Welcome to “The Boy Who Broke Bank Workbook Ans: ICSE Treasure Chest,” where we delve into the engaging narrative of “The Boy Who Broke the Bank,” featured in the ICSE English Literature Treasure Chest by Evergreen Publications. This post offers thorough solutions to the workbook questions, aimed at enhancing your understanding of this intriguing story.
With detailed answers to multiple-choice and contextual questions, we explore the themes, character motivations, and plot twists that make “The Boy Who Broke the Bank” a compelling tale. Each question is a gateway to deeper analysis, helping you grasp the story’s nuances and underlying messages.
Contextual inquiries prompt critical engagement with the story’s exploration of social dynamics, rumors, and their consequences, broadening your analytical skills and appreciation for the narrative.
Whether you’re a student studying for ICSE English Literature or a reader interested in unraveling the complexities of this story, “ICSE Treasure Chest: The Boy Who Broke the Bank Workbook Answers” offers valuable insights and guidance. Join us as we navigate this literary work, one workbook answer at a time, illuminating its themes and characters.
Table of Contents
Summary :
Nathu Grumbles to himself
Nathu is a poor sweeper who works in the Pipalnagar bank. The story begins with Nathu’s grumbling to himself about his not being paid his regular salary though it was already the twentieth of the month. At this point, Sitaram, the washerman’s son, happens to pass by the bank. He talks to Nathu and learns about Nathu’s complaints. Nathu tells him that he plans to leave the job as soon as he gets his salary. Sitaram wishes him goodluck and adds that he would keep a lookout for any job that might suit him.
Sitaram visits Mrs Srivastava’s home
When Sitaram visits Mrs Srivastava’s house she mentions that she is in need of sweeper. He tells the lady that he knows of a sweeper boy who is looking for work a and he can start from next month. He also tells that this boy is working in the bank as a sweeper but they are not giving him his pay, and so he wants to leave the job. Mrs Srivastava asks Sitaram to tell the boy to meet her the next day.
A little later Mrs Srivastava meets her friend Mrs Bhushan casually comments that Seth Govind Ram’s bank cannot pay its employees. The sweeper boy has not received his wages for more than a month. Mrs Bhushan concludes that none of the employees must be getting paid. She is sure that the bank must be in a bad condition. She tells her husband that the bank is going bankrupt. The news spreads rapidly and there is panic and confusion. They say, the bank has gone bankrupt.
Rumours about Seth Govind Ram
Rumours fly thick and fast about Seth Govind Ram. Some say that he has fled the state. Others say that he has fled the country. Still others say that the Seth has hanged himself from a tree. But the truth is that the Seth is in Kashmir on a holiday.
People Rush to the Bank
Panic-stricken people rush to the bank to withdraw their money. They refuse to hear the pleas of the manager. They believe that the Seth is hiding inside a bank locker. When all the ready cash gets over, the crowd gets agitated. Mischief makers join the scene. They start pelting stones and break the glass window of the bank. the Pipalnagar
The bank gets broken
The piece of news that the sweeper has not been paid yet, destroys bank as the news gets passed on from person to person. Ruskin Bond conveys the idea that we should not believe rumours. We should also not become a part of spreading rumours because it may destroy the life of people.
Workbook MCQs :
Answer the following questions by choosing the most appropriate options.
1. Choose the option that shows the correct relationship between statement (1) and statement (2).
1. “I know of a sweeper boy who’s looking out for work”.
2. He’s with the bank just now but they aren’t giving him his pay, and he wants to leave !
(a) 1 is an example of 2.
(b) 1 is in contradiction of 2.
(c) 1 is independent of 2.
(d) 2 is the cause for 1
Answer :- (d) 2 is the cause for 1
2. Select the option that lists the sequence of events in the correct order.
1. The news of bankruptcy of the bank and Seth Govind Ram’s escape spread through the market and the town.
2. Mrs. Bhushan told her husband about the bankruptcy of the bank.
3. Mrs. Srivastava informed Mrs Bhushan about the bank’s inability to pay its employees.
4. Nathu’s friend Sitaram tells Mrs Srivastava that Nathu was not getting his pay from the bank and was ready to leave the job.
(a) 2, 3, 1, 4
(b) 4, 3, 2, 1
(c) 1, 2, 3, 4
(d) 3, 1, 2, 4
Answer :- (b) 4, 3, 2, 1
3. The rumour spreads about the bank going bankrupt.
Which of the following words best describes the way this rumour is spread?
(a) surprising
(b) shocking
(c) humorous
(d) planned
Answer :- (c) humorous
4. Which of the following statements is NOT true of Nathu?
(a) Nathu knows Sitaram very well.
(b) Nathu is a sweeper in a bank.
(c) The bank has not raised his salary.
(d) Nathu knows that the bank is going to collapse.
Answer :- (d) Nathu knows that the bank is going to collapse.
5. Mrs Srivastava tells Mrs. Bhushan, ‘Only this morning I heard a complaint from their sweeper, who hasn’t received his wages for over a month!” It makes Mrs. Bhushan feel
(a) happy
(b) nervous
(c) shocked
(d) angry
Answer :- (c) shocked
6. While sweeping the steps of the bank Nathu grumbled because …….
(a) he was abused by the manager
(b) he was made to work very hard
(c) he had not been given his salary
(d) all of the above
Answer :- (c) he had not been given his salary
7. Nathu expected to be paid by the bank ………
(a) due respect
(b) a chair to sit
(c) a new broom every month
(d) extra two rupees a month
Answer :- (d) extra two rupees a month
8. Nathu banged the pan against the dustbin several times to ………
(a) register his protest
(b) emphasize his point
(c) warn the bank employees
(d) none of the above
Answer :- (a) register his protest
9. Mrs Bhushan concluded that if the bank could not pay the sweeper they must be ………
(a) running at a loss
(b) in a good way
(c) in a bad way
(d) going to dismiss the boy
Answer :- (c) in a bad way
10. Who ran out of the barber’s shop with one side of the face still unshaven ?
(a) Deep chand
(b) Seth Govind Ram
(c) an elderly gentleman
(d) Mr Bhushan
Answer :- (c) an elderly gentleman
11. who astonished everyone by leaping to his feet and running in the direction of the bank?
(a) Deep chand
(b) an elderly gentleman
(c) old Ganpat, the beggar
(d) Kamal Kishore
Answer :- (c) old Ganpat, the beggar
12. Rumour spreads that Seth Govind Ram had ………..
(a) fled the state
(b) committed suicide
(c) been hiding in Pipalnagar
(d) all of the above
Answer :- (d) all of the above
13. The bank had gone through all its cash and the harassed manager …………
(a) was in dilemma
(b) had gone on leave
(c) tried to contact Seth Govind Ram
(d) Was threatened by people.
Answer :- (a) was in dilemma
14. Mischief makers who didn’t have a paisa in the bank also ………
(a) raised the slogans
(b) joined the crowd
(c) entered the bank
(d) all of the above
Answer :- (d) all of the above
15. The general tone of the story The Boy who Broke the Bank’ is ………
(a) sentimental
(b) humorous
(c) didactic
(d) none of the above
Answer :- (b) humorous
Comprehension Passages :
Passage – 1
Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow :
Nathu grumbled to himself as he swept the steps of the Pipalnagar Bank, owned by Seth Govind Ram. He used the small broom hurriedly and carelessly, and the dust, after rising in a cloud above his head settled down again on the steps. As Nathu was banging his pan against a dustbin, Sitaram, the washerman’s son, passed by.
Sitaram was on his delivery round. He had a bundle of freshly pressed clothes balanced on his head.
‘Don’t raise such dust’ he called out to Nathu. ‘Are you annoyed because they are still refusing to pay you an extra two rupees a month?”
(I) Who is Nathu? Why was he grumbling?
Answer :- The word ‘he’ refers to Nathu a sweeper boy who works in Pipalnagar bank. He was grumbling because he had not been paid his regular salary although it was twentieth of the month.
(II) Using a small broom he raised the dust. What does the word ‘he’ refer to ? Did the dust disappear?
Answer :- No, the dust did not disappear. After rising in a cloud above Nathu’s head, it settled down again on the steps.
(III) Who happened to pass by while Nathu was working? Where was that person going?
Answer :- As Nathu was banging the pan against the dustbin, Sitaram the washerman’s son happened to come. Sitaram was going to deliver the freshly pressed clothes to the owners in their houses.
(IV) What did the passerby ask Nathu? What was his tone?
Answer :- Sitaram who passed by asked Nathu if he was still annoyed because the bank people were still refusing to pay him an increment of two rupees a month. Nathu was asking for it since long.
(V) What light does this extract throw on Nathu’s state of mind?
Answer :- Nathu is very much upset. He was asking for an increment of two rupees a month but he had not been given his regular salary only though it was 20th of the month. He was thinking of leaving the job of the bank.
Passage – 2
Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow :
‘Well, I wish you luck,’ said Sitaram. ‘I’ll keep a lookout for any jobs that might suit you. And he plodded barefoot along the road, the big bundle of clothes hiding most of his head and shoulders.
At the fourth home he visited, Sitaram heard the lady of the house mention that she was in need of a sweeper. Tying his bundle together, he said, ‘I know of a sweeper boy who’s looking for work. He can start from next month. He’s with the bank just now but they aren’t giving him his pay, and he wants to leave.’
‘Is that so?’ said Mrs Srivastava. ‘Well, tell him to come and see me tomorrow.’
(I) What had Nathu told Sitaram earlier?
Answer :- Nathu had told Sitaram that he had not received his regular pay though it was 20th of the month and he was thinking of leaving the job.
(II) What assurance did Sitaram give to Nathu before leaving? What did Sitaram carry on his head?
Answer :- Before leaving Sitaram assured Nathu that he would keep a lookout for any job that ‘might suit him. Since Nathu had casually talked about leaving the job, he forgot about it easily. Sitaram, at that time, was carrying a bundle of clothes on his head.
(III) Who is referred to as the lady of the house? What did Sitaram hear accidentally?
Answer :- Mrs Srivastava is referred to as the lady of the house. Sitaram had heard by chance that Mrs Srivastava was in need of a sweeper. At once he said that he knew of a sweeper boy who was looking for work.
(IV) What did Sitaram tell Mrs Srivastava about the sweeper boy?
Answer :- Sitaram told Mrs Srivastava that he knew of a sweeper boy who was looking for a job. He also told her that the sweeper boy could start from the next month. At present he was working with the bank but they were not giving him salary so he wanted to leave.
(V) How did Mrs Srivastava react on receiving the information from Sitaram? What did she ask him to do ?
Answer :- Mrs Srivastava was very happy to receive this information. She asked Sitaram to tell the sweeper boy to meet her the next day.
Passage – 3
Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow :
She then showed Mrs Srivastava a sample of the cloth she was going to buy, and for five minutes they discussed its shade, texture and design. Having exhausted this topic, Mrs Srivastava said, ‘Do you know, my dear, that Seth Govind Ram’s bank can’t even par its employees ? Only this morning I heard a complaint from their sweeper, who hasn’t received his wages for over a month!”
“Shocking!” remarked Mrs Bhushan. ‘If they can’t pay the sweeper they must be in a had way. None of the others could be getting paid either.’
(I) Who is ‘she’ referred to in the first line? What did she show to Mrs Srivastava ?
Answer :- ‘She’ referred to in the first line is Mrs Bhushan, a friend of Mrs Srivastava. She showed Mrs Srivastava a sample of the cloth she was going to buy.
(II) What piece of information did Mrs. Srivastava share with Mrs. Bhushan?
Answer :- Mrs Srivastava told her that Seth Govind Ram’s bank was in a bad way. The bank employees were not being paid their regular salaries.
(III) Who is the sweeper referred to in the extract? What was his complaint ?
Answer :- The sweeper boy referred to here is Nathu. His complaint was that he had not been given his regular pay although it was 20th of the month.
(IV) How did Mrs Bhushan react to the piece of information she received? What did she conclude from this?
Answer :- Mrs Bhushan was shocked to receive this information. She concluded from this that if the bank could not pay the sweeper his salary, it must be in a bad way. None of the other employees would be getting their pay.
(V) What impression do you form of Mrs Bhushan?
Answer :- It appears that Mrs Bhushan is a non-serious talkative woman who cannot digest anything. She is a rumour monger. As soon as she receives this information she tells her husband that Pipalnagar bank is about to go bankrupt.
Passage – 4
Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow :
‘So there you are!’ cried Mrs Bhushan, ‘I’ve been looking for you for almost an hour. Where did you disappear ?’
‘Nowhere,’ replied Mr Bhushan. ‘Had you remained stationary in one shop, I might have found you. But you go from one shop to another, like a bee in a flower garden.’
‘Don’t start grumbling. The heat is trying enough. I don’t know what’s happening to Pipalnagar. Even the bank’s about to go bankrupt.’
‘What’s that?’ said Kamal Kishore, sitting up suddenly. ‘Which bank?’
‘Why the Pipalnagar bank of course. I hear they have stopped paying employees. Don’t tell me you have an account there, Mr Kishore ?’
(I) Where did Mrs Bhushan find her husband finally? What was he doing?
Answer :- Mrs Bhushan finally found her husband sitting in front of Kamal Kishore’s photographic shop. He was talking with Kamal Kishore.
(II) Why had Mr Bhushan not been able to find his wife in the market?
Answer :- Mr Bhushan had not been able to find his wife because she was in the habit of going from one shop to another. She never remained stationary in one shop.
(III) What did Mrs Bhushan tell her husband? When did she get this information?
Answer :- Mrs Bhushan told her husband that Pipalnagar bank was about to go bankrupt. She had learnt it from Mrs Srivastava that one of the employees was not paid his salary. From this she had concluded that the bank was about to fail.
(IV) How did Kamal Kishore react on the information given by Mrs Bhushan? Why?
Answer :- On receiving this information Kamal Kishore called out to barber Deep Chand who was his friend. He passed on this information to his friend because he had an account in the bank. Kamal wanted that his friend should be on his guard.
(V) Did Kamal Kishore have an account in the Pipalnagar bank? To whom did he immediately pass on this information?
Answer :- No, Kamal Kishore did not have an account in the bank. Immediately, he passed on this information to his barber friend Deep Chand because he had account in Pipalnaga bank.
Passage – 5
Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow :
‘No, but my neighbour has!’ he exclaimed; and he called out over the low partition to the keeper of the barber shop next door. ‘Deep Chand, have you heard the latest? The Pipalnagar Bank is about to collapse. You’d better get your money out as soon as you can!’
Deep Chand who was cutting the hair of an elderly gentleman, was so startled that his hand shook and he nicked his customer’s right ear. The customer yelped with pain and distress: pain, because of the cut and distress because of the awful news he had just heard. With one side of his neck still unshaven, he sped across the road to the general merchant’s store where there was a telephone.
(I) Who is Kamal Kishore’s neighbour? What is his profession?
Answer :- Kamal Kishore’s neighbour referred to here is Deep Chand, the barber. By profession Deep Chand is a barber.
(II) What was Deep Chand’s reaction on receiving the latest news?
Answer :- When Deep Chand received the latest news about the bank, he was cutting the hair of an elderly gentleman. He was so startled that his hand shook. As a result of it he nipped his customers right ear.
(III) How did the elderly person react when his ear was nipped?
Answer :- When the elderly customer’s ear was nipped he cried with pain and distress. He was pained because of the cut and distressed because he had heard the awful news. He ran across the road to the general merchant’s shop to enquire on telephone if the news was true.
(IV) What did the elderly gentleman do in the general merchant’s shop?
Answer :- In this shop the elderly man dialled Seth Govind Ram. The Seth was not at home, he was in Kashmir. He concluded that the Seth had run away.
(V) Where was Seth Govind Ram at that time?
Answer :- Actually, Seth Govind Ram was in Kashmir enjoying a holiday. He knew nothing about what had happened in Pipalnagar.
Passage – 6
Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow :
Men stood in groups at street corners discussing the situation. Pipalnagar seldom had a crisis, seldom or never had floods, earthquakes or drought; and the imminent crash of the Pipalnagar Bank set everyone talking and speculating and rushing about in a frenzy. Some boasted of their farsightedness, congratulating themselves on having already taken out their money, or on never having put any in; others speculated on the reasons for the crash, putting it all down to excesses indulged in by Seth Govind Ram. The Seth had fled the State, said one. He had fled the country, said another, he was hiding in Pipalnagar, said a third. He had hanged himself from the tamarind tree, said a fourth, and had been found that morning by the sweeper-boy.
(I) What shows that life in Pipalnagar had mostly been smooth?
Answer :- There had never been floods, earthquakes or drought in Pipalnagar. This shows that life in this village had been smooth.
(II) How did some boast of their farsightedness?
Answer :- Some people boasted of their farsightedness saying that they had already taken their money out of the bank. Some others boasted of their wisdom saying that they never put their money in the bank.
(III) What according to the people was the reason of the collapse of the bank?
Answer :- According to the people the bank had collapsed due to the excesses indulged in by Seth Govind Ram.
(IV) What impression do you form of the people of Pipalnagar? Why?
Answer :- We feel that the people of Pipalnagar are illiterate rumour mongers. In the absence of truth, they resort to different kinds of conjectures. Instead of checking the facts, they believe in rumours.
(V) Who, according to you, were feeling happy at the collapse of the bank?
Answer :- People who had taken out their money and those who had never put their money in the bank were feeling happy at the collapse of the bank.
Passage – 7
Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow :
‘We want it now!’ chanted some of the crowd. ‘Now, now, now! And a brick hurtled through the air and crashed through the plate glass window of the Pipalnagar Bank.
Nathu arrived next morning to sweep the steps of the bank. He saw the refuse and the broken glass and the stones cluttering the steps. Raising his hands in a gesture of horror and disgust he cried: ‘Hooligans! Sons of donkeys! As though it isn’t bad enough to be paid late, it seems my work has also to be increased!’ He smote the steps with his broom scattering the refuse.
(I) Some of the crowd chanted, “We want it now.” What does ‘it’ stand for in this context?
Answer :- The word ‘it’ stands for the ‘money’ which people had put in the bank. The panic-stricken customers thought that if they did not get their money back now, they would never get it.
(II) Who, do you think, would have thrown the brick?
Answer :- Some angry customer or mischief monger would have thrown the brick that broke the window pane.
(III) How did Nathu react on seeing the refuse and the broken glass ?
Answer :- Nathu felt disgusted when he saw the refuse and the piece of glass and stones on the steps of the bank. He raised his hands in horror as he had to clean it.
(IV) Why is Nathu feeling so upset?
Answer :- He is feeling so upset because it is his duty to clean the refuse and the steps of the bank. He is sad because it has increased his work.
(V) Soon after this happening who came on the scene and talked to Nathu? What did he say?
Answer :- Soon after Sitaram came and talked to Nathu. He asked Nathu if he was ready to take up a new job from the first of the next month.
