ABOUT THE LESSON:
Based on the notes from Jim Corbett's "The Queen of the Village" (featured in the My India 1952 collection), the lesson is a gripping real-life narrative set in the Kumaon hills and Mokameh Ghat. It details the community's harrowing experience with a man-eating tiger, capturing how the villagers cope with the tragedy—such as securing a victim's body high up in a rhododendron tree—and Corbett's eventual intervention as a hunter and protector, a role that earned him the revered title of "white sadhu" among the locals.
About the Author: Jim Corbett
Edward James "Jim" Corbett (1875–1955) was a legendary British-Indian hunter, tracker, naturalist, and author renowned for hunting a number of man-eating tigers and leopards in the Kumaon region of India. Born in Nainital, he developed an unparalleled knowledge of the Indian jungle and a deep affection for the local villagers, who revered him as a savior. Later in life, Corbett transitioned from a hunter to a pioneering conservationist, capturing wildlife on camera and playing a crucial role in establishing India's first national park in 1936, which was later renamed the Jim Corbett National Park in his honor.
COMPREHENSION:;
I Answer these question in one or two words:
1. In which tree was a machan put up?
Ans: Oak tree
2. Where is Mokameh Ghat?
Ans: Eastern Bihar
3. Who is the "White Sadhu"?
Ans: Jim Corbett
4. Who is the bania's first customer?
Ans: A small boy
5. How many pice make an anna?
Ans: Four pice make an anna.
II ANSWER THESE QUESTIONS IN A SENTENCE OR TWO.
1. How do the villagers plough the narrow fields?
Ans: The villagers plough their narrow, terraced fields using a short shaft and short, stocky mountain-bred cattle. This specific equipment and livestock are essential for maneuvering through the restricted hillside terrain.
2. Describe the dress of a high-caste hill woman.
Ans: A high-caste hill woman wears a solid gold band around her neck, multiple thin gold rings in her upper ear cartilage, and a large gold nose ring that is five inches in diameter.
3. How did the tiger kill his first victim?
Ans: The tiger claimed its first victim—a twelve-year-old girl—by attacking and killing her while she was out in the area, after which the terrified villagers had to secure her body in the highest branches of a thirty-foot rhododendron tree to keep it away from the predator.
4. What items are sold by the bania in his stall?
Ans: The bania sold essential things like kerosene oil, which is used for lamps, and food items such as flour (atta), rice, lentils (dal), clarified butter (ghee), salt, and vegetables like potatoes and turnips. Additionally, he also sold old and not fresh sweets, cigarettes, and matches along with warm milk which he always kept simmering in an iron pan.
5. How do the inhabitants of Kumaon villages get news of the outside world?
Ans; The inhabitants rely heavily on "packmen"—who are traveling salesmen or peddlers—that journey through the hills and share news of the outside world as they move from village to village.
III Answer these questions briefly:
1. Describe the episode involving the sportsman from the time of his arrival at the machan to his departure.
Ans: The sportsman arrived at the machan (which was put up in an oak tree) with great expectations of shooting the man-eating tiger. However, his bravery quickly dissolved into intense fear as night fell and the eerie sounds of the jungle began. Terrified by the proximity of the predator, he spent a sleepless, miserable night in complete dread. As soon as daylight broke, he abandoned any plans of hunting, hastily scrambled down from the machan, and departed the village immediately, thoroughly shaken by the experience.
2. Would you agree that through the bania and his customers, Corbett presents a snapshot of life in a typical Kumaon village? Write a reasoned answer.
Ans: Yes, Corbett absolutely presents a vivid snapshot of village life through the bania and his customers. The bania’s stall serves as the economic and social hub of the community, selling everyday necessities like kerosene oil for lamps, staple foods (atta, rice, dal, ghee, salt, potatoes, and turnips), and small comforts like matches, cigarettes, and simmering warm milk. By depicting his typical customers—like a small boy accompanied by his little sister purchasing simple goods with copper pice—Corbett beautifully captures the community's simplicity, their reliance on local trade, and the slow-paced, interconnected nature of rural Kumaon life.
3. Describe the two instances when the villagers display bravely and courage.
Ans: Securing the First Victim's Body: After the tiger killed its first victim (a twelve-year-old girl), the terrified yet determined villagers bravely went out to retrieve her body. To prevent the man-eater from getting to it, they carried it up and secured it in the highest branches of a thirty-foot rhododendron tree. Protecting the Community Despite Constant Peril: The second instance is shown in the daily resilience of the hill folk. Despite living under the constant, agonizing threat of a man-eating tiger, they continued to step out to tend to their narrow, terraced fields and keep their village running, refusing to completely abandon their livelihood to fear.
4. Why did the villagers send Corbett a telegram? Why did it take him long to arrive at the village?
Ans: The villagers sent Corbett a telegram desperately pleading for his help because the man-eating tiger was terrorizing their community, and local efforts (including the failed attempt by the visiting sportsman) had completely failed to stop the predator.
It took Corbett a long time to arrive at the village because he was far away at Mokameh Ghat (a village on the banks of the Ganga in Bihar) when the message reached him. Traveling from the plains of Bihar all the way up into the remote, rugged terrain of the Kumaon hills in those days required an arduous, multi-stage journey that inherently caused a significant delay.
IV. Answer these questions in detail.
1. Do you think that "The Queen of the Village" is an appropriate title? Discuss.
Ans: Yes, "The Queen of the Village" is an highly appropriate and deeply symbolic title. In the narrative, the title refers to a majestic, beautiful, and dominant creature—the tigress—who rules over the territory and holds absolute power over the lives of the villagers. By calling the man-eater the "Queen," Corbett highlights both her regal, formidable nature and the tragic reality that the entire village was forced to live completely under her terrifying reign, making the title a perfect reflection of the story's central theme.
2. It is generally held that Corbett was very sympathetic in his portrayal of the hill people. Do you agree? Write a reasoned answer.
Ans: There is no doubt that Corbett portrays the hill people with immense sympathy, respect, and affection. Throughout the narrative, he does not look down on them; instead, he goes out of his way to highlight their quiet resilience, their deep-rooted cultural traditions, and the immense bravery they display while facing a constant, agonizing threat. By vividly describing their simple livelihoods—like the bania's hub or the children buying basic provisions—and validating their terrifying ordeal without judgment, Corbett showcases his deep emotional bond with the Kumaon villagers, treating them as heroic survivors rather than helpless victims.
INSIDE QUESTION ANSWER.(EXTRA)
1. Who wrote this lesson ?
Ans- Jim Corbett
2.Where was Jim Corbettt born ?
Ans- Nainital, India.
3. Name the book from where this lesson is taken from.
Ans-My India (1952)
4. Name the most successful book of Jim Corbett.
Ans- The Man Eater of Kumaon.
5. What is Cheena?
Ans- Name of a hill.
6. What is terraced field ?
Ans- Fields designed like terraces o a side where crops are grown is called terraced field.
7. What is Mokameh Ghat ?
Ans- Name of a small village on the banks of the Ganga.
8. How old was the girl that the tiger killed ?
Ans- Twelve years old.
9.Where did the villagers keep the dead body of a lady ?
Ans- At the topmost branch of a thirty feet rhododendron tree.
10. Name the writer's sister.
Ans- Maggie.
11. What do you mena by Machan.?
Ans- Machan is a plateform built in a tree to conceal the hunter and track the movements of animal.
12. What is white sadhu ?
Ans- It is a title given to Jim Corbett by the people of Kumaon.
13. What is bania ?
Ans- A caste in India involved in trade and commerc.
14. What pice, according to the writer makes an anna ?
Ans- Four pice.
15. What makes a rupee ?
Ans- Sixteen annas make a rupee.
16.What do you mean by packmen ?
Ans- Packmen means peddlers or travelling salesman.
17. In which tree was a machan put up /
Ans- Oak tree.
18. When Jim Corbett died ?
Ans- on 19 April, 1955.
19. Which state does Mokameh ghat fall ?
Ans- Bihar.
20. Who is the bania' first customer ?
Ans- A small boy accompanied by his small sister.
21.How do the vilagers plough the narrow fields ?
Ans- The villagers used to plough with a short shaft and mountain bred cattle who were short and stocky.
22. How do the high caste hill women dress ?
Ans- The women used conduits of solid gold band on their neck along with a number of thin gold rings i the upper cartilage and from her nose hangs a gold ring, five inches in diameter.
....................
