THE MIDNIGHT VISITOR : SEBA / SMEBA / NCERT CLASS 10 ENGLISH SOLUTIONS

SEBA / SMEBA / NCERT CLASS 10 ENGLISH SOLUTIONS (FOOTPRINT WITHOUT FEET)

CHAPTER  : THE MIDNIGHT VISITOR

The midnight visitor

ASSAM CLASS 10 (SEBA / NCERT / CBSE)

Supplementary Reading

দশম শ্রেণী ইংরাজী পরিপূরক পাঠ

পাঠ : THE MIDNIGHT VISITOR (মাঝরাতের অতিথি)

লেখক - Robert Arthur

 

THE MIDNIGHT VISITOR (মাঝরাতের অতিথি)

পূর্বকথা

আশাবল্ একজন গুপ্তচর একটি অতি গুরুত্বপূর্ণ রিপোর্টের জন্য অপেক্ষা করিতেছেন। ম্যাক্স, অপর একজন গুপ্তচর, আশাবলের দিকে পিস্তল তাক করিয়া ভয় দেখাইয়া রিপোর্টটি তাহাকে দেখানোর জন্য দাবী করিল। আশাবল কি তাহাকে কৌশলে পরাস্ত করিতে পারিয়াছে?।

Word Meanings (শব্দার্থ)

Outwit – কৌশলে পরাস্ত করা; Secret agent – গুপ্তচর; Musty – অতি পুরাতন; Corridor - সংযোগ স্থাপক, বারান্দা; Romantic - কাল্পনিক; Adventure – দুঃসাহসিক অভিযান; Passably - মানিয়া নেওয়া যায় এমন; Wheesily - সশব্দে বলা; sloppy - নোংরা এলোমেলো ভাবপ্রবণ; Prosaic নীরস; Checkled – চাপা হাসি দিল; Disillusioned - মোহমুক্ত, স্বপ্নহারা; Slender – পাতলা, রোগা গড়নযুক্ত; Countenance - চেহারা; Menacing - ভীতি ভাবে, Window-sill - জানালার ধারি, Deftly - কৌশলে; Stammered - তোতাইয়া বলিল।

বাংলা অনুবাদ (পারা 1):

ফাউলারের পড়ার মধ্যে আশাবলের গুপ্তচরের বর্ণনা উপযুক্ত ছিল। অন্ধকারময় হাসী হোটেলের একটি কোঠায় আশ্রয় নেওয়া আশাবলকে অনুসরণ করিয়া বহু পুরাতন করিডোর দিয়া তিনি যাইতেছিলেন। ষষ্ঠ তথা একেবারে উপর তলায় একটি ছোট কক্ষ। ইহার বাতাবরণ রোমান্টিক অভিযানের অনুকুল ছিল না।

বাংলা অনুবাদ (পারা 2):

একটি কথা আশাবল মোটা, খুব মোটা ছিলেন। তারপর ছিল তাহার উচ্চারণভঙ্গী কাজ চালানোর মত যদিও ফরাসী ও জার্মানী ভাষায় কথা বলিত, বিশ বৎসর পূর্বে বোষ্টন হইতে পেরিস পর্যন্ত নিয়া আসা আমেরিকান উচ্চারণভঙ্গী তিনি কখনও হারান নাই।।

বাংলা অনুবাদ (পারা 3):

মুখটি একটু ঘুরাইয়া কান্ধের উপর ফোস ফোস করিয়া আশাবল। বলিয়াছিলেন, “আপনি হতাশা হইয়াছে। আপনাকে কথা হইয়াছিল যে আমি একজন গুপ্তচর, একজন গোয়েন্দা যে গোয়েন্দাগিরি এবং বিপদের কাজ করে। আপনি আমার সঙ্গে সাক্ষাৎ করিতে চাহিয়াছে কারণ আপনি একজন লেখক, কল্পনাসমৃদ্ধ যুবক৷ আপনি রাত্রিতে রহস্যজনক চেহেরা, পিস্তলের শব্দ, ড্রাগস মিশ্রিত মদের রহস্যজনক কল্পনা করিতেছে।”

বাংলা অনুবাদ (পারা 4):

তাহার পরিবর্তে আপনি নীরস সন্ধ্যা কাটাইতেছেন। ফরাসী দেশের একটি সঙ্গীতের কোঠায় ভাবপ্রবণ মোটা মানুষের সঙ্গে যে ব্যক্তির হাতে কাল চোখের সৌন্দর্যের বার্তা গুপ্তভাবে দেওয়ার পরিবর্তে একটি সাধারণ টেলিফোনের ডাকে কোঠার মধ্যে তাহাকে সাক্ষাৎ করার জন্য আসিলেন। আপনি বিরক্ত হইয়াছেন। মোটা লোকটি (আশায়) যখন তাহার কোঠার দরজার তালা খুলিলেন তখন তিনি খিল খিল করিয়া হাঁসিলেন এবং এক দিকে দাড়াইয়া রহিলেন যাহাতে তাহার নিরাশায় ভোগা অতিথি ভিতরে প্রবেশ করিতে পারে।

বাংলা অনুবাদ (পারা 5):

 “আপনার ভুল দূর হইয়াছে”— আশাবল বলিলেন, “কিন্তু হে আমার তরুণ বন্ধু, আপনি প্রসন্ন হইয়া থাকেন কিছুক্ষণের মধ্যে একটি অতি গুরুত্বপূর্ণ রিপোট পাইবেন। যাহার জন্য বহু পুরুষ এবং মহিলা বিপদাপন্ন হইয়াছিল। শীঘ্রই কয়েকদিন সেই কাগজটির ইতিহাসকে প্রভাবিত করবে। এইরূপ চিন্তা ধারার তাহা একটি নাটক নয় কি?

বাংলা অনুবাদ (পারা 6):

যখন তিনি কথা বলিতেছিলেন, আশাবল দরজাটি বন্ধ করিলেন, তারপর তিনি বৈদ্যুতিক বাতি জ্বালাইলেন।

বাংলা অনুবাদ (পারা 7):

যখন আলো হইয়াছিল, ফাউলার দিনটির ভিতরে প্রকৃত রোমাঞ্চকর দৃশ্য দেখিতে পাইয়াছিল। কেন না, কোঠার মধ্যভাগে একটি ছোট স্বয়ংক্রিয় পিস্তল হাতে নিয়া একজন মানুষ দাড়াইয়া ছিল।

বাংলা অনুবাদ (পারা 8):

আশাবল অর্ধনিমিলিত চক্ষে তাকাইল।।

বাংলা অনুবাদ (পারা 9):

তিনি ফোঁস ফোঁস করিয়া বলিলেন, ম্যাক্স আপনি আমাকে সম্পূর্ণরূপে চমকাইয়া দিয়াছিলেন। আমি ভাবিয়াছিলাম আপনি বার্লিনে আছেন। আপনি আমার কোঠায় কি করিতেছেন?

বাংলা অনুবাদ (পারা 10):

ম্যাক্স রোগা অপেক্ষা ক্ষীণ, এইরূপ মানুষ শিয়ালের মত ধূর্ত, এবং তী মাথা বিশিষ্ট ছিল। পিস্তলটি ছাড়া তাহাকে ভয় করার মত বিশেষ কিছু ছিল না।

বাংলা অনুবাদ (পারা 11):

 “রিপোর্টটি”- তিনি ফিস্ ফিস্ করিয়া বলিলেন, “নতুন ক্ষেপণাস্ত্র সম্পর্কে, যাহা আজ রাত্রিতে আপনার কাছে আনা হইবে তাহা আমি আপনার নিকট হইতে নিয়া যাইব। ইহা আপনার হাত অপেক্ষা আমার হাতে বেশী সুরক্ষিত থাকিবে।”

বাংলা অনুবাদ (পারা 12):

আশাবল হাতল থাকা একটি চেয়ারের দিকে গেল এবং ভারাক্রান্ত মনে সেখানে বসিলেন, ক্রুদ্ধ হইয়া তিনি বলিলেন, “এইবার আমি এই সমস্যার ভতটিকে পরিচালকের কাছে উত্থাপন করিব। এইমাসে এই নিয়া দুইবার হইল কেউ সেই আপদ বেলকনির মধ্য দিয়া আমার কোঠায় প্রবেশ করিয়াছে।”—ফাউলারের চোখ কোঠার একমাত্র জানালার দিকে গেল। ইহা একটি সাধারণ জানালা যাহার বিপরীতে রাত্রিতে অন্ধকার ছড়াইয়া পরে।

বাংলা অনুবাদ (পারা 13):

ম্যাক্স উত্তেজনাপূর্ণভাবে বলিল, “বেলকনি? না, তাহা নহে, আমার একটি গুপ্ত চাবি আছে। আমি বেলকনির কথাটি জানি না। যদি আমি জানিতাম, আমার পরিশ্রমটা কম হইত।”

বাংলা অনুবাদ (পারা 14):

অত্যধিক ক্রুদ্ধ হইয়া আশাবল বলিলেন, “সেইটি আমার বেলকনি নহে। সেইটি পিছনের কোঠার।” তিনি ব্যাখ্যাত্মক ভঙ্গীতে ফাউলারের প্রতি দৃষ্টি নিক্ষেপ করিলেন। তিনি বলিলেন, দেখব, এই কোঠাটি পূর্বে একটি বড় ঘরের অংশ হিসাবে ছিল এবং পরবর্তী কোঠাটি – সেই দরজাটি হইতে আরম্ভ হইয়াছিল এবং তাহা শয়নকক্ষ হিসাবে ব্যবহার করা হইয়াছিল। ইহার বেলকনি ছিল যে বেলকনি এখন আমার জানালা পর্যন্ত বিস্তৃত হইয়া আছে। দুইটি দরজা অতিক্রম করিয়া নির্জন কোঠার মধ্য দিয়া আসিয়া আমার কক্ষে প্রবেশ করা যায় এবং গত মাসে কোন একজন এইভাবে প্রবেশ করিয়াছিল। পরিচালক কর্তৃপক্ষ ইহা বন্ধ করে নাই।।

বাংলা অনুবাদ (পারা 15):

আশাবলের অনতিদূরত্বে বিরক্ত হইয়া দাড়াইয়া থাকা ফাউলারের প্রতি ম্যাক্স দৃষ্টি নিক্ষেপ করিয়াছিল এবং পিস্তলটি উঠা-নামা করিয়া আদেশাত্মক ভঙ্গীতে বলিল, “অনুগ্রহ করিয়া বসিবেন। আমার ধারণা, আমাদের আরও আধাঘণ্টা অপেক্ষা করিতে হইবে।”

বাংলা অনুবাদ (পারা 16):

কৌতুকপূর্ণ সুরে আশাবল বলিলেন, “একত্রিশ মিনিট সাক্ষাৎকারের সময় নির্ধারণ করা হইয়াছিল বারটা ত্রিশ মিনিটে। ম্যাক্স, আমি যদি জানিতাম যে রিপোর্টটির সম্পর্কে আপনি টের পাইয়াছেন।”

বাংলা অনুবাদ (পারা 17):

দুষ্টের মত হাসিয়া ঘোট চেহারার গোয়েন্দা বলিল, “এবং জানিতে চাহিয়াছিলাম আপনার লোকগুলি কিভাবে রিপোর্টটি হস্তগত করিয়াছিল। ইহার জন্য আমার কোন ক্ষয়-ক্ষতি নাই। আজ রাত্রিতে আমি ইহা ঘুরাইয়া নিব। আরে ঐটি কি? দরজায় কে?”

বাংলা অনুবাদ (পারা 18):

হঠাৎ দরজায় ঠক ঠক শব্দে ফাউলার লাফাইয়া উঠিল। আশাবল শুধু হাসিতেছিল। তিনি বলিলেন, যাহার জন্য আমরা অপেক্ষা করিতেছি, তাহার সুরক্ষার

অনা অতিরিক্ত কিছু ব্যবস্থা নিতে হইবে বলিয়া আমি ভাবিয়াছিলাম। সব কাজ কর্ম ঠিক-ঠাক আছে কিনা মাঝে মধ্যে তাহা পরীক্ষা করার জন্য আমি তাহাদিগকে বলিয়াছিলাম।

বাংলা অনুবাদ (পারা 19):

ভয়ে বিব্রত হইয়া ম্যাক্স নিজের ঠোট কামড়াইতেছিল। দরজায় পুনরায় ঠক্ ঠক্ শব্দ হইল।

বাংলা অনুবাদ (পারা 20):

আশাবল জিজ্ঞাসা করিলেন, ম্যাক্স এখন কি করিবে? “যদি আমি দরজাটি খুলিয়া না দেই তাহারা যে কোন ভাবে দরজাটি খুলিবে। দরজাটিতে তালা লাগানো হয় নাই এবং তাহারা গুলীবর্ষণ করিতেও দ্বিধাবোধ করে না।”

বাংলা অনুবাদ (পারা 21):

ম্যাক্সের চেহারা রাগে কাল হইয়া গিয়াছিল যখন সে দ্রুতভাবে জানালার দিকে অগ্রসর হইতে ছিল। সে একটি পা জানালার ধারের বাহিরে নিয়া গেল। সে সতর্কবাণী শুনাইল, “তাহাদের দূরে পাঠাইয়া দিন। আমি বেলকনিতে অপেক্ষা করিব। তাহাদিককে তাড়াইয়া দিন, না হইলে আমি গুলী নিক্ষেপ করিব এবং আমি আমার ভাগ্য পরীক্ষা করিব।”

বাংলা অনুবাদ (পারা 22):

দরজা হইতে ঠক্ ঠক্ শব্দ জোড়ে হইতেছিল এবং মুখে ডাকা শব্দটি হইল “মিঃ আশাবল, মিঃ আশাবল।”

বাংলা অনুবাদ (পারা 23):

জানালায় থাকা লোকটি নিজের শরীরটিকে এমনভাবে কুচ খাওয়াইয়া নিল যাহাতে তাহার পিস্তলটি মোটা লোক ও তাহার অতিথির দিকে থাকে। নিজের শরীরকে সাহায্য করার জন্য সে হাতটি জানালার কাঠে জোড় করিয়া ধরিয়া রাখিল। তারপর অপর জানালার ধারির উপর তুলিয়াছিল।

বাংলা অনুবাদ (পারা 24):

দরজার তালাটি ঘুরিতেছিল। জানালার ধারি হইতে নিজেকে মুক্ত করার জন্য ম্যাক্স তৎক্ষণাৎ রা হাতটি সরাইয়া আনিল এবং বেলকনিতে ঝাপ দিল। এবং তারপর সে পরিয়া গেল সে তখন বিকটভাবে চিৎকার করিয়া উঠিল।

বাংলা অনুবাদ (পারা 25):

দরজা খুলিয়া গেল এবং একজন খাদ্য পরিবেশক একটি ট্রেতে একটি বোতল এবং দুইটি গ্লাস নিয়া প্রবেশ করিল। “এই আপনার পানীয় যাহা আপনি ঘুরিয়া আমার পথে পরিবেশন করিতে বলিয়াছিলেন। তিনি এইভাবে বলিলেন এবং ট্রেটি টেবিলের উপর রাখিলেন! বোতলের মুখ খুলিলেন এবং কোঠা হইতে চলিয়া গেলেন।

বাংলা অনুবাদ (পারা 26):

ভয়ে সাদা হইয়া যাওয়া এবং আঘাতপ্রাপ্ত ফাউলার তাহার দিকে একাধারে চাহিয়া বলিলেন, “কিন্তু তিনি ঠক্ ঠক্ করিয়াছিলেন পুলিশ?”

বাংলা অনুবাদ (পারা 27):

দীর্ঘনিঃশ্বাস ফেলিয়া আশাবল বলিলেন, “কোন পুলিশ নাই। শুধু হেনরী, যাহার জন্য আমি অপেক্ষা করিতেছি।”

বাংলা অনুবাদ (পারা 28):

ফাউলার বলিতে আরম্ভ করিয়াছিল, “কিন্তু বাহিরে বেলকনিতে থাকা লোকটি আসিবে না?”

বাংলা অনুবাদ (পারা 29):

আশাবল বলিলেন, “না, আসিবেনা। সে ফিরিয়া আসিবে না। তুমি দেখ, হে আমার তরুণ বন্ধু, সেখানে কোন বেলকনি নাই।”

Questions and Answers

CLASS 10 ENGLISH FOOTPRINT WITHOUT FEET

CHAPTER : THE MIDNIGHT VISITOR

 

 

The Midnight Visitor

Short Summary: 

This story is about a detective who defies the stereotype; as we know from novels and movies. Ausable is a fat man with short height and thick accent. A young writer goes to meet him to get some inspiration for his next story or novel. But as Ausable says; the young writer must be highly disappointed to see an unassuming person as a detective. However, when they reach Ausable’s room and intruder is already present in the room. Ausable uses his quick wit and makes a story of a non-existent balcony and policemen. The fear of police makes the intruder jump out of the window; only to crash at the ground.

 

OVERVIEW OF THE CHAPTER

 

Chapter Sketch

Ausable, a secret agent, is expecting to get a very important report. Another secret agent, Max, threatens him with a pistol, demanding the report. This story tells how Ausable outwits Max by making up convincing stories.

 

About the Characters

·         Ausable: He is a secret agent who does not look like one at all, but shows great presence of mind to outwit another secret agent.

·         Fowler: He is a young and romantic writer who is looking for some excitement in the company of a secret agent like Ausable.

·         Max: A rival secret agent who is fooled by Ausable and falls to his death.

 

Meeting of Secret Agent Ausable and Writer Fowler :

Ausable was a smart secret agent, but did not look like one at all, being short and very fat. Fowler was a young writer who wanted to write about Ausable and so spent an evening with him. Fowler was feeling disappointed so far, as he could not find any characteristic of a secret agent in Ausable.

 

Another Secret Agent Max seen with a Pistol :

When both Ausable and fowler entered Ausable’s hotel room, another secret agent rmmed Max was waiting in the room with an automatic pistol pointed at them. Max was there because he had come to know that Ausable was going to receive an important report about some new missiles that night. Max threatened to shoot if Ausable tried to act smart.

 

Ausable Confuses Max :

To ensure the report’s safety as well as his own and the writer’s safety, Ausable invented a story about anybody entering his room easily through a balcony just below the window in his room. Actually there was no balcony – if anybody climbed out from the window, he would fall to his death, as the room was on the sixth floor. However, Max told them that he had entered the room through the door using a passkey.

Max Jumps In the Non-existing Balcony and Dies :

Suddenly there was a knocking on the door and Ausable pretended that it was the local police, who had been asked to provide him extra security for the important document he was about to receive. When the knocking was repeated, Max became angry at Ausable and decided to wait in the balcony (which he thought existed) until the police went away. He stepped out of the window and fell to his death.
When the door opened, a waiter came in with drinks which Ausable had ordered to be delivered to his room when he had returned to the hotel.

 

CLASS 10 ENGLISH FOOTPRINT WITHOUT FEET

CHAPTER : THE MIDNIGHT VISITOR

Chapter Highlights

1.      Ausable was a smart secret agent, but did not look like one at all, being short and very fat. Fowler was a young writer who wanted to write about Ausable and so spent an evening with him.

2.    When both of them returned to Ausable’s sixth floor hotel room, another secret agent named Max was waiting for them with a gun so that he could take the important report on new missiles from Ausable.

3.    To ensure the report’s and their own safety, Ausable invented a story about anybody entering his room easily through a balcony just below the window in his room. Actually there was no balcony.

4.    Suddenly there was a knocking on the door and Ausable pretended that it was the local police.

5.     When the knocking was repeated, Max decided to wait in the balcony (which he thought existed) until the police went away. He stepped out of the window and fell to his death.

6.    When the door opened, a waiter came in with drinks which Ausable had ordered to be delivered to his room when he had returned to the hotel.

 

SEBA / SMEBA / NCERT CLASS 10 ENGLISH SOLUTIONS (FOOTPRINT WITHOUT FEET)

WORD MEANINGS

The given page nos. correspond to the pages in the prescribed textbook.

Word	Meaning
PAGE 14
musty	smelling of mould/ fungus
gloomy	cheerless
let down	disappointed
setting	place
romantic adventure	exciting happening
accent	way of pronouncing words in a language
passably	just well enough to be understood
wheezily	with a whistling sound
espionage	spying
envisioned	imagined
music hall	hall where musical programmes are held
sloppy	carelessly dressed
slipped	passed secretly
beauties	beautiful women
prosaic	routine/ ordinary
Word	Meaning
chuckled	laughed quietly without opening the mouth
frustrated	bored
disillusioned	disappointed
take cheer	be happy
presently	soon
PAGE 15
come	will be delivered
affect the course of history	change what happens
drama	excitement
authentic thrill	real feeling of excitement
wheezed	spoke breathing noisily and heavily
start	shock
slender	gracefully thin
crafty, pointed countenance	cunning look
menacing	dangerous
missiles	directed weapons
PAGE 16
heavily	with force
raise the devil	make a strong protest
grimly	seriously
nuisance	causing annoyance
pressing blackly	showing total darkness
inflection	change of tone
passkey	duplicate key
block it off	close it
moodily	sadly
evilly	wickedly
protection	security
check on	meet
backed swiftly	went back quickly
take my chances	depend on my luck
PAGE 17
shrilly	piercingly/at a high pitch
deftly	neatly and skilfully
uncorked	removed the top cover
white-faced	pale from fear

 

 

CLASS 10 ENGLISH FOOTPRINT WITHOUT FEET

CHAPTER : THE MIDNIGHT VISITOR

 

Broad Summary

Ausable was a secret agent in an organization. He was a fat man with a strange accent. He was an American and could speak German and French fluently. He lived in a small room on the top floor of a French hotel in Paris.

Fowler was a young and romantic writer. One day, he visited Ausable in the hope of finding some unusual happenings there. He was also a spy and dealt in espionage and danger. However, he felt disappointed at Ausable’s sight.

Ausable and Fowler spent the evening in a French music hall. Fowler was feeling bored. Ausable informed him that he would soon receive an important paper. The paper might affect the course of history. It had also made many men and women risk their lives. He had got a telephone call making an appointment in his room.
Ausable switched on the light after closing the door. There was a man with a pistol standing half way across the room. Fowler was thrilled. Ausable was surprised to see Max (another secret agent belonging to another agent’s organization) in his room. On being asked, Max informed him that he had come there at the odd hour to take from him the prospective report about some new missiles.
Ausable sat in an armchair in a serious and angry mood. He started saying that it was the second time in a month that somebody had got into his room through a balcony. Max had no knowledge about the balcony. He reported that he had a passkey. Ausable explained that the balcony belonged to the next apartment which used to be the living room. The balcony extended under his window. The management had not still blocked it off and intruders could get in from the apartment.

Max asked Fowler to sit down, rather than stand stiffly for half an hour till the report arrived. Ausable was at a loss to find how Max had learnt about the incoming report. Just then, there was a knock at the door. Fowler jumped at it. Ausable concocted another story that the Police might have come to provide him security for the important paper. Ausable told Max that the Police would enter the room any way and shoot if he did not open the door. Max got unnerved.
Max got infuriated and started backing swiftly towards the window. He opened the window with one hand behind. He wanted to escape through the balcony. He informed Ausable that he would wait on the balcony. He would shoot and take his chances if Ausable did not send the Poljce away. The knocking became louder. Somebody called Ausable repeatedly. Max dropped to the balcony, screamed loudly and died.

A waiter entered the room with a bottle and two glasses set on a tray, the drink ordered by Ausable. Fowler got perplexed. Ausable explained that he was waiting for the waiter and not for the Police. Fowler was afraid lest Max should shoot them from the balcony. Ausable assured Fowler that Max would never return.

 

 

CLASS 10 ENGLISH FOOTPRINT WITHOUT FEET

CHAPTER : THE MIDNIGHT VISITOR

 

Questions & Answers

 

Question 1: “Ausable did not fit any description of a secret agent Fowler had ever read.” What do secret agents in books and films look like, in your opinion?

Answer: Secret agents in fiction are projected like ideal men, ‘Tall dark and handsome’. They are usually well built and keep beautiful women for company. They would always smoke pipe or cigar and do death defying stunts. James Bond is a very famous character by Ian Fleming. Movies based on James Bond show hi-tech gizmos which assist the detective in countering villains. There are some exceptions as well. There is a character named Feluda which was created by Satyajit Ray, the famous Bengali Filmmaker. Feluda was typical bhadralok by appearance.

 

Question 2: How does Ausable manage to make Max believe that there is a balcony attached to his room? Look back at his detailed description of it. What makes it a convincing story?

Answer: Ausable creates a detailed description of how his office was part a bigger apartment and how the next room had direct connection with the balcony. His statement that somebody else also broke into his office through that balcony made it a convincing story.

 

Question 3: Looking back at the story, when do you think Ausable thought up his plan for getting rid of Max? Do you think he had worked out his plan in detail right from the beginning? Or did he make up a plan taking advantage of events as they happened?

Answer: Ausable is very clever the way a detective should be. He made the plan to get rid of Max from the very beginning which is evident from the story of the imaginary balcony. He knew the waiter would come to deliver his drinks. He planned carefully to create an imaginary policeman which would have compelled Max to jump on the non-existent balcony.

SEBA / SMEBA / NCERT CLASS 10 ENGLISH SOLUTIONS (FOOTPRINT WITHOUT FEET)

Extract Based Questions

(4 marks each)

 

Question 1. Ausable was, for one thing, fat. Very fat. And then there was his accent. Though he spoke French and German passably, he had never altogether lost the American accent he had brought to Paris from Boston twenty years ago.

“You are disappointed,” Ausable said wheezily over his. shoulder.
(a) Who is Ausable ? To whome is he talking ?

(b) How is Ausable different from others of his class ?

(c) Which word in the above passage means the same as “the tone of speaking some particular language”?

(d) Name the languages mentioned in the passage. 

Answer:
(a) Ausable was a secret agent. He is talking to fowler, a reporter.
(b) Ausable is different from other secret agents as he is very fat. Moreover, he lives in a room where there is no environment of romantic and thrilling adventure.

(c) ‘accent’.

(d) German, French and American.

 

Question 2. Max was slender, a little less than tall, with features that suggested slightly the crafty, pointed countenance of a fox. There was about him aside from the gun – nothing especially menacing.
“The report,” he murmured. “The report that is being brought to you tonight concerning some new missiles. I thought I would take it from you. It will be safer in my hands than in yours.”

(a) Who was Max ?

(b) Why had he come to Ausable’s room ? What he did thereafter ?

(c) Which word in the passage means the same as ‘cunning’ ?

(d) Which words describe Max’s physique ? 

Answer:
(a) Max was another secret agent.

(b) He had come to Ausable’s room demanding a secret report from him. After intruding in the room, he threatened Ausable with a pistol.
(c) ‘crafty’.

(d) Slender, Crafty features.

 

Question 3. The doorknob turned. Swiftly Max pushed with his left hand to free himself from the still and drop to the balcony. And then, as he dropped, he screamed once. Shrilly.

(a) Who was there at the door ?

(b) Could Max be able to jump from balcony ? Why ?

(c) Which word in the extract means the same as ‘in a high pitch’ ?

(d) What frightened Max ? 

Answer:
(a) A waiter was knocking at the door.

(b) Max couldn’t be able to jump from balcony because Ausable, to save himself from Max, told him a false story about existence of a non-existent balcony.

(c) ‘shrilly’.

(d) The turning of the door knob.

 

Question 4. Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow. And as the light came on, Fowler had his first authentic thrill of the day. For halfway across the room, a small automatic pistol in his hand, stood a man.

(a) What was the turn of events ?

(b) What did they find ?

(c) What does the word ‘authentic’ mean ?

(d) Who is the author of the story ?

Answer:
(a) The atmosphere had suddenly turned interesting after initial boredom.
(b) They saw a man with an automatic pistol in his hand.
(c) genuine/real.

(d) Robert Arthur.

 

CLASS 10 ENGLISH FOOTPRINT WITHOUT FEET

CHAPTER : THE MIDNIGHT VISITOR

 

Short Answer Type Questions

(30-40 words & 2 marks each)

 

Question 1. What great qualities made Ausable a successful secret agent ? 

Answer: Ausable was a secret agent in an organization. He was alert and resourceful. He was a cool-headed person and had a lot of presence of mind.

 

Question 2. Why was Fowler disappointed on seeing Ausable ?

Answer: Fowler was disappointed on seeing Ausable who was unlike other secret agents. He was fat and sloppy with heavy American accent. He was not at all flashy or romantic like other agents.

 

Question 3. Who was Max ? How did Ausable get rid of him ? 

Answer: Max was a secret agent, who came for secret papers on missiles. Ausable outwitted him by making a false story about the balcony. Max tried to escape through it and died.

 

Question 4. How did Max try to escape ? What happened to him ? 

Answer: Max wanted to hide himself on the balcony. He put his leg over the window and jumped on to the balcony. He dropped to the balcony, screamed loudly and died.

 

Question 5. Why did Ausable frame the story of the balcony ? 

Answer: Ausable knew that Max was scared and he used his ignorance and foolishness in his own favour. He framed the story of the balcony to convince max about the balcony which was actually non-existant. It helped Ausable to get out of a dangerous and critical situation.

 

Question 6. Why did Max enter Ausable’s room? How did he do so ? 

Answer: Max entered Ausable’s room to take a ‘report’ regarding the new missiles. It was the report that was to be delivered to Ausable that night. He did so by using a passkey to enter.

 

Question 7. The balcony plays a significant role in the story ’The midnight visitor’, How ? 

OR
How did the role of the balcony become significant in the story, “The Midnigh Visitor” ?

Answer: Max thought balcony as a means to escape from the police and Ausable created the balcony which did not exist so as to dupe Max.

 

Question 8. How do you know that Ausable was an intelligent secret agent ? 

Answer: Ausable was intelligent secret agent, as he could easily fabricate stories and befoot his enemies and killed them without using a weapon.

CLASS 10 ENGLISH FOOTPRINT WITHOUT FEET

CHAPTER : THE MIDNIGHT VISITOR

 

Long Answer Type Questions

(100-120 words & 8 marks each)

 

Question 1. What fake story was made by Ausable in the hotel room ? What made it a convincing story ?

Answer: Ausable was a clever secret agent. One day when he entered his room, he found Max in his room who aimed at him with a pistol. Ausable did not lose his courage. He was a quick-witted man. He fabricated a story about a balcony which extended under his room window. He said that he had informed the management to block that window as anyone might enter his room using that window but till then they hadn’t. Just then there was a knocking at the door and Ausable said that he had’ called in the police to have extra protection as they were having an important paper with them. Max took the whole story as a gospel of truth. He retraced his steps, reached the window-sill and jumped down the balcony which never existed.

 

Question 2. Give a character sketch of Ausable.

Answer: Ausable was a smart, intelligent man who was a secret agent. He was very fat and sloppy. He spoke in an American accent which he had brought from Boston twenty years ago. He could speak French and German but possibly he was a spy who dealt in espionage and danger. He had a very important paper for which several men and women had risked their lives and even Max had come to him to pinch that paper. He was quick witted and had a great presence of mind. He coocked up a police story and of the balcony to befool Max. The story was so convincing that Max jumped down the window. Not for a moment did he think that it might be a fabricated story. In other words, he proved to be quite dangerous for Max though he had a great sense of humour when he talked to Fowler.

 

Question 3. Why did Fowler become white faced at the end of the story ?

Answer: When Both Fowler and Ausable entered Ausable’s room, they saw Max, a man with pistol standing halfway across the room. They were taken aback. He had come for the same report that Ausable had come to collect. It was a secret document about some missiles. Ausable cursed the balcony, under the window saying that it was the second time in the month someone had come into his room through it.’Fowler gazed out of the window, but saw no balcony. Max said that he had come in through the door, with the help of a key. Just then the door bell rang. Ausable said it was the police to check the extra protection ensuring safety of the papers. Max decided to jump out of the window into the balcony to evade from the police. As he jumped out, he screamed. There was no balcony to the window on the sixth floor. Ausable did not use strength but mind to overcome the danger. Thus, Fowler was left white faced at the end of the story.

SEBA / SMEBA / NCERT CLASS 10 ENGLISH SOLUTIONS (FOOTPRINT WITHOUT FEET)

Extract Based Questions

[3 Marks each]

 

Read the following extracts carefully and answer the questions that follow.

 

Question 1. And then there was his accent. Though he spoke French and German passably, he had never altogether lost the American accent he had brought to Paris from Boston twenty years ago.
(a) Who is ‘he’ in the above extract?

(b) Where is he at present?

(c) Find the word from the extract that means the opposite of ‘fluently’.
(d) What is the present tense of ‘speak’?

Answer:
(a) ‘He’ in the above extract is Ausable, a secret agent.
(b) At present he is about to enter his room on the sixth floor of a French hotel.

(c) The word is ‘passably’.

(d) ‘Speak’ is its present tense.

 

Question 2. “You are disillusioned”, Ausable told him. “But take cheer, my young friend. Presently you will see a paper, a quite important paper for which several men and women have risked their lives, come to me. Some day soon that paper may well affect the course of history. In that thought is drama, is there not?” 

(a) Who is ‘my young friend’ in the above extract?

(b) What is the ‘important paper’ referred to here?

(c) Find a word from the passage that means the same as ‘disappointed’.
(d) What is the opposite ofjimportant’?

Answer:
(a) ‘My young friend’ in the above extract is Fowler, a young romantic writer.

(b) The ‘important paper’ referred to here is a report regarding some new missiles.

(c) The word is ‘disillusioned’.

(d) Its opposite is ‘unimportant’.

 

Question 3. And as the light came on, Fowler had his first authentic thrill of the day. For halfway across the room, a small automatic pistol in his hand, stood a man.

(a) Who is the ‘man’ referred to in the above extract?

(b) Why did the ‘man’ have a pistol in his hand?

(c) What is meant by the phrase ‘authentic thrill’ in the above extract?
(d) What is the opposite of ‘automatic’?

Answer:
(a) The ‘man’ referred to in the above extract is Max, a secret agent.
(b) He had’ a pistol in his hand because he wanted to forcibly take the report on new missiles from Ausable.

(c) The meaning is ‘real feeling of excitement’.

(d) Its opposite is ‘manual’.

 

Question 4. “You can get onto it from the empty room two doors down – and somebody did, last month. The management promised to block it off. But they haven’t.” 

(a) Who is speaking these words to whom?

(b) What is ‘it’ in the above extract?

(c) Find a phrase in the passage that means the same as ‘close it up’.

(d) The opposite of ’empty’ is………..

Answer:
(a) Ausable is speaking these words to Fowler, but he also wants Max to hear them.

(b) ‘It’ refers to the (non-existent) balcony.

(c) The jphrase is ‘block it off.

(d) Its opposite is ‘full’.

CLASS 10 ENGLISH FOOTPRINT WITHOUT FEET

CHAPTER : THE MIDNIGHT VISITOR

 

Short Answer Type Questions

[2 Marks each]

 

Question 1. Why had Fowler wanted to meet Ausable?

Answer: Fowler was a writer and he had wanted to meet Ausable, a renowned secret agent. Fowler wanted to know how Ausable tackled dangerous situations. He was disappointed when he saw Ausable, as he didn’t look like what Fowler thought a secret agent should look like.

 

Question 2. Describe Fowler’s reaction after entering Ausable’s hotel room. 

Answer: Initially Ausable got a shock to see Max in his room. But he remained calm. Max also had a pistol with him, so Ausable didn’t try anything fishy. He just kept his cool and fooled Max by using his brain to invent stories.

 

Question 3. ‘Ausable shows great presence of mind in a situation of danger and surprise.” Do you agree with this statement? If yes, why?

Answer: Yes, I agree with this statement, as Ausable showed great presence of mind when Max pointed a gun at him when he entered the hotel room with Fowler, which surprised and endangered both of them. He remained calm and cool, inventing stories as required to fool Max into jumping to his death.

 

Question 4. Why did Max’s face turn black with anger? What did he want Ausable to do? 

Answer: Max’s face turned black with anger because he felt that his plan of extracting the important document from Ausable was in danger of failing due to the knocking on the door, which Ausable identified as the police. He wanted Ausable to send the police away.

 

Question 5. Why did Ausable frame the story of the balcony? 

Answer: Ausable framed the story of the balcony to counter the use of the pistol by the rival secret agent Max to threaten him. The rival would have been able to get the important report about the new missiles if Ausable had not concocted this story.

 

Question 6. How does Ausable manage to make Max believe that there is a balcony attached to his room?

Answer: Ausable creates a detailed description of how his office was part of a bigger apartment and how the next door room had a direct connection with the balcony. His statement that somebody else had also broken into his office through that balcony made it a convincing story.

 

Question 7. Who actually had knocked at the door of Ausable’s room? Why did he come there? 

Answer: The waiter in the hotel where Ausable stayed knocked at the door of Ausable’s room. He had brought the drinks which Ausable had ordered when he arrived in the hotel with Fowler.

 

CLASS 10 ENGLISH FOOTPRINT WITHOUT FEET

CHAPTER : THE MIDNIGHT VISITOR

 

Long Answer (Value Based) Type Questions

[8 Marks each]

 

Question 1. What information did Ausable give about the imaginary balcony? Why did he do so? 

Answer: Ausable created a detailed description of how his room was part a bigger apartment and how the next room had a direct connection with a balcony. His statement that somebody else had also broken into his office through that balcony made it a convincing story. Ausable did this to fool Max into thinking that a balcony existed just outside the window, as he knew that soon the waiter bringing the drinks he had ordered would be knocking at the door, which may prompt Max to jump into the imaginary balcony to hide.

 

Question 2. Ausable was a clever secret agent. Do you agree with the statement? Justify your answer. 

Answer: Ausable did not look at all like the conventional image of a secret agent. He was short and very fat. Besides, he spoke French and German which lacked fluency as well as the right accent; the American accent was quite palpable in his speech. However, Ausable had a very sharp and active mind because he invented two stories, one about a non-existent balcony outside his hotel window and another about the police arriving to give extra security to some important documents he was about to receive.
He was an intelligent man and a clever secret agent to be able to invent such stories on the spur of the moment in the face of imminent danger in the form of Max, a rival secret agent.

 

Question 3. Why did Max scream shrilly when he dropped to the balcony? 

Answer: A person screams shrilly when something unexpected happens to him. Here, Max screamed shrilly when he dropped to the ‘balcony’, because actually there was no balcony at all; it was only a figment of Ausable’s imagination. Ausable had described it so vividly, including its history and use, that Max was convinced there was a balcony just outside the window and tried to jump onto it without looking. As the room was on the sixth floor, Max would certainly have been died by falling from such a height.

 

Question 4.  A calm mind can help you tackle direst stress. Explain.

Answer: Certainly, a calm mind can help us to tackle direst stress. If Ausable had panicked and done something fishy, then Max probably would have killed him. But Ausable kept his cool. Apart from this story, there can he some real life examples also. We are always told to focus when we are appearing for exams or not to panic in a difficult situation because such things hamper our thinking ability. We are not able to take proper decisions at this time. If we keep our mind cool and focus, then only can ,we find ways to get out of crunch situations.

 

Question 5. Presence of mind is basically mental preparedness or the ability to think and act wisely in a dangerous or surprising situation. How would you react to the situation if you see a small child being knocked down by a speeding motorcycle or car, which speeds away after hitting the child?

Answer: First aid should be given to the child at once. Public help may also be asked, if necessary. Depending on the seriousness of the injury, the child may be shifted to hospital. Simultaneously, we should try to note the license, plate number of the offending vehicle, so that the police may be intimated to arrest the criminal. If the child is conscious and can talk coherently, we should try to find out the name and telephone number of any of its family members to inform them about the mishap.

 

CLASS 10 ENGLISH FOOTPRINT WITHOUT FEET

CHAPTER : THE MIDNIGHT VISITOR

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