adjust to the city’s disciplined school
life after his carefree village days. His teachers considered him inattentive
and dull. Often punished for mistakes, he grew discouraged and homesick. The
continuous failures and scolding crushed his confidence. Instead of
improvement, he fell deeper into sadness, longing for his mother’s voice and
his village’s familiar freedom.
7. What led to Phatik’s
illness in Calcutta?
Ans. Phatik’s illness was
caused by both physical neglect and emotional pain. He felt lonely, unloved,
and constantly scolded. His aunt’s coldness and the city’s indifference made
him restless. One day, he wandered outside in the rain and caught a severe fever.
No one cared for him properly, and his condition worsened. The fever weakened
his body while homesickness weakened his mind. His suffering grew unbearable,
and he longed for his mother’s comforting presence once again.
8. How did Phatik
express his homesickness during his illness?
Ans. As his fever
increased, Phatik’s thoughts turned constantly to his home and mother. He
longed to see her face and begged his uncle to send for her. His only wish was
to return to his village, the river, and his friends. He repeated, “I want to
go home.” The city’s walls felt suffocating, and his loneliness deepened. This
yearning for home became his final emotional cry, showing his pure love for his
mother and birthplace.
9. How did Phatik’s
mother react upon hearing of his illness?
Ans. When Phatik’s mother
received the news of his illness, her heart was filled with grief and guilt.
Realizing how harshly she had treated him, she rushed to Calcutta immediately.
She longed to hold and comfort her son, but fate was cruel. By the time she reached
him, Phatik was already dying. Her cries of sorrow reflected a mother’s deep
regret for the love she had failed to give while he was still alive.
10. What is the
significance of the title “The Home-Coming”?
Ans. The title “The
Home-Coming” holds a deep symbolic meaning. Though Phatik physically leaves his
home for Calcutta, his emotional journey remains centered on his longing to
return. His desire to go home grows stronger as he faces neglect and
loneliness. Ironically, his true homecoming happens only in death—when his
spirit finds peace beyond pain. Tagore beautifully portrays how a child’s love
for home and mother transcends all distance and suffering.
COURTESY:
Perplexity, Meta AI & ChatGPT
Compiled by Dr. Shankar D Mishra
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