Leela's Friend|R. K. Narayan
ANS:- • Leela, the main character of the story, was the speaker of the quoted line and the words were spoken to her father Mr. Sivasankar.
•• The words were said about Sidda, who came to their house in search of a servant’s job.
••• Mr. Sivasankar was desperately in search of a servant when Sidda came in front of his house. But Mr. and Mrs. Sivasankar was unable to make up their minds whenever they would engage Sidda as a servant in their house or not. Then Leela their five years old daughter saw Sidda and soon she liked him and asked her parents not to send Sidda away but to keep him in their house. At Leela’s request, Sidda was appointed as a servant in their household. So the words of Leela made them react in favour of employing Sidda.
ANS :- • Leela found great joy to play the teacher to Sidda. At dusk, Leela held a class for Sidda with catalogues, illustrated boks and pencils. She made Sidda squat on the floor with a pencil between his fingers and a catalogue in front of him and commanded him to write a ‘B’ or draw a cat or a crow.
When Sidda would fail to copy Leela’s writings and drawings. Leela would rebuke Sidda and redouble her efforts to teach him. But Sidda, though an adept at controlling the moon, was incapable of studying . His wrist cracked to write the letters or to draw a figure.
As a result, Sidda then used to say that he thought her mother was calling her to dinner and that would end the school hour.
•• Sidda was helpless when Sidda could not write the letters or copy the little things drawn by Leela. He was a poor performer. So, he could not play the pencil at all. His wrist cracked to write and to draw. At last, he sought relief by saying that her mother was calling her to dinner.
ANS :- Sidda had been described in the story as a very responsible servant of Mr. Sivasanker household and constant companion of Leela. He performed all his duties faithfully and look good care of Leela. He had good imagination sprung stories that enthralled Leela. He had great power of convincing little Leela and he made her believe that he had the power to control the moon. He had no interest in studies and never learnt anything that Leela tried to teach him. He also had no idea how to prove his innocence when he was accused of stealing the chain. He remained speechless throughout and feel victim because he belonged to the lower class whose voice is never heard.
ANS: - Sidda becomes a good friend with Leela. They play together with a red ball. Leela tells Sidda to throw the ball into the sky. Sidda throws the ball upward. When the ball comes down, he tells her that the ball has touched the moon. The innocent girl believes him. At night he tells Leela wonderful stories of gods, animals, magicians, princesses. He gives Leela his pleasant company whenever she asks for it. This way Sidda’s company makes Leela “Supremely happy”.
ANS:- One evening Sidda goes out to buy sugar. Leela also goes with him. When they come home, Leela’s mother noticed that Leela’s gold chain is missing. Being furious she slaps Leela and calls Sidda to ask him about the chain. When Sidda answers that he does not know, she mentions the police and shouts at him. Panic-stricken, Sidda escapes. Mr. Sivasanker comes home and hears everything from his wife. He grows very excited. At once he goes to the police station and lodges a complaint against him.
Leela shows no reaction over the loss of the chain. He things that her parents,” abusing and worrying” forces him to leave their house . The loss of the chain does not matter to her.
Q.NO. – 6:- Analysis in brief the relationship between Sidda and Leela.
ANS:- Sidda and Leela are two main characters in the story ‘Leela’s Friend’ by R. K. Narayan. Sidda is employed as a servant in Mr Sivasankar’s house. Sidda is expected to do plenty of work at a meagre salary. He also has the duty to be a playmate to Leela. Leela is Mr Sivasankar’s five-year old daughter. She loves Sidda very much. Sidda plays with Leela. After dinner, he tells her incomparable stories that makes Leela clung closer to Sidda. Side has a lot of time for Leela. His vivid imagination amazes her. To Leela, Sidda is a hero. She is not prepared to believe that he has human limitations. So, she tries to teach Sidda, but he is not adept in learning. Gradually, Sidda becomes Leela’s true friend and guide. She recognises a personality in Sidda that the adults never allow themselves to see. So, she accuses her mother of abusing and worrying Sidda. She finds joy in his company. Leela is deeply hurt when Sidda is arrested. She even tries to defend Sidda. Leela does not consider Sidda to be a thief and defies her parents and the police inspector in this regard. Sidda was a social outcast and an easy victim. But through Leela we realise he too has a human soul.
ANS:- • Leela is the speaker.
•• Sidda would drop any work he might be doing to run and attend Leela’s call.
••• Leela and Sidda played with a red ball in the garden and also played with the moon. Leela flung the red ball at him and he flung it back. Then Leela told Sidda to throw the ball into the sky, Sidda used to do that. When the ball came down, Sidda told her that it had touched the moon. Leela was surprised and she became more curious than before. Standing near the rose plant Sidda asked her to look at the moon. Next, he took her to a well in the backyard and let her know that the moon was his obedient flower. Leela clapped her hands and screamed in wonder. But whatever might be the game, they both enjoyed each other’s company to their hearts' content.
Q.NO. – 8:- “He looked at her mutely, like an animal.” – Who looked at whom? What was the situation when this occurred? ( XI- ’16)
ANS:- • Sidda looked at Leela.
•• One evening, Leela’s mother noticed that the gold chain that Leela had been wearing was missing. Leela’s mother accused Sidda of theft and the incident was reported to the police. Four days later Sidda was brought to the house by a police inspector. Leela was overjoyed to see Sidda back. She wanted him to be released. Leela always stood by her friend, Sidda, but her protest was ignored by the police inspector. when the constable took Sidda back to the police station for interrogation, Leela clung to Sidda’s hand. At that time Sidda looked at Leela mutely, like an animal.
ANS:- * The speaker of this quoted line is Mr. Sivasanker.
** Sidda, the servant of Mr. Sivasanker’s household is referred to here as the ‘criminal’.
*** Mr. Sivasanker is an affluent gentleman, who belongs to a high-class society. At Mr. Sivasankar’s house, Sidda works as an ordinary servant. He is polite and obedient to his master but he is poor, illiterate and belongs to the lower class. So he is an easy prey to social and economic injustice. The persons enjoying authority in the society do not hesitate to brand a poor innocent person a criminal without any proof of the crime. That is why Mr. Sivasanker considers Sidda as a criminal even when it is proved that he is guiltless. The story conveys the massage of class conflict and class sentiment. So, Mr. Sivasanker’s class, power, and his indifference to a servant led him to make such a comment.
ANS:- Mr. Sivasanker required a servant for his house. He was deeply thinking about it. Just then Sidda came in front of his house. He asked for a job in the house. Mr. Sivasanker scrutinised him and asked him a few questions about his previous service career. Sidda’s appearance and tidiness impressed Mr. Sivasanker. But Mr Sivasanker was not very sure about the details given by Sidda in support of his engagement as a servant. So he called his wife to have a look at Sidda before takin any final decision. She came and judge his appearance. She too found fit for the job. Despite everything being fine, they couldn’t make up their minds whenever they would engage Sidda or not. At that time, their little daughter Leela appeared. She liked Sidda very much and she requested her father to keep Sidda in the house. At Leela’s request, Sidda was appointed as a servant in Mr. Sivasanker’s house.
ANS:- * Leela and her mother noticed this.
** When Mrs. Sivasanker went back to the kitchen along with Leela after charging Sidda with theft of the gold chain, Sidda vanished into the night.
*** One evening when Leela returned home from the market with Sidda, her mother noticed that Leela’s gold chain was missing. She was furious. She scolded and slapped Leela. The shouted for Sidda to come and she at once suspected Sidda. Sidda defended himself feebly but Mrs. Sivasanker threatened him to report it to police and shouted at him. When Mrs. Sivasanker went back to the kitchen Sidda vanished into the night. Probably Sidda anticipated some severe action against him. So, he left the home immediately.
Ans: * Mr. Sivasanker was the speaker.
** The police inspector was furious at Mr. Sivasanker for not consulting him before employing Sidda as a servant in his house.
** At the police station, the inspector informed Mr. Sivasanker that Sidda was an old criminal and he had been in jail half a dozen times before on the charge of stealing jewellery from children.
Ans: * To please Leela, Sidda told her incomparable stories of animals in the jungle, of gods in heaven, of magicians who could conjure up golden castles and fill them up with little princesses and their pets.
** After dinner, Sidda told different stories to Leela. Leela listened to them with rapt attention. She got so fond of those stories that even when Sidda left house, Leela refused to sleep if she was not told stories.
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