Section B: Answer the following questions  

1. Who are the characters in this part of the story? Answer: The characters are Ammu (the ten-year-old girl), her father Chellappa, and later Mrs. Mohan (the new owner).

2. Describe Ammu's house and family. Answer: Ammu lived with her father Chellappa and her younger brother Chinni in a room in the servant's quarters of a big house on the hill. Her mother was dead. Her father was the watchman at the big house. They were poor.

3. Who was Chellappa? What did he tell Ammu? Answer: Chellappa was Ammu’s father and the watchman at the big house on the hill. He told Ammu that the new owner was coming soon and that he had suggested her name to work as a maid there because he needed the money to send her brother, Chinni, to school.

4. Did Ammu want to go to school? How did her father react to Ammu's wish to go to school? Answer: Yes, Ammu wanted to go to school. Her father reacted curtly and uncaringly, saying that education was of no use to a girl because she would get married early, whereas her brother could get a good job if educated.

5. Do you think Ammu's father would send her to school? Answer: No, it does not seem so. He believed girls did not need education and prioritized his son’s education over hers due to financial constraints and traditional views.

Section B: Answer the following questions  

1. Who was the new owner of the house? What was she like? Answer: The new owner was Mrs. Mohan. She was a slim, grey-haired lady dressed in a spotless white saree. She was a widow and seemed kind and gentle.

2. What did Ammu do at Mrs. Mohan's house the next morning? Answer: Ammu washed the few vessels found in the sink and then took up a duster to dust everything in the drawing room since the house had been cleaned thoroughly the day before.

3. What drew Ammu like a magnet? What did she do then? Why? Answer: The bookcase drew Ammu like a magnet. She fingered the books lovingly and gazed at the pictures in a book because she had a desire to study and read, which she couldn't fulfill at home.

4. Mrs. Mohan asked Ammu if she wanted to go to school. Did she say anything about her brother? Answer: Yes, when Mrs. Mohan asked if she wanted to go to school, Ammu mentioned that her father was sending her younger brother, Chinni, to school from the next week.

5. What did Ammu say to Mrs. Mohan? Answer: Ammu replied without emotion that her father said education was of no use to her as she was a girl, and that educating Chinni would help him get a job. She then asked if she should go and wash the clothes.

6. Will Mrs. Mohan help her to go to school? Answer: Yes, Mrs. Mohan intended to help her. She realized Ammu’s unhappiness and desire to study and planned to intervene.

Section B: Answer the following questions  

1. What important event took place in the last part of the story? Answer: The important event was Mrs. Mohan offering to teach Ammu herself after Ammu’s father refused to send her to school. Ammu accepted, and Mrs. Mohan began teaching her the alphabet.

2. What did Mrs. Mohan plan to help Ammu? Answer: Initially, Mrs. Mohan thought of starting a small school for unfortunate girls. Later, she decided to personally teach Ammu every day after her chores were done, offering to pay her fees if necessary, but eventually settling on private tutoring.

3. Why was Ammu not ready to accept Mrs. Mohan's help to begin with? Answer: Ammu was not ready to accept help initially because she feared her father would never agree to let her go to school, and she was worried about who would work for Mrs. Mohan and cook for her father and brother if she went to school.

4. What was the next plan that Mrs. Mohan had? Answer: Mrs. Mohan’s next plan was to teach Ammu herself at the big house after Ammu finished her daily chores. She revealed she was a retired headmistress.

5. What made Ammu happy at the end? Answer: Ammu was happy because she finally got the opportunity to learn. Her eyes shone when Mrs. Mohan agreed to teach her, and she left the house in a "happy daze" after learning the alphabet.

6. What was Ammu's first step towards her goal? Answer: Ammu's first step towards her goal of education was learning the alphabet from Mrs. Mohan.

E. ACTIVITY:

I. Read the following jumbled sentences and arrange them in proper order to get the story.

Correct Order: 3. Ammu, a ten-year-old motherless girl, lived with her father and little brother, Chini. 7. Chellappa, her father wanted her to work as a maid in the new owner's house to get money for Chini's study. 6. Ammu was very eager to go to school like her brother.

1.     Mrs Mohan, the new owner knew about Ammu's desire to study.

2.     Mrs Mohan realized the cause of Ammu's unhappiness and thought of starting a small school for unfortunate girls.

3.     Mrs Mohan told Ammu that she will help Ammu go to school.

4.     In the end Mrs. Mohan taught her the alphabet and Ammu went home happily.

(Sequence: 3, 7, 6, 1, 2, 4, 5)

II. Arrange the statements in Column A in order as they appear in the story. Next match those with the characters in column B.

Statement (Column A)

Character (Column B)

c) The money will be useful.

a) Chellappa

f) I want to talk to you.

a) Chellappa

g) I will be busy all day at the big house.

a) Chellappa

b) I do not need your help today.

c) Mrs. Mohan

a) I have a younger brother.

b) Ammu

h) It will help him to get a job.

b) Ammu

d) My father will never agree.

b) Ammu

e) I shall teach you everyday.

c) Mrs. Mohan

 

  • Chellappa: "The money will be useful.", "I want to talk to you.", "I will be busy all day..."
  • Ammu: "I have a younger brother.", "It will help him to get a job.", "My father will never agree."
  • Mrs. Mohan: "I do not need your help today.", "I shall teach you everyday."

III. Flow Chart

(Fill in the boxes in order)

1.     Chellappa's decision to send Chinni to school and Ammu to be a maid.

2.     Ammu's wish to go to school like his brother, Chinni.

3.     Mrs Mohan's realisation about Ammu's interest for study.

4.     Mrs Mohan's interest and thought to open a school for unfortunate girls like Ammu.

5.     Mrs Mohan's final decision to teach Ammu and beginning of Ammu's 'Alphabet learning'.

 

IV. Match each character with the words/phrases that describe it.

Character ('A')

Describing Words/Phrases ('B')

1. Chellappa

poor, watchman, uncaring

2. Ammu

motherless girl, maid, love for books, illiterate (initially)

3. Mrs. Mohan

widow, slim, grey haired, educated, kind, helping, owner

D. WRITING:

1) Who was Chellappa? What did he want Ammu to do? Answer: Chellappa was Ammu’s father and the watchman at the big house on the hill. He wanted Ammu to work as a maid for the new owner, Mrs. Mohan, so that he could earn money to send her younger brother, Chinni, to school.

2) Why was Ammu unhappy? Who made her happy? Answer: Ammu was unhappy because her father refused to send her to school, believing education was useless for girls. Mrs. Mohan, the new owner of the house, made her happy by offering to teach her personally.

3) Collect information about Mrs. Mohan from the story and write a paragraph about her. Answer: Mrs. Mohan was the new owner of the big house on the hill. She was a slim, grey-haired widow who dressed in a spotless white saree. She was kind, gentle, and observant. A retired headmistress, she was educated and empathetic. Upon noticing Ammu’s love for books and her sadness about not being able to study, she took the initiative to help. Instead of just employing Ammu, she offered to teach her, showing great compassion and a belief in girls' education.

4) Which character do you like the most? Why? Answer: (Student's opinion) I like Mrs. Mohan the most. She was not only kind but also proactive in helping a poor child. She recognized Ammu’s potential and pain, and instead of ignoring it, she used her position and knowledge (as a retired headmistress) to give Ammu the gift of education. Her empathy and willingness to teach Ammu personally show her noble nature.

5) Write a paragraph on Ammu's future. Answer: (Predictive) With Mrs. Mohan’s guidance, Ammu’s future looks bright. She will likely excel in her studies, overcoming her initial illiteracy. Her hard work and intelligence, combined with Mrs. Mohan’s support, may allow her to continue her education beyond basic levels. She might become a teacher or a professional, proving her father wrong about the uselessness of educating girls. She will likely remain grateful to Mrs. Mohan and may even help other underprivileged children in the future.

6) How did the writer indicate the serious social problem and suggest solution to it? Answer: The writer indicated the serious social problem of gender discrimination in education and poverty through Chellappa’s attitude. He represents the societal belief that girls do not need education and that resources should be prioritized for boys. The solution suggested is through individual empathy and action, represented by Mrs. Mohan. By taking personal responsibility to educate Ammu, the story suggests that educated and compassionate individuals can bridge the gap and provide opportunities where the system or family fails.