Uncategorized

Poets and Pancakes Summary in English

The essay, “Poets and Pancakes” is an extract from Asokamitran’s book “My Years with Boss.” The Boss was S.S. Vasan, who founded the Gemini Studios which produced a number of films that influenced every aspect of Indian life.

Asokamitran talks about his days at Gemini Studios. He is known for his humour and gende satire. He explains us about a make-up material. The brand name of this material was Pancake. This material was bought and used up in the studios. He gives name of few actresses who used that material. He suggests that the make-up department was located in a building which was believed to have been Robert Clive’s stable. However, there were several buildings associated with Robert Clive’s residence but this was not true as Clive’s stay in India was very shortlived.

Further, he gives a description of the make-up department as a symbol of national integration and the make-up room as a hair-cutting salon. Pancake and many other lotions made actors ugly as it was necessary to make them presentable in a movie. In the make-up department, there was a forty-year-old office boy with dream of becoming a star-actor or director or lyrics writer. His dreams remained unfulfilled, making him frustrated. For this, he blamed Subbu, who was No. 2 and a favourite of the boss.

The writer tells about poets who used to wear khadi and believed that Communists were monster^. He even tells about legal adviser who had been the member of the story department. He was at odds in the department and lost his job with the closure of story department. The legal adviser had even once brought an abrupt end to the promising career of a talented actress.

The Gemini Studios even hosted a two-hundred strong Moral Rearmament Army (MRA) which showed two plays in the most professional manner. The plays became a good success and left their impression on Tamil drama. Later, the writer however, learnt that MRA was actually a counter-Communist movement.

The writer even tells us about Subbu, a man of many abilities and kind-hearted person. However, the office boys felt jealous of him, and cursed him.

The writer humorously tells of an English poet’s visit to the studios. Though royal preparations were done but the purpose of his arrival was a mystery for long time to come. At the studios, they had never heard the poet’s name before. Further, they did not understand what he spoke. The poet also perhaps felt baffled.

Asokamitran’s duty at the studios was to cut newspaper clippings on several issues and store them in files. However, anyone who saw him tearing newspapers thought he had no work. Thus, everybody wanted to deliver some work to him.

The author saw a notice in The Hindu. A short story contest had been organised by a British periodical called, The Encounter. The writer desired to send an entry. However, he wanted to know status of the periodical. For this, he went to British Council Library. There he found it. He learnt that the editor of the periodical was Stephen Spender, the poet who had come to Gemini Studios.

After his retirement, he came across a book titled, The God That Failed. It had six essays about failure of Communism. One of these essays was written by Spender. The mystery of Spender’s visit to Gemini Studios was cleared. Perhaps it had something to do with his anti-communist perspective.

Poets and Pancakes Main Characters in the Chapter

Asokamitran

The author of the narrative and an employee of Gemini Studio, Asokamitran’s work was to cut newspaper clippings, paste these and maintain a file of the same. The other stafflooked down on his job and believed themselves to be superior to him.

Office Boy

The office boy was not really a boy, but a grown-up man. He was forty years old. He was in charge of the crowd make-up. Though his job was an easy one, he considered himself to be a skilled artist. He had once aspired to be a star actor or a top screen writer. He blamed Subbu for his failure.

Kothamangalam Subbu

Kothamangalam Subbu was the No. 2 at Gemini Studios. Though he definitely came from a less advantaged background than the office boy, being a brahmin by birth had given him better exposure than the office boy. He had the ability to look cheerful at all times and his undivided loyalty was to Vasan, the principal of Gemini Studios. Extremely creative, Subbu directed all his talent to his principal’s advantage.

Though a brilliant actor, he was content playing secondary roles and usually performed better than the lead actors. Without a doubt, Subbu gave direction and definition to Gemini Studios during its golden years. Subbu was an extremely talented poet as well. Though capable of writing complex poetry, he deliberately chose to write in simple Tamil verse to enlighten the masses. Generous to the core, Subbu’s house was a permanent residence for dozens of near and distant relations, whom he fed and supported without a thought. Yet, even Subbu had enemies.

Legal Advisor

Like Subbu, the story department of Gemini Studios also had a lawyer, officially known as legal advisor, though better known for the opposite reasons. While every other member of the story department wore a khadi dhoti and white khadi shirt, the legal advisor wore pants and a tie, and sometimes an oversized coat. He is described as a man of cold logic in a crowd of dreamers. He was responsible for destroying the acting career of a highly talented actress, by his irresponsible behaviour.

Stephen Spender

Stephen Spender, an English poet, editor and a one-time communist, came to Gemini Studios and gave a speech. His lecture was about Communism on one side and about his struggles to establish as a poet on the other. The content of the speech and the accent of the poet left everyone utterly bewildered. The reason for his visit remained an unexplained mystery. Asokamitran later discovered that Stephen Spender was the editor of the British periodical, ‘Encounter’. When he accidentally chanced upon Spender’s essay on Communism in the book, ‘The God that Failed’, Asokamitran understood the connection between the English poet, Stephen Spender and the owner of Gemini Studios, S.S. Vasan.

Poets and Pancakes Summary Reference-to-Context Questions

Read the following extracts and answer the questions that follow.

1. They were all incandescent lights, so you can imagine the fiery misery of those subjected to make-up.The make-up department was first headed by a Bengali who became too big for a studio and left. He was succeeded by a Maharashtrian who was assisted by Dharwar Kannadiga, an Andhra, a Madras Indian Christian, an anglo- Burmese and the usual local Tamils. All this shows that there was a great deal of national integration long before A.I.R. and Doordarshan began broadcasting programmes on national integration.

a. Where were all these lights to be found?
Answer:
These lights were to be found in the make-up room of the Gemini Studios.

b. What was the name of the make-up material used by Gemini Studios?
Answer:
‘Pancake’ was the brand name of the make-up material that Gemini Studios used in vast quantities.

c. Explain: “fiery misery”.
Answer:
The heat emanated by all the incandescent lights made the make-up room very hot. Actors who had to put on make-up had to endure the misery of this fiery heat.

d. Why does the author say that there was a great deal of national integration here?
Answer:
People from different states of the country worked in complete harmony in this department. They were a Bengali, succeeded by a Maharashtrian, assisted by an Andhra, and sundry local Tamils.

2. He wasn’t exactly a ‘boy’; he was in his early forties, having entered the studios years ago in the hope of becoming a star actor or a top screen writer, director or lyrics writer. He was a bit of a poet.

a. Who was ‘he’?
Answer:
“He” was the office boy.

b. What had he aspired to become?
Answer:
He had hoped to become a star actor or a top screen writer, director or lyrics writer.

c. What was his role in Gemini Studios?
Answer:
Though a bit of a poet, the office boy’s work was to put make-up on the crowd players on the days that had crowd shooting.

d. Whom did he blame for his failure? Why?
Answer:
He blamed Kothamangalam Subbu.Though both started their careers in Gemini Studios at the same level, Subbu rose to become No. 2 at Gemini Studios while he remained an office boy in the make-up department.

3. Even in the matter of education, specially formal education, Subbu couldn’t have had an appreciable lead over our boy. But by virtue of being bom a Brahmin—a virtue, indeed! he must have had exposure to more affluent situations and people.

a. What was Subbu’s position in Gemini Studios?
Answer:
Subbu held the No.2 position in Gemini Studios.

b. Who does “our boy” refer to?
Answer:
It refers to the office boy, Subbu’s arch-rival.

c. What was Subbu’s advantage over “our boy”?
Answer:
Subbu’s advantage over the boy was by virtue of his birth, since he was born a Brahmin.

d. Name two ways in which Subbu’s ‘birth’ helped him.
Answer:
It gave him a greater exposure to an affluent society, with affluent situations and people.

4. It seemed against Subbu’s nature to be even conscious that he was feeding and supporting so many of them. Such a charitable and improvident man, and yet he had enemies!

a. Who were the people Subbu fed and supported?
Answer:
Subbu was extremely generous and large hearted. His house was apermanent residence for dozens of near and far relations and acquaintances.

b. Why did he do so?
Answer:
Charity and generosity was an integral part of nature. He was not even conscious that he was feeding and supporting so many people all the time.

c. Who do you think was Subhu’s enemy?
Answer:
Subbu’s enemy was the man the office boy who envied Subbu his success and popularity.

d. Why did Subbu have enemies?
Answer:
Subbu’s intimacy with the boss and his eagerness to say nice things in all situations made him appear like a sycophant. This made him enemies.

5. While every other member of the Department wore a kind of uniform- khadi dhoti with a slightly oversized and clumsily tailored white khadi shirt- the legal adviser wore pants and a tie and sometimes a coat that looked like a coat of mail. Often he looked alone and helpless—a man of cold logic in a crowd of dreamers—a neutral man in an assembly of Gandhiites and khadiites.

a. Which is the department referred to in the above passage?
Answer:
The department referred to is the story department.

b. How was the lawyer differently dressed?
Answer:
Unlike all other members of the department who khadi, the lawyer wore pants, a tie and an oversized coat.

c. What did it say about him?
Answer:
The lawyer’s attire isolated him from the others. He looked like a man of cold logic in a crowd of dreamers.

d. Why was the lawyer, a legal adviser, also known as the opposite?
Answer:
The lawyer was responsible for wrecking the career of brilliant actress when he recorded her outburst in the studios and played it back.The girl was so shocked that she could never overcome the trauma she experienced.

6. Most of them wore khadi and worshipped Gandhiji but beyond that they had not the faintest appreciation for political thought of any kind. Naturally they were all averse to the term ‘Communism’.

a. Who are “them”?
Answer:
Some of them were poets like Harindranath Chattopadhyaya and sundry other members of the Gemini Studios.

b. What was the role of the poets in Gemini Studios?
Answer:
Most of the time they radiated leisure, ie., were idling, which was an apparent pre¬requisite for poetry.

c. Why did they wear khadi and worship Gandhiji?
Answer:
Most of these people had no political awareness or ideology they expressed their nationalism by wearing khadi and worshipping Gandhiji.

d. Why were they averse to communism?
Answer:
For them, a Communist was a godless man with no love for parents or wife. He was ruthless and did not hesitate to kill his parents or children. His aim was to spread violence and unrest in society among innocent and ignorant people.

7. ………. they couldn’t have found a warmer host in India than the Gemini Studios. Someone called the group an international circus. They weren’t very good on the trapeze and their acquaintance with animals was only at the dinner table, but they presented two plays in a most professional manner.

a. Who were “they”?
Answer:
‘They’ were Frank Buchman’s Moral Rearmament army, a group of two hundred people, that visited Gemini Studios.

b. Why had they come to India?
Answer:
They presented two plays to counter-act the rising spread of international Communism.

c. Name the two plays they presented.
Answer:
The two plays were, jotham Valley’ and ‘The Forgotten Factor’.

d. How did they impact the Tamil drama community?
Answer:
The Tamil drama community was very impressed by their sets and costumes. For years, thereafter, all Tamil plays imitated their scenes of sunrise and sunset with a bare stage, a white background curtain and a tune played on the flute.

8. Then the poet spoke. He couldn’t have addressed a more dazed and silent audience— no one knew what he was talking about and his accent defeated any attempt to understand what he was saying. The whole thing lasted about an hour; then the poet left and we all dispersed in utter bafflement—what were we doing?

a. Who was the poet who spoke ?
Answer:
The speaker was Stephen Spender, English poet and editor.

b. Whom did the poet address?
Answer:
He addressed a dazed and silent audience consisting of the members of the Gemini Studios.

c. What caused the lack of communication between the poet and his audience?
Answer:
No one knew what he talked about and his accent was so heavy that as no one could understand what he said.

d. Why was the audience baffled?
Answer:
The poet spoke for an hour and left, leaving everyone utterly bewildered. No one had followed a word of what he spoke.They wondered why he had been brought to Gemini Studios at all.

Indigo Summary

Indigo Summary class 12 – Louis Fischer met Gandhi in 1942 at his ashram in Sevagram. Gandhi told him how he initiated the departure of the British from India. He recalled that it in 1917 at the request of Rajkumar Shukla, a sharecropper from Champaran, he visited the place. Gandhi had gone to Lucknow to attend the annual meeting of the Indian National Congress in the year 1916. Shukla told him that he had come from Champaran to seek his help in order to safeguard the interests of the sharecroppers. Gandhi told him that he was busy so Shukla accompanied him to various places till he consented to visit Champaran. His firm decision impressed Gandhiji and he promised him that he would visit Calcutta at a particular date and then Shukla could come and take him along to Champaran. Shukla met him at Calcutta and they took a train to Patna. Gandhi went to lawyer Rajendra Prasad’s house and they waited for him. In order to grab complete knowledge of the situation, he reached Muzzafarpur on 15th April 1917. He was welcomed by Prof. J.B Kriplani and his students. Gandhi was surprised to see the immense support for an advocate of home rule like him. He also met some lawyers who were already handling cases of sharecroppers. As per the contract, 15 percent of the peasant’s landholding was to be reserved for the cultivation of indigo, the crop of which was given to the landlord as rent. This system was very oppressive. Gandhi wanted to help the sharecroppers. So he visited the British landlord association but he was not given any information because he was an outsider. He then went to the commissioner of the Tirhut division who threatened Gandhi and ask him to leave Tirhut. Instead of returning, he went to Motihari. Here he started gathering complete information about the indigo contract. He was accompanied by many lawyers. One day as he was on his way to meet a peasant, who was maltreated by the indigo planters, he was stopped by the police superintendent’s messenger who served him a notice asking him to leave. Gandhi received the notice but disobeyed the order. A case was filed against him. Many lawyers came to advise him but when he stressed, they all joined his struggle and even consented to go to jail in order to help the poor peasants. On the day of trial, a large crowd gathered near the court. It became impossible to handle them. Gandhi helped the officers to control the crowd. Gandhi gave his statement that he was not a lawbreaker but he disobeyed so that he could help the peasants. He was granted bail and later on, the case against him was dropped. Gandhi and his associates started gathering all sorts of information related to the indigo contract and its misuse. Later, a commission was set up to look into the matter. After the inquiry was conducted, the planters were found guilty and were asked to pay back to the peasants. Expecting refusal, they offered to pay only 25 percent of the amount. Gandhi accepted this too because he wanted to free the sharecroppers from the binding of the indigo contract. He opened six schools in Champaran villages and volunteers like Mahadev Desai, Narhari Parikh, and his son, Devdas taught them. Kasturbai, the wife of Gandhi used to teach personal hygiene. Later on, with the help of a volunteer doctor, he provided medical facilities to the natives of Champaran, thus making their life a bit better. A peacemaker, Andrews wanted to volunteer at Champaran ashram. But Gandhi refused as he wanted Indians to learn the lesson of self-reliance so that they would not depend on others. Gandhi told the writer that it was Champaran’s incident that made him think that he did not need the Britisher’s advice while he was in his own country.
 
 

Indigo Summary in Hindi

लुई फिशर 1942 में गांधी से सेवाग्राम में उनके आश्रम में मिले। गांधी ने उन्हें बताया कि कैसे उन्होंने भारत से अंग्रेजों के जाने की पहल की। उन्होंने याद किया कि 1917 में चंपारण के एक किसान राजकुमार शुक्ल के अनुरोध पर उन्होंने उस स्थान का दौरा किया था। गांधी वर्ष 1916 में भारतीय राष्ट्रीय कांग्रेस की वार्षिक बैठक में भाग लेने के लिए लखनऊ गए थे। शुक्ला ने उन्हें बताया कि वह चंपारण से किसानों के हितों की रक्षा के लिए उसकी मदद लेने आया है। गांधी ने उन्हें बताया कि वह व्यस्त थे इसलिए शुक्ला उनके साथ विभिन्न स्थानों पर गए जब तक कि उन्होंने चंपारण जाने के लिए सहमति नहीं दी। उनके दृढ़ निर्णय ने गांधीजी को प्रभावित किया और उन्होंने उनसे वादा किया कि वे एक विशेष तिथि पर कलकत्ता आएंगे और फिर शुक्ला आकर उन्हें चंपारण ले जा सकते हैं। शुक्ल उनसे कलकत्ता में मिले और वे पटना के लिए ट्रेन से गए। गांधी वकील राजेंद्र प्रसाद के घर गए । स्थिति की पूरी जानकारी लेने के लिए वे 15 अप्रैल 1917 को मुजफ्फरपुर पहुंचे। प्रो. जे.बी. कृपलानी और उनके छात्रों ने उनका स्वागत किया। अपने जैसे गृह शासन के समर्थकों का अपार समर्थन देखकर गांधी हैरान रह गए। उन्होंने कुछ वकीलों से भी मुलाकात की जो पहले से ही बटाईदारों के मामलों को देख रहे थे। अनुबंध के अनुसार, किसानों की 15 प्रतिशत भूमि नील की खेती के लिए आरक्षित की जानी थी, जिसकी फसल जमींदार को लगान के रूप में दी जाती थी। यह व्यवस्था बहुत दमनकारी थी। गांधी बटाईदारों की मदद करना चाहते थे। इसलिए उन्होंने ब्रिटिश जमींदार संघ का दौरा किया लेकिन उन्हें कोई जानकारी नहीं दी गई क्योंकि वह एक बाहरी व्यक्ति थे। फिर वह तिरहुत डिवीजन के कमिश्नर के पास गए , जिसने गांधी को धमकी दी और उन्हें तिरहुत छोड़ने के लिए कहा। लौटने की बजाय वह मोतिहारी चले गए। यहां उन्होंने नील के ठेके की पूरी जानकारी जुटानी शुरू की। उनके साथ कई वकील भी थे। एक दिन जब वह एक किसान से मिलने के लिए जा रहा था, जिसके साथ नील बोने वालों ने दुर्व्यवहार किया था, तो उसे पुलिस अधीक्षक के दूत ने रोक दिया, जिसने उसे एक नोटिस देकर उसे जाने के लिए कहा। गांधी ने नोटिस प्राप्त किया लेकिन आदेश की अवहेलना की। उसके खिलाफ मामला दर्ज किया गया था। कई वकील उन्हें सलाह देने आए, लेकिन जब उन्होंने जोर दिया, तो वे सभी उनके संघर्ष में शामिल हो गए और यहां तक ​​कि गरीब किसानों की मदद के लिए जेल जाने को भी राजी हो गए। सुनवाई के दिन कोर्ट के पास भारी भीड़ जमा हो गई। उन्हें संभालना नामुमकिन सा हो गया। गांधी ने भीड़ को नियंत्रित करने में अधिकारियों की मदद की। गांधी ने अपना बयान दिया कि वह कानून तोड़ने वाले नहीं थे लेकिन उन्होंने अवज्ञा की ताकि वह किसानों की मदद कर सकें। उन्हें जमानत दे दी गई और बाद में उनके खिलाफ मामला हटा दिया गया। गांधी और उनके साथियों ने नील के ठेके और उसके दुरूपयोग से जुड़ी हर तरह की जानकारी जुटानी शुरू कर दी। बाद में इस मामले की जांच के लिए एक आयोग का गठन किया गया। जांच के बाद, बागान मालिकों को दोषी पाया गया और किसानों को वापस भुगतान करने के लिए कहा गया। इनकार की उम्मीद में, उन्होंने राशि का केवल 25 प्रतिशत भुगतान करने की पेशकश की। गांधी ने इसे भी स्वीकार कर लिया क्योंकि वह बटाईदारों को नील के अनुबंध के बंधन से मुक्त करना चाहते थे। उन्होंने चंपारण गांवों में छह स्कूल खोले और महादेव देसाई, नरहरि पारिख और उनके बेटे देवदास जैसे स्वयंसेवकों ने गाओंवालों पढ़ाया। गांधी की पत्नी कस्तूरबाई व्यक्तिगत स्वच्छता सिखाती थीं। बाद में उन्होंने स्वयंसेवी चिकित्सक की मदद से चंपारण के मूल निवासियों को चिकित्सा सुविधा प्रदान की, जिससे उनका जीवन थोड़ा बेहतर हो गया। एक शांतिदूत, एंड्रयूज, चंपारण आश्रम में स्वयंसेवा करना चाहता था। लेकिन गांधी ने मना कर दिया क्योंकि वे चाहते थे कि भारतीय आत्मनिर्भरता का पाठ सीखें ताकि वे दूसरों पर निर्भर न रहें। गांधी ने लेखक से कहा कि यह चंपारण की घटना थी जिसने उन्हें यह सोचने पर मजबूर कर दिया कि उन्हें अपने देश में रहते हुए अंग्रेजों की सलाह और आदेश की आवश्यकता नहीं थी।

The Rattrap Summary In English

Once there was a man who went around selling small rattraps of wire. He made them himself but his business was not profitable. So, he had to beg and steal a bit to keep himself alive. His clothes were in rags, his cheeks were sunken and hunger could be noticed in his eyes. His life was sad and monotonous. He had no company.

One day, he was struck by an idea that the whole world was nothing but a big rattrap. It set baits for people by offering riches and joys, shelter and food, heat and clothing exactly as the rattrap offered cheese and pork. As soon as anyone let himself be tempted to touch the bait, the rattrap closed in on him, and then everything came to an end.

One dark evening he was walking slowly with heavy steps when he saw a little gray cottage by the roadside. He knocked at the door to ask shelter for the night. The owner was an old man. He had no wife or child. He was happy to get someone to talk to in his loneliness. He served him porridge for supper and gave him tobacco for his pipe. Then he got out an old pack of cards and played “mjölis” with his guest till bed time.

The host had been a crofter at Ramsjö Ironworks in his days of prosperity. He had worked on the land. Now he was unable to do day labour. It was his cow that supported him. This extraordinary cow could give milk for the creamery everyday. He informed the stranger that last month he had received all of thirty kronor in payment. The crofter showed his guest three wrinkled tenkronor bills, which he had taken out of a leather pouch hanging on a nail in the window frame.

The next day both men got up early. The crofter was in a hurry to milk his cow. The other man did not want to stay in bed when his host had got up. They left the cottage at the same time. The crofter locked the door and put the key in his pocket. The man with the rattraps said goodbye and thanked his host and went away. Half an hour later the rattrap peddler returned. He broke a window pane, stuck in his hand, and got hold of the pouch with the thirty kronor. He took out the money and thrust it into his pocket. Then he hung the leather pouch very carefully back in its place and went away.

He felt pleased with his smartness. Then he realised that he dared not continue on the public highway. So, he took to the woods. He got into a big and confusing forest. He kept on walking without coming to the end of the forest. He realised that he had only been walking around in the same part of the forest. He thought that he had let himself be fooled by a bait and had been caught. The whole forest seemed to him like an impenetrable prison from which he could never escape.

It was late in December. Darkness increased the danger as also his gloom and despair. He sank down on the ground as he was quite tired. He heard the sound of hammer strokes. He summoned all his strength, got up and staggered in the direction of the sound. He reached a forge where the master smith and his helper sat near the furnace waiting for the pig iron to be ready to put on the anvil. There were many sounds—big bellows groaned, burning coal cracked, the fire boy shovelled charcoal with a great deal of clatter, the waterfall roared, a sharp north wind whipped the rain against the brick-tiled roof. On account of all these noises the blacksmith did not notice that a man had opened the gate and entered the forge until the stranger stood close up to the furnace.

The blacksmiths glanced only casually and indifferently at the intruder with a long beard, dirty, ragged and with a bunch of rattraps dangling on his chest. The peddler asked for permission to stay. The master blacksmith nodded a haughty consent without saying a word. Just then the ironmaster who owned the Ramsjo iron mill came into the forge on one of his nightly rounds of inspection.

The ironmaster saw that a person in dirty torn clothes had moved so close to the furnace that steam was rising from his wet rags. He walked close up to him, looked him over very carefully. Then he tore off his hat, which had a wide flexible brim, to get a better view of his face. He called him ‘Nils Olof and wondered how he looked.

The man with the rattraps had never before seen the ironmaster at Ramsjo and did not even know what his name was. He thought that the ironmaster might perhaps throw his old acquaintance a couple to kronor. So, he did not tell him that he was mistaken. The ironmaster observed that he should not have resigned from the regiment. Then he asked the stranger to come home with him. The tramp did not agree. He thought of the thirty kronor. Going up to the manor house would be like throwing himself into the lion’s den.

The ironmaster assumed that he felt embarrassed because of his miserable clothing. He said that his wife, Elizabeth was dead, his boys were abroad and only his oldest daughter was with him. He invited the stranger to spend Christmas with them. The stranger said “no” thrice. The ironmaster told Stjernstrom, the blacksmith that Captain von Stahle preferred to stay with him that night. He laughed to himself and went away.

Half an hour later, the sound of carriage wheels was heard outside the forge. The ironmaster’s daughter came there, followed by a valet, carrying a big fur coat. She introduced herself as Edla Willmansson. She noticed that the man was afraid. She thought that either he had stolen something or else he had escaped from jail. She, however assured him that he would be allowed to leave them just as freely as he had come. She addressed him as captain and requested him to stay with them over Christmas Eve. She said this in such a friendly manner that the rattrap peddler agreed to go with her. The fur coat was thrown over his rags and he followed the young lady to the carriage. On the way the peddler thought why he had taken that fellow’s money. He was sitting in the trap and would never get out of it.

The next day was Christmas Eve. The ironmaster came into the dining room for breakfast. He thought of his old regimental comrade whom he had met so unexpectedly. He felt satisfied and talked of feeding him well and giving him some honourable job. His daughter remarked that last night she did not notice anything about him to show that he had once been an educated man. The ironmaster asked her to have patience and let him get clean and dressed up. Then she would see something different. The tramp manners would fall away from him with the tramp clothes.

Just then the stranger entered in a good-looking suit of clothes, a white shirt with a starched collar and whole shoes. Although he was well groomed, the ironmaster did not seem pleased. He realised that he had made a mistake last night. Now in broad daylight, it was impossible to mistake him for an old acquaintance. The stranger made no attempt to dissemble. He explained that it was not his fault. He had never pretended to be anything but a poor trader. He had requested the Ironmaster to let him stay in the forge. He was ready to put on his rags and go away.

The ironmaster thought that it was not honest on the part of the man and wanted to call the sheriff. The tramp then told the ironmaster that the whole world was nothing but a big rattrap. All the good things that were offered to him were nothing but cheese rinds and bits of pork, set out to drag a poor fellow into trouble. The sheriff may lock him up for this. He warned the Ironmaster that a day might come when he might want to get a big piece of pork, and then he would get caught in the trap.

The ironmaster began to laugh. He dropped the idea of informing the sheriff. However, he asked the tramp to leave and opened the door. Just then his daughter entered and asked her. father what he was doing. That morning she was quite happy. She wanted to make things for the wretch quite homelike. So, she spoke in favour of the vagabond. She wanted him to enjoy a day of peace with them—just one in the whole year. She knew that there was a mistake but they should not chase away a human being whom they had asked to come there and promised Christmas cheer. The ironmaster hoped that she wouldn’t have to regret that.

The young girl led the stranger upto table and asked him to sit and eat. The man did not say a word but helped himself to the food. He looked at the girl and wondered why she had intervened for him. Christmas Eve passed at Ramsjo just as it always had. The stranger did not cause any trouble because he did nothing but sleep. They woke him up that he could have his meals. In the evening, the Christmas tree was lighted. Two hours later he was around once again to eat the Christmas fish and porridge. After getting up from the table he went around and said thank you’ and good night’ to everyone present. The girl told him that the suit he wore was to be a Christmas present and he did not have to return it. If he wanted to spend the next Christmas Eve in peace, he would be welcomed back again. The man with the rattraps did not answer. He only stared at the young girl in limitless amazement.

The next morning the ironmaster and his daughter got up early and went to Christmas service. They drove back at about ten o’clock. The young girl sat, and hung her head even more dejectedly than usual. At church she had learnt that an old crofter of the iron works had been robbed by a man who went around selling rattraps. The ironmaster feared that the man might have stolen many silver spoons from the cupboard. As the wagon stopped at the front steps, the ironmaster asked the valet about the stranger. The valet told him that the stranger had left. He had not taken anything with him at all, but he had left a package for Miss Willmansson as a Christmas present.

On opening the package, she gave a little cry of joy. She found a small rattrap, and in it lay three wrinkled ten kronor notes. There was also a letter addressed to her. He did not want her to be embarrassed by a thief but act as a captain. He requested her to return the money to the old man on the roadside, who had money pouch hanging on the window frame as a bait for the poor wanderers. The rattrap was a Christmas present from a rat who would have been caught in this world’s rattrap if he had not been raised to captain, because in that way he got power to clear himself.

The Rattrap Summary In Hindi

एक समय एक व्यक्ति तार की बनी हुई चूहे पकड़ने की छोटी चूहेदानियाँ (पिंजरे) बेचता हुआ घूमता रहता था। वह इन्हें स्वयं बनाता था किन्तु उसका धन्धा लाभदायक नहीं था। अतः स्वयं को जीवित रखने के लिए उसे भीख माँगनी पड़ती थी तथा थोड़ी-सी चोरी भी करनी पड़ती थी। उसके वस्त्र फटे चिथड़े थे। उसके गाल धंसे हुए थे आँखों से भूख दिख सकती थी। उसका जीवन उदासी तथा एकरसता भरा था। उसका कोई साथी नहीं था।

एक दिन उसे एक विचार सूझा कि पूरा संसार एक बड़ी चूहेदानी के अतिरिक्त कुछ और नहीं है। यह लोगों को धन एवं प्रसन्नता, भोजन तथा घर, गर्मी तथा वस्त्र भेंट करके उसी प्रकार चुग्गा (चारा) डालता है जैसे चूहेदानी में पनीर तथा सूअर का मांस हो। ज्यों ही कोई व्यक्ति प्रलोभित होकर इस ललचाने वाले चारे को छुएगा, वह चूहेदानी में बन्द हो जाएगा, और तब प्रत्येक बात (वस्तु) समाप्त हो जाएगी।

एक अँधेरी शाम को वह भारी कदमों से धीरे-धीरे चल रहा था तभी उसने सड़क के समीप एक छोटा-सा भूरा कुटीर देखा। उसने रात के लिए शरण माँगने के लिए द्वार खटखटाया। इसका स्वामी एक वृद्ध व्यक्ति था। उसकी पत्नी अथवा कोई बच्चा नहीं था। अकेलेपन में किसी ऐसे व्यक्ति को पाकर जिससे कि वह बातें कर सके, वह प्रसन्न था। उसने रात के अल्पाहार के लिए उसे हलवा तथा धूम्रपान की पाइप के लिए तम्बाकू दिया। फिर उसने अपनी पुरानी ताश की गड्डी निकाली और सोने का समय होने तक अपने अतिथि। के साथ ‘mj ⍤lis’ नामक खेल खेला।

अपने समृद्धि के दिनों में स्वागतकर्ता रैम्सजो आयरनवर्स में खेती का स्वामी था। उसने भूमि पर काम किया था। अब वह शारीरिक परिश्रम नहीं कर सकता था। उसकी गाय उसे सहारा देती थी। यह असाधारण गाय मक्खन बनाने के कारखाने के लिए प्रतिदिन दूध दे सकती थी। उसने अजनबी को बताया कि पिछले महीने उसे भुगतान में पूरे तीस क्रोनर प्राप्त हुए थे। खेतिहर ने अपने अतिथि को तीन मुड़े-तुड़े दस-दस क्रोनर के नोट दिखाये, जो उसने चमड़े के उस बटुए से निकाले जो एक कील से खिड़की की चौखट में लटका हुआ था।

अगले दिन दोनों व्यक्ति जल्दी उठे। भू-स्वामी को अपनी गाय को दुहने की शीघ्रता थी तथा दूसरा व्यक्ति भी तब बिस्तर में नहीं पड़ा रहना चाहता था जबकि उसका स्वागतकर्ता जाग चुका हो। वे एक साथ कुटीर छोड़ कर गये। भू-स्वामी ने द्वार को ताला लगाया तथा चाबी अपनी जेब में रख ली। चूहेदानी वाले व्यक्ति ने अपने मेज़बान (स्वागतकर्ता) को अलविदा तथा धन्यवाद कहा और चला गया। आधे घंटे के उपरान्त चूहेदानी बेचने वाला व्यक्ति लौट आया। उसने खिड़की का शीशा तोड़ा, अपना हाथ भीतर डालकर बटुए को लपक लिया। उसमें से उसने धन निकाला और अपनी जेब में हँस लिया। फिर उसने अत्यन्त सावधानी से चमड़े के बटुए को उसके स्थान पर लटका दिया तथा वहाँ से दूर चला गया।

उसे अपनी चुस्ती पर प्रसन्नता महसूस हुई। फिर उसने महसूस किया कि उसे सार्वजनिक पथ पर और आगे चलने का साहस नहीं करना चाहिए। अतः उसने जंगल का मार्ग पकड़ लिया। वह एक विशाल तथा भ्रमित करने वाले वन में चला गया। उसने महसूस किया कि वह वन के एक ही (समान) भाग में चक्कर काटे जा रहा था। उसने सोचा कि उसने स्वयं को शिकार फँसाने वाले चारे द्वारा मूर्ख बनने दिया तथा पकड़ा गया। सारा वन उसे एक अभेद्य कारागार प्रतीत होने लगा जिससे वह कभी बचकर निकल नहीं पायेगा।

दिसम्बर के कई दिन बीत चुके थे। अँधेरे ने खतरे तथा उसकी उदासी और निराशा को बढ़ा दिया। वह भूमि पर धंस गया क्योंकि वह बिल्कुल थक गया था। सभी उसे हथौड़े की चोटों की ध्वनि सुनाई दी। उसने अपनी सारी शक्ति एकत्रित की, उठ खड़ा हुआ तथा लड़खड़ाता हुआ ध्वनि की दिशा में चल पड़ा। वह लोहां पिघलाकर गढ़ने वाली एक भट्ठी के पास पहुँचा जहाँ लुहार मिस्त्री तथा उसका सहायक भट्टी के निकट बैठे प्रतीक्षा कर रहे थे कि कच्चा लोहो गर्म होकर तैयार हो ताकि वे इसे घन (निहाई) पर रख सकें। वहाँ कई ध्वनियाँ थीं-बड़ी कनियाँ कराहती थीं, जलता हुआ कोयला चटखकर टूटता था, आग में ईंधन झोंकने वाला लड़का काफी खनक के साथ फावड़े से लकड़ी का कोयला फेंकता था, जल-प्रपात दहाड़ता था, तीव्र उत्तरी पवन ईंटों की टाइलों से बनी छत पर तेज़ी से वर्षा कर रही थी। इन सारे शोर के कारण लुहार ने यह ध्यान नहीं दिया कि एक व्यक्ति ने फाटक खोला था तथा लुहारखाने की भट्ठी में प्रवेश कर गया था जब तक कि वह व्यक्ति भट्ठी के पास ही न पहुँच गया।

लुहारों ने मात्र लापरवाही तथा उदासीनता से इस बिना बुलाये आने वाले की ओर निहारा जिसकी लम्बी दाढ़ी थी, गन्दे, फटे चीथड़े थे तथा उसकी छाती पर चूहेदानियों का एक गुच्छा झूल (लटक) रहा था। फेरी वाले ने ठहरने की आज्ञा माँगी। बिना कोई शब्द कहे लुहार मिस्त्री ने सिर हिलाकर गर्वीली सहमति प्रकट की। तभी लोहे का स्वामी जो रैम्सजो आयरन मिल का मालिक था, कारखाने के लुहारखाने में निरीक्षण हेतु अपने रात्रि दौरे पर आ पहुँचा।

लोहे के कारखाने के स्वामी ने देखा कि गन्दे फटे वस्त्रों में एक व्यक्ति भट्ठी के इतना समीप चला गया था कि उसके गीले चिथड़ों से भाप उठ रही थी। वह चलता हुआ उसके समीप पहुँचा तथा उसे अत्यन्त ध्यानपूर्वक देखा। फिर उसने उसको टोप, जिसको चौड़ा मुड़ने वाला किनारा था, खींचा ताकि उसके चेहरे को अधिक अच्छे ढंग से देख सके। उसने उसे निल्स ओल्फ’ पुकारा तथा आश्चर्य व्यक्त किया कि वह कैसा दिखता था।

चूहेदानी वाले व्यक्ति ने रैम्सजो के लोहे के कारखाने के स्वामी को पहले कभी नहीं देखा था तथा नहीं जानता था कि उसका नाम क्या है। उसने सोचा कि शायद लोहे का स्वामी अपने पुराने परिचित को दो-एक क्रोनर फेंक दे। अतः उसने उसे यह नहीं बताया कि वह गलती पर था। लोहे के कारखाने के स्वामी ने कहा कि उसे रेजीमेंट से त्यागपत्र नहीं देना चाहिए था। फिर उसने अजनबी से अपने साथ घर आने को कहा। आवारा घुम्मकड़ सहमत नहीं हुआ। उसने तीस क्रोनर के विषय में सोचा। लोहे के कारखाने के स्वामी के घर जाने का अर्थ होगा स्वयं को शेर की माँद में फेंक देना।

लोहे के कारखाने के स्वामी ने यह मान लिया कि वह दयनीय वस्त्रों के कारण परेशानी महसूस कर रहा था। उसने कहा कि उसकी पत्नी ऐलिजाबेथ का देहान्त हो चुका था, उसके पुत्र विदेश में थे तथा केवल उसकी सबसे बड़ी पुत्री उसके साथ थी। उसने अजनबी को अपने साथ क्रिसमस व्यतीत करने का निमन्त्रण दे दिया। अजनबी ने तीन बार ”नहीं” कहा। लोहे के कारखाने के स्वामी ने लुहार स्ट्ज़र्न स्ट्रोम को कहा कि कैप्टन वॉन स्टाहले उस रात उसके साथ रुकना अधिक पसन्द करता था। वह स्वयं अपने आपमें हँसा तथा चला गया।

आधे घंटे के उपरान्त लुहारखाने के बाहर घोड़ागाड़ी के पहियों की आवाज सुनाई दी। लोहे के कारखाने के स्वामी की बेटी वहाँ आई, जिसके पीछे एक सेवक था जो बड़ा नर्म रेशों वाला ऊनी कोट उठाए हुए था। उसने अपना परिचय एडला विलमैन्सन के रूप में। दिया। उसने देखा कि वह व्यक्ति डरा हुआ था। उसने सोचा कि या तो उसने कुछ चुराया है अथवा वह जेल से बच निकला है। किन्तु उसने उसे यकीन दिलाया कि उसे उसी प्रकार स्वतन्त्र रूप से जाने की अनुमति होगी जैसे कि वह आया था। उसने उसे कैप्टन कहकर सम्बोधित किया तथा प्रार्थना की कि वह उनके साथ क्रिसमस की पूर्व सन्ध्या पर रुके। उसने यह इतने मैत्रीपूर्ण लहजे से कहा कि चूहेदानी विक्रेता उसके साथ जाने को सहमत हो गया । रोयेंदार ऊनी कोट उसके चिथड़ों के ऊपर डाला गया तथा वह युवा महिला के पीछे घोड़ागाड़ी तक गया। रास्ते में फेरीवाले विक्रेता ने सोचा कि उसने उस व्यक्ति का धन क्यों लिया। वह पिंजरे (चूहेदानी) में बैठ गया था तथा कभी इससे बाहर नहीं निकल पायेगा।

अगले ही दिन क्रिसमस की पूर्व सन्ध्या थी। लोहे के कारखाने का स्वामी भोजन कक्ष में नाश्ते के लिए आया। उसने रेजीमेंट के अपने उस पुराने साथी के विषय में सोचा जिससे वह अचानक बिना किसी आशा के ही मिला था। उसने सन्तुष्ट महसूस किया तथा उसे भली प्रकार से भोजन कराने तथा कुछ सम्मानजनक काम देने की सोची। उसकी बेटी ने कहा कि पिछली रात उसने उसमें कोई भी ऐसी बात नहीं देखी जो यह दर्शाये कि वह एक शिक्षित व्यक्ति था। लोहे के कारखाने के स्वामी ने उससे धैर्य रखने को कहा तथा समझाया कि उसे स्वच्छ होने तथा वस्त्र पहनने दे। तब वह कुछ पृथक् देखेगी। घुम्मकड़ के आचरण के ढंग घुम्मकड़ के वस्त्र त्यागते ही बदल जायेंगे। तभी अजनबी ने अच्छे दिखने वाला सूट, सफेद कमीज, माँड लगा हुआ कालर वाला तथा सफेद जूते पहनकर प्रवेश किया। यद्यपि वह भली-भाँति साफ-सुथरा था तथा अच्छे वस्त्र पहने हुआ था फिर भी लोहे के कारखाने का स्वामी प्रसन्न प्रतीत नहीं हुआ। उसने इस तथ्य को समझा कि पिछली रात उससे गलती हो गई थी। अब दिन के पूरे प्रकाश में उसे एक परिचित के रूप में (गलती से) समझना असम्भव था। अजनबी ने दूसरे का स्थान लेकर छल करने का कोई प्रयास नहीं किया। उसने स्पष्ट किया कि उसका कोई दोष नहीं था। उसने एक निर्धन व्यापारी होने के अतिरिक्त कोई और बहाना (ढोंग) नहीं किया था। उसने तो लोहे के स्वामी को उसे लुहारखाने में रुकने की आज्ञा देने को कहा था। वह अपने चिथड़े पहनकर जाने को तैयार था।

लोहे के कारखाने के स्वामी ने सोचा कि उस व्यक्ति में ईमानदारी नहीं थी तथा वह शेरिफ को बुलाना चाहता था। आवारा भटकने वाले (भिखारी) ने तब लोहे के स्वामी को बताया कि पूरा संसार एक बड़ी चूहेदानी के अतिरिक्त कुछ नहीं था। जो सारी अच्छी वस्तुएँ उसे पेश की गई थीं वे पनीर की ऊपरी परत तथा सूअर के मांस के टुकड़ों के अतिरिक्त कुछ नहीं थीं, जो किसी असहाय (निर्धन) व्यक्ति को कष्ट में डालने के लिए लगाई गई थी। सम्भव था शेरिफ इसके लिए उसे जेल में बन्द कर दे। उसने लोहे के कारखाने के स्वामी को चेतावनी दी कि एक ऐसा दिन भी आना सम्भव था जब वह मांस का एक बड़ा टुकड़ा प्राप्त करना चाहे तथा तब वह पिंजरे में पकड़ा जायेगा।

लोहे के कारखाने का स्वामी हँसने लगा। उसने शेरिफ को सूचना भेजने का विचार त्याग दिया। किन्तु उसने उस आवारा भिखारी को जाने को कहा तथा द्वार खोल दिया। तभी उसकी पुत्री ने प्रवेश किया तथा उसने पिता से पूछा कि वह क्या कर रहा था। उस प्रातः वह अत्यन्त प्रसन्न थी। वह उस अभागे के लिए घर जैसी चीजें बनाना चाहती थी अतः वह उस वृथा घूमने वाले (आवारा) के पक्ष में बोली। वह चाहती थी कि वह उनके साथ एक दिन शान्ति का बिताये-पूरे वर्ष में केवल एक दिन। वह जानती थी कि गलती हो गई थी किन्तु उन्हें उस व्यक्ति को खदेड़कर नहीं भगाना चाहिए जिसे उन्होंने वहाँ आने को कहा था तथा क्रिसमस की खुशियाँ बाँटने का वायदा किया था। लोहे के कारखाने के स्वामी ने आशा की कि उसे इस पर अफसोस (खेद) नहीं करना पड़ेगा।

युवा लड़की अजनबी को मेज़ तक ले गई तथा उसे बैठने और खाने को कहा। उस व्यक्ति ने एक शब्द भी नहीं बोला किन्तु भोजन करने लगा। वह लड़की की ओर देखता तथा आश्चर्य करता रहा कि उसने उसके पक्ष में हस्तक्षेप क्यों किया था। रैम्सजो में क्रिसमस की पूर्व सन्ध्या सदा की भाँति बीत गई। अजनबी ने कोई कष्ट नहीं पहुँचाया क्योंकि उसने सोने के अतिरिक्त कुछ नहीं किया। उन्होंने उसे केवल इसलिए जगाया कि वह भोजन कर सके। शाम को क्रिसमस के वृक्ष में प्रकाश किया गया। दो घंटे पश्चात् उसे फिर जगाया गया ताकि वह क्रिसमस की मछली तथा हलवा ले सके। मेज़ से उठने के पश्चात वह चारों ओर गया तथा उसने वहाँ विद्यमान प्रत्येक व्यक्ति को धन्यवाद तथा शुभ-रात्रि कहा। लड़की ने उसे बताया कि जो सूट वह पहने हुए था वह उसके लिए क्रिसमस का उपहार था। तथा उसे यह लौटाना नहीं था। यदि वह अगली क्रिसमस की पूर्व की सन्ध्या शान्ति से बिताना चाहे, तो उसका पुनः स्वागत किया जायेगा। चूहेदानियाँ बेचने वाले व्यक्ति ने कोई उत्तर नहीं दिया। वह केवल सीमाहीन (अनन्त) आश्चर्य (हैरानी) से उस युवा लड़की को देखता रही।

अगले दिन लोहे के कारखाने का स्वामी तथा उसकी पुत्री जल्दी उठे ताकि वे गिरजाघर की प्रार्थना में जा सकें। वे वहाँ से दस बजे के लगभग घोड़ागाड़ी में चले। लड़की बैठी हुई थी तथा उसने सामान्य दिनों की अपेक्षा अपना सिर अधिक निराशा से कुछ ज्यादा झुका रखा था। गिरजाघर में उसे पता लगा कि लोहे के कारखाने के एक पुराने भू-स्वामी को एक ऐसे व्यक्ति द्वारा लूट लिया गया था जो चूहेदानियाँ बेचता फिरता था। लोहे के स्वामी को भय था कि उसने अलमारी से चाँदी के कई चम्मच चुरा लिए होंगे। जब छकड़ा सामने वाली सीढ़ियों के पास रुका तो उसने सेवक से अजनबी के विषय में पूछा। सेवक ने बताया कि अजनबी जा चुका था। वह अपने साथ कुछ भी नहीं ले गया था, किन्तु कुमारी विलिमैन्सन के लिए एक पैकेट क्रिसमस के उपहार के रूप में छोड़ गया था।

पैकेट खोलने पर, उसने प्रसन्नता भरी एक छोटी-सी चीख मारी। उसने एक छोटी-सी चूहेदानी पायी, तथा इसके भीतर तीन झुरीदार (मुड़े-तुडे) दस क्रोनर वाले नोट पड़े थे। उसे सम्बोधित करके लिखा हुआ एक पत्र भी वहाँ था। वह उसे एक चोर के द्वारा लज्जित नहीं। होने देना चाहता था अपितु कैप्टन की भाँति व्यवहार करना चाहता था। उसने उसे (लड़की) से प्रार्थना की कि वह यह धनराशि सड़क के पास वाले उस वृद्ध व्यक्ति को लौय दे जिसने धन का बटुआ इधर-उधर घूमने वाले (आवारा) लोगों को ललचाने के लिये मांस के टुकड़े की भाँति खिड़की की चौखट में लटका रखा था। चूहेदानी एक ऐसे चूहे की ओर से उपहार था जो इस संसार की चूहेदानी में फँस गया होता यदि उसे कैप्टन के पद पर तरक्की न दी गई होती, क्योंकि इस ढंग से उसे स्वयं को स्वच्छ (साफ) करने की शक्ति मिली।

Deep Water Summary In English

William 0. Douglas recalls a misadventure of childhood. It had happened when he was ten or eleven years old. He had decided to learn to swim. There was a pool at the Y.M.C.A. in Yakima, which was safe. It was only two or three feet deep at the shallow end and nine feet deep at the other. The drop was gradual. He got a pair of water wings and went to the pool. He hated to walk naked into water and show his very thin legs.

The author had developed an aversion to the water when he was three or four. His father had taken him to the beach in California. They stood together on the surf. The waves knocked him down and swept over him. He was buried under water. His breath was gone. He was frightened. His father laughed, but the overpowering force of the waves filled terror in the young author’s heart.

Unpleasant memories were revived when he went to the Y.M.C.A. pool for the first time. Childish fears were stirred. But soon he gathered confidence. He watched other boys paddling on water with their water wings. He tried to learn by imitating them. He did this two or three times on different days. He was just beginning to feel comfortable in the water when the misadventure happened.

When he went to the pool, there was no one else. So he sat on the side of the pool to wait for others. Shortly afterwards a big boy, a boxer, came. He was probably eighteen years old and had beautiful muscles on his legs and arms. He called the author ‘Skinny and asked how he would like to be plunged in water.

The boxer boy picked Douglas and threw him into the deep end. He struck water in a sitting position. He swallowed water and at once went to the bottom. He was frightened, but did not lose his wits. He made a plan. He would make a big jump when his feet hit the bottom. He would come to the surface like a cork, lie flat on it and then paddle to the edge of the pool.

Those nine feet appeared more than ninety. Before he touched bottom his lungs were ready to burst. When his feet hit the bottom, he made a great jump upwards, but he failed to reach the surface at once. He came up slowly. His eyes and nose came out of water, but not his mouth. He moved around his legs on the surface of water. He swallowed water and choked. He tried to bring his legs up, but they hung as dead weights. He again went down to the bottom of the pool.

He was shrieking under water because terror had seized him. He was paralysed under water, but his heart and the pounding in head told him that he was still alive. When he hit the bottom, he jumped with his full might. The jump made no difference. The water was still around him. His arms and legs wouldn’t move. He trembled with fear. He tried to call for help, to call mother, but nothing happened. Then he rose up. His eyes and nose were almost out of water. He sucked for air and got water. He started going down a third time.

Then all efforts ended and he relaxed. A blackness swept over his brain and wiped out terror. There was no more panic. He felt drowsy and wanted to sleep. He gave up all attempts. He forgot everything. When he came to his senses, he found himself lying on his stomach beside the pool vomiting. The boy who had thrown him in said, “I was only fooling.” Someone said that the kid had nearly died. Then they took him to the locker room.

He walked home after several hours. He was weak and trembling. He shook and cried when he lay on his bed. He couldn’t eat that night. For days a haunting fear was in his heart. He never went back to the pool. He feared water and avoided it whenever he could.

A few years later, he came to know the waters of the Cascades. He wanted to get into them. Whenever he did so, the terror that had seized him in the pool, returned. His legs would become paralysed. An icy horror would grab his heart. This handicap remained with him even as time passed. Wherever he went, the haunting fear of water followed him. It ruined his fishing trips. It deprived him of the joy of canoeing, boating, and swimming.

He used every method he knew to overcome his fear. Finally, he decided to get an instructor and learn to swim. He went to a pool and practised five days a week, an hour each day. The instructor put a belt around him. A rope attached to the belt went through a pulley on an overhead cable. He held on to the end of the rope. They went on this way for many weeks. On each trip across the pool a bit of panic seized him. Each time the instructor relaxed his hold on the rope and the author went under water, some of the old terror returned and his legs froze.

It was three months before the tension began to slack. Then the instructor taught him to put his face under water and exhale, and to raise his nose and inhale. He repeated the exercise hundreds of time. Very slowly, he shed some of the old panic as his head went under water.

Then the instructor held him at the side of the pool and had him kick with his legs. He did so for weeks. Gradually his legs relaxed. Thus, piece by piece, he built a swimmer. When he had perfected each piece, he put them together into an integrated whole. He had started practising in October and in April the trainer told him that he could swim. He asked the author to dive off and swim the length of the pool. He began with crawl stroke.

When he swam alone in the pool tiny remnants of the old terror would return. But now he could rebuke his terror. This went on till July. He was still not satisfied. So he went to Lake Wentworth in New Hampshire. There he dived off a dock at Triggs Island. He swam two miles across the lake to Stamp Act Island. He swam the crawl, breast stroke, side stroke and back stroke. The terror returned only once. When he was in the middle of the lake, he put his face under and saw nothing but bottomless water. He asked terror what it could do to him and it fled away.

Some doubts still remained. So he went up the Tieton to Conrad Meadows, up the Conrad Trail to Meade Glacier. He camped in the high meadow by the side of Warm Lake. Next morning, he dived into the lake and swam across to the other shore and back. He shouted with joy, and Gilbert Peak returned the echo. He had conquered his fear of water.

The experience had a deeper meaning for him. Only those who have known stark terror and conquered it can appreciate it. In death there is peace. There is terror only in the fear of death. Roosevelt knew it. He said, “All we have to fear is fear itself.” Douglas had experienced both the sensation of dying and the terror that fear of it can produce. The will to live somehow grew in intensity.

At last Douglas felt liberated. He was free to walk the trails and climb the peaks and to ignore (dismiss) fear.

Deep Water Summary In Hindi

विलियम ओ० डगलस बचपन की एक दुर्घटना को याद करता है। यह तब घटित हुई थी जब वह दस अथवा ग्यारह वर्ष का था। उसने तैरना सीखने का निश्चय किया था। याकिमा में वाई०एम०सी०ए० में एक तालाब था, जो कि सुरक्षित था। यह छिछले सिरे पर केवल दो अथवा तीन फुट गहरा था तथा दूसरे सिरे पर नौ फुट गहरा था। गहराई (झुकाव) शनैः शनैः थी। उसने पानी में तैरने के पंखों की एक जोड़ी ली तथा तालाब पर चला गया। वह पानी में नंगे चलने से तथा अपनी अत्यन्त पतली टाँगें दिखाने से घृणा करता था।

जब लेखक तीन या चार वर्ष का था तभी से उसे पानी के प्रति अरुचि (घृणा) हो गई थी। उसके पिता उसे कैलिफोर्निया में समुद्र तट (किनारे) पर ले गए। वे समुद्री झाग पर इकट्ठे खड़े हुए थे। लहरों ने उसे नीचे गिरा दिया तथा उसके ऊपर से बहने लगीं। वह पानी में दफ़न हो गया। उसकी सांस चली गई। वह डर गया। उसके पिता हँसे, किंतु लहरों की अत्यधिक शक्ति ने उसके हृदय में अति तीव्र भय भर दिया।

जब वह पहली बार वाई०एम०सी०ए० के तालाब पर गया तो अप्रिय स्मृतियाँ पुनर्जीवित हो उठीं। बचकाने भय उत्पन्न हो गये। किन्तु शीघ्र ही उसने विश्वास एकत्रित कर लिया। उसने अन्य लड़कों को तैरने के पंखों से पानी को धकेलते हुए देखा। उनकी नकल करके उसने भी सीखने का प्रयास किया। उसने विभिन्न दिनों पर 2-3 बार ऐसा किया। उसने जल में सहजता (आरामदायक) महसूस करना आरम्भ ही किया था कि यह दुर्घटना घटित हो गई।

जब वह तालाब पर गया, तो वहाँ कोई और नहीं था। अतः वह दूसरों की प्रतीक्षा करने के लिए तालाब के समीप (बगल में) बैठ गया। थोड़ी ही देर में, एक भारी-भरकम लड़का, एक मुक्केबाज़ आया। वह सम्भवतः 18 वर्ष का होगा तथा उसके हाथ-पैरों पर सुन्दर मांसपेशियाँ थीं। उसने लेखक को ‘पतलू’ कहकर पुकारा तथा पूछा कि वह पानी में डुबकी लगाने को कैसे पसन्द करेगा।

उस मुक्केबाज़ लड़के ने डगलस को उठाया तथा गहरे सिरे में फेंक दिया। वह बैठने की स्थिति में पानी से जा टकराया। उसने पानी निगल लिया और तुरन्त पेंदी (नीचे का तल) की ओर चला गया। वह भयभीत हो गया, किन्तु सोचने-विचारने की शक्ति नहीं गॅवाई। उसने एक योजना बनाई। जब उसके पैर पेंदी से टकरायेंगे, तो वह बड़ी छलांग लगायेगा। एक (कार्क) की डाट की भाँति वह तल पर आ जायेगा, इस पर सीधा लेटेगा तथा फिर पानी को धकेलता हुआ तालाब के सिरे तक पहुँच जायेगा।

वे नौ फुट नब्बे फुट से भी अधिक प्रतीत हुए। उसके पेंदी (तली) को छूने से पहले ही, उसके फेफड़े फटने को तैयार थे। जब उसके पैर पेंदी से टकराये तो उसने ऊपर की ओर तगड़ी छलाँग लगाई, किन्तु वह तुरन्त ऊपरी तल तक पहुँचने में असफल रहा। वह धीरे-धीरे ऊपर आया। उसकी आँखें तथा नाक पानी से बाहर आ गये, किन्तु मुँह नहीं आया। उसने पानी के तल पर अपनी टाँगें इधरउधर घुमाई । उसने पानी निगल लिया और उसका गला अवरुद्ध हो (रुक) गया। उसने अपनी टाँगें ऊपर लाने का प्रयत्न किया, किन्तु वे भार की भाँति लटकी रहीं। वह फिर से तालाब की पेंदी की ओर चला गया।

वह पानी के नीचे चीख रहा था क्योंकि भय ने उसे जकड़ लिया था। वह पानी के नीचे शक्तिहीन-सा (पक्षाघात या लकवे से ग्रसित) हो गया था, किन्तु उसके धड़कते हृदय तथा मस्तिष्क ने उसे बताया कि वह अभी भी जीवित था। जब वह पेंदी से टकराया, तो वह अपनी पूरी शक्ति से ऊपर की ओर उछला। इस उछाल से भी कोई अन्तर नहीं आया। पानी अब भी उसके चारों ओर था। उसके हाथ-पैर हिलते ही नहीं थे। वह भय से काँपने लगा। उसने सहायता के लिए पुकारने का प्रयास किया, माँ को पुकारने का, किन्तु कुछ नहीं हुआ। फिर वह ऊपर उठा। उसकी आँखें तथा नाक लगभग पानी से ऊपर थे। उसने साँस लेने की कोशिश की किन्तु उसे पानी मिला। वह तीसरी बार नीचे जाने लगा।

फिर सभी प्रयास समाप्त हो गये तथा वह शान्त हो गया। एक कालिमा उसके मस्तिष्क पर छा गई तथा उसने भय को पोंछकर बाहर निकाल दिया। अब अचानक होने वाला भय नहीं था। वह उनींदा महसूस करने लगा तथा सोना चाहता था। उसने सभी प्रयास छोड़ दिये। वह सब कुछ भूल गया। जब उसकी चेतना वापस लौटी, तो उसने स्वयं को उल्टियाँ करते हुए पेट के बल तालाब के समीप लेटे हुए पाया। जिस लड़के ने उसे पानी के अन्दर फेंका था उसने कहा कि वह तो केवल मज़ाक कर रहा था। किसी अन्य ने कहा कि लड़का तो लगभग मर ही गया था। फिर वे उसे लॉकर वाले कमरे में (वस्त्र बदलने को) ले गये।

कई घंटे उपरान्त वह पैदल चलकर घर गया। वह दुर्बल (कमज़ोर) था तथा काँप रहा था। जब वह बिस्तर पर लेटा तो हिलने तथा चीखने लगा। उस रात वह भोजन नहीं कर सका। कई दिनों तक उसके हृदय में बार-बार भय मँडराता रहा। वह तालाब पर फिर कभी वापस नहीं गया। वह जल से भयभीत हो गया तथा जहाँ तक सम्भव हो इससे बचता था।

कुछ वर्ष उपरान्त उसे जल-प्रपातों के पानी के विषय में ज्ञात हुआ। वह उनमें घुसना चाहता था। जब कभी वह ऐसा करता तो वही भय जिसने उसे तालाब में जकड़ लिया था, पुन: लौट आता। उसकी टाँगें शक्तिहीन हो जाती थीं। एक ठंडा भय उसके हृदय को कसकर पकड़ लेता था। समय बीतते गए लेकिन यह कमी उसके साथ बनी रही। वह जहाँ कहीं जाता, बार-बार आने वाला पानी का भय उसका पीछा करता। इसने उसकी मछली पकड़ने की यात्राओं को बर्बाद कर दिया। इसने उसे डोंगीचालन, नौकायन तथा तैराकी से प्राप्त होने वाली प्रसन्नता से वंचित कर दिया।

अपने भय पर काबू पाने के लिए उसने उस प्रत्येक ढंग का प्रयोग किया जो वह जानता था। अन्त में, उसने एक प्रशिक्षक (सिखाने वाले गुरु) की सेवाएँ लेने और तैरना सीखने का निर्णय लिया। वह एक तालाब पर गया तथा सप्ताह में पाँच दिन, प्रतिदिन एक घंटा, अभ्यास करता। प्रशिक्षक ने उसके गिर्द (चारों ओर) एक पेटी लगाई। पेटी से जुड़ी हुई एक रस्सी च से होकर सिर के ऊपर बँधे तार से होकर जाती थी। वह रस्सी के सिरे को पकड़ लेता था। कई सप्ताह तक इसी तरह चलता रहा। तालाब में प्रत्येक बार भ्रमण के समय थोड़ा-सा भय उसे जकड़ लेता। प्रत्येक बार जब प्रशिक्षक रस्सी पर अपनी पकड़ ढीली करता तथा लेखक पानी के नीचे जाता, तो उसके पुराने भय का कुछ अंश लौट आता और उसकी टाँगें सुन्न हो जातीं।

यह तनाव हल्का (ढीला) होते-होते तीन महीने बीत गये। फिर प्रशिक्षक ने उसे पानी के अंदर चेहरा रखकर सांस छोड़ना (बाहर निकालना) एवं नाक ऊपर को उठाना एवं सांस लेना (भीतर खींचना) सिखाया। उसने यह अभ्यास सैकडों बार दोहराया। उसका सिर इस तरह पानी के अन्दर जाने से उसका कुछ पुराना भय अत्यन्त धीरे-धीरे समाप्त होता गया।

फिर प्रशिक्षक ने उसे तालाब की तरफ के पास से पकड़ा तथा उससे टाँगों से ठोकरें लगवाईं। उसने ऐसा कई सप्ताह तक किया। धीरे-धीरे उसकी टाँगें आराम महसूस करने लगीं। इस प्रकार टुकड़े-टुकड़े में उसने उसे एक तैराक बनाया। जब उसने उसे प्रत्येक भाग में पूर्णतया निपुण कर दिया तो उन्हें साथ रखकर एक समन्वित पूर्ण रूप निर्मित किया। उसने अक्तूबर में अभ्यास करना आरम्भ किया था तथा अप्रैल में प्रशिक्षक ने उसे बताया कि वह तैर सकता था। उसने लेखक को गोता मारने तथा पूरे तालाब की लम्बाई में तैरने को कहा। उसने रेंगने वाले प्रहार से आरम्भ किया।

जब वह तालाब में अकेला तैरता तो पुराने भय के छोटे-छोटे अवशेष लौट आते किन्तु अब वह अपने भय को दबा सकता था। ऐसा जुलाई तक चलता रहा। वह अब भी सन्तुष्ट नहीं था। अत: वह न्यू हैम्पशायर में लेक वेन्टवर्थ में गया। वहाँ उसने ट्रिग्स द्वीप में एक गोदी से गोता लगाया। वह झील के पार स्टाम्प एक्ट द्वीप तक दो मील तैरकर गया। वह रेंगने के प्रहार, छाती के प्रहार, पक्ष के प्रहार तथा पीठ के प्रहार से तैरा। भयं केवल एक ही बार लौटा। जब वह झील के मध्य में था, तो उसने अपना सिर पानी के नीचे किया तथा पेंदीविहीन जल के अतिरिक्त कुछ नहीं देखा। उसने भय से पूछा कि वह इसका क्या कर सकता था तथा यह दूर भाग गया।

कुछ सन्देह अब भी शेष थे। अतः वह टाइटन नदी के ऊपर को कॉनरेड चरागाह कानरैड पद-मार्ग से ऊपर मीड हिमनद तक गया। उसने वार्म लेक के पास ऊँची चरागाहों में शिविर लगाया। अगली प्रातः उसने झील में गोता लगाया तथा दूसरे तट तक तथा पुनः वापस तैरकर गया। वह प्रसन्नता से चिल्लाया, तथा गिल्बर्ट चोटी से प्रतिध्वनि टकराकर लौट आई। उसने पानी से अपने भय पर विजय प्राप्त कर ली थी।

इसे अनुभव का उसके लिए एक गहरा अर्थ था। लोग जिन्होंने कठोर भय को जाना है तथा इसे विजित किया है, केवल वे ही इसको समझ सकते हैं। मृत्यु में शान्ति है। मृत्यु के भय में ही अत्यधिक भय है। रूजवेल्ट को यह ज्ञात था। उसने कहा था, “जिससे हमें डरना है वह तो डर स्वयं ही है।” डगलस ने मरने की अनुभूति तथा जो भय वह उत्पन्न कर सकता था, इन दोनों का ही अनुभव किया था। जीवित रहने की इच्छा किसी प्रकार से तीव्रता में विकसित हो गई।

अन्त में डगलस ने स्वतन्त्र (मुक्त) महसूस किया। वह पर्वतों के पथ पर चलने के लिए तथा शिखरों (चोटियों) पर चढ़ने को एवं भय को अनदेखा करने के लिए स्वतन्त्र था।

Lost Spring Summary In English

I. “Sometimes I find a rupee in the garbage’ The author comes across Saheb every morning. Saheb left his home in Dhaka long time ago. He is trying to sponge gold in the heaps of garbage in the neighbourhood. The author asks Saheb why he does that. Saheb mutters that he has nothing else to do. There is no school in his neighbourhood. He is poor and works barefooted.

There are 10,000 other shoeless rag-pickers like Saheb. They live in Seemapuri, on the outer edge of Delhi, in structures of mud, with roofs of tin and tarpaulin but devoid of sewage, drainage or running water. They are squatters who came from Bangladesh back in 1971. They have lived here for more than thirty years without identity cards or permit. They have right to vote. With ration cards they get grains. Food is more important for survival than identity. Wherever they find food, they pitch their tents that become transit homes. Children grow up in them, and become partners in survival. In Seemapuri survival means rag-picking. Through the years rag-picking has acquired the proportions of a fine art. Garbage to them is gold. It is their daily bread and a roof over their heads.

Sometimes Saheb finds a rupee or even a ten-rupee note in the garbage-heap. Then there is hope of finding more. Garbage has a meaning different from what it means to their parents. For children it is wrapped in wonder, for the elders it is a means of survival.

One winter morning the author finds Saheb standing by the fenced gate of a neighbourhood club. He is watching two youngmen playing tennis. They are dressed in white. Saheb likes the game but he is content to watch it standing behind the fence. Saheb is wearing discarded tennis shoes that look strange over his discoloured shirt and shorts. For one who has walked barefoot, even shoes with a hole is a dream come true. But tennis is out of his reach.

This morning Saheb is on his way to the milk booth. In his hand is a steel canister. He works in a tea stall. He is paid 800 rupees and all his meals. Saheb is no longer his master. His face has lost the carefree look. He doesn’t seem happy working at the tea-stall. II. I Want to Drive a Car The author comes across Mukesh in Firozabad. His family is engaged in bangle making, but Mukesh insists on being his own master. “I will be a motor mechanic,” he announces. “I will learn to drive a car,” he says.

Firozabad is famous for its bangles. Every other family in Firozabad is engaged in making bangles. Families have spent generations working around furnaces, welding glass, making bangles for women. None of them know that it is illegal for children like Mukesh to work in the glass furnaces with high temperatures, in dingy cells without air and light. They slog their daylight hours, often losing the brightness of their eyes. If the law is enforced, it could get Mukesh and 20,000 children out of the hot furnaces.

They walk down stinking lanes choked with garbage, past homes that remain hovels with crumbling walls, wobbly doors and no windows. Humans and animals, co-exist there. They enter a half-built shack. One part of it is thatched with dead grass. A frail young woman is cooking evening meal over a firewood stove. She is the wife of Mukesh’s elder brother and already in charge of three men-her husband, Mukesh and their father. The father is a poor bangle maker. Despite long years of hard labour, first as a tailor and then as a bangle maker, he has failed to renovate a house and send his two sons to school. All he has managed to do is teach them what he knows: the art of making bangles.

Mukesh’s grandmother has watched her own husband go blind with the dust from polishing the glass of bangles. She says that it is his destiny. She implies that god-given lineage can never be broken. They have been born in the caste of bangle makers and have seen nothing but bangles of various colours. Boys and girls sit with fathers and mothers welding pieces of coloured glass into circles of bangles. They work in dark hutments, next to lines of flames of flickering oil lamps. Their eyes are more adjusted to the dark than to the light outside. They often end up losing their eyesight before they become adults.

Savita, a young girl in a drab pink dress, sits along side an elderly woman. She is soldering pieces of glass. Her hands move mechanically like the tongs of a machine. Perhaps she does not know the sanctity of the bangles she helps make. The old woman beside her has not enjoyed even one full meal in her entire life time. Her husband is an old man with flowing beard. He knows nothing except bangles. He has made a house for the family to live in. He has a roof over his head.

Little has moved with time in Firozabad. Families do not have enough to eat. They do not have money to do anything except carry on the business of making bangles. The youngmen echo the lament of their elders. They have fallen into the vicious circle of middlemen who trapped their fathers and forefathers. Years of mind-numbing toil have killed all initiative and the ability to dream. They are unwilling to get organised into a cooperative. They fear that they will be hauled up by the police, beaten and dragged to jail for doing something illegal. There is no leader among them. No one helps them to see things differently. All of them appear tired. They talk of poverty, apathy, greed and injustice.

Two distinct worlds are visibleone, families caught in poverty and burdened with the stigma of caste in which they are born; the other, a vicious circle of money-lenders, the middlemen, the policemen, the keepers of law and politicians. Together they have imposed the baggage on the child that he cannot put it down. He accepts it as naturally as his father. To do anything else would mean to dare. And daring is not part of his growing up. The author is cheered when she senses a flash of it in Mukesh who wants to be a motor mechanic.

Lost Spring Summary In Hindi

I. “कभी-कभी मुझे कूड़े के ढेर में एक रुपया मिल जाता है।
लेखिका की प्रतिदिन साहेब से भेंट होती है। वर्षों पहले साहेब बांग्लादेश में अपना घर छोड़कर आ गया था। वह पड़ोस में कूड़े के ढेरों से सोना खंगालने का प्रयास कर रहा होता है। लेखिका साहेब से पूछती है कि वह ऐसा क्यों करता है। साहेब बड़बड़ाता है कि उसके पास करने को और कुछ नहीं है। उसके पड़ोस में कोई विद्यालय नहीं है। वह निर्धन है तथा नंगे पैर काम करता है।

साहेब जैसे अन्य 10,000 जूतेविहीन कूड़े के ढेर में से कबाड़ उठाने वाले हैं। ये लोग दिल्ली के बाहरी किनारे पर सीमापुरी में रहते हैं- मिट्टी के घरौंदों में, जिन पर टीन या तिरपाल की छत है किन्तु वे मल-निकास, गन्दे पानी की नालियों अथवा पेयजल से वंचित हैं। ये अनधिकृत रूप से भूमि पर कब्जा करने वाले वे बांग्लादेशी हैं जो 1971 में यहाँ आये थे। वे पिछले 30 वर्ष से बिना किसी पहचानपत्र या आज्ञा-पत्र के रह रहे हैं।

वे मतदान के पात्र हैं। राशन कार्ड की सहायता से उन्हें अनाज मिल जाता है। जीवित रहने के लिए भोजन पहचान-पत्र से कहीं अधिक आवश्यक है। उन्हें जहाँ कहीं भोजन मिल जाता है, वहीं अपने तम्बू लगा लेते हैं जो उनके गमन-भवन बन जाते हैं। उनमें बच्चे बड़े होते हैं, तथा जीवित रहने में भागीदार बन जाते हैं। सीमापुरी में जीवित रहने का अर्थ है कूड़े-करकट को खंगालना। वर्ष बीतने के साथ कूड़ा-करकट में से मूल्यवान वस्तुएँ ढूंढना एक कला का रूप धारण कर लिया है। उनके लिये कूड़ा तो सोना है। यह उनकी दैनिक रोटी है तथा सिर के ऊपर की छत ।

कई बार साहेब कूड़े के ढेर में एक रुपया अथवा दस रुपये का नोट पा लेता है। तब अधिक पाने की आशा होती है। कूड़े-करकट का उनके लिए उनके माता-पिता की समझ से अलग अर्थ है। बच्चों के लिए यह आश्चर्य से लिपटा हुआ है, बड़ों के लिए यह जीवित रहने का साधन है।

सर्दी में एक प्रात:काल लेखिका साहेब को पड़ोस के एक क्लब के कांटेदार बाड़ लगे द्वार के पास खड़ा पाती है। वह दो नवयुवकों को टेनिस खेलते हुए देख रहा है। वे सफेद वस्त्र पहने हुए हैं। साहेब को यह खेल अच्छा लगता है, किन्तु वह इस बाड़ के पीछे खड़े रहकर देखने से ही सन्तुष्ट है। साहेब किसी के त्यागे (फॅके) हुए टेनिस के जूते पहने हुए है जो उसकी रंग उड़ी हुई कमीज तथा निकर पर अजीब लगते हैं। किसी ऐसे व्यक्ति के लिए जो नंगे पैर चला हो, छेद वाला जूता भी एक स्वप्न के सत्य होने जैसा है। किन्तु निस उसकी पहुँच से बाहर है।

इस प्रात:काल साहेब दूध की दुकान की ओर जा रहा है। उसके हाथ में एक स्टील का डिब्बा है। वह एक चाय की दुकान पर काम करता है। उसे 800 रुपये तथा उसके तीने समय का भोजन मिलता है। साहेब अब अपनी मर्जी का मालिक नहीं है। उसके चेहरे से चिन्तामुक्त दिखना लुप्त (गायब) हो गया है। चाय की दुकान में काम करके वह प्रसन्न प्रतीत नहीं होता।

II. मैं कार चलाना चाहता हूँ।”
फिरोजाबाद में लेखिका की मुकेश से भेंट होती है। उसका परिवार चूड़ियाँ बनाने में लीन है किन्तु मुकेश स्वयं अपना स्वामी बनने की जिद्द पर डटा हुआ है। वह घोषण करता है, “मैं एक मोटर-मैकेनिक बनूंगा।” वह कहता है, “मैं कार चलाना सीखेंगा”

फिरोजाबाद अपनी चूड़ियों के लिए प्रसिद्ध है। प्रत्येक दूसरा परिवार चूड़ियाँ बनाने के काम में व्यस्त है। परिवारों ने भट्ठियों के सामने काम करते हुए, शीशे को जोड़ लगाते हुए, स्त्रियों के लिए चूड़ियाँ बनाते हुए कई पीढ़ियाँ बिता दी हैं। उनमें से कोई भी यह नहीं जानता कि मुकेश जैसे छोटे बालक के लिए उच्च तापमान वाली शीशे की भट्ठी पर वायु एवं प्रकाश रहित तंग कोठरी में काम करना अवैध (गैर-कानूनी) है। वे दिन के प्रकाश के पूरे समय कठोर परिश्रम करते रहते हैं, प्रायः अपनी आँखों की चमक खो बैठते हैं। यदि कानून को कठोरता से लागू किया जाये, तो यह मुकेश तथा उस जैसे 20,000 बच्चों को गर्म भट्ठियों से मुक्त कर देगा।

वे बदबूदार तंग गलियों से जो कूड़े-करकट से भरी पड़ी हैं, उन घरों के समीप से गुजरते हुए जाते हैं जो ढहती हुई दीवारों, अस्थिर लटकते हुए दरवाजों एवं खिड़की रहित तंग कोठरियाँ मात्र हैं। यहाँ मानव तथा पशु एक साथ निवास करते हैं। वे आधी निर्मित एक फूहड़ झोपड़ी में पहुँचते हैं। इसके एक भाग में सूखी घास की छत लगी है। एक कमजोर नवयुवती लकड़ी के चूल्हे पर शाम का भोजन बना रही है। वह मुकेश के बड़े भाई की पत्नी है तथा तीन पुरुषों की देखभाल करने वाली है उसका पति, मुकेश तथा उनका पिता। पिता एक निर्धन चूड़ियाँ बनाने वाला है। वर्षों तक कठोर परिश्रम करने के बावजूद, पहले एक दर्जी के रूप में तथा फिर चूड़ियाँ बनाने वाले के रूप में, वह एक मकान को पुनः बनाने तथा अपने दोनों बालकों को विद्यालय भेजने में असमर्थ रहा है। जो कुछ वह उन्हें सिखा पाया है वह वही है जो वह जानता है- चूड़ियाँ बनाने की कला।।

मुकेश की दादी ने चूड़ियों के शीशों की पालिश करने से उड़ी धूल से अपने पति को अन्धा होते हुए देखा है। वह कहती है कि यह उसका भाग्य है। उसका निहित अर्थ है कि प्रभु प्रदत्त कुटुम्ब रेखा नहीं तोड़ी जा सकती। वे चूड़ी निर्माताओं की जाति में उत्पन्न हुये हैं और उन्होंने विभिन्न रंग की चूड़ियों के अतिरिक्त कुछ अन्य नहीं देखा है। लड़के तथा लड़कियाँ अपने माता-पिता के साथ बैठकर रंगीन शीशे के टुकड़ों को जोड़कर चूड़ियों के वृत्त बनाते हैं। वे अंधेरी झोंपड़ियों में तेल के दीयों की टिमटिमाती हुए लौ की पंक्तियों के आगे काम करते हैं। उनकी आँखें बाहर के प्रकाश की अपेक्षा अंधेरे में अधिक अभ्यस्त हैं। वयस्क होने से पहले ही प्राय: वे कई बार अपनी आँखों की ज्योति खो देते हैं।

फीकी गुलाबी पोशाक पहने हुए एक युवा लड़की सविता एक बुजुर्ग महिला के साथ बैठी है। वह शीशे के टुकड़ों को टांके लगा रही है। उसके हाथ किसी मशीन के चिमटों की भाँति मशीनी रूप से चलते हैं। शायद वह उन चूड़ियों की पवित्रता के विषय में नहीं जानती जिनको बनाने में वह सहायता करती है। उसके पास बैठी स्त्री ने जीवनपर्यन्त एक बार भी भरपेट भोजन का आनन्द नहीं लिया है। उसका पति लहराती हुई दाढ़ी वाला वृद्ध व्यक्ति है। वह चूड़ियों के अतिरिक्त कुछ नहीं जानता। उसने परिवार के निवास हेतु एक मकान बनाया है। उसके सिर पर छत है।

फिरोजाबाद में समय के साथ बहुत कम बदलाव हुआ है। परिवारों के पास खाने को पर्याप्त भोजन नहीं है। उनके पास इतना धन नहीं है कि चूड़ियाँ बनाने के धन्धे को जारी रखने के अतिरिक्त कोई अन्य काम कर सकें। वे उन बिचौलियों के कुचक्र में फैंस गए हैं। जिन्होंने उनके पिता तथा दादा-परदादा को जाल में फँसाया था। वर्षों तक मस्तिष्क को सुन्न कर देने वाले परिश्रम ने उनके पहल करने की सभी भावनाओं तथा स्वप्न देखने की सामर्थ्य को समाप्त कर दिया है। वह किसी सहकारी संस्था में संगठित होने के अनिच्छुक हैं। उन्हें भय है कि पुलिस द्वारा उनको ही अवैध कार्य करने के लिए पकड़ा जायेगा, पीटा जायेगा तथा कारागार में डाल दिया जायेगा। उनके मध्य कोई नेता नहीं है। कोई भी उन्हें वस्तुओं को पृथक रूप से देखने में सहायता नहीं करता। वे सब थके हुए प्रतीत होते हैं। वे गरीबी (निर्धनता), उदासीनता, लालच तथा अन्याय की बातें करते हैं।

दो स्पष्ट संसार दिखाई देते हैं-एक, गरीबी में फँसे परिवार, जो कि बोझा ढो रहे हैं उसे कलंक का, जिस जाति में उन्होंने जन्म लिया है; दूसरे, महाजनों, बिचौलियों, पुलिसवालों, कानून के रखवालों तथा राजनीतिज्ञों का दुष्चक्र। उन्होंने एक साथ मिलकर बच्चे पर इतना भार (सामान) लाद दिया है कि वह इसे नीचे भी नहीं रख सकता वह इसे उतने ही स्वाभाविक रूप से स्वीकार कर लेता है, जैसे कि उसके पिता ने किया था। कोई अन्य काम करने का अर्थ होगा-साहस करना तथा साहस करने का उनके बड़े होने में कोई हिस्सा नहीं है। लेखिका को तब प्रसन्नता होती है जब वह मुकेश में इसकी चमक देखती है जोकि मोटर-मैकेनिक (मिस्त्री) बनना चाहता है।

The Last Lesson Summary In English

Franz started for school very late that morning. He was afraid of being scolded because M. Hamel was to question them on participles, and he did not know the first word about them. He thought of running away and spending the day out of doors. The warm bright day, the chirping birds, and the Prussian soldiers drilling in the open field back of the sawmill were tempting. But he resisted the temptation and hurried off to school.

There was a crowd in front of the bulletin-board near the town-hall. Wachter, the blacksmith asked Franz not to go so fast. He assured the boy that he would get to his school in plenty of time. Usually there was a great bustle when the school began but that day everything was as quiet as Sunday morning.

Through the window Franz saw his classmates, already in their places and M. Hamel walking up and down with his terrible iron ruler under his arm. Franz opened the door and went in. He blushed and was frightened. M. Hamel very kindly asked him to go to his place.

Franz noticed that their teacher had put on his beautiful green coat, his frilled shirt, and the little black silk cap, all embroidered. He wore these only on inspection and prize days. The village people were sitting quietly on the usually empty back benches. Everybody looked sad; and Hauser had brought an old primer.

M. Hamel said that it was the last lesson he would give them. Henceforth, only German was to be taught in the schools of Alsace and Lorraine. The new master would come the next day. This was their last lesson of French. He wanted them to be very attentive.

Franz felt sorry that he had not learnt his lessons properly. The idea that M. Hamel was going away made the narrator forget all about his ruler and how cranky he was. Now Franz understood why M. Hamel had put on his fine Sunday clothes and why the old men of the village were sitting there. They had come to thank the master for his forty years’ faithful service and to show their respect for the country that was theirs no more.

M. Hamel asked Franz to recite, but he stood there silent. The teacher did not scold him. He confessed that his parents and he (the teacher) were at fault. Then he talked of the French language-the most beautiful language in the world—the clearest, the most logical. He asked them to guard it among them and never forget it. Their language was the key to their prison.

Then they had lesson in grammar and writing. The pigeons cooed very low on the roof. Franz thought if they would make even the pigeons sing in German. All the while M. Hamel was sitting motionless in his chair and gazing at one thing or the other. His sister was packing their trunks in the room above as they had to leave the country next day.

After writing, they had a lesson in history, and then the babies chanted their ba, be, bi, bo, bu. Even old Hauser was crying. All at once the church-clock struck twelve and then the midday prayers. At the same moment the trumpets of the Prussians, returning from drill, sounded under the windows. M. Hamel stood up. He wanted to speak but something choked him.

Then he took a piece of chalk and wrote on the blackboard as large as he could “Vive La France!” After this he stopped and leaned his head against the wall. Without a word, he made a gesture with his hand to indicate that the school was dismissed and they might go.

The Last Lesson Summary In Hindi

उस प्रात:काल फ्रेन्ज विद्यालय के लिए बहुत देर से चला। उसे धमकाये जाने का भय था क्योंकि मि० हैमल उनसे Participles के विषय में प्रश्न पूछने वाले थे, जबकि वह उसके विषय में पहला अक्षर भी नहीं जानता था। उसने भाग जाने तथा खुले में दिन व्यतीत करने की सोची। गर्म, चमकीला दिन, चहचहाते हुए पक्षी तथा आरा मशीन के पिछवाड़े खुले खेतों में अभ्यास करते हुए प्रशिया के सैनिक, प्रलोभित करने वाले थे। किन्तु उसने प्रलोभन को दबाया तथा शीघ्रता से विद्यालय की ओर चला गया।

टाउन हॉल के समीप सूचना-पट्ट के सामने भीड़ थी। लोहार वैचर ने फ्रेन्ज को इतनी तीव्रता से न जाने को कहा। उसने बालक को विश्वास दिलाया कि वह अपने विद्यालय में समय से पहले पहुँच जाएगा। प्रायः विद्यालय आरम्भ होने के समय काफी कोलाहल होता था किन्तु उस दिन प्रत्येक चीज़ ऐसे शान्त थी जैसे कि रविवार को प्रात:काल हो।

खिड़की से फ्रेन्ज ने देखा कि उसके सहठी पहले ही अपने-अपने स्थान पर थे तथा मि० हैमल अपने बाजू के नीचे लोहे का अपना भयंकर पैमाना (लकीर खींचने की पटरी) रखे इधर-उधर घूम रहे थे। फ्रेन्ज ने द्वार खोला तथा भीतर चला गया। शर्म से उसके चेहरे पर लालिमा आ रही थी तथा वह भयभीत था। मि० हैमल ने अत्यन्त दया भाव से उसे अपने स्थान पर जाने को कहा।

फ्रेन्ज ने ध्यान से देखा कि उनके अध्यापक ने अपना सुन्दर हरा कोट, झालरदार कमीज तथा छोटी काली रेशमी टोपी पहनी हुई थी। इन सबपर कसीदा कढ़ा हुआ था। वह इन्हें निरीक्षण अथवा पारितोषिक वितरण के दिन पहनते थे। ग्रामीण लोग चुपचाप प्रायः खाली रहने वाली पीछे की सीटों पर बैठे हुए थे। प्रत्येक व्यक्ति दु:खी दिखाई देता था। वृद्ध हॉसर तो एक पुरानी प्रवेशिका (वर्णमाला की बच्चों की पुस्तिका) भी ले आया था।

मि० हैमल ने कहा कि यह अन्तिम पाठ था जो वह उन्हें पढ़ायेगा। इसके पश्चात Alsace तथा Lorrain के विद्यालयों में केवल जर्मन भाषा ही पढ़ाई जायेगी। नया अध्यापक अगले दिन आ जायेगा। यह उनका फ्रांसीसी भाषा का अन्तिम पाठ था। वह चाहता था कि वे अत्यन्त ध्यानपूर्वक रहें।

फ्रन्ज को अफसोस (खेद) हुआ कि उसने अपना पाठ उचित ढंग से याद नहीं किया था। मि० हैमल के जाने की खबर से वर्णनकर्ता यह भूल गया कि उनका पैमाना (पट्टी) और वे (मिस्टर हैमल) कितने क्रूर हैं। अब फ्रेन्ज की समझ में आया कि मि० हैमल ने अपनी सर्वश्रेष्ठ (रविवासरीय) पोशाक क्यों पहनी हुई थी और गाँव के वृद्ध लोग वहाँ क्यों बैठे हुए थे। वे अध्यापक की चालीस वर्ष की स्वामीभक्ति पूर्ण सेवा के लिए उनका धन्यवाद करने तथा उस देश के प्रति सम्मान प्रकट करने आए थे जो अब उनका नहीं था।

मि० हैमल ने फ्रेन्ज को सस्वर गाने को कहा, किन्तु वह वहाँ चुपचाप खड़ा रहा। अध्यापक ने उसे नहीं धमकाया। उसने स्वीकार किया कि स्वयं वह (अध्यापक) तथा फ्रेन्ज के माता-पिता दोषी थे। फिर उसने फ्रांसीसी भाषा के विषय में बातें की कि यह संसार की सबसे सुन्दर भाषा, सबसे साफ एवं अत्यधिक तर्कपूर्ण है। उसने हमें कहा कि अपने बीच इसकी रक्षा करें तथा कभी न भूलें । उनकी भाषा उनके कारावास की कुंजी थी।

फिर उन्हें व्याकरण तथा लेखन के पाठ मिले। छत पर कबूतर बहुत धीमे गुटरगूं कर रहे थे। फ्रेन्ज सोचने लगा कि क्या वे कबूतरों को भी जर्मन भाषा में गाना गवायेंगे। इस पूरे समय मि० हैमल कुर्सी पर गतिहीन बैठे हुए किसी न किसी वस्तु को देखते रहे। उनकी बहन ऊपर वाले कमरे में ट्रंकों में अपना सामान लगा रही थी क्योंकि उन्हें अगले दिन देश छोड़कर जाना था।

लेखन के पश्चात, उनका इतिहास का पाठ था, तथा फिर बच्चों ने मंत्र की भाँति उच्चारित किया—बा, बे, बी, बो, बु। वृद्ध हॉसर भी रो रहा था। अचानक गिरजाघर के घंटे ने बारह बजाये तब दोपहर की प्रार्थना हुई। उस क्षण प्रशिया के सैनिकों के सैन्य अभ्यास से लौटने की तुरही की ध्वनि खिड़कियों के नीचे से आई। मि० हैमल खड़ा हो गया। वह बोलना चाहता था किन्तु किसी चीज़ से उसका गला सँध गया।

फिर उन्होंने चॉक का एक टुकड़ा उठाया तथा, जितने बड़े अक्षरों में वह लिख सकता था, उसने श्यामपट पर लिखा “फ्रांस अमर रहे।” इसके पश्चात् वह रुक गया तथा दीवार के साथ अपना सिर झुका लिया। बिना कोई शब्द बोले उसने हाथ से ही यह इंगित करने की मुद्रा बनाई कि विद्यालय की छुट्टी हो गई थी तथा वे जा सकते थे।

Environmental Issues Notes Class 12 Biology Chapter 16

→ An increase in the human population is exerting tremendous pressure on our natural resources and is also contributing to pollution of air, water, and soil.

→ Pollution is referred to any undesirable change in physical, chemical, or biological characteristics of air, land, water, or soil. The agents that bring about such undesirable change are called pollutants. To control environmental pollution, the Government of India has passed the Environmental (Protection) Act, 1986. This Act is to protect the quality of the environment.

→ Air pollution primarily results from the burning of fossil fuel, e.g., coal and petroleum, in industries and in automobiles. Air pollution is harmful to both animals and plants. Strict measures should be taken to keep our air clean.

→ The most common source of pollution of water bodies is domestic sewage. It reduces dissolved oxygen but increases biochemical oxygen demand of receiving water.

→ Domestic sewage is rich in nitrogen and phosphorus. It causes eutrophication and nuisance algae bloom.

• Industrial water waste is rich in toxic chemicals such as heavy metals and organic compounds. It can harm living organisms.
• Municipal solid wastes also can create problems.

→ A few toxic substances often present in industrial wastewaters can undergo biological magnification in the aquatic food chain Increase in concentration of the toxicant at successive trophic levels refers to biomagnification. This is due to a toxic substance accumulated by an organism that cannot be metabolized or excreted, and thus, passes on the next higher trophic level. This phenomenon is well known for mercury arid DDT.

Biomagnification of DDT in an aquatic food chain

Eutrophication refers to the natural aging of a lake by the biological enrichment of its waters. Wastewater including sewage can be treated in an integrated manner, by utilizing a mix of artificial and natural processes. Disposal of hazardous waste like defunct ships, radioactive wastes, and e-wastes requires additional effort.

→ Soil pollution is due to agricultural chemicals such as pesticides, insecticides, etc., and leachates from solid wastes deposited over it.

→ The major environmental issue of global nature is the increasing greenhouse effect. It is a naturally occurring phenomenon that is responsible for heating of earth’s surface and atmosphere. Without the greenhouse effect, the average temperature at the surface of the earth would have been -18°C rather than the present average of 15°C. Increased pollution on the earth is increasing the greenhouse effect, which is warming the earth.

→ The enhanced greenhouse effect is mainly due to increased emission of carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, CFCs, and deforestation. These pollutants and depleting the ozone layer. The effects may be changed in rainfall pattern, increase in global temperature and besides deleteriously will affect living organisms. The ozone layer in the stratosphere is depleting due to the emission of CFCs. The ozone layer protects us from the harmful effects of the UV rays of the sun. The depletion of the ozone layer can increase the risk of skin cancer, mutation, and other disorders.

→ Pollution: Undesirable change in physical. chemical or biological characteristics of air, land, water, or salt.

→ Pollutants: Agents which bring undesirable change in the abiotic components of the environment.

→ CNG: Compressed Natural Gas.

→ Noise: Undesirable high level of sound.

→ BOD: Biochemical Oxygen Demand.

→ Biomagnification: Increase in the concentration of the toxicant at successive trophic levels.

→ Eutrophication: Refers to the natural aging of a lake by biological enrichment of its water.

→ Solid wastes: Everything that goes out ¡n trash.

→ Municipal solid waste: Waste from homes, offices, hospitals, schools, etc. that are collected and disposed of by the municipality.

→ Electronic wastes: Irreparable computer and other electronic goods.

→ CFCs: Chlorofluorocarbons.

→ Snow blindness: Inflammation of the cornea.

→ Soil erosion: Removal of topsoil by natural agents such as wind, water, etc.

→ Reforestation: Process of restoring a forest.

Class 12 Biology Revision Notes Chapter 15 Biodiversity and Conservation

Biodiversity or biological diversity is the occurrence of different types of ecosystems, different species of organisms and their variant like biotypes, ecotypes and gene adapted to different climates and environments of different regions including their interactions and processes.This term was coined by Edward Wilson.The vast array of species of micro-organisms, algae, fungi, plants and animals occurring on the earth either in the terrestrial or aquatic habitats and the ecological complexes of which they are a part comprises biodiversity . Diversity ranges from macromolecules to biomes.

The important diversity at the levels of biological organization are-

I. Genetic Diversity- a single species might show high diversity at the genetic level over its distributional range. Rauwolfia vomitoria shows genetic variation in terms of concentration and potency of chemical reserpine India has more than 50,000 genetically different strains of rice and 1000 varieties of mango.

II. Species Diversity- diversity at species level for example, the Western Ghats have more amphibian species diversity than the Eastern Ghats.

III. Ecological Diversity- deserts, rain forests, mangroves, coral reefs, wetlands, estuaries and alpine meadows are types of ecological diversity.

Biodiversity and its conservation are vital environmental issues of international concern as more and more people around the world begin to realize the critical importance of biodiversity for survival and well-being on this planet.

· According to the IUCN, the total number of plant and animal species described so far is about 1.5 million but still many species are yet to discovered and described.

· More than 70% of all the species recorded are animals while rest are plants including algae, fungi, bryophytes, gymnosperms and angiosperms. Among animals, 70% of total are insects.

· The number of fungi species in the world is more than the combined total of the species of fishes, amphibians, reptiles and mammals.

BIODIVERSITY IN INDIA

• India is one of the twelve mega biodiversity countries of the world.
• India has only 2.4% of the land area of the world, it has 8.1% of the global species biodiversity.
• There are about 45,000 species of plants and about 90,000-1,00,000 species of animals.
• New species are yet to be discovered and named.
• Applying Robert May’s global estimate, only 22% of the total species have been recorded, India has probably more than 1,00,000 species of plants and 3,00,000 species of animals to be discovered and described

Patterns of Biodiversity

a) Latitudinal gradients- the diversity of plants and animals is not uniform throughout the world and shows uneven distribution. This distribution pattern is along the latitudinal gradient in diversity. Species diversity decreases as we move away from the equator towards the poles. Tropics harbor more species than temperate or polar areas.Amazonian Rainforest has the greatest biodiversity on earth. It has more than 40000 species of plants, 1,25,000 species of insects, 300 species of fish, 427 of amphibian and 378 of reptiles, 1300 species of birds and 427 of mammals. Various hypothesis has been proposed regarding this such as-

a) Speciation is a function of time unlike temperate regions subjected to frequent glaciation in past, tropical latitudes have remained relatively undisturbed for millions of years and thus had long evolutionary time for species diversification.

b) Tropical environments unlike temperate ones are less seasonal and more constant and predictable which promote niche specialization and lead to a greater species diversity.

c)There is more solar energy available in the tropics which contribute to higher productivity  this in turn contribute indirectly to greater diversity.

b) Species-Area relationships

• Alexander Von Humboldt has observed that within a region, species richness gets increased when explored area is increased, but only up to a limit.
• The relationship between species richness and area for a number of taxa like angiospermic plants, fresh water fishes and birds is found to be a rectangular hyperbola.

On logarithmic scale, the relationship is a straight line described by the equation-

log S = log C + Z log A.

Where, S= species, A= Area, Z= slope of the line, C =Y- intercept.

• Ecologists have discovered that the value of Z lies in range of 0.1 to 0.2 regardless of taxonomic group of the region.
•   In very large area like continents, Z value ranges between 0.6 & 1.2.

The importance of Species Diversity to the Ecosystem

The communities with more species are generally more stable than those with less species. A stable community should not be show too much variation in productivity from year to year.

Rich biodiversity is essential for ecosystem health and imperative for the very survival of human race on this planet.

Rivet popper hypothesis – given by Paul Ehrlich. In an airplane (ecosystem) all parts are joined together using thousands of rivets (species). If every passenger travelling in it starts popping a rivet to take home (causing a species to become extinct), it may not affect flight safety (proper functioning of the ecosystem) initially, but as more and more rivets are removed, the plane becomes dangerously weak over a period of time. Furthermore, which rivet is removed may also be critical. Loss of rivets on the wings (key species that drive major ecosystem functions) is obviously a more serious threat to flight safety than loss of a few rivets on the seats or windows inside the plane

Loss of Biodiversity

The biological wealth of our planets have been declining rapidly due to three factors – Population, Urbanisation and Industrialisation.The IUCN Red List (2004) documents the extinction of 784 species (including 338 vertebrates, 359 invertebrates and 87 plants) in the last 500 years. Some examples of recent extinctions include the dodo (Mauritius), quagga (Africa), thylacine (Australia), Steller’s Sea Cow (Russia) and three subspecies (Bali, Javan, Caspian) of tiger. In last 20 years, 27 species have been disappeared. In general, loss of biodiversity in a region may lead to

a. Decline in plant production

b. Lowered resistance to environmental perturbations, drought, and flood.

c. Increased variability in ecosystem processes such as productivity, water use, and pest and disease cycles.

Causes of biodiversity losses

Faster rates of species extinctions are largely due to human activities. The four major causes are called ‘The Evil Quartet’.

1) Habitat loss and fragmentation– is the most important cause of animals and plants extinction. The amazon rain forest (lungs of the planet) having millions of species is being cut and cleared for cultivating soya beans or for conversion to grasslands. When large habitats are broken up into small fragments due to various human activities, mammals are birds requiring large territories migrate and badly affected.

2) Over-exploitation–    When biological system is over exploited by man for the natural resources ,it results in degradation and extinction of the resources , e.g Steller’s sea cow, passenger pigeon etc. Many marine fish population are over harvested, endangering the continued existence of some important species.

3) Alien species invasions– when alien species enters intentionally or unintentionally, some of them turn invasive and cause decline or extinction of indigenous species.The Nile perch introduced into Lake Victoria in east Africa led eventually to the extinction of an ecologically unique assemblage of more than 200 species of cichlid fish in the lake. Invasive weeds species like carrot grass (parthenium), Lantana and water hyacinth causing threats to indigenous species.

4) Co-extinctions– when a species becomes extinct, the plant and animal species associated with it also become extinct. When a host fish species becomes extinct, its unique assemblage of parasites also becomes extinct.

Biodiversity Conservation

We should conserve the biodiversity due to following groups of regions-

I. The narrowly utilitarian– human obtain countless direct economic benefits from nature like food, firewood, fibres, construction material, medicinal plants and industrial products. With increasing resources put into ‘bio-prospecting’ nations endowed with rich biodiversity can expect to reap enormous benefits.

II. The Broadly Utilitarian– biodiversity plays a major role in ecosystem services that nature provides. Productions of Oxygen during photosynthesis, pollination without natural pollinator, pleasure from nature are priceless.

III. Ethical– for conserving biodiversity relates to what we own to millions of plants, animals and microbes species with whom we share this planet. Every species has an intrinsic value although it may not be of current or any economic value to us. It is our moral duty to care for their well-being and pass on our biological legacy in good order to future generations.

How do we conserve Biodiversity?

When whole ecosystem is conserved, all its biodiversity is also protected. There are two ways of conservation of biodiversity-

In situ ( on site) conservation– conservationists have identified for maximum protection certain ‘biodiversity hotspots’ regions with very high levels of species richness and high degree of endemism, species found in that region and not found anywhere else. There are 34 biodiversity hot spots in the world. These hotspots are also regions of accelerated habitat loss. India has 14 biosphere reserves, 90 national parks and 448 wildlife sanctuaries.

Ex situ (off site) conservation– in this method, threatened animals and plants are taken out from their natural habitat and placed in special setting when they be protected and given special care . Zoological parks, Botanical Gardens and wildlife safari parks are used for this purpose. Now gemetes of threatened species can be preserved in viable and fertile condition for long periods of time using cryopreservation technique. Eggs can be fertilized in vitro and plants can be propagated using tissue culture methods.

The historic convention on Biological Diversity (The Earth Summit) held in Rio de Janeiro in 1992,called upon all nations to take appropriate measures for conservation of biodiversity and the World Summit on  sustainable development held in 2002 in Johannesburg, South Africa, 190 countries pledged their commitment to achieve by 2010, a significant reduction in the current rate of biodiversity loss at global, regional and local levels.    

Class 12 Biology Revision Notes Chapter 14 Ecosystem

Ecosystem is the functional unit of nature where living organisms interact among themselves and also with the surroundings physical environment.

Ecosystem- Structure and Functions

Ecosystem : There are  two basic categories of ecosystem , namely the terrestrial and the aquatic.

Terrestrial ecosystem – forest, grassland , desert etc.

Aquatic ecosystem – ponds, lake, river estuary etc.

The biotic and abiotic factors of ecosystem work in integrated manner for flow of energy within the components of ecosystem. Interaction of biotic and abiotic components results in a physical structure that is characteristic for each type of ecosystem. The vertical distribution of different species occupying different levels is called stratification.For example, trees occupy top vertical strata or layer of a forest, shrubs the second and herbs and grasses occupy the bottom layers.

The components of ecosystem that are seen as functional unit are

(i) Productivity
(ii) Decomposition
(iii) Energy flow
(iv) Nutrient cycling.

· Productivity- Primary production is defined as the amount of biomass or organic matter produced per unit area over a time period by plants during photosynthesis. It is expressed in terms of weight (g –2 ) or energy (kcal m–2 ). The rate of biomass production is called productivity. It is expressed in terms of g –2 yr –1 or (kcal m–2 ) yr –1. It can be divided into gross primary productivity (GPP) and net primary productivity (NPP). GPP of an ecosystem is the rate of production of organic matter during photosynthesis and NPP is the remaining biomass after respiration (R).

GPP –R = NPP

NPP is the available biomass for consumption to heterotrophs. Secondary productivity is defined as the rate of formation of new organic matter by consumers.

Decomposition- breakdown of complex organic matter into inorganic substances like carbon dioxide, water and nutrients is called decomposition. Dead plants remains like leaves, bark, flowers and dead remains of animals constitute detritus. Decomposition involves following steps- fragmentation, leaching, catabolism, humification and mineralization.

1. Fragmentation of Detritus: Detritivores feed on detritus —breakdown — increases the surface area of detritus particles for microbial action.
2. Leaching: Soluble inorganic nutrients dissolve in water -– percolate through the soil —removed due to leaching action.
3. Catabolism: Decomposers (bacteria, fungi) release enzymes — decompose detritus — simpler inorganic compounds.
4. Humification: Simplified detritus— converted to humus

– Humus is a Dark, Amorphous substance.
– Highly resistant to Microbial Action
– Undergoes Decomposition very Slowly.
– Reservoir of nutrients (due to colloidal nature)

5. Mineralisation: Humus is degraded – releases inorganic substances
( CO₂, H₂O etc) and nutrients (Ca²⁺, Mg²⁺,K⁺ etc)

Factors affecting rate of Decomposition:

1. Chemical composition – decomposition rate will be slow when detritus is rich in lignin and chitin and rate increases when detritus is rich in nitrogen and water soluble substances like sugars.

2. Climatic conditions – warm and moist environment favour decomposition and low temperature and anaerobiosis inhibit decomposition.

Energy Flow- All living organisms are dependent for their food on producers, directly or indirectly. There is a unidirectional flow of energy from the sun to producers and then to consumers. Photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) is responsible for synthesis of food by plants. Animals obtain their food from plants, so they are called consumers. The process of eating and being eaten is called food chain in which energy flow from producers to consumers. In Grazing food chain (GFC)-

The detritus food chain begins (DFC) begins with dead organic matter. It is made up of decomposers which are heterotrophic organisms (fungi and bacteria). These are also known as saprotrophs (sapro: to decompose). Decomposers secrete digestive enzymes that breakdown dead and waste materials into simple, inorganic materials, which are subsequently absorbed by them.Natural interconnection of food chain forms the food web.

Based on source of food, organism occupies a specific place in food chain that is known as trophic level.

Each tropic level has a certain mass of living material at particular time called as standing crop. It is measured as biomass of living organism or number in unit area.

The number of trophic levels in the grazing food chain is limited as the transfer of energy follows 10 percent law that is only 10 percent of the energy is transferred to each trophic level from the lower trophic level. In GFC, following trophic levels are possible- producer, herbivore, primary carnivore, secondary carnivore.

Ecological Pyramids

Ecological pyramid is the graphical representation of an ecological parameter (number, biomass, energy) sequence wise in various trophic levels of a food chain with producers at the base and herbivores in the middle and carnivores at the top tiers. It can be upright, inverted, or spindle shaped.

Three common ecological pyramids are

a) Pyramids of number- employs the number of individuals per unit area at various trophic levels with producer at base and various consumers at successively higher levels. It is generally upright.

A pyramid of number in case of a big tree is generally inverted because number of  insects  feeding on that tree generally exceeds in number.

b) Pyramids of biomass- represent the biomass in various trophic levels. A pyramid of mass is upright except in aquatic food chain involving short lived plankton.

A pyramid of biomass in sea is generally inverted because biomass of fishes generally exceeds that of phytoplankton.

c) Pyramids of energy- that give s graphic representation of amount of energy trapped by different trophic levels per unit area. Pyramid of energy is always upright, can never be inverted, because when energy flows from a particular trophic level to the next trophic level, some energy is always lost as heat at each step e.g in feeding, digestion, assimilation and respiration.

Ecological Succession

The gradual and fairly predictable change in species composition of a given area is called ecological succession. During succession some species colonise an area and their population becomes more numerous whereas population of other species decline and even disappear.

· Orderly and sequential change that leads to a community that is near equilibrium is called climax community.

· The entire sequence of communities that successively changes in a given area is called sere and individual transitional communities are termed seral stage or seral communities.

Ecoloical Succession : Primary sucsesion, Secondary Succession

· Primary succession starts where no organism are there. For example bare rocks, cooled volcano etc. Secondary succession occurs in the area where the living organisms have lost due to certain regions like forest fire. Earthquake etc.

Succession of Plants

On the basis of nature of habitat, succession of plants can be grouped as-

o Hydrach succession takes place in wetter area and the successional series progress from hydric to the mesic conditions.

o Xerarch succession takes place in dry areas and series progress from xeric to mesic conditions.

· The species that invade a bare area are called pioneer species. In primary succession on rocks lichens are pioneer species that secrete acids to dissolve the rock for weathering to form soil.

· In primary succession in water, the pioneer species are the small phytoplanktons that are replaced by free floating angiosperms.

· Primary succession is slow process as soil is not available for pioneer species but secondary succession is comparatively faster due to availability of soil or other nutrients. A climax community is reached much faster in case of secondary succession.

Nutrient Cycling

The movement of nutrients elements through the various components of an ecosystem is called nutrient cycling. It is also called as biogeochemical cycles. There are two types of nutrient cycles-

· Gaseous – exist in atmosphere.

· Sedimentary- exists in earth crust.

Environmental factors like soil, moisture, pH, temperature regulate the rate of release of nutrients into the atmosphere. The function of reservoir is to meet with the deficit which occurs due to imbalance in the rate fo influx and efflux.

Carbon Cycle

Carbon cycling occurs through atmosphere, ocean and through living and dead organisms. Most of carbon is fixed by plants during the process of photosynthesis and returns to atmosphere in form of CO2 during respiration. Burning of wood, forest fire and combustion of organic matter, fossil fuel, and volcanic activity are other sources of releasing CO2 in the atmosphere.

Phosphorus Cycle

The natural reservoir of phosphorus is rock which contains phosphorus in the form of phosphates. On weathering, minute amount of phosphates dissolve in soil solution and absorbed by the roots of the plants. The waste products of dead organisms are decomposed by bacteria to release phosphorus. Gaseous exchange between organism and environment is negligible as compared to carbon.

Phosphorus Cycle

Ecosystem Services

The products of ecosystem processes are called ecosystem services. It includes-

· The healthy forest ecosystem purify air and water

· Mitigates floods and droughts

· Cycle nutrients

· Generate fertile soil

· Provide wildlife habitat

· Maintain biodiversity etc.

Researchers have put an average price tag of US $33 trillion a year on these fundamental ecosystems services which are taken granted because they are free although its value is twice the total global gross national product (GNP).         

Class 12 Biology Revision Notes Chapter 13 Organisms and Populations

Ecology is the branch of biology that deals with the interactions among organisms and between the organism and its physical (abiotic) environment . Study of ecology is important to strike a balance between development and maintenance of natural environmental and biotic communities, use and conservation of resources, solve local , regional and global environmental problems.

• It is basically concerned with four levels of biological organisation – organisms, populations, communities and biomes.
• Ecological hierarchy or ecological level of organization connected with ecological grouping of organisms.

• Organism and its Environment
• The sum total of all biotic and abiotic factors, substances and conditions that surround and potentially influence organisms without becoming their constituent part is called environment.At organism level, physiological ecology tries to understand how different organisms are adapted to their environment in terms of survival and reproduction. The variation in the intensity and duration of temperature along with annual variations in precipitation results in formation of major biomes like desert, rain forest and tundra.

• Regional and local variations within each biome lead to the formation of different kinds of habitats like tropical rain forest, deciduous forest, desert, sea coast etc.
• The habitat includes biotic components like pathogens, parasites, predators and competitors of the organism with which they interact constantly.Major Abiotic Factors
  a) Temperature- is the most important ecological factor to determine the bio-mass of a place. Average temperature on land varies seasonally and decreases progressively from the equator towards the poles and from plains to mountain tops. Temperature affects the kinetics of enzymes and basal metabolism along with physiological functions of the organisms.
• The organisms that can tolerate wide range of temperature are called eurythermal ,for example cat , dogs , tigers etc.
• The organism which have the ability to tolerate only a narrow range of temperature are called stenothermal ,for example Penguin, fishes,crocodile.etc.b) Water- life on earth is unsustainable without water. Productivity and distribution of plants is heavily dependent on water. For aquatic organisms the quality (chemical composition, pH) of water becomes important. The salt concentration (measured as salinity in parts per thousand), is less than 5 in inland waters, 30-35 in the sea and > 100 in some hypersaline lagoons
• The organisms that can tolerate wide range of salinities are called euryhaline ,for example salmon , hierring etc.
• The organism which have the ability to tolerate only a narrow range of salinities are called stenohaline, for example goldfish ( freshwater ) and haddock ( marine water )etc.c) Light- plants produce food through photosynthesis in presence of sunlight. Some plants are adapted to low light conditions because they are overshadowed by tall canopied trees. Flowering in some plants occurs only in presence of critical day light called Photoperiodism. The availability of light and land is closely linked that of temperature as the sun is the source of both. UV component of sunlight is harmful to plants and animals.d) Soil- Types of soil depends upon climate, weathering process, whether soil is transported or sedimentary and how soil development occurred. Soil composition, grain size and aggregation determine the percolation and water holding capacity of the soils along with pH, mineral, composition and topography determine the vegetation in any area.Responses to Abiotic Factor : In the course of evolution, many species have evolved constant internal environment to permits all biochemical reactions and physiological functions to work with maximum efficiency to have over all fitness of species. Organisms try to maintain the constancy of its internal environment (homeostasis)inspite of varying external environment. There are various ways to establish hemostasis-

• Regulate- all birds and animals are capable of maintaining homeostasis by physiological means which ensures constant body temperature, constant osmotic concentration etc. Thermoregulation and osmoregulation is the source of success of mammals in all the environmental conditions. In summer, when outside temperature is more than our body temperature, we sweat oftenly, resulting evaporative cooling, which brings down the body temperature. In winter  we start to shiver, a kind of exercise which produces heat and raises the body temperature.
• Conform- most of animals and plants, their body temperature change with ambient temperature. In aquatic animals osmotic concentration of the body fluid change with that of the ambient water osmotic concentration. These animals are called conformer. Conformer are not able to bear the energetic expenses to maintain the constant body temperature.Heat loss or heat gain is a function of surface area. Since small animals have a larger surface area relative to their volume, they tend to lose body heat very fast when it is cold outside; then they have to expend much energy to generate body heat through metabolism. This is the main reason why very small animals are rarely found in polar regions.
• Migrate- the organism move away for time being from the stressful unfavorable habitat to more suitable habitat and return back when stressful period is over. Many birds undertake long-distance to migrate to more hospitable areas. Siberia birds migrate to Keolado National park, Bharatpur, India.
• Suspend- in microorganisms like bacteria, fungi and lower plants a thick walled spores is formed which help them to survive unfavorable conditions. These spores germinate on return of suitable conditions. In higher plants, seeds and some other vegetative reproductive structures serves the means to tide over periods of stress and help them in dispersal also. The metabolic activities are reduced to minimum during this dormant period.a)Hibernation – the condition or period of an animal or plant spending the winter in a dormant state e.g bear
  b)Aestivation – the condition or period of an animal or plant spending the summer to avoid heat and dessication in a dormant state e.g snails .
  c)Diapause – a stage of suspended development in zooplankton species in lakes and ponds.

Adaptation is the attribute of organism morphological, physiological and behavioral changes that enables the organism to survive and reproduce in its habitat.

• Kangaroo  rat in North American deserts fulfill the water requirement by internal oxidation of fat in absence of water.It also has the ability to concentrate its urine so that minimal volume of water is used to remove excretory products.
• Thick cuticle in many plants also prevents loss of water. CAM plants open their stomata during night to reduce the loss of water during photosynthesis.
• Mammals from colder climates have shorter ears and limbs to minimize heat loss. This is called Allen’s Rule.
• In polar seas aquatic mammals like seals have a thick layer of fat called blubber, below their skin that acts as an insulator and reduces loss of body heat.
• Altitude sickness is observed at higher altitude that includes symptoms like nausea, fatigue, heart palpitations due to less oxygen and atmospheric pressure. The person gradually get acclimatized and stop experiencing altitude sickness. This is type of physiological adaptation.
• A number of marine invertebrate and fish live in temperature always less than zero and some lives in greatdepth in ocean where pressure is very high by array of biochemical adaptations.
• Some organisms like desert lizard lack the physiological ability that mammals have but deal with high temperature of their habitat by behavioral means. They bask in the sun and absorb heat and when their body temperature drops below the comfort zone, but moves in shade when the ambient temperature starts increasing.

Populations: Individuals of any species live in groups in well-defined geographical area, share or compete for similar resources, potentially interbreed and constitute a population.

Population Attributes: A population has certain attributes that an individual organism does not such as an individual may have births and deaths, but a population has birth rates and death rates.

• The birth and death rates are referred as per capita births or deaths respectively, which is increase and decrease with respect to members of the population.
• Sex ratio is another attributes of population. An individual may be male or female but population has sex ratio.
• A population at given time composed of different individual of different ages. If the age distribution is plotted for the population, the resulting structure is called age pyramids. The shape of pyramids reflects the shape of growth status of population. Which may be
  (i) Expending
  (ii) Stable
  (iii) Declining

§ Population size or population density (N) is measured in terms of number but it may sometime not appropriate.

Population Growth : The size of population is not static. It keeps changing with time, depending upon food availability, predation pressure and reduces weather. The main factors that determine the population growth are-

o Natality (number of birth during a given period in the population)

o Mortality ( number of death during a given period in the population)

o Immigration (individual of same species that have come into the habitat)

o Emigration ( individual of population that have left the habitat )

If ‘N’ is the population density at a time‘t’, then its density at time t+1 is

Nt + 1 Nt + [(B + I) – (D + E)]

Population density will increase if the number of births plus the number of immigrants (B + I) is more than the number of deaths plus the number of emigrants (D + E), otherwise it will decrease.

Growth model

Growth of population takes place according to availability of food, habit condition and presence of other biotic and abiotic factors. There are two main types of models-

i. Exponential Growth- in this kinds of growth occurs when food and space is available in sufficient amount. When resources in the habitat are unlimited, each species has the ability to realise fully its innate potential to grow in number .The population grows in an exponential or geometric fashion. If in a population of size N, the birth rates as represented as ‘b’ and death rate as ‘d’. Then increase and decrease in N during unit period time ‘t’ will be

dN / dt = (b – d) × N

Let (b – d) = r, then

dN / dt = rN

Then, the r in this equation is called ‘intrinsic rate of natural increase’.

ii. Logistic Growth- there is a competition between the individuals of a population for food and space. The fittest organism survives and reproduces. In this types of growth initially shows a leg phase followed by phases of acceleration and de-acceleration.

Where N = Population density at time t

R = Intrinsic rate of natural increase

K = Carrying capacity
Since resources for growth for populations are finite and become limiting , the logistic growth model is considered a more realistic one.

Population interaction

All animals, plants and microbes in a biological community interact with each other. These interactions may be beneficial, detrimental or neutral to one of species or both. Following types of interaction is seen-

a. Predation

b. Competition

c. Parasitism

d. Commensalism

e. Mutualism

PREDATION : It is an Interspecific Interaction where one animal kills and consumes the other weaker animal.
Roles of Predators

• Transfer energy from plants to higher trophic levels (position of organism in food chain)
• Control Prey population – Prickly pear cactus- moth
• Biological control of Agricultural pest
• Maintain species diversity by reducing intensity of competition among competing prey species
• Over exploitation of prey by the predators results in extinction of prey and predator.
• Defense to lessen impact of predation
  a)Insects and frog – camouflage
  b)Monarch butterfly – poisonous

PLANTS MORPHOLOGICAL AND CHEMICAL DEFENCES

• Thorns- cactus and Acacia
• Produce and store chemical – Calotropis
• Nicotine, Caffeine, Quinin, Strychnine, opium – against grazers & browsers

COMPETITION

Interaction either among individuals of same species or between individuals of different species.
Occurs among closely related species but not always true

1. Unrelated species also compete- flamingo & fish compete for zooplankton
2. Feeding efficiency of a species reduce due to other species even if resources are plenty – Abingdon tortoise.

Evidence for competition

Competitive release – species distribution restricted to small areas due to competitively superior species.

GAUSE’S COMPETITION EXCLUSION PRINCIPLE

“Two closely related species competing for same resources cannot coexist as the competitively inferior one will be eliminated.”

Resource partition– Two competing species avoid competition by diff. feeding and foraging patterns-Mc Arthur (warblers foraging activities)

PARASITISM

It is the interaction where one species (parasite) depends on the other species (host) for food and shelter, host is harmed.

• Parasites and host self-evolve.
• Adaptations of parasites

– Loss of unnecessary sense organs
– Hooks and sucker
– Loss of digestive system
– High Reproductive capacity

• Parasites-

(i) Reduce the survival of host
(ii) Growth and reproductive rate are reduced
(iii) Render the host vulnerable to its predators by making them weak

Types of parasite

ECTOPARASITES–depend on external surface of host
Example – head lice on humans, ticks on dogs

ENDOPARASITES–take shelter within the body of the host organism
Example – Liverfluke, Plasmodium

MUTUALISM

It is interaction in which both the interacting species are benefited
Examples
1. Lichen – fungi and algae
2. Mycorrhizae – fungi and roots of higher plants
3. Pollination of plants by insects
4. Mediterranean orchid- sexual deceit for pollination- appears as female bee

AMENSALISM: Interaction between two different species, in which one species is harmed and the other species is neither harmed nor benefited. Example.  Bacterial culture, after few days fungus growth will be there on it like Pencillium, and its secretions of chemical will kill bacteria, but no benefits to fungi.