Important Question and Answers
Q. What was the name of the kitten?
Ans. The name of the kitten was Mahendran. Full name — Mahendravarma Pallava Poonai; Short form — M.P. Poonai.
Q. Who learned music from the music master? What instrument did she play?
Ans. Lalli was the student of the music master and she played the violin.
Q. Whom was Ravi compared to?
Ans. Ravi was called the holy monkey, Lord Hanuman.
Q. Whose chappals were given to the music master? Were they old or new?
Ans. Gopu Mama’s new chappals were given to the music master.
Q. The beggar was leaning against what in Ravi’s garden?
Ans. The beggar was leaning against the trunk of the neem tree in Ravi’s garden.
Q. Who used to give away everything he had, which even included his gold earrings?
Ans. Karna from Mahabharata used to give away everything he had which even included his gold earrings.
Q. The slippers of the music master attracted Mridu’s attention. Why?
Ans. Mridu felt pity for the poor beggar. She along with other children decided to give him a pair of chappals. While searching the house, Mridu’s eyes fell on the old looking chappals. They were big and dirty. Therefore, they attracted Mridu’s attention.
Q. Describe the beggar’s condition.
Ans. The beggar came to the narrator’s door. He was poor and hungry. His feet were bare. They bore peeling blisters. His miserable condition aroused pity in the children’s hearts. They got the music master’s pair of chappals and gave them to the beggar.
Q. How did Lalli’s sound affect Mahendran?
Ans. Lalli was trying to learn music. She was holding a violin. She was unable to learn much. The sound made by Lalli while learning to play the violin frightened Mahendran.
Q. Why were Meena’s eyes full of tears?
Ans. Meena looked at the poor and hungry beggar. His bare feet were full of blisters. The sight of peeling blisters brought tears to Meena’s eyes.
Q. Why did the cat’s name Mahendran pleased Mridu?
Ans. Ravi had named the kitten Mahendravarma Pallava Poonai, MP Poonai in short. They were calling him Mahendran. Mridu liked the name because it sounded real to her and was different from the usual cute names kept for cats in general.
Q. Why did Rukku Manni ask Ravi to send away the beggar?
Ans. Rukku Manni was fed up with the beggar coming to her place daily for over a week now. She was tired giving him food and other items. She wanted him to find another house and stop coming to their place. So she asked Ravi to send him away.
Q. What did the beggar feel about the ladies of the household?
Ans. The beggar felt that the ladies of the house were very kind. They had enabled him to survive for a week by giving him food to eat. He called them generous and found it hard to believe that they wanted to send him away.
Q. Why was Ravi upset with elders?
Ans. Ravi was upset with the elders because he had always been told by them to be kind towards animals, but whenever he had tried to be so, he had received screaming in return. He had found the same elders calling these animal dirty creatures. Rukku Manni had told him about Karna who would give away everything he had to help others. Ravi had tried to help the beggar by giving away the music teacher’s chappals to him, but still Rukku Manni was angry with him.
Q. Was Rukku Manni right when she took the side of the children?
Ans. Yes, Rukku Manni was right taking the side of the children. Because elders are the only ones who can teach them moral values, and they are the only ones to stop children from doing anything bad. Elders should understand the reasons behind the acts of the kids. There may be times when their children might not seek their permission, being frightened of getting scolded, but it may be that they are doing the right thing. Parents and children must see the situation from the point of view of the children and if they are right they should be applauded. If they have gone wrong at a point the same should be explained to them along with cause.