Summary of “The Gift of Chappals”

One day, Mridu visited her aunt Rukku Manni’s house to meet her cousins Lalli, Ravi, and Meena. Ravi took her to the backyard, where they found a small kitten drinking milk from a torn football. Meena revealed they had found the kitten outside the gate that morning but kept it a secret because their mother was afraid their grandma would be upset. Ravi managed to get some milk for the kitten, and they named it Mahendran.

Ravi told an imaginative story about the cat’s family, claiming it was from a special lineage. Meena and Mridu giggled at his made-up tale. When Ravi made a loud noise, the scared cat ran away. Meanwhile, Lalli was struggling to learn the violin despite her music teacher’s efforts.

Mridu looked out the window and saw Lalli practicing with the violin and the bald music teacher wearing a gold chain and diamond ring. A beggar came to the gate, and their mother asked Ravi to send him away since he annoyed her by coming every day.

The beggar was already in the garden, seeking rest under a neem tree with blisters on his feet from the hot road. Feeling sorry for him, Mridu asked her cousins if they had any old slippers. Ravi searched and found a worn-out but sturdy pair of chappals in the verandah. Mridu gave them to the beggar, telling him not to return again. The beggar blessed the children, put on the slippers, and left quickly.

Later, the music teacher discovered his missing slippers and complained that they were new and expensive. Rukku Manni arrived with Paati and realized the children were responsible. She felt upset and angry. Rukku Manni brought Gopu Mama’s new chappals and apologized to the music teacher on Ravi’s behalf. The teacher was delighted and called the children naughty monkeys, which upset their mother.

Inside the house, their mother was relieved to find Gopu Mama’s chappals and laughed, thinking about how upset he would be when he returned. She took all the blame upon herself.

Textbook Questions Solved

Comprehension Check (Page 22):

1. What secret does Meena share with Mridu in the backyard?
Answer.  Meena tells Mridu about finding a kitten in the backyard.

2. How does Ravi get milk for the kitten?
Answer.   Ravi gets milk for the kitten by pretending to be hungry and then pouring some milk from a tumbler into a coconut shell.

3. Who does Ravi claim the kitten’s ancestors are? Do you believe him?
Answer.   Ravi claims that the kitten’s ancestors are the Pallava kings of the Mahabalipuram Rishi-Cat. I don’t believe his story.

4. Ravi talks a lot about M.P. Poonai. What does this show about him?
Answer.   This shows that Ravi is trying to impress Mridu and has a rich imagination.

5. What noise startles Mridu and frightens Mahendran?
Answer. The “kreeching” sound from the window startles Mridu and frightens Mahendran.

Comprehension Check (Page 28):

1. The music master is making lovely music. Which sentence in the text expresses this idea?
Answer. “The music master’s notes seemed to float up and settle perfectly into the visible tracks of the melody.”

2. Has the beggar been to Rukku Manni’s house before? Why?
Answer. Yes, the beggar has been coming to Rukku Manni’s house every day for the past week. He admits that he has relied on their generosity for a whole week.

3. What does the V-shaped line between Rukku Manni’s eyebrows suggest about her mood?
Answer. It suggests that Rukku Manni is getting angry.

Working with the Text (Page 29):

1. Complete the following sentences:
   (i) Ravi compares Lalli’s playing the violin to a railway train derailing.
   (ii) Trying to hide beneath the tray of chillies, Mahendran tipped a few children over himself.
   (iii) The teacher played a few notes on his violin, and Lalli stumbled behind him poorly.
   (iv) The beggar said that the kind ladies of the household had helped him with food for a whole week.
   (v) After the lesson was over, the music teacher asked if she had seen his chappals.

2. Describe the music teacher as seen from the window.
Answer.  The music teacher was a thin, bald-headed man with a tuft of hair on his head. He had a gold chain around his thick neck and wore a diamond ring on his hand.

3. (i) What makes Mridu conclude that the beggar has no money to buy chappals?
Answer. Mridu concludes that the beggar has no money to buy chappals because his bare feet had large blisters on them.

  (ii) What does she suggest to show her concern?
Answer. She suggests giving the beggar an old pair of chappals.

4. “Have you children… she began, and then, seeing they were curiously quiet, went on more slowly ‘seen anyone lurking around the verandah?'”
   (i) What do you think Rukku Manni really wanted to ask?
Answer. Rukku Manni really wanted to ask the children if they had hidden the chappals.

(ii) Why did she change her question?
Answer. She changed her question because she thought it was the children’s mischief.

(iii) What did she think had happened?
Answer. She thought that the children had given the chappals to someone.

5. On getting Gopu Mama’s chappals, the music teacher tried not to look happy. Why?
Answer.The music teacher tried to hide his happiness because he didn’t want to show his greed or appear too eager for the chappals.

6. Why was the beggar in such a hurry to leave after receiving the gift of chappals?
Answer. The beggar was in a hurry to leave because he knew that the children had given him the chappals without seeking permission from the adults. He feared that the chappals might be taken back from him.

7. While walking towards the kitchen with Mridu and Meena, Rukku Manni began to laugh. What made her laugh?
Answer. Rukku Manni laughed because she imagined how her brother-in-law, Gopu Mama, would react when he found out that his new chappals had been given away to the music teacher.

Working with Language:

1. Rewrite each pair of sentences as a single sentence using ‘if’ at the beginning.

   (i) Don’t tire yourself now. You won’t be able to work in the evening.
   If you tire yourself now, you won’t be able to work in the evening.

   (ii) Study regularly. You’ll do well in the examination.
   If you study regularly, you’ll do well in the examination.

   (iii) Work hard. You’ll pass the examination in the first division.
   If you work hard, you’ll pass the examination in the first division.

   (iv) Be polite to people. They’ll also be polite to you.
   If you are polite to people, they’ll also be polite to you.

   (v) Don’t tease the dog. It’ll bite you.
   If you tease the dog, it’ll bite you.

2. Fill in the blanks in the following paragraph:

Today is Sunday. I’m wondering whether I should stay at home or go out. If I (go) out, I (miss) the lovely Sunday lunch at home.
If I (stay) for lunch, I (miss) the Sunday film showing at Archana Theatre. I think I’ll go out and see the film, only to avoid getting too fat.

Answer.

(i) go (ii) shall miss (iii) stay (iv) shall miss

Today is Sunday. I’m wondering whether I should stay at home or go out. If I go out, I shall miss the lovely Sunday lunch at home. If I stay for lunch, I shall miss the Sunday film showing at Archana Theatre. I think I’ll go out and see the film, only to avoid getting too fat.

3. Complete each sentence by using the appropriate phrase from the options given:

if you want to/ if you don’t want to/if you want him to

(i) Don’t go to the theatre .
(ii) He’ll post your letter ..
(iii) Please use my pen .
(iv) He’ll lend you his umbrella .
(v) My neighbour, Ramesh, will take you to the doctor
(vi) Don’t eat it .

Answers.

   (i) Don’t go to the theatre if you don’t want to.
   (ii) He’ll post your letter if you want him to.
   (iii) Please use my pen if you want to.
   (iv) He’ll lend you his umbrella if you want him to.
   (v) My neighbor, Ramesh, will take you to the doctor if you want him to.
   (vi) Don’t eat it if you don’t want to.