A.
Answer the following questions in your own words:
1. How did the captain receive Anil when he went to the ship on his own?
2. Why did Anil's bundle of clothes begin to get undone?
3. Why was Anil there a long time after the ship had left?
4. Why did Anil start to doubt the trustworthiness of an adult's word?
5. What plans did he make, at this point of time, for the next year?
Answers
1. It was Anil’s father who had introduced him to the Captain of the ship, MacWhirr. Anil had visited the ship twice with his father. But the third time, he was all alone. He was allowed to walk down the docks alone and the Captain had lowered down the gangplank especially for him. He spent the entire day on board asking questions to the captain and the crew. By then, he had made many friends.
He then asked the captain if he could be included in their next voyage. He added that he could scrub the deck and clean the cabins without being paid. The captain agreed to that and promised him that he would be informed before they started their journey.
2. The captain of the ship had promised Anil to take him on his next voyage. As Anil was scared to tell his parents about the plan, he did not tell them. He then came to know that the ship was to leave that night. That time too he did not tell them. He went to his room and took out the bundle of clothes which he had packed for the journey and came down.
He saw his parents sitting on the veranda. For a moment, he regretted for not telling them. He felt sad for leaving them. He then went through the garden and as soon as he reached the road, he began to run. By then he had heard the hoot of the steamer. He ran as fast he could so that he would not miss the ship. As he ran the bundle of clothes got undone. But as he reached the harbor, the ship had started to move.
3. Even though Anil was promised to be taken for the voyage, he felt cheated by the Captain. He had called the Captain but they did not come back to take him along with them. Even when the ship was moving far from him, he continued to cry. The bundle was now down on his feet.
He told himself that the Captain would come back the next year and he would go along with him. Anil made sure that he would not repeat his mistake again and would be on the ship before it sailed. He stayed there for a long time until the ship passed the horizon. He then took the bundle and went back to his house.
4. Anil had been promised to be taken on a voyage along with the Captain. He was told that he would be informed two days before the journey. But he came to know the news on the day of the voyage. He did not introduce his plan to his parents, fearing that he would not be allowed to leave the place. So he went to his room and came down with the package that he had already packed for the journey.
As he came down, he saw his parents sitting on the verandah. He then took the garden path and reached the road. On hearing the hoot of the steamer he started to run. Reaching the harbor, he could see the ship moving. He cried a lot but no one came to take him. Instead they waved their hands towards him. He stood there for some time and doubted whether an adult’s words were to be trusted.
5. He was sure that the Captain would come back next year. He planned to go along with the Captain and the crew on the next voyage. As Anil believed that he was cheated this time, he made sure that he would not repeat the same mistake the next year. He decided to enter the ship long before it sailed. He wanted to include places like Yokohama, Valparaiso, San Diego and London in the next voyage.
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