Section B: Answer the following questions (Page 103)

1. Soon after his bath, what did Gobinda Maharana do? Answer: Soon after his bath at sunrise, Gobinda Maharana took a glass of tea from his wife’s hand.

2. Why was he anxious in the morning? Answer: He was anxious because it was the third day in succession that the glass had slipped from his hand, which he considered a bad omen linked to his superstition. Additionally, he was already late in completing the large Ganesha idol.

3. What was Gobinda Maharana’s trade? Answer: His trade was idol-making; specifically, he crafted clay images of gods like Durga, Ganesha, and Shiva, a skill passed down through generations.

4. What was bothering him since last three days? Answer: For the last three days, the trunk of the large Ganesha idol he was making kept breaking off at the point where it curved downward.

5. Worried Gobinda Maharana gave reasons for the breaking of the trunk. What are they? Answer: He speculated on several reasons:

  • Perhaps he had no right to meddle with the private lives of gods or had used his powers carelessly.
  • The clay might have lacked sufficient adhesive quality.
  • The weight of the trunk might have been too heavy for the clay mould of the face to support.
  • He might have angered the Unknown by asking an exorbitant price (250 rupees) for the image.

6. Sulochana did not want to question him for his work. What is the reason behind this? Answer: She knew he was one of the best image makers in the entire valley, and people often praised his craftsmanship. She nursed a secret pride in his skill and reputation.

7. What thoughts did come to Sulochana's mind when the trunk broke again on the third day? Answer: While she initially thought he might be tired or aging, an inner voice suggested that perhaps his seeming greed in asking for a higher-than-reasonable price had angered the Unknown/God.

8. Do you think Gobinda Maharana had become old and his hands and eyes were not strong enough to prepare the idol? Is there some supernatural power playing the trick? Let's read to find out. Answer: (This is a lead-in question). As revealed later in the story, neither age nor supernatural power was responsible. The breaking was caused naturally by a cat jumping onto the wet clay trunk from the open window.

Section I: Answer the following questions (Pages 105-106)

1. How old was Gobinda Maharana? Who were there in his family? Answer: Gobinda Maharana was sixty-one years old. His family included his wife Sulochana, an eldest son who was an irresponsible drifter, a second son working as an apprentice in a paper mill, and his youngest son Ranju (thirteen years old).

2. Was Gobinda happy with his eldest son? How did he spend his day? Answer: No, Gobinda was not happy with him. The eldest son was an irresponsible drifter who spent his days idly fishing for shrimp and carp in the Mahanadi river instead of helping the family.

3. List the changes that had come in the designing of the clay figures. Answer: The changes included eye-catching new apparel, shades of luminous paint, and endowing the goddesses with slim and curved bodies to be more in tune with the times.

4. Who was Ranju? What was his contribution to Gobinda's family? Answer: Ranju was Gobinda’s thirteen-year-old youngest son. He showed promise in taking up the ancestral profession of idol-making, which restored calm to his father’s mind. He also helped practically by clearing debris, bringing fresh clay, and suggesting the window draft as a cause for the breakage.

5. Where was the idol placed? Why did Gobinda keep the idol there? Answer: The idol was placed facing the grilled window set into the northern wall, only a metre away. Gobinda placed it there deliberately so that more light would be available for his work and the wet clay would dry sooner due to the draught of wind.

6. Why did Ranju request Gobinda to close the window? Answer: Ranju suspected that the draught (current of air) coming from the open window might be causing the wet clay trunk to tear or break.

7. Did Gobinda think that the wind was responsible for the breaking of the trunk? Answer: Initially, no. He thought the possibility of a gust of wind breaking the image was too remote and dismissed it, believing the wind could not be a destroyer.

8. Who could be the destroyer: the wind, or the anger of the God, or the hands of the supernatural element? Section-II will solve the mystery. Answer: (Lead-in question). The mystery is solved in the next section: the "destroyer" was actually a cat leaping from the window onto the idol.

Section II: Answer the following questions (Page 108)

1. Why did Govinda tell his son to sit in the workroom? Answer: He told his son to sit up with him in the workroom at night because he believed it was the only way they would ever learn what was actually happening to the idol.

2. Why did he choose that particular place to sit? Answer: He chose a dark corner about three metres from the window because it allowed them to keep watch unnoticed while being able to observe the door, the window, and the image simultaneously.

3. Was Ranju awake all through the night? Answer: No, Ranju was not awake all through the night. His initial excitement gave way to weariness, and he eventually dozed off and slumped to the floor.

4. What was Gobinda thinking in darkness? Answer: In the darkness, Gobinda felt the air was heavy with his own guilt. He wondered if the intruder was a supernatural act rather than a physical one, reflecting on his anxiety and fear.

5. Who was the intruder? How was it coming into the room? Answer: The intruder was a cat. It came into the room by crouching between two vertical bars of the open window and then lithely leaping across to land on top of Ganesha’s trunk.

6. Why did Govinda Maharana smile at the end? Answer: He smiled because the mystery was finally solved. Seeing the cat jump onto the trunk proved that the breakage was a natural occurrence caused by the animal, not by supernatural anger or his own failing skills. This realization brought him immense relief.

Section D: Let’s Write (Page 108)

1. Why was Govinda Maharana worried? What thought came to his mind? Answer: Gobinda was worried because the Ganesha trunk kept breaking for three consecutive days. He thought it might be divine punishment for meddling with gods’ forms, poor clay quality, the trunk being too heavy, or his greed in charging an exorbitant price of 250 rupees.

2. What were Sulochana's reactions to the breaking of the trunk? Answer: Sulochana looked at her husband with frightened eyes. She initially thought he might be tired or aging, but secretly wondered if his high pricing had angered the Unknown. She avoided questioning his work directly out of respect for his skill.

3. Why was she proud of her husband? How did she value her husband's work? Answer: She was proud because he was considered one of the best image makers in the valley, and townsfolk often praised his superior craftsmanship. She valued his work highly and nursed this pride in secret.

4. Was Govinda Maharana superstitious? What proof do you get from the story? Answer: Yes, he was superstitious. Proof includes: he interpreted a slipping tea glass as a bad omen; he believed gods could be angry at him for changing designs or charging high prices; he feared supernatural elements were breaking the idol; and he felt haunted by these beliefs throughout his life.

5. Who helped Govinda in repairing the trunk? How did they differ in their point of view regarding the breaking of the trunk? Answer: His youngest son Ranju helped him repair the trunk by clearing debris and bringing fresh clay. They differed in viewpoint: Gobinda attributed the breakage to supernatural anger, guilt, or material flaws, while Ranju practically suspected the draught from the open window was the cause.

6. Govinda Maharana thought of many reasons for the broken trunk. What are they? Answer: He considered: (1) divine anger for meddling with gods' private lives; (2) careless use of his artistic powers; (3) clay lacking adhesive quality; (4) the trunk being too heavy for the face mould; and (5) his greed in asking an unreasonable price of 250 rupees.

7. How did Govinda solve the mystery? What did he find? Answer: He solved the mystery by staying awake all night in a dark corner of the workroom with his son to watch the idol. He found that a cat was entering through the open window and jumping onto the wet clay trunk, causing it to break. This natural explanation relieved him of his superstitious fears.

Section E: Activity (Page 108)

1. Discuss how the superstitions created problems in Govinda Maharana's life. Answer: Superstitions caused Gobinda immense mental anguish, guilt, and fear. A simple accident like dropping a tea glass became a terrifying omen. The recurring breakage of the trunk led him to doubt his lifelong skills, blame himself for imagined sins, and lose sleep. His anxiety affected his work and family peace until the rational cause was discovered.

2. The traditional art of idol-making is dying. Discuss in the class and note down the reasons for the near extinction of this art. Answer: (Key discussion points)

  • Lack of successors: Younger generations prefer stable, modern jobs over uncertain traditional crafts (as seen with Gobinda’s elder sons).
  • Economic viability: Traditional artisans often struggle financially; materials are costly, and fair pricing is difficult.
  • Mass production: Factory-made idols are cheaper and faster, reducing demand for handmade ones.
  • Changing tastes: Modern aesthetics and synthetic materials are replacing traditional clay and natural pigments.
  • Lack of institutional support: Insufficient government patronage, training centers, or market linkages for traditional artisans.
  • Environmental regulations: Restrictions on clay mining and immersion practices affect the craft’s sustainability.