english course book

• Oh! Public Performance...!

                                                                                                                                       Richard Wright
But I was still shy and half paralysed
1
when in the presence of a crowd, and my
first day at the new school made me the
laughing stock of the classroom. I was
sent to the blackboard to write my name
a n d   a d d r e s s ;   I   k n ew my   n ame   a n d
address, knew how to write it, knew how
to spell it; but standing at the blackboard
with the eyes of the many girls and boys
looking at my back made me freeze
inside and I was unable to write a single
letter.
'Write your name,' the teacher said.
I lifted the white chalk to the blackboard
and, as I was about to write, my mind
went blank, empty; I could not remember
my   n ame ,   n o t   e v e n   t h e   f i r s t   l e t t e r .
Somebody giggled
2
 and I stiffened
3
.
'Just forget us and write your name and
address,' the teacher prompted
4
An .
impulse
5
 to write would flash through
me, but my hand would refuse to move.
1. paralysed : unable to move  2. giggled : laughed quietly and repeatedly  3. stiffened : became unable to move (being
terribly nervous)  4. prompted : helped to do something  5. impulse : a sudden wish to do something9
T h e   c h i l d r e n   b e g a n   t o   t i t t e r
6
  a n d   I
flushed
7
 hotly.
'Don't you know your name?' the teacher
asked me.
I looked at her and could not answer. The
teacher rose and walked to my side,
smiling at me to give me confidence. She
p l a c e d   h e r   h a n d   t e n d e r l y   u p o n  my
shoulder.
'What's your name?' she asked.
'Richard,' I whispered.
'Richard what?'
'Richard Wright.'
'Spell it.'
I spelled my name in a wild rush of
letters, trying desperately
8
 to redeem9
 my
paralysing shyness.
'Spell it slowly so that I can hear it,' she
directed me.
I did.
'Now can you write?'
'Yes, ma'am.'
'Then write it.'
Again I turned to the blackboard and
lifted my hand to write, then I was blank
and void
10
 within. I tried frantically
11
 to
collect my senses but I could remember
nothing. A sense of the girls and boys
behind me filled me to the exclusion of
everything. I realised how utterly I was
failing and I grew weak and leaned my
hot forehead against the cold blackboard.
T h e   r o o m   b u r s t   i n t o   a   l o u d   a n d
prolonged
12
 laugh and my muscles froze.
'You may go to your seat,' the teacher
said.
I   sat  and  cur s ed mys e l f .  Why did  I
always appear so dumb when I was
called to perform something in a crowd?
I knew how to write as well as any pupil
in the classroom, and no doubt I could
read better than any of them, and I could
talk fluently and expressively when I
was sure of myself. Then why did strange
faces make me freeze? I sat with my ears
and neck burning, hearing the pupils
whisper about me, hating myself, hating
them.
6. titter : laugh quietly in a high voice  7. flushed :  became red in the face  8. desperately : hopelessly  9. redeem : free
somebody from something  10. blank and void : empty or vacant  11. frantically : in an extremely worried and frightened way
12. prolonged : that continued for a long timeHigher Secondary [Std XII] • Coursebook - English
1 0
About the Author
Richard Wright (1908-1960) was a Negro writer  who gained immediate
fame with his first novel Native Son  (1940). His other novels include The
Outsider (1945) and The Long Dream (1958). He wrote his autobiography,
Black Boy (1945) in the form of a novel. This work is considered important
for an understanding of the life of blacks in America. His other publications
include  An American Hunger  (1977),  Black Power  (1954),  White Man,
Listen! (1957) and  The God that Failed (1949).
Wright was born near Natchez Miss. After living with his relatives in
several places he moved to Chicago in 1927 and then to New York City
in 1937. His first published fiction was  Uncle Tom's Children (1938), a
collection of four long stories. He lived in Paris from 1946 until his death.
Discuss
z The boy’s feelings when he was sent to the blackboard.
z The reaction of  his classmates.
z Do you appreciate the behaviour of the teacher?
z Can you identify the real problem of the boy?
z The boy hated himself and his friends. Explain the reason.
Speech
Compare the experiences you listed earlier with the experiences of
the boy and prepare a short speech. Present it to your class.1 1
Imagine you are attending a walk - in - interview
• You are well prepared
• You have a lot of ideas and you are bold
But when you walk into the room,
• Can you face the interview board?
• Will you feel afraid or shy to meet the interviewers?
Don’t you want to overcome your fright and nervousness?
Don’t you want to come out successful?
Now, let’s learn to make a formal talk.
Read the following speech and note down the  main points.
Let’s Respond to India’s Call

Dr APJ Abdul Kalam

Friends,
I have three visions for India. In the past
3000 years of our history people from all
over the world have come and invaded
1
us, captured
2
 our lands, conquered
3
 our
minds. From Alexander onwards. The
Gr e e k s ,   t h e   T u r k s ,   t h e  Mo g u l s ,   t h e
Portuguese, the British, the French, the
Dutch, all of them came and looted
4
 us,
took over what was ours. Yet we have
not done this to any other nation. We
have not conquered anyone. We have not
grabbed
5
 their land, their culture, their
history and tried to enforce
6
 our way of
life on them. Why? Because we respect
the freedom of others. That is why my
first vision is that of FREEDOM. I believe
that India got its first vision of this in
1 8 5 7 ,   w h e n   w e   s t a r t e d   t h e   w a r   o f
independence. It is this freedom that we
must protect and nurture
7
 and build on.
If we are not free, no one will respect us.
M y   s e c o n d   v i s i o n   f o r   I n d i a   i s
DEVELOPMENT. For fifty years we
have been a developing nation. It is time
we saw ourselves as a developed nation.
We are one among the top five nations
of the world in terms of GDP
8
We have .
ten per cent growth rate in most areas.
Our  pove r ty  l eve l s  ar e   fal l ing.  Our
1. invaded : attacked  2. captured : took by force  3. conquered : won control by force  4. looted :  stole things during a war
5. grabbed : took hold of something roughly  6. enforce : make people obey rules  7. nurture : bring up with care  8. GDP:
Gross Domestic Product (Total market value of the goods and services produced in a country during a year)Higher Secondary [Std XII] • Coursebook - English
1 2
a c h i e v e m e n t s   a r e   b e i n g   g l o b a l l y
recognized today. Yet we lack the selfc o n f i d e n c e   t o   s e e   o u r s e l v e s   a s   a
developed nation, self-reliant and selfassured
9
?Isn't this incorrect .
I   h a v e   a   t h i r d   v i s i o n .   I N D I A   M U S T
STAND UP TO THE WORLD. Because I
believe that unless India stands up to the
world, no one will respect us. Only
strength respects strength. We must be
strong not only as a military power but
also as an economic power. Both must
go hand-in-hand....
Why are we in India so embarrassed to
r e c o g n i z e   o u r   o w n   s t r e n g t h s ,   o u r
achi evement s ?  We  ar e   such a gr eat
nation. We have so many amazing
10
s u c c e s s   s t o r i e s   b u t   w e   r e f u s e   t o
acknowledge them. Why? We are the
first in milk production. We are number
one in Remote Sensing Satellites. We are
the second largest producer of wheat. We
are the second largest producer of rice.
L o o k   a t   D r .   S u d a r s h a n ,   h e   h a s
transferred the tribal village into a selfsustaining, self-driving unit. There are
millions of such achievements but our
media is only obsessed with
11
 the bad
news and failures and disasters. Why are
the media here so negative?
I was in Tel Aviv once and I was reading
the Israeli newspaper. It was the day after
a lot of attacks and bombardments
12
 and
deaths had taken place. The Hamas
13
 had
s t r u c k .   B u t   t h e   f r o n t   p a g e   o f   t h e
newspaper had the picture of a Jewish
g e n t l e m a n   w h o   i n   f i v e   y e a r s   h a d
t rans formed hi s  de s e r t   land  into an
o r c h a r d   a n d   a   g r a n a r y .   I t  wa s   t h i s
inspiring picture that everyone woke up
t o .   T h e   g o r y
1 4
  d e t a i l s   o f   k i l l i n g s ,
bombardment s ,  deaths ,  we r e   in  the
newspaper, buried among other news.
In  India we  only  r ead about  death,
sickness, terrorism and crime. Why are
we so NEGATIVE? Another question:
Why are we, as a nation, so obsessed
with foreign things? We want foreign
TVs, we want foreign shirts. We want
foreign technology. Why this obsession
with everything imported? Do we not
realize that self-respect comes with selfreliance?
I was in Hyderabad giving this lecture,
when a 14 year old girl asked me for my
a u t o g r a p h .   I   a s k e d   h e r   w h a t   h e r
ambition in life was. She replied, “I want
to live in a developed India”. For her,
y o u   a n d   I   w i l l   h a v e   t o   b u i l d   t h i s
developed India. You must proclaim15
,
that India is not an under-developed
nation; it is a highly developed nation.
A l l o w   m e   t o   c o m e   b a c k   w i t h   a
vengeance
16
Got ten minutes for your .
country?
9. self-assured : confident  10. amazing : very surprising  11. obsessed with : strongly and unreasonably interested in  12.
bombardments :  attacks with guns and bombs  13. Hamas : a particular creed of people  14. gory : involving a lot of
bloodshed and violence 15. proclaim : announce solemnly 16. vengeance : (here) with greater strength1 3
Y O U   s a y   t h a t   o u r   g o v e r n m e n t   i s
inefficient. YOU say that our laws are too
old. YOU say that the municipality does
not pick up the garbage
17
YOU say that .
the phones don't work, the railways are
a joke, the airline is the worst in the
w o r l d ,   m a i l s   n e v e r   r e a c h   t h e i r
destination
18
YOU say that our country .
has gone to the dogs and is the absolute
pits
19
.YOU say, say and say so .
What do YOU do about it? Take a person
on his way to Singapore. Give him a
name  --- YOURS.  Give  him a  fac e  ---
YOURS. YOU walk out of the airport and
you are at your International best. In
Singapore you don't throw cigarette butts
on the roads or eat in the stores. YOU
are as proud of their Underground Links
as they are. You pay $5 (approx. Rs 60)
t o   d r i v e   t h r o u g h   O r c h a r d   R o a d
( equival ent  of  Mahim Caus eway or
Pedder Road) between 5 pm and 8 pm.
YOU comeback to the parking lot to
punch your parking ticket if you have
overstayed in a restaurant or a shopping
mal l
20
  i r r e spe c t ive  of  your   s tatus  or
identity. In Singapore you don't say
anything, DO YOU? YOU wouldn't dare
to eat in public during Ramadan, in
Dubai. YOU would not dare to go out
without your head covered in Jeddah.
YOU would not dare to buy an employee
of the telephone exchange in London at
10 pounds (Rs  650) a month to, ‘see to it
that my STD and ISD calls are billed to
someone else’s’. YOU would not dare to
s p e e d   b e y o n d   5 5   m p h   ( 8 8   k p h )   i n
Washington and then tell the traffic cop
21
,
‘Jaanta hai sala main kaun hoon (Do you
know who I am?). I am so and so's son.
Take your two bucks and get lost.’ YOU
wouldn't chuck
22
 an empty coconut shell
anywhere other than the garbage pail on
t h e   b e a c h e s   i n   A u s t r a l i a   a n d   N e w
Zealand. Why don't YOU spit Paan on
the streets of Tokyo? Why don't YOU use
e x a m i n a t i o n   j o c k e y s   o r   b u y   f a k e
certificates in Boston? We are still talking
of the same YOU. YOU who can respect
and conform23
 to a foreign system in other
countries but cannot in your own. You
who will throw papers and cigarettes on
the road the moment you touch Indian
soi l .   I f  you  can be  an  involved and
appreciative citizen in an alien
24
 country,
why cannot you be the same here in
India? Once in an interview, the famous
Ex-municipal commissioner of Bombay
Mr Tinaikar had a point to make. ‘Rich
people's dogs are walked on the streets
to leave their affluent
25
 droppings
26
 all
over the place,’ he said. ‘And then the
same people turn around to criticize and
blame the authorities for inefficiency and
17. garbage : waste material  18. destination : (here) the place to which something is sent 19. absolute pits : extremely bad
20. shopping mall : shopping complex  21. cop : policeman  22. chuck : throw something in a careless way  23. conform
: obey  24. alien : foreign  25. affluent : posh (used satirically)  26. droppings : solid waste of animalsHigher Secondary [Std XII] • Coursebook - English
1 4
dirty pavements
27
What do they expect .
the  of f i c e r s   to do?  Go down wi th a
broom every time their dog feels the
pressure in his bowels? In America every
dog owner has to clean up after his pet
has done the job. Same in Japan. Will the
I n d i a n   c i t i z e n   d o   t h a t   h e r e ? ’   H e ' s
right. We go to the polls to choose a
government and after that forfeit
28
 all
responsibility. We sit back wanting to be
pampered
29
 and expect the government
t o   d o   e v e r y t h i n g   f o r   u s  wh i l s t   o u r
cont r ibut ion  i s   total ly negat ive .  We
expect the government to clean up but
we   a r e   n o t   g o i n g   t o   s t o p   c h u c k i n g
garbage all over the place nor are we
going to stop to pick  up a stray
30
 piece
of paper and throw it in the bin. We
expect the railways to provide clean
bathrooms but we are not going to learn
the proper use of bathrooms. We want
Indian Airlines and Air India to provide
the best of food and toiletries but we are
not going to stop pilfering
31
 at the least
opportunity. This applies even to the
staff who is known not to pass on the
service to the public.
When it comes to burning social issues
like those  related to women, dowry, girl
child and others, we make loud drawing
room protestations
32
 and continue to do
the reverse
33
 at home. Our excuse? ‘It's
the whole system which has to change,
how will it matter if I alone forego
34
 my
sons' rights to a dowry’? If so, who's
going to change the system?   What does
a system consist of? Very conveniently
for us it consists of our neighbours,
o t h e r   households, other cities, other
communities and the government. But
definitely not me and YOU. When it
comes to us actually making a positive
contribution
35
 to the system we lock
ourselves along with our families into a
safe cocoon
36
 and look into the distance
at countries far away and wait for a  Mr
Clean to come along and work miracles
37
for us with a majestic
38
 sweep of his hand.
Or we leave the country and run away.
Like lazy cowards hounded
39
 by our
fears we run to America to bask
40
 in their
glory and praise their system. When
New York becomes insecure
41
 we run to
England. When England experiences
u n e m p l o y m e n t ,   w e   t a k e   t h e   n e x t
f l ight  out to the Gulf. When the Gulf is
war struck, we demand to be rescued
42
a n d   b r o u g h t   h o m e   b y   t h e   I n d i a n
Government. Everybody is out to abuse
43
and rape
44
 the country. Nobody thinks
27. pavements : sides of roads for pedestrians  28. forfeit : lose something valuable  29. pampered : looked after  30. stray:
wandering  31. pilfering : stealing small amount of things  32. protestations : disagreements  33. reverse : opposite
34. forego :  decide not to have; give up  35. contribution : help  36. cocoon : (here) place of safety  37. miracles : wonders
38. majestic : impressive   39. hounded : followed; threatened   40. bask : enjoy    41. insecure : not safe
42: rescued : saved  43. abuse : say rude things  44. rape : (here) exploit; spoil1 5
of feeding the system. Our conscience
45
is mortgaged
46
 to money.
De a r   I n d i a n s ,   T h e   a r t i c l e   i s   h i g h l y
t h o u g h t   i n d u c t i v e ,   c a l l s   f o r   a   g r e a t
d e a l   o f   i n t r o s p e c t i o n   a n d   p r i c k s
one ' s   cons c i enc e   too. . .   I  am  e choing
J F   K e n n e d y ' s   w o r d s   t o   h i s   f e l l o w
Americans to relate them to Indians...
45. conscience : part of the mind that tells you what is wrong and right  46. mortgaged : (here) pledged as security
‘ask what we can do for India and do what
h a s   t o   b e   d o n e   t o   m a k e   I n d i a   w h a t
America and other western countries are
today’.
Let’s do what India calls on us to do.
(slightly adapted)
About the author
Dr  Avul Pakir Jainulubdeen Abdul Kalam, the present
President of India, was born on 15 October, 1931 at
Rameswaram in Tamil Nadu. He specialized in Aero
Engineering from Madras Institute of Technology. He
began his career in DRDO in 1958 and then joined ISRO
in 1963. Dr  Kalam has made a significant contribution
to shaping the Indian Satellite and launch vehicles of
ISRO and also to the missile programme of DRDO. He
was also the Scientific Advisor to Defence Minister and the Secretary,
Department of Defence Research and Development, from July 1992
to Dec. 1999. Dr  Kalam has served as the Principal Scientific Advisor
to the Govt. of India with the rank of Cabinet Minister from Nov.
1999 to Nov. 2001. He then took up academic pursuit as Professor,
Te chnology and Soc i e tal  Trans format ion,  at  Anna Unive r s i ty,
Chennai. Above all, he is on his mission to ignite young minds for
national development  by meeting students across the country. He
has been awarded Padma Bhushan in 1981, Padma Vibhushan in
1990 and Bharath Ratna in 1997.
The  speech given here was made in Hyderabad where he addressed
the students.
Notes and References
Dr  Hannumappa Reddy Sudarshan was born in 1950 and graduated
as a doctor in 1973. He turned his back on the possibility of lucrative
urban practice in favour of working with poor communities and in
1979 he arrived in the Biligiri Rangana Hills to work among the Soliga
tribals. He founded Vivekannda Girijana Kalyana Kendra in 1981.
It is based on a respect for tribal culture and a determination to
p e r p e t u a t e   i t ,   e v e n  wh i l e   d e v e l o p i n g   t h e   r e q u i s i t e   s k i l l s   a n d
capabilities among the tribal people to enable them to become selfreliant in today's India, which is Sudarshan's eventual goal.Higher Secondary [Std XII] • Coursebook - English
1 6
Based on your reading of the speech, prepare notes in the following
format.
1. Dr  Kalam’s visions
1.1 .................................................
.................................................
.................................................
1.2 .................................................
1.2.1 .................................................
1.2.2 .................................................
1.3 .................................................
1.3.1 .................................................
1.3.2 .................................................
2. India’s strengths  and achievements
2.1 .................................................
2.2 .................................................
2.3 .................................................
2.4 .................................................
Speech
In the light of the notes you prepared, develop a speech on  Your
dreams of a Developed India.
Discuss
Pick out the salient features of Dr  APJ Abdul Kalam’s speech. You
may make use of the following hints.
z the way he addresses
z opening
z emphasising with current examples
z posing issues and raising challenges
z quotations used
z conclusion1 7
Group Discussion
An extract from a newspaper report (The Hindu,  March 2006) is given
below. Read and compare it with paragraph 5 of the speech given
and conduct a group discussion.
Topic : Media Sensationalise; they don’t Sensitise.
Report
You have read the speech of Dr Kalam, which should have awakened
your civic sense. Imagine that you are  the Chief Editor of your school
magazine. You want to communicate this to your friends. Write a
report focusing on the last part of Dr Kalam’s speech.
Debate
Dr  A PJ Abdul Kalam concludes his speech with the statement ‘Ask
what we can do for India and do what has to be done to make India
what America and other western countries are like today’.
Conduct a debate in your class.
Topic : ‘We should  follow the west for development and need not think of
our rich tradition’.
Even the media, I realised, was largely
exploiting the suffering of people for
‘story material’ and catering to the
e l i t e ;   w h a t   a c t u a l l y   m a t t e r s   i s
‘sensitisation’ but the media largely
‘sensationalise’. Awareness can be
created not through witty sound bytes
or crisp headlines but only through
careful documentation of events and
persistent social activism.
z What does Dr APJ Abdul Kalam
talk about in paragraph 5?
z What do the media exploit for story
material?
z What do they aim at?
z A r e   t h e y   a b l e   t o   d e s c r i b e   t h e
situation?
z A r e   t h e y     g o i n g   a f t e r   c a t c h y
headlines and news stories?Higher Secondary [Std XII] • Coursebook - English
1 8
Against
z conserve our tradition
z self-respect
z self-assurance
z should realise our position
z stop abusing one another
z we are to build up our country
z should not imitate
z obey rules as we do in other countries
z develop our own technology
z you and I are to work for development
and safeguard our tradition
z
For
z development important
z have a sense of our achievement
z stand up to the world
z take a detached look at other countries
z accept what is good in others
z talking alone will not do any good
z do what is needed for development
z do not be lazy -- tradition will not
bring us everything
z
Hints:
You have won the prize for the best debater in your class. Write a
letter to your friend to share with him the joy of winning the prize.
You wrote a letter sharing your joy of winning the prize in the debate,
didn’t you?
Now, let's think of other letters. What letters do we write often?
Do your parents write letters? Do they write to your teachers?
What do they write?
What do they often talk about, when they meet your teachers?
z Your performance in the class
z Your character and conduct
z .....................................................
Imagine that you are the parent of a student. You write a letter to
the teacher of your ward. What would you write? Note down the
points you would like to include.
z .....................................................
z .....................................................1 9
A Nice Citizen
Abraham Lincoln
He will have to learn, I know,
that all men are not just
1
,
all men are not true.
But teach him also that
for every scoundrel there is a hero;
that for every selfish politician,
there is a dedicated
2
 leader...
Teach him for every enemy there is a friend,
steer him away from envy,
if you can,
teach him the secret of
quiet laughter.
Let him learn early that
the bullies
3
 are the easiest to lick
4
...
Teach him, if you can,
the wonder of books...
But also give him quiet time
to ponder
5
 the eternal
6
 mystery of birds in the sky,
bees in the sun,
and the flowers on a green hillside.
In the school teach him
it is far honourable to fail
than to cheat...
Teach him to have faith
in his own ideas,
even if everyone tells him
they are wrong...
Teach him to be gentle
with gentle people,
and tough with the tough.
1. just : morally right and fair 2. dedicated : spending one's time and effort for a cause 3. bullies : those who use their power
to frighten others 4. lick :(here) defeat 5. ponder : think about 6. eternal : everlasting
Here is a letter written by Abraham Lincoln to his son’s teacher.
Read it carefully.Higher Secondary [Std XII] • Coursebook - English
2 0
Try to give my son
the strength not to follow the crowd
when everyone is getting on the bandwagon...
Teach him to listen to all men...
but teach him also to filter
all he hears on a screen of truth,
and take only the good
that comes through.
Teach him if you can,
how to laugh when he is sad...
Teach him there is no shame in tears,
Teach him to scoff
7
 at cynics
8
and to beware of too much sweetness...
Teach him to sell his brawn
9
and brain to the highest bidders
10
but never to put a price-tag
on his heart and soul.
Teach him to close his ears
to a howling mob
and to stand and fight
if he thinks he's right.
Treat him gently,
but do not cuddle
11
 him,
because only the test
of fire makes fine steel.
Let him have the courage
to be impatient...
let him have the patience to be brave.
Teach him always
to have sublime
12
 faith  in himself,
because then he will have
sublime faith in mankind.
This is a big order,
but see what you can do...
He is such a fine fellow,
my son!
7. scoff : laugh at   8. cynics : those who believe that people are not good, honest or sincere   9. brawn: physical health
10. bidders : those who are ready to pay a particular price for goods; auctioneer 11. cuddle : hold someone very close
12. sublime : noble2 1
About the Author
Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865) was one of the  truly great men of all
time. As President he preserved the American Union during the Civil
War and proved to the world that democracy can be a lasting form
of government. In 1834, Lincoln was elected to the legislature. He
had become better known by this time. He worked to make the
nation’s ideals come true.
He became the 16th President of the United States on 4 March 1861.
By late summer of 1862, President Lincoln was convinced that time
had come for a change in policy towards slavery. He abolished the
system of slavery on 1 January 1863. As President, Lincoln was
bitterly criticised. After he was shot dead, even his enemies praised
his kindly spirit and selflessness. Millions of people called him "Father
Abraham".
Discuss
• Do you think that it is an ordinary letter? If yes, why? If not
how is it different?
• Will you call it a letter? Why?
Group discussion
What  does Abraham Lincoln want his son’s teacher to do? Do you
think that a teacher can develop all these qualities in his/ her students?
List out the points and conduct a group discussion on the topic
Teacher -- the Maker of a Better Citizen.
Make use of the following hints:
• Teachers influence students / society
• students respect teachers
• student’s character is developed by teachers
• society is shaped in the classroom
•
Speech
Imagine that you are a teacher. You have read the letter carefully
and felt fascinated by it. You want to communicate Lincoln’s views
to your students. Prepare a speech in your own words.Higher Secondary [Std XII] • Coursebook - English
2 2
Letter
Write a letter to the editor of a local newspaper comparing Lincoln’s
ideas about a nice citizen with the ways of the present generation.
You may use the following hints:
Lincoln’s views
• strong faith in one’s own ideas
• accept failure
• do not cheat
• gentle with the gentle
• do not follow the crowd
• listen to all
• accept the good in everything
•
Views of present generation
• most have no strong faith in
their own ideas
• do not accept failure
• don’t tolerate others
• follow the crowd
• do not listen to all
• loves money
•
Dear students, we had a heated debate on We should follow the West
for development, even if we disregard our tradition. It was really wonderful.
You did it well.
Now, let’s look at some of our rich traditions. Can you name a few
of them?
z ....................................................................................
z ....................................................................................
Discuss in groups
• Do people depend on ayurvedic treatment as much as they do on
allopathic medicine?
• Why is ayurvedic medicine not so popular?
• Do people   dislike  the traditional systems of medicine?
List out  your ideas
•
•2 3
A V Balasubramanian: The  unique
feature of traditional medicine in India
is that it flourishes
1
 at multiple levels.
On the one hand you have practitioners
of Ayurveda, Unani and Siddha systems,
who are institutionally qualified and
trained in colleges. On the other hand,
t h e r e   i s   t h e   f o l k   s t r e a m   o r   L o k
Parampara, which is rich and diverse.
This includes home remedies, dos and
don'ts in day-to-day life, adaptations to
the seasons, Pathyam and Apathyam ---
knowledge of foods and properties of
foods to be preferred and avoided in
various conditions, tribal or folk health
practitioners, families specialising in the
treatment of various diseases such as
asthma, jaundice
2
, etc. and above all
specialists to take care of conditions such
as bone injury and treatment for poison.
There are also practices like yoga or
martial
3
 arts, traditions such as Kalari
and Silambam4
, which have a preventive
or promotive role.
The knowledge of the use of natural
products such as plants amongst our
people is truly phenomenal
5
The All .
India Coordinated Research Project on
Ethno-biology of the Department of
Envi ronment   r eveal s   that   the   t r ibal
Goldmine of Indian Health Traditions
1. flourishes : develops; becomes successful   2. jaundice : a disease in which one's skin and eyes become yellow  3.
martial: connected with war and fighting  4. Silambam : a kind of martial art where fencing is done with a staff 5. phenomenal:
very unusual and impressive
* Panel discussion : A discussion on a topic generally done by specialists or experts
Panellists
Dr  PLT Girija Ms Sheela Rani Chunkath
Dr Uma Krishnaswamy Mr AV Balasubramanian
Dr Hari John Ms  R  Krithika
Dr  T Tirunarayan Dr  Harish Narain Das
Here is the recorded version of a panel discussion which tells us of
our rich  health tradition.
Read it carefully.
Panel DiscussionHigher Secondary [Std XII] • Coursebook - English
2 4
communities alone have a knowledge of
the use of over 9,000 species of plants of
which the single major use category is
traditional medicine for which over 7,500
species are used.
However, traditional health practices are
on the decline owing to modernisation
a n d   c h a n g e s   i n   l i f e s t y l e .   A n o t h e r
important factor is the indifference of the
modern medical practitioners and our
health policy makers to these traditions.
By and large, they are of the view that
most of these traditional practices should
be examined and proved by modern
research methodology. Thus we seem to
be sitting on a gold mine of traditional
practices being unable to build upon it
for the betterment of our peoples' health.
How can we build on our peoples' health
traditions?
Dr Girija: There has always been this
ambivalence
6
 with traditional medicine.
On the one hand it is seen as being
unscientific and on the other, the constant
demand  is that it needs to be validated
7
.
I think this business of validating our
traditional medicine should be met head
on. While many of our herbs have found
t h e i r  wa y   i n t o   t h e  mo d e r n  me d i c a l
pharmacopoeia
8
, the dominant trend
constantly questions us and looks to the
We s t   f o r   s o l u t i o n s .   T h e   q u e s t i o n   i s
whether Ayurveda needs validating,
and if so how? Here it must be pointed
out that in India, from ancient times the
i s s u e   o f   v a l i d a t i n g   k n owl e d g e   a n d
experiences had been dealt with very
meticulously
9
If we turn to the Nyaya .
Sastra, the rules say that there are three
sources of valid knowledge :
1 ) P r a t y a k s h a  o r   d i r e c t   o b s e r v a t i o n   o r
experience. Any theory that contradicts
direct observation and experience is not
considered valid knowledge.
2 ) S h a b d a  o r   A g a m a,   w h i c h   i s   t h e
ac cumulat ed
10
 wi sdom of  our   ent i r e
tradition found in texts.
3 ) Anumana or inference, which is a source
of valid knowledge when it does not
contradict direct observation, experience
and textual reference.
The science of Ayurveda is based upon
the above methodology applied in the
context of maintaining human health. It
i s  bas ed on  rat ional
1 1
 and  s c i ent i f i c
p r i n c i p l e s   a n d   i s   s c e p t i c a l
1 2
  o f   a n y
k n o w l e d g e   t h a t   i s   n o t   a c q u i r e d   i n
pursuance of
13
 scientific method and
rational means. Ayurvedic texts go to the
e x t e n t   o f   s t a t i n g   t h a t   a n y   s u c c e s s
achieved without following the correct
method is sheer accidental
14
 success and
it is to be discouraged. Based on this
method, Ayurveda has  developed its
own methodologies and concepts on
6. ambivalence : showing good and bad feelings  7. validated : proved true or correct   8. pharmacopoeia : book giving
information about medicines  9. meticulously : very carefully  10. accumulated : stored up  11. rational : based on reason
12. sceptical : doubtful  13. in pursuance of :  following  14. accidental : happening by chance2 5
health and ill health, which find support
in their theoretical formulations. And
these have been validated by practice
ove r   thousands  of  year s .  Val idat ion
means validating traditional medicine in
terms of the current theories of molecular
b i o l o g y   a n d   b i o c h e m i s t r y .   B u t   t h e
p r o b l e m   i s   t h a t   t h e s e   t h e o r i e s   o f
molecular biology and biochemistry are
totally unstable and constantly changing.
Henc e   the  bas i s  and val idi ty of   the
approach itself has to be questioned.
Thus drugs and therapeutics developed
on a single bio-chemical factor ignoring
a host of
15
 other factors have validly
given rise to the talk of holistic
16
 health.
If our modern medical practitioners had
tried to understand the Ayurvedic drugs
and therapeutic practices like Vamanam
(emesis), Virechanam (purgation), Vasti
(enema), Nasya etc., and studied their
a c t i o n s   i n   t h e   h u m a n   b o d y   e v e n
according to their science, they would
have made some original and useful
c o n t r i b u t i o n   t o   t h e i r   o w n   f i e l d   o f
medicine. Instead they constantly look
to the West for guidance and solutions.
While India sits over a huge body of
knowledge in medical science and ought
to have been on frontiers of medical
science, its policy makers and others are
only interested in exporting its herbs and
making a quick buck.
Dr  Hari John: Having worked with
villagers, there are three questions that
need to be addressed.
1) Why do we want to build on peoples'
health tradition ?
2) Who will benefit from it?
3) Will it go back to the people or the
managers ?
Prior to
17
 globalisation and commercialis a t i o n ,   k n o w l e d g e   c a m e   f r o m   t h e
people. But now the people's health
traditions are on the verge of
18
 getting
l o s t   d u e   t o   m o d e r n   m e d i c i n e ' s
o n s l a u g h t
1 9
I f   y o u   e x a m i n e   t h e   .
Hippocratic oath
20
, it deals with the
whole person. In the Hippocratic system
the body caused the diseases and the
body has the ability to heal itself. The
practitioner and diet are aids in the
process of healing. But from the 19th
century, the body is seen as a battlefield
between the disease and an external
agent. As a reaction to all these, we have
turned towards alternative systems of
healing. But the question is : is it possible
to take people’s health traditions, refine
21
them and give them back to them?
We know well that the rural poor lack
even the most basic of facilities. The only
thing that they have got, is cleaner air and
e n v i r o nme n t   a p a r t   f r om  a c c e s s   t o
2 2
herbal medicine. If we are to take this
15. a host of : a large number of  16. holistic health : viewing the health of a person as a whole   17. prior to : before
18. on the verge of : on the edge/  border of  19. onslaught : very strong attack 20. Hippocratic oath : the promise made
by doctors that they will keep to the principles of the medical profession 21. refine : improve  22. access to: possibility to reach
or haveHigher Secondary [Std XII] • Coursebook - English
2 6
knowledge, refine it and propagate
23
 it,
whom will it benefit? We can be sure that
even this resource will be lost to them.
More likely, it will benefit the so-called
researchers who may get doctorates or
international recognition. Also, surely
t h e r e   w i l l   b e   c omme r c i a l i s a t i o n   o f
people's knowledge which will benefit
the middle classes. This threat has now
increased amazingly due to globalisation,
W T O ,   I M F ,   f r e e   t r a d e   a n d   s o   o n .
R e m e m b e r   t h e   p a t e n t i n g
2 4
  b y   a n
A m e r i c a n   C o m p a n y ,   o f   t u r m e r i c ,
s ome t h i n g  we   h a v e   b e e n   u s i n g   f o r
centuries? Or the patenting of neem? We
need to constantly keep in mind as to
whom this development of local health
traditions is going to benefit. We need
to keep constant vigil
25
 so that the poor
do not get ripped off
26
 again.
Sheela Rani Chunkath: We have started
an experiment in Tamil Nadu where
Village Health Nurses (VHN) are for the
f i r s t   t i m e   b e i n g   t r a i n e d   i n   S i d d h a
Vaidyam and Ayurveda. This is a sea
change from the earlier practice where
the same people are explicitly
27
 told to
di s courage  al l   forms  of   local  heal th
practices. Now, through a 15 - day course,
these nurses are being re-educated, both
to find out what the local health practices
are and to endorse
28
 these practices.
I quite agree with Dr  Girija that 3000
years have been more than enough as a
trial period and these local traditions
have been refined and validated enough.
Dr Uma Krishnaswamy: I agree that
the important question is validation and
I   f u l l y   a g r e e   w i t h   D r     G i r i j a   t h a t
A y u r v e d a   h a s   i t s   o w n   m e t h o d   o f
validating knowledge. It is time that
traditional practitioners got together
a n d   a r t i c u l a t e d
2 9
  t h i s   t o   t h e   l a r g e r
p u b l i c .  Wh a t  we   s e em  t o   h a v e   i s   a
communication gap.
Sheela: Validation of Ayurvedic drugs
is no problem. The difficulty lies in
t h e   s t a n d a r d i s a t i o n   o f   d r u g s .   E a c h
manufacturer prepares the same drug in
so many different ways that we are not
able to standardise them.
D r   T i r u n a r a y a n :  L i f e s t y l e s   h a v e
changed.  Pol lut ion has  af f e c t ed  the
environment. There are pesticides even
in tender coconut water. In the light of
this we need to re-examine prescriptions
and proscriptions
30
.
S h e e l a :  V a l i d a t i o n   o f   d r u g s   n e e d s
r e s o u r c e s   a n d   t h e   r e s o u r c e s   a r e
forthcoming only from those who want
patents and profits.
Uma: Commercialisation is a driving
force for validation. I do not need anyone
to  t e l l  me   that  an oi l  bath  i s  good  for
me.
23. propagate : spread  24. patenting : obtaining the right to sell or use a new invention or product  25. vigil : watch  26.
ripped off: (here) exploited  27. explicitly : clearly  28. endorse : to express formal support  29. articulated : talked
effectively  30. proscriptions : (here) something which is stated publicly2 7
Sheela: No. On the contrary, we all need
to be told that an oil bath is good for us.
In fact our health workers have been
telling our communities that the oil bath
is a bad thing or of no particular use.
U m a :  I   t h i n k   w e   m u s t   m a k e   a
d i s t i n c t i o n
3 1
  b e t w e e n   r e s e a r c h   a n d
textbook medicine. Even in the textbook
m e d i c i n e   t h e r e   i s   n o t h i n g     w h i c h
condemns
32
 the traditional medicine.
Dr  Tirunarayan: I think we need to make
a distinction between principles and
p r a c t i c e s .   P r i n c i p l e s   a r e   n o t   w e l l
unde r s tood.   I t   i s   impor tant   that  we
promote principles and not practices.
Today, there is a brand of ‘oil’ in the
market which contains 99 per cent liquid
paraffin
33
.
Girija: We must be careful before we say
whether oil baths are good or bad. While
it is certainly true that the application of
oil is a part of one's  dinacharya (daily
routine), and that it increases longevity
34
,
promotes sleep, is good for the eyes and
r e t a r d s
3 5
  a g e i n g   e t c . ,   i t   i s   c o n t r a -
indicated* in certain other cases.
Balasubramanian: But if an explanation
i s   g i v e n   i n   A y u r v e d i c   t e r m s   m o s t
patients may be unable to understand
what is being said.
Sheela: It certainly means that if the
coming generations are to be able to
m a k e   s e n s e   o f   h e a l t h ,   d i s e a s e   a n d
treatment in traditional terms, we need
to introduce them to these concepts in
our school curriculum.
Balasubramanian: There is a need to
initiate
36
 action at various levels. We all
seem to agree that there is much that is
valuable in our health traditions that
n e e d s   t o   b e   s t r e n g t h e n e d   a n d
p r o p a g a t e d .   T h e s e   p r a c t i c e s   c a n   b e
understood and validated based on the
t h e o r y   a n d   p r a c t i c e s   o f   t r a d i t i o n a l
sciences themselves and do not stand in
ne ed of  a  f r e sh val idat ion bas ed on
modern research. Standardisation of
drugs or raw materials is being felt today
as a need due to current developments.
We need to pay attention to this matter.
We need to understand the principles
underlying traditional practices  ----  they
may need to be modified and adapted
37
to suit the current lifestyle and situation.
We must ensure that our interventions
38
primarily benefit the local communities
who are carriers of these traditions and
not just researchers or intermediaries
from outside. Above all, we need to
educate the younger generation  ---- n o t
m e r e l y   i n t r o d u c e   t h e m   t o   t h i s
k n o w l e d g e   b u t   a l s o   i n s t i l   i n   t h e m
certain confidence and pride in these
traditions.
30. distinction : difference 31. condemns : disapproves 32. paraffin : an oil used in lamps and for heating (US word is
‘kerosene’) 33. longevity : length of life  35. retards : delays 36. initiate : start 37. adapted : changed  38. intervention :
doing something to deal with a problem  (
*
) shown to be badHigher Secondary [Std XII] • Coursebook - English
2 8
Pick out the main ideas from the panel discussion and compare them
with the ideas you listed earlier.
Speech
In the light of your discussion and the comparison you made,
prepare a speech on  The Issues Related to Indian Health Tradition.
Hints : • validation of traditional medicine.
• unstable and changing theories.
• holistic health.
• looking to the west for guidance.
• interested in exporting herbs.
• globalisation and commercialization.
• standardization of drugs.
Group discussion
• Do we have standardised drugs in Ayurveda?
• Do all manufacturers prepare Ayurvedic drugs in the same way?
• Is there any relation between commercialisation and validation
of drugs?
• Is validation of drugs necessary in Ayurveda?
• If validation of drugs is to become scientific, what has it to be
based on?
Discuss the above points in groups. Sum up your ideas and present
your views in the form of a  group discussion on the topic  “Modern
Research Methodology Is Essential for Validating Traditional Medicine”.
Seminar
On the one side we are taking steps to improve our health traditions
and practices. But, on the other side, unhealthy exploitation and
practices are growing at a high rate for quick cash. Health tourism is
an example.
Now, conduct a seminar on Health Tourism : a Boon or Curse.
You may make use of the following hints and work in groups.
Ayurveda • becomes popular.
• regains its lost name and prestige.2 9
• becomes  a means to gain foreign money.
• becomes alien to common folk.
• gives room for exploitation.
• gives rise to social and cultural problems.
............................................................................. •
............................................................................. •
Report
Prepare a report of the seminar you conducted in your class and
send it to the local English newspaper.
Let’s now complete the tasks in the Practice Book
A few more tasks based on this block have been given  in the Practice
Book. They also form an integral part of this unit. Don’t forget to
complete them. Your teacher will help you.My world will light  its hundred different
lamps with
Thy flame and place them before the altar of
thy temple
Rab indranath Tag o r e
Heights of Glory
This Block provides you a chance to know more about
various literary forms. It comprises a profile, a story,
an editorial and a translation. A few other forms have
been included in Work sheet 2 of the Practice book. The
texts and activities in this Block are linked with the same
in Block 3 and Block 5 of this book. It is also an extension
of Block 2 on a variety of literary forms entitled ‘Hymn
to Life’ included in the Course book of Plus One.
Dreams of a Girl - a profile on Kalpana Chawla, An Irish
Rose - a story by A J Cronin, Best Buys for Health - an
editorial and The World Renowned Nose - a translated
version of the story Viswavikyathamaya Mooku, by R
E Asher are included in this block. All theses texts and
the texts given in the worksheet 2 (Practice book) may
help you develop your literary skills.
B l o c k 23 1
Discuss
Who are more courageous - boys or girls?
Here is a profile of Kalpana Chawla, who became a great
inspiration to the women of the world, and who proved that
nothing can hold her back from realizing her dream.
Read the profile and find out the adversities she had to face to
fulfil her dream.
Dreams of a Girl
Born into a conservative
1
, middle class
family in a small provincial
2
 town in
Haryana, Kalpana Chawla dreamt of the
stars. And through sheer perseverance
3
,
indomitable
4
 intelligence and immense
belief in herself she became the first
Indian woman to travel to space.
Kalpana was born on July 1, 1961 at
Karnal   in Haryana.  The r e  we r e   two
daughters before Kalpana in the Chawla
family. It was a mud house in the model
town Karnal where Kalpana was born.
She belonged to a family of refugees who
h a d   m i g r a t e d   f r o m   P a k i s t a n   a f t e r
partition in 1947 and had settled down
at Karnal.
Kalpana completed her schooling at
Tagore Bal Niketan, Karnal and obtained
a degree in Aeronautical Engineering
f r o m   P u n j a b   E n g i n e e r i n g   C o l l e g e ,
Chandigarh.
1. conservative : tending not to like change  2. provincial : region away from the capital 3. sheer perservance : strong
determination   4. indomitable : unconquerable/ unyielding.Higher Secondary [Std XII] • Coursebook - English
3 2
5. pursue : to follow/ go on with
When Kalpana decided to join the Punjab
Engineering College in Chandigarh, she
had to face strong resistance from her
father Banarsi Lal. He wanted Kalpana
to pur sue
5
  h e r   c a r e e r   i n  me d i c a l   o r
teaching field because he was thinking
those were more respectable professions
for girls.  She had to really persuade her
parents to let her study aeronautical
engineering. When she joined the Punjab
E n g i n e e r i n g   C o l l e g e   ( P E C )   i n
Chandigarh, she faced disapproval, not
o n l y   f r o m   h o m e   b u t   a l s o   f r o m   t h e
college's Department of Aeronautical
Engineering. She was the only woman to
have taken up aerospace engineering, a
fact she was well aware of. She was a girl
with strong will power and nobody could
change her mind. She would often say,
‘If the boys can do it, then why can't I’?
Kalpana Chawla decided to move to the
United States of America to study further.
But no one in her family supported her
choice. She also faced opposition from
her friends and relatives. Kalpana went
back  to Chandigarh,  whe r e   she  was
offered a job as an ad-hoc lecturer in the
Punjab Engineering College. Her plan
was to work in that college for one year
and with her salary income purchase her
ticket and study in the U.S. When her
father and other members in the family
realised that they could not stop Kalpana
from going to US, they did the next best
thing, that is, to yield to her wishes.
She immigrated to the United States,
earned a doctoral degree in Aerospace
E n g i n e e r i n g ,   a n d   a g a i n s t   a l l   o d d s ,
became an aeronaut. In 1984 she finished
her post graduation from the University
of Texas. In 1993, she joined Overset
Methods Inc., Los Altos, California, as
Vice President and Research Scientist.
She completed her Ph D in 1998 from the
University of Colorado, Boulder.
Her husband JP Harrison encouraged her
to follow her dreams and to fly. Her
flying instructor husband would often
teach her various techniques related to
flying.
After the success of her first space flight
in Columbia in 1997, she was hailed as
the proud daughter of the globe. Her
s e c o n d   f l i g h t   e n d e d   a b r u p t l y   o n
February 1, 2003 when the space shuttle
Columbia and her crew perished during3 3
‘The remarkable journey of courage
and determination that made this
Indian woman, hailing from a small
town in Haryana, a citizen of the
Milky Way will remain a source of
pride for all’
 Dr  A P J  Abdul Kalam
entry, 16 minutes prior to scheduled
l a n d i n g .   K a l p a n a ' s   a c h i e v e m e n t s
attracted world- wide attention. She
represents not only India and the USA
but also the whole world.
(‘Life and Dreams of Kalpana Chawla’
by Gurdeep Pandher)
(slightly adapted)
Discuss
z What qualities of Kalpana helped her become the first Indian
woman to travel into space?
z The Punjab Engineering College at first hesitated to admit
Kalpana in the Department of Aeronautical Engineering as she
was a girl. Do you agree with the  decision of the authority?
Give reasons.
z What was her father’s desire about her career?
z Without the permission of her parents Kalpana joined the
Punjab Engineering College as an ad-hoc lecturer. Was it  good
to take such a decision?
z Who helped her to  become an aeronaut?
z Can you say Kalpana achieved what she expected? Why?
About the Author
Gurdeep Pandher was born at Siahar near Ludhiana. His book
Diving into Heat brought him global recognition. It was also featured
by  Advance magazine, USA and many other literary magazines in
Europe and Asia.Higher Secondary [Std XII] • Coursebook - English
3 4
The boxes below tell us certain features of a profile. But a few boxes
are left blank.
Read the profile once again and complete the boxes.
Birth and childhood
Character Achievements
Speech
Kalpana Chawla once said, ‘The path from dreams to reality does
exist. May you have the vision to find it, the courage to get on to it,
and the perseverance to follow it’
What do you want to become in your life? Sit in groups and share
your dreams with your friends. Selected items from each group may
be presented to the class.
Discuss and write
The following table tells us about people who sacrificed their lives
for the sake of others. Discuss with your partner and complete the
table.
Sl.No Name of martyr/ What he/ she How he / she
 famous person did for others died
1. Bhagatsingh took part in the hanged to
freedom struggle death
2.
3.
4.
Now, write a profile of any one of them.3 5
An Irish Rose
A J  Cronin
Here is an anecdote by A J Cronin about a girl who sacrificed
her life for an eight month old child. Read the story and find
out for who the child was, and what made her do so.
Last summer, I was in Ireland, that green,
b e l o v e d   c o u n t r y ,   a n d   o n c e   a g a i n ,
between duty and devotion, I made a
pilgrimage that never fails to stir my
heart.
Years ago, I had come to Dublin as a
young phys i c ian  to  take  a graduat e
course at the Rotunda Hospital. The
cases allotted to me lay in one of the
poorest sections of the city and it was
d u r i n g   m y   r o u n d s   i n   t h i s   d r e a r y
1
neighbourhood that I first encountered
Rose Donegan.
I would meet her in Loughran Street,
fetching water from the public water-tap
with the baby in her arms, a heavy infant
of nine months, bound to her skimpy
2
person by a tattered shawl. Rose was
about fourteen, with deep-blue eyes
which somehow seemed enormous in
h e r   s e r i o u s   l i t t l e   f a c e .   T h r e e   o t h e r
children, their ages between five and
nine, hung about her skirt, a certain
similarity of feature and the uniform
redness of their hair proclaiming
3
 them
to be Donegans also.
The contrast between the squalor
4
 of her
background and the intrepid
5
 brightness
of her gaze aroused my curiosity in this
strange little creature. I began by wishing
her good morning and, after a few days,
this greeting drew from her a grave and
bashful
6
 answering smile. Gradually ----
for her reserve was not easy to overcomeI progressed to terms of friendship.
I   l e a r n e d   t h e n   t h a t   R o s e ,   t h e   t h r e e
younger children and baby Michael had
lost their mother eight months before.
They lived with their father, Danny
Donegan, in a basement in the teeming
warren
7
 of Loughran Street. Danny, who
worked occasionally at the docks
8
, was
1. dreary : dull and not interesting  2. skimpy : scantily clothed  3. proclaim : show (something) clearly  4. squalor : dirt and
unpleasantness  5. intrepid : not afraid of danger or difficulties 6. bashful : shy and easily embarrassed 7. teeming warren
: very crowded and confusing place  8. docks :  a place in a port where ships are loaded and unloaded; jettyHigher Secondary [Std XII] • Coursebook - English
3 6
a weak, utterly good-natured character.
S o f t - s p o k e n   a n d   f u l l   o f   t h e   b e s t
intentions, he spent most of his time and
money at the adjacent Shamrock Bar.
Thus it fell upon Rose to sustain the
burden of the household, to keep the two
rooms clean and tidy, to manage her
errant father and salvage
9
 the remnants
10
of his earnings as best she could, to do
the cooking and attend to the children.
Although there was affection for all of
them in Rose's heart, beyond everyone
s h e   a d o r e d
1 1
  b a b y   M i c h a e l .   A s   s h e
carried him on sunny afternoons to the
outskirts of Phoenix Park she staggered
under his weight, but that did not daunt
her. Nothing daunted her. As I saw her
g o   r e s o l u t e l y   a l o n g   t h e   c r o w d e d ,
unsavoury
12
 pavement, bent on some
errand
13
, to bargain with the butcher for
an end of ham or coax
14
 the baker to
extend her credit for an extra loaf, I
marvelled at the temper of her spirit. She
was not blind to the sights around her.
S h e   h a d   t h e   s l um  c h i l d ' s   e l eme n t a l
knowledge - an absolute unblushing
15
understanding of the hard mysteries of
life, mingled with an innocence that was
sublime. Those wide, reflective eyes, set
in that small grimy face, held the wisdom
of the ages. But more than that  ----  they
held a fathomless fount of love.
My first interest in this child turned
gradually to deep concern. I felt I must
d o   s o m e t h i n g   f o r   h e r   a n d ,   h a v i n g
discovered by chance when her birthday
was, I had a parcel delivered to her from
an outfitter's
16
 in O'Connell Street. It was
good to think of her in a warm tweed
dress, with sound shoes and stockings,
everything to match.
I kept out of the way for a few days, but
I chuckled
17
 as I pictured her in her finery,
marching proudly to Mass on Sunday,
her shoes squeaking
18
 magnificently
down the aisle. Yet when I saw her the
following Monday, to my dismay she
was still wearing her ragged clothing,
still bound by her tattered
19
 shawl to the
infant.
‘Where are your new clothes?’ I burst
out.
She coloured to the roots of her hair, then
said, ‘It was you.’ After a long pause, not
l o o k i n g   a t   m e ,   s h e   a d d e d   s i m p l y ,
‘They're pawned
20
There was nothing in .
the house, Michael had to have his milk.’
I stared at her in silence, aware that she
would always sacrifice herself, yield
everything that was hers to this beloved
baby brother. She looked so frail that a
fresh wave of pity swept me. Next day I
went to Father Walsh, who had charge
of the Loughran Street parish.
9. salvage : save  10. remnants : the small remaining quantity  11. adored :  loved deeply  12. unsavoury :  unpleasant
13. errand : odd job  14. coax :  persuade someone to do something  15. unblushing : unashamed  16. outfitter : a shop
that sells men's clothes  17. chuckle : to laugh quietly  18. squeaking (v) : making short high noise  19. tattered : old and torn
20. pawned (v): left to somebody as security for the money borrowed3 7
His face lit up when I spoke of Rose, and
after I had made my plea he considered
for a few moments, then slowly nodded
assent.
‘You'll have a job to persuade her.’ He
smiled wryly
21
 as he accompanied me to
the door. ‘She's a perfect little mother.
That's the force that fills her life.’
A week later, after an exchange of letters,
I went determinedly to Loughran Street.
The children sat round the table while
Rose, with a worried frown, was slicing
the remnants of a loaf. ‘Rose,’ I said, ‘you
are going away.’
S h e   g a z e d   u p   a t   m e   w i t h o u t
comprehension, pushing back the strand
of hair that fell across her puckered
brow.
‘To friends of mine in Galway,’ I went
on steadily. ‘For a month. To a farm,
where you'll have nothing to do but feed
the chickens and run wild in the fields
and drink gallons of milk.’
M o m e n t a r i l y   a   b r i g h t   e x p e c t a t i o n
flooded her face, but it swiftly faded. She
shook her head.
‘No, I have to see to the children. . . and
Dad.’
‘That's all arranged. The Sisters will take
care of them. You must do it, Rose, or
you'll have a breakdown.’
‘I can't,’ she said. ‘I couldn't leave the
baby.’
‘Confound you, then. You can take him
with you.’
Her eyes sparkled with a wonderful
light. They shone even brighter when, on
the following day, we packed her and her
charge into the train. As the engine
pulled out she was dandling the baby
on her bony little knees and whispering
in his ear:
‘Cows, Michael....’
It was good to have news of them from
o u r   f r i e n d s ,   t h e  Ca r r o l l s .   R o s e  wa s
p u t t i n g   o n   w e i g h t ,   h e l p i n g   i n   t h e
f a r m y a r d .   H e r   o w n   m i s - s p e l l e d
postcards breathed a happiness she had
n e v e r   k n o w n   b e f o r e----a n d   e n d e d
invariably with a glowing account of
how well the country suited Michael.
The month slipped away. Then, near its
end, came the bombshell. The Canolls
wanted to adopt Michael. They were a
m i d d l e - a g e d   c o u p l e ,   c h i l d l e s s   a n d
prosperous. They had grown fond of the
child and could offer him advantages far
beyond anything he  would have  at
home.
D a n n y ,   o f   c o u r s e ,   t h o u g h t   t h e
opportunity ‘stupendous
22
’. But there
was Rose to consider, and the decision
was left to her.
21. wryly : with a mixture of amusement and disbelief  22. stupendous : extremely large/ impressive, greatHigher Secondary [Std XII] • Coursebook - English
3 8
None of us knew what that decision was,
or how much it cost her to make it, until
she came back ---- alone.
She was glad to see the other children
and her father, but all the way from the
station she sat silent and withdrawn, as
though wrapped in a tragic dream. At
L o u g h r a n   S t r e e t   s h e   p u l l e d   h e r s e l f
together, and gradually she took up the
r e i n s   o f   h e r   o l d   p o s i t i o n .   S h e  wa s ,
indeed, more conscientious than before.
Un d e r   h e r   p r omp t i n g s  Da n n y   t o o k
himself in hand
23
 and, one memorable
day, actually signed the pledge
24
There .
was no guarantee of permanence in his
regeneration; still, while he kept sober
and in steady employment, Rose was
a b l e   t o   r e d e e m   f r o m   p a w n   a l l   t h e
pledged household goods, so that the
basement rooms really took on an air of
home. Some Saturdays she managed
even to tuck away
25
 a few shillings in the
tea canister
26
 on the mantelpiece.
Yet when I called in one afternoon to
congratulate her, I found her weeping
her heart out at the kitchen table. I did
not ask the reason of her distress. In
silence I took her hand, and held it for a
long time.
‘Well, it's for his good,’ she sighed at last,
and bravely wiped her eyes. ‘I wouldn't
stand in his way.’
From time to time news came of the
baby's progress. Michael's foster parents
spared no effort to make him happy;
already they spoke of him as their own.
Then one  morning a  f r ight ful   l e t t e r
a r r i v e d .   M i c h a e l   w a s   d o w n   w i t h
pneumonia.
With pale cheeks and compressed lips
Rose sat staring at the letter. Then she
moved rigidly to the canister on the
mantel, counted out the money for her
railway fare.
‘I'm going to him.’
F i e r c e l y ,   s h e   b r u s h e d   a s i d e   a l l
opposition. Didn't they know that she
could do anything with the child ---- make
him take nourishment when he was
feverish and his medicine when he was
fretful. Why, by stroking his forehead,
she could even send him to sleep. With
a fixed expression she made herself
ready for the journey, arranged with a
neighbour to care for the children, then
set out by tram for the station.
That same evening at the Carroll farm,
taking no denial, she established herself
as Michael's nurse.
It was a serious attack. Often, as Rose
watched his laboured breathing, a look
of unbearable anguish
27
 would come
upon her face. The coughing was the
worst. With her arm round his neck,
23. took himself in hand : decided to discipline himself; change his ways  24. signed the pledge: (humorous) agree not to
drink any alcohol  25. tuck away :  store something, 26. canister : a metal container for keeping something in    27. anguish
: mental or physical suffering caused by extreme pain or worry3 9
heedless
28
 of the danger to herself, she
supported him until the spasm29
 was
over. She spent herself upon him, day
and night.
At last the crisis passed; she was told that
M i c h a e l   w o u l d   r e c o v e r .   S h e   r o s e
dizzily
30
 from beside the bed, pressing
both hands against her brow. ‘Now, I can
rest.’ She smiled weakly. ‘I have such an
awful headache. . . .’
She had caught the germ from Michael.
But it did not attack her lungs. What
happened was worse. She developed
pneumococcal meningitis, and never
recovered consciousness. I think I told
you. . . she was just fourteen years old.
LAST SUMMER, in the lonely moorland
c h u r c h y a r d ,   a   s o f t   w e s t   w i n d   w a s
blowing from Galway Bay, carrying from
nearby whitewashed cottages the tang of
turf smoke, the breath, the very soul of
Ireland. There were no wreaths upon the
narrow mound of green, but, half hidden
in the grass, I saw a tiny shoot of brier,
bearing upon its thorny stem a single
white wild rose. And suddenly, from
behind grey clouds, the sun came forth
and shone with all its radiance upon the
white flower, upon the small white tablet
that bore her name.
28. heedless : not paying attention to   29. spasm : an occasion when your muscles suddenly become tight, causing you pain
30. dizzling (v) : excitingly
About the author
AJ  Cronin  (1896-1974) was  a doc tor  by  t raining.  He  prac t i s ed
medicine in Wales and in London. It was while recovering from a
breakdown in health that he wrote his first novel Hatter’s Castle. It
was a big success. Cronin gave up practising medicine and took to
writing as a career. He wrote a number of novels and short stories.
Among his best-known novels are The Citadel, The Key of the Kingdom,
and  The Spanish Gardener. Some of his novels have been made into
successful films.Higher Secondary [Std XII] • Coursebook - English
4 0
Discuss
z Why did the author come to Dublin?
z Rose and her brothers lived with her father. Even though the
father was the head of the family, Rose took up the responsibility
of the family. Do you support her action? Why?
z What, according to the author, held the wisdom of the ages?
z What was the birthday gift given to Rose  by the author?
z Rose pawned the birthday gift for buying milk to her baby. Is it
a good thing to lose a gift? Give reason.
z What made Rose become a perfect little mother?
z What was her demand when she accepted to go to the proposed
place of work? How was it met?
z How did Rose nurse Michael?
z Rose came to know that Michael was down with pneumonia.
What would you do if you were Rose?
z What did the author see when he visited Rose’s tomb in summer?
Diary
z The author realized that Rose had pawned the birthday gift to
buy milk for her beloved baby brother. A fresh wave of pity
swept over him. This experience haunted his mind and he could
not shake it off. The author made an entry in his diary that
evening.  What would  have he written in his diary?
Write
z Duty and devotion is the theme of the story An Irish Rose. Do
you agree with this statement? Write your answer in a paragraph
or two.
z Sketch the character of Rose Donegan.
z Compare and contrast the character of Kalpana Chawla and
Rose Donegan with regard to their courage, determination, will
power, ambition, service and sacrifice.4 1
Debate
• Who should shoulder the responsibilities of the family, man or
woman? (Hints: cooking, buying vegetables and other things,
educating children, managing the house etc.)
Project
z Make a comparative study of any two stories you have read
which have something in common. Discuss the contents in
theme, characters, style of narration, language and portrayal of
scenes etc. If you want  you can take  ‘Two Gentlemen of Verona’
(English Coursebook, Std X) and ‘An Irish Rose’.
Discuss
• How did Rose Donegan die?
• Is pneumonia infectious?
• Can you list the names of a few epidemics?
• Is it possible to treat an epidemic?
• What precautions would you take to prevent an epidemic?Higher Secondary [Std XII] • Coursebook - English
4 2
Best Buys for Health
I
n developing countries, more than 13 million children die
each year before their fifth birthday. At least 70 per cent of
these deaths can be avoided by simple, low cost interventions
that would have a positive impact on maternal and infant health.
Cardiovascular disease kills more people across the world each year
than any other ailment
1
, and studies show that death rates can be
brought down by a combination of lifestyle changes, adopting
simple strategies for prevention, and policy measures that would
inhibit
2
 the use of tobacco. About 40 million people live with HIV
worldwide; tuberculosis caused the deaths of 1.7 million people in
2003; and a preventable disease like malaria kills a million children
each year. Death and disability from many of these conditions can
be vastly reduced by low- cost health care interventions. A list of 10
‘best buy’ health interventions has been identified by the Disease
Control Priorities Project (DCPP), a collaborative effort of the Fogarty
International Centre of the US  National Institutes of Health, the
World Health Organisation, and the World Bank, supported by a
The following diagram  suggests certain ways to fight illness
Read the following editorial Best buys for health and complete the
diagram.
hygiene vaccination
illness
1. ailment : illness  2. inhibit : to prevent4 3
grant from the Gates Foundation. The project advocates
3
, through a
t r io
4
 of  new books ,  meaningful  and  cos t - e f f e c t ive   r emedi e s ,
particularly in developing countries, that could reduce disability
and illness and save millions of lives each year. These include simple
measures like optimum care of pregnant mothers and the newborn;
teaching mothers and birth attendants to keep infants clean and
warm, thereby reducing illness and death; vaccinating children at
the right time; arresting the spread of HIV through promoting
condom use; providing antiretroviral medicines to HIV-infected
individuals; providing insecticide-treated bed nets in malaria
infested areas; promoting the use of aspirin to prevent heart attacks
and stroke; and enforcing traffic regulations by installing speed
bumps to bring down the number of deaths from road accidents
each year.
In India, although life expectancy has gone up to 64 years and infant
mortality rates have seen a dramatic decline, critical health issues
remain. Children continue to die from infectious diseases; the underfive mortality rate stemming from preventable diseases remains high.
In adults, deaths from cardiovascular disease, cancer, tuberculosis,
and HIV infections are on the rise. The effectiveness of low-cost health
interventions, particularly in conditions of mass deprivation
5
, has
been demonstrated by some remarkable examples  ---- which need
scaling up as a national public health priority. For instance, the
Chennai-based Kidney Help Trust has had considerable success in
implementing
6
 an effective low-cost protocol for early diagnosis and
treatment of hypertension
7
 and diabetes in the Sriperumbudur taluk
of Tamil Nadu. Clearly, positive health interventions that are
inexpensive and effectual
8
 should become a viable
9
 part of national
health policies for the benefit of millions of poor people.
Editorial - The Hindu (7 April 2006)
3. advocates : speaks in support of 4. trio : three things in a group;  (here) books  5. deprivation : lack of the things that are
highly necessary  6. implement : putting into operation  7. hypertension : high blood pressure  8. effectual : producing the
ntended result  9. viable : capable of working successfullyHigher Secondary [Std XII] • Coursebook - English
4 4
Notes
low cost interventions : low cost remedies or devices
cardiovascular disease : disease related to heart
mortality rate : death rate
life expectancy : the length of time that a living
being is likely to live
antiretroviral medicines to HIV infected: Medicines which are used in
H I V /   A I D S   t o   r e s i s t   t h e
vi rus e s  of  othe r  di s eas e s   to
enter the body
critical health issues : health problems which are of
great concern or danger
deprive of (v) : t a k e   s ome t h i n g   awa y   f r om
someone
deprivation (n) : eg: There is awful deprivation
of basic necessities in some
States in India
Discuss
z What do you think is the issue/ problem being discussed in
the given editorial?
z What do you mean by ‘best buys’?
z ‘Most of the people are not aware of the possible ways of curing
diseases’. Do you agree with this statement? Quote evidences
from the editorial to support your case.
z What critical health issues still remain to be taken care of in
India?
z Does the editorial suggest ways and means to address those
problems?
Complete the notes
Read the editorial once again.  Pick out the main points and list
them in the following way:
1. The alarming death rate among children in developing countries.
2. The major causes of alarming death rate.4 5
3. ..............................................................................................................
4. ..............................................................................................................
5. ..............................................................................................................
Survey
Choose one or two  similar editorials from any  English dailies and
compare them with the given editorial.
issue/ facts and examples suggestions
problem figures
discussed
The Editorial -
Best Buys
for Health
Editorial 1
Editorial 2
Editorial 3
Write
‘Women in the present society face a lot of adversities.’ Comment
on this statement and prepare a write-up for an editorial. You may
collect material from popular magazines and newspapers on the
issue.
Read the following extracts
People from distant lands came to see him. They stood stunned with
surprise at his long nose. Some touched it too. But no one asked ‘Have
you eaten today’? ‘Why do you look so weak?’ There was no money in the
hut: not even to buy a small packet of snuff. Was he a wild animal to be
kept starving? He might be a fool, but he was a human being. One day he
called  his mother aside and told her in a whisper, “Get these horrid people
out and shut the door”.Higher Secondary [Std XII] • Coursebook - English
4 6
Have you read the two extracts? What do you feel about these
extracts? Do you think  that the English version is the exact translation
of the Malayalam piece? What changes do you note when a text in
Malayalam is translated into English? What words has the writer in
English used, to retain the local elements of the Malayalam story?
Is it an easy task to bring out all the local flavour while translating?
Discuss and write
Now sit in groups; read the extracts once more and find out the
exact Malayalam words used for the following words, phrases and
sentences in English. (If you don’t know Malayalam, take any extract
from any standard translated version of a story and compare the
words in the original story with that in the translated version.)
(a) distant lands :  .............................................................................
(b) stood stunned :  .............................................................................
(c) there was no money in the hut :  ...................................................
(d) not even to buy a small packet of snuff  :  .....................................
(e) to get these horrid people out  :  ......................................................
Compare and contrast
Here is another translated version of the same story. Compare and
contrast the two translated versions.
Zqc-tZ-i-ß-fn¬ \n∂p-t]mepw Bfp-Iƒ Abmsf ImWm≥ hcp-∂p. Zo¿L-ta-dnb aq°pt\m-°n-s°m≠v A¤pXkvX_v[-cmbn \n¬°p-∂p. Nne¿ sXm´p t\m°p-∂p-≠v. F∂m¬
Bcpw ....... Bcpw ‘\n߃ Blm-c-sam∂pw Ign-®nt√? F¥m C{X £oWw?’ Fs∂m∂pw
tNmZn-®n-√. Hcp hen-°p-s]mSn hmßm≥ t]mepw B ho´n¬ Hºn-Sn-°m-in√. ]´n-Wn-°n-´-
ImgvNarK-amtWm Abmƒ? a≠-\m-sW-¶nepw a\p-jy-\t√? Abmƒ Xs‚ hr≤-am-Xmhns\ hnfn®p cl-ky-ambn  ]d™p, ‘Cu aqti-´-Isf B´n-s∏m-d-Øm°n hmXn-e-S-t®’.
People come even from distant places to see him. They stand dumbfounded
looking at his extraordinary nose. But no one asked anything like, 'Haven't
you eaten anything? Why so tired?'  There wasn't a pie in the dwelling not
even for buying one pinch of snuff. Is he a wild animal, for exhibition left to
starve? Though a fool, is he not a human being, too? He called his old mother
and said to her in private, ‘Drive these never-do-wells out and close the door
on them, won't you’?4 7
The World Renowned Nose
It is a startling
1
 piece of news. That nose
has become a matter of dispute among
intellectuals.
I record here the true story of that nose.
The owner of that world-renowned nose
had completed twenty four years of age,
when the story began. No one knew him
before that. Does the twenty-fourth year
i n   a   p e r s o n ' s   l i f e   h a v e   a n y   s p e c i a l
significance
2
? Who knows? If one looks
through the recorded pages of world
history one finds that the twenty-fourth
year had a significance in many great
lives. Students of history need hardly be
told this.
The hero of our story was a cook, a
kitchen worker if you like. He was not
particularly intelligent. He could not
read and write. His world was confined
to
3
 the kitchen. He was totally indifferent
to happenings outside the kitchen. Why
should he pay attention to them? He
could eat to his satisfaction; inhale as
much snuff as he wanted; sleep; work.
His daily routine was confined to these
activities.
He   d i d   n o t   k n ow  t h e   n ame s   o f   t h e
months of the year. When it was time for
him to receive his salary his mother
would come and take it. If he wanted
snuff the old lady herself would buy it
for him. He lived a contented life till he
reached his twenty-fourth year. Then an
amazing thing happened!
His nose grew slightly in length. It passed
his mouth and reached the level of his
chin.
1. startling : very surprising  2. significance : importance  3. confined to : restricted to/  limited to
Here is a piece of satire from one of the best writers of Malayalam
fiction - Vaikom Muhammed Basheer. The translation is by RE AsherHigher Secondary [Std XII] • Coursebook - English
4 8
The nose began to grow in length every
day. Was it possible to hide this? Within
a month the nose reached his navel
4
Did .
he feel uncomfortable? Not in the least!
He could breathe freely. He could inhale
snuff. He could distinguish between
smells. No inconvenience worth talking
about.
However, because of his nose, the poor
cook was dismissed from service.
What was the reason?
No group came forward with the battle
cry: 'Take back the dismissed employee.'
Political parties shut their eyes to this
piece of rank injustice.
'Why was this man dismissed?' No lover
of humanity came forward with this
query.
The poor cook!
No one had to tell him why he had lost
his job. The reason was that the people
living in the house where he worked
could find no peace or quiet because of
him. People came visiting night and day,
to see the long-nosed one and his nose.
Photographers pestered
5
 them. News
reporters became a nuisance. A number
of things were pilfered
6
 from the house.
As the dismissed cook sat starving in his
lowly hut, he was convinced of one
t h i n g :   h i s   n o s e   h a d   a c q u i r e d   g r e a t
publicity!
People from distant lands came to see
him. They stood stunned with surprise
at his long nose. Some touched it too. But
no one asked: 'Have you eaten today?
Why do you look so weak?' There was
no money in  the hut: not even to buy a
small packet of snuff. Was he a wild
animal to be kept starving? He might be
a fool, but he was a human being. One
day he called his old mother aside and
told her in a whisper: 'Get these horrid
people out and shut  the door!'
The mother promptly put them all out
and closed the door.
Good fortune dawned on the mother and
son after that day! People began to bribe
the mother to see the son's nose! Some
upholders of justice protested against
this corruption. But the government did
not take any action. Many protested
against the inaction of the government
and joined revolutionary parties, out to
sabotage the government!
The income of the long-nosed one grew
day by day. Why say more? In six years
the poor cook became a millionaire.
He  ac t ed  thr i c e   in  f i lms .  What  vas t
a u d i e n c e s   w e r e   a t t r a c t e d   b y   t h e
technicolour feature film: 'The Human
Submarine!’ Six poets wrote epic poems
about the noble qualities of the longnosed one! Nine well-known writers
4. navel : middle of a person's stomach  5. pestered : behaved in an annoying manner  6. pilfered : stolen4 9
wrote biographies of the long-nosed one
and won wealth and acclaim.
His princely abode was also a guesthouse open to all. Anyone at any time
could get a meal there; and a sniff of
snuff.
He had two secretaries. Two comely
7
,
accomplished
8
 women. Both of them
loved the long-nosed one. Both of them
worshipped him. When two beautiful
females love the same person at the same
t ime ,   t h e r e   i s   b o u n d   t o   b e   t r o u b l e .
Troubles came into the life of the longnosed one.
Other people also loved the long-nosed
one. That long nose reaching down to the
navel was considered a sign of greatness.
The long-nosed one gave his opinion on
important world events. Newspapers
published his comments:
'An aeroplane with a speed of 10,000
miles an hour has been built! The longn o s e d   o n e   c omme n t e d   t h u s   o n   t h e
event........!’
' D o c t o r   B u n d r o s   F u r a s i b u r o s e   h a s
brought a dead man to life! The longnosed one made the following speech
about it.........!'
When people heard that the highest peak
in  the  wor ld had be en  s cal ed
9
,   they
asked: 'What does the long-nosed one
say about this?'
If the long-nosed one said nothing about
an event... Phoo! It was unimportant.
And so the long-nosed one was expected
t o   c o m m e n t   a b o u t   a n y t h i n g   a n d
everything! Painting, the watch trade,
me sme r i sm,  photography,   the   soul ,
publishing house, the writing of novels,
l i f e   a f t e r   d e a t h ,   t h e   c o n d u c t   o f
newspapers, hunting.
It was at this time that conspiracies were
hatched to capture the long-nosed one.
Capturing something, taking something
by physical conquest, was nothing new.
The major part of world history consists
of conquests and captures.
What is this capturing? Suppose you
plant coconut seedlings on a piece of
barren land.  You  water the land and
manure it. You fence it in. Expectant
years slip by and the trees bear fruit.
Coconuts hang in proud clusters from the
palms. Then someone takes that garden
away from you.
First of all, it was the government that
made an attempt to capture the longnosed one. They tried a confidence trick.
The government awarded him the title
'Chief among the long-nosed ones' and
gave him a medal. It was the President
himself who tied the bejewelled gold
medal round the neck of the long-nosed
one. Then instead of shaking the longnosed one by the hand, the President
7. comely : attractive in appearance  8. accomplished : skilled  9. scaled : (here) climbedHigher Secondary [Std XII] • Coursebook - English
5 0
tweaked
10
 the tip of the long nose. This
was filmed by newsreel cameramen and
shown in all theatres.
By that time the political parties in the
country came forward enthusiastically.
C o m r a d e   L o n g - N o s e   m u s t   g i v e
l eade r ship  to  the  peopl e ' s   s t ruggl e !
Comrade Long-Nose indeed! Whose
Comrade? Comrade in what? God! Poor
long-nosed one!
The long-nosed one must join the Party!
Which party? There were many parties.
How would the long-nosed one join
different parties at the same time?
The long-nosed one said in his own
tongue, 'Why should I join party and
parties? Me. I am too tired.
Then one  of   the   s e c r e tar i e s   said:   ' I f
Comrade Long-Nose likes me, he must
join my party.'
The long-nosed one said nothing to that.
'Should I join any party?' the long-nosed
o n e   a s k e d   t h e   o t h e r   s e c r e t a r y .   S h e
understood what he was aiming at. She
said: 'Why should you?'
But that time one of the political parties
had come out with the slogan, 'Our party
is the long-nosed one's party, the longnosed one's party is the people's party !’
The long-nosed one said nothing to that.
M e m b e r s   o f   o t h e r   p a r t i e s   w e r e
incensed
11
 by this. They got at one of the
s e c r e t a r i e s   a n d   m a d e   h e r   i s s u e   a
scathing
12
 statement against the longnosed one: 'The long-nosed one has
d e c e i v e d   t h e   p e o p l e !   H e   h a s   b e e n
cheating them all this while. He has
made me a partner in this fraud. Let me
declare the truth to the public: the long
nose is made of rubber!'
Wow ! ! ! All the newspapers splashed
the news on their front pages. The nose
of the long-nosed one is made of rubber!
Would the people keep quiet at this?
Would they not react in anger? Cables,
telephone calls, letters from all parts of
the world! The President was allowed no
peace or quiet. 'Destruction to the rubber
nose of the long-nosed one! Down with
t h e   l o n g - n o s e   p a r t y !   L o n g   l i v e
revolution!'
When the anti-long-nose party put out
this statement, the opposing party made
t h e   o t h e r   s e c r e t a r y   i s s u e   a   c o u n t e r
statement: Beloved countrymen, citizens!
What she has said is a lie. Comrade
Long-Nose did not love her. This is her
revenge for that. She was trying to keep
for herself the wealth and good name of
C o m r a d e   L o n g - N o s e .   O n e   o f   h e r
brothers is in the opposite party. Let me
reveal the true colours of the members
of the other party. I am the faithful
secretary of  Comrade Long-Nose. I
know for a fact that the nose of the
10. tweaked : pulled or twisted  11. incensed : made extremely angry  12. scathing : severely and unkindly critical5 1
Comrade is not made of rubber. It is as
real as my own heart beating inside me.
Long live the members of the party
supporting Comrade Long----Nose at this
critical juncture! They have no motives
of gain other than the progress of the
people. Long live revolution!'
W h a t   w a s   t o   b e   d o n e ?   T h e r e   w a s
confusion in the minds of the people.
The leaders of the party against the longnosed one began finding fault with the
P r e s i d e n t   a n d   g o v e r n m e n t .   S t u p i d
government! They gave the title of ‘Chief
amo n g   t h e   l o n g - n o s e d   o n e s ’   t o   t h e
deceiver of the people. They gave him a
bejewelled gold medal. The president is
also party to this fraud. There is betrayal
o f   n a t i o n a l   i n t e r e s t   i n   a l l   t h i s .   T h e
President must resign. The ministry
must resign! The rubber-nosed one must
be killed!'
T h e   P r e s i d e n t   r e a c t e d   a n g r i l y .  On e
m o r n i n g   t h e   a r m y   a n d   a i r   t a n k s
surrounded the house of the poor longnosed one. He was arrested and taken
away.
There was no news of the long-nosed one
for some time. The people forgot about
his existence. Then came fresh news with
the impact of a nuclear bomb! Do you
know what happened? Just when the
people had forgotten everything came a
brief announcement from the President:
The trial of the ‘Chief of the long-nosed
ones’ will take place on 9th March. Expert
doctors who come as representatives of
48 countries will examine him. All the
n e w s p a p e r s   o f   t h e   w o r l d   w i l l   b e
r e p r e s e n t e d   b y   t h e i r   a c c r e d i t e d
correspondents. The proceedings will be
filmed for all the world to see. People
must keep calm’.
People are people. They could not keep
calm. They came in large numbers into
the metropolis. They invaded the hotels.
They burnt public conveyances. They set
fire to police stations. They destroyed
g o v e r n m e n t   b u i l d i n g s .   T h e r e   w e r e
communal riots. Quite a number of men
and women died as martyrs in this fight
for the long-nosed one.
March 9, eleven a.m. The square in front
of the Presidential palace was a vast sea
of humanity. The loud speakers blared
13
forth: 'People must be disciplined. The
examination has begun!’
The doctors surrounded the long-nosed
one in the presence of the President and
cabinet ministers. One doctor blocked
the nostrils of the long-nosed one; he
immediately opened his mouth wide.
A n o t h e r   d o c t o r   t o o k   a   n e e d l e   a n d
punctured the tip of his nose. To his
amazement a drop of blood appeared at
the tip of the nose.
T h e   d o c t o r s   g a v e   t h e i r   u n a n i m o u s
verdict
14
: 'The nose is not made of rubber.
It is genuine.'
13. blared : sounded loudly and unpleasantly  14. verdict : judgementHigher Secondary [Std XII] • Coursebook - English
5 2
One of the female secretaries kissed the
long-nosed one on the tip of the nose.
'Long live Comrade Long----Nose! Long
live the chief of the long nosed ones!
Long live the  Progressive People's Party
of the long----nosed one!'.
As this shouting and revelry
15
 ended, the
President thought of another gimmick
16
.
He nominated the long-nosed one as a
15. revelry : merrymaking  16. gimmick : trick
Member of Parliament! That was the end
of it all.
But the parties of which the long-nosed
one was not a member formed a United
Front and began to say: 'The ministry
must resign! Look at the way falsehood
was being perpetuated!' Would there not
be confusion of thought? What would
the poor intellectuals do?
About the Author
Vaikom Mohammed Basheer (1910 - 2000 ) is, perhaps one of the
greatest writers in Malayalam. His novels and stories present a keen
observation of the development of contemporary society. There is a
vivid strain of realism in his stories and they always leave a smile on
the lips of his readers. As he is critical about populist views on love,
politics, religion and other socio-ethical elements of life, his stories
have a universal appeal. In many of his stories, he attempts to satirize
the psychology of the masses. His characters are picked  from the
society in which we all live.
Notes
snuff (n) : tobacco in the form of a powder for breathing into the
nose. Sniffing snuff and  smoking cigar are habits which
are injurious to health.
sabotage : the wilful damaging or destroying of something.
abode : house, place of living.
scale (v) : measure, climb.  eg: The prisoner scaled the high prison
wall and ran way.
mesmerism : hypnotism
fraud (n) : deceit
perpetuate (v) : cause something to continue to exist for a long time.
eg: People put up a statue to perpetuate the hero’s
memory.5 3
Discuss
z The writer (author) starts the story saying that ‘It is a startling
piece of news’. What is the startling piece of news?
z What happened to the cook in his twenty fourth year?
z ‘The long nosed one was dismissed from service’. It should not
have happened. Do you think it was fair?
z How did he become rich?
z The government awarded him the title ‘Chief among the long
nosed ones’ and gave him a medal. Do you agree with the action
of the government? Give your reasons.
z What conspiracies were hatched to capture the long-nosed one
and how were they solved?
z ‘There was no news of the long-nosed one for some time’. Why?
What were the incidents which led to his arrest?
z Some people often create problems in society by making
unnecessary comments against others’.  What do you think?
Write
‘The World Renowned Nose’ is a satire against the contemporary
society. Illustrate this statement on the basis of the story. You may
quote from the text. Compare these sentences or expressions with
the same in the original story.
Discuss
z An illiterate fellow one day becomes a very important person.
Bring in parallels from recent politics or social life.
z Why do writers/ film makers/ mimicry artists take up such
incidents as the theme of their work?
z How do such incidents affect the existence of a government,
cause riots and give rise to new political parties?Higher Secondary [Std XII] • Coursebook - English
5 4
Workshop
Attempt a translation of the following pieces into your mother tongue:
(i) The nose began to grow in length everyday. Was it possible
to hide this? Within a month the nose reached his navel. Did
he feel uncomfortable? Not in the least! He could breath freely.
He could inhale snuff. He could distinguish between smells.
No inconvenience worth asking about.
(ii) He had two secretaries. Two comely, accomplished women.
Both of   them  loved  the   long nos ed one .  Both of   them
worshipped him. When two beautiful females love the same
person at the same time, there is bound to be trouble.
Review
z The teacher (or a learner) reads the original story in Malayalam,
the learners listen to it and write a review on the translated
version of the story (various problems of translation in terms of
vocabulary, linguistic variants, etc., can be brought in to be
discussed).
Manuscript Magazine
z Compile the various creative writings you developed in this
Block to form a manuscript magazine. Don’t forget to write an
editorial for the magazine on rising road accidents.
Let’s now complete the tasks in the Practice Book
A few more tasks based on this block have been given  in the Practice
Book. They also form an integral part of this block. Don’t forget to
complete them. Your teacher will help you.