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“Little Girls Wiser Than Men” by Leo Tolstoy is a captivating chapter that presents a powerful lesson on forgiveness, innocence, and the wisdom of children. This story introduces students to a seemingly simple incident that escalates into a community conflict, only to be resolved by the pure hearts and actions of two young girls. As you read this chapter, you’ll explore themes of human nature, the absurdity of adult conflicts, and the transformative power of childlike innocence.
Bihar Board Class 10 English Prose Chapter 8 Solutions
| Chapter | 8. Little Girls Wiser Than Men |
| Author | Leo Tolstoy |
| Subject | English (Panorama) |
| Class | 10th |
| Board | Bihar Board |
B. 1. Answer the following questions briefly.
Q1. Which festival was referred by the writer?
Ans. The writer referred to Easter, a festival celebrating the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Q2. Why sledging was over?
Ans. Sledging was over because the snow had stopped falling and begun to melt.
Q3. Why there was water running in streams down the village street?
Ans. Water was running in streams down the village street due to the melting snow.
Q4. Where do two little girls meet?
Ans. The two little girls meet in a lane between two homesteads.
Q5. Are they of same age?
Ans. No, the two girls are not of the same age.
Q6. Why did Akoulaya try to check Malasha?
Ans. Akoulya tried to check Malasha because she was concerned that Malasha’s mother would scold her for wet shoes and stockings.
Q7. What advice did Akoulaya offer?
Ans. Akoulya advised Malasha to remove her shoes and stockings to prevent them from getting wet in the pool.
B.2. Say True (T) or False (F) to the following statements.
- Akoulaya and Malasha take off their shoes and stockings. – T
- They do not walk towards each other in the puddle. – F
- Malasha assures Akoulya that water is deep. – T
- Malasha splashes water. – T
- Akoulaya ran to strike Malasha. – T
- Malasha purposely splashes water. – T
B.3. Fill up the blanks.
Ans.
They all went on quarelling, till one gave another a push and the affair had very nearly come to blows, when Akoulya’s old grandmother, stepping in. among them, tried to them. What are you thinking of friends? Is it right to behave so? On a day like .this, too! It is a time rejoicing and not for such folly as this.
B.3.2. Answer the following questions briefly.
Q1. Why Akoulaya started shouting at Malasha?
Ans. Akoulya started shouting at Malasha because she blamed her for splashing mud on her frock, eyes, and nose.
Q2. Why Akoulya’s mother seized Malasha?
Ans. Akoulya’s mother seized Malasha to punish her based on her daughter’s complaint.
Q3. What happens when malasha’s mother came out after hearing herhowl?
Ans. When Malasha’s mother came out after hearing her daughter’s cries, she saw Akoulya’s mother beating Malasha and began rebuking her neighbor.
Q4. Why no one listening?
Ans. No one was listening because everyone was shouting and quarreling simultaneously.
Q5. Did the old woman succeed in her efforts?
Ans. No, the old woman did not succeed in her efforts to calm the situation.
Q6. What did Akoulaya do while other women were abusing?
Ans. While the women were arguing, Akoulya cleaned the mud from her frock and returned to the small pool of water. She began creating a channel for the water to flow into the street.
Q7. What the two girls do when men started fighting?
Ans. When the men started fighting, both girls began scraping away the land in front of the small pool to create a channel for the water to run into the street.
Q8. Were they too fighting?
Ans. No, the two girls were not fighting at that time; they were cooperating to divert the water.
C.A. Long Type Questions with Answers.
Q1. Describe why the two girls were dressed in new cloths and showing their finery to each other?
Ans. The two girls were dressed in new clothes and showing their finery to each other because it was Easter, a significant religious festival. They had just returned from church and were proudly displaying their special outfits and jewelry. This behavior is typical for children on festive occasions, as they enjoy showing off their new and impressive garments. The girls’ actions reflect the importance of the celebration and the tradition of wearing one’s best clothes to church on such days.
Q2. Why did they step into the puddle and what makes them fight?
Ans. The girls stepped into the puddle out of playfulness and curiosity, a common behavior for children encountering water. The fight started when Malasha accidentally splashed water on Akoulya’s new dress by stomping in the puddle. Akoulya, misinterpreting this as an intentional act, became angry and chased Malasha to retaliate. This misunderstanding, combined with the girls’ excitement and the precious nature of their new clothes, quickly escalated into a conflict. Their reaction demonstrates how easily children can form prejudiced opinions and how small incidents can lead to larger disagreements.
Q3. What did the old woman mean by “Is it right to behave so? on a day like this too!”
Ans. The old woman’s statement, “Is it right to behave so? On a day like this too!” expresses her disappointment and concern over the quarreling she witnessed. Her words carry multiple meanings: firstly, she implies that such behavior is inappropriate regardless of the day. Secondly, she emphasizes that it’s especially wrong on Easter, a day of peace and celebration. The old woman is trying to remind the people of the spiritual significance of the day and the importance of maintaining harmony in the community. Her intervention reflects the role older members often play in maintaining social order and upholding traditional values during important cultural events.
Q4. Why writer calls two little girls “Dear little souls’
Ans. The writer calls the two little girls “Dear little souls” because of their innocent and forgiving nature. Despite their initial quarrel, Akoulya and Malasha quickly move past their disagreement and begin playing together again. They demonstrate a natural ability to “forget and forgive,” focusing on their shared enjoyment rather than holding grudges. This behavior stands in stark contrast to the adults who continue arguing. The girls’ actions show a purity of spirit and an innate understanding of cooperation that the writer finds admirable and touching, hence the affectionate term “Dear little souls.”
Q5. Explain, “Except Ye turn, and become as little children Ye shall in no wise enter into the kingdom of heaven.”
Ans. The phrase “Except ye turn, and become as little children, ye shall in no wise enter into the kingdom of heaven” emphasizes the importance of childlike qualities in spiritual and moral growth. In the story, Akoulya and Malasha demonstrate these qualities by quickly resolving their conflict and returning to play together. Their ability to forgive and move on contrasts sharply with the adults’ prolonged arguments. This illustrates that the path to wisdom and spiritual fulfillment lies in embracing childlike innocence, forgiveness, and the ability to let go of grudges. The writer suggests that adults should learn from children’s natural capacity for reconciliation and pure-hearted interaction to achieve a higher moral and spiritual state.
Q6. Why in the crowd everyone is shouting and no one is listening?
Ans. In the crowd, everyone is shouting and no one is listening because of the human tendency to defend one’s position without considering others’ perspectives. When conflicts arise, people often become emotionally invested in proving themselves right, leading them to talk over each other rather than engage in productive dialogue. This behavior reflects a lack of emotional maturity and the difficulty many adults have in admitting fault or considering alternative viewpoints. The chaotic scene serves as a counterpoint to the children’s quick reconciliation, highlighting the irony that the adults are behaving less rationally than the children they were initially trying to discipline.
D. Word study
E. 1. Phrasal verves: phrasal verb consist of two words (verb+adverb particle), which carries a single meaning and this meaning is not the sum total of the two words.
Ex. Give up, put out, break down are phrasal verbs.
Pick out phrasal verbs used in the lesson and use them in sentence of your own.
Ans.
Give up — Please give up your bad habits.
Put out — Put out the light, please.
Break down — His health broke down last summer.
Take off — Take off your clothes.
Comes up — The water came up to my knee.
Come out — The truth has come out.
Look at — She is looking at a picture.
E. Grammar Activities.
F. 1. One may report the words of a speaker in two different ways:
- May quote the actual words of speaker (direct speech).
- Or report what a speaker said without quoting his exact words is (indirect speech).
Look at the following sentences in your lesson
‘Don’t go in so, Malasha said she.
She said, ‘Your mother will scold you.
These are written within inverted coma to mark the exact words of the speaker.
Now look at following sentences
She advised Malasha not to go in that way.
She warned her that her mother would scold her.
In reporting statements, commands and requests of direct speech in indirect speech, few changes are required
Now pick out sentences from the lesson written in Direct speech and change them into indirect speech.
Ans. Direct speech
(i) “Don’t go inso, Malasha”, said she,” your mother will scold you. I will take oft my shoes and stockings, and you take off yours”
(ii) “It is deep, Akoulya, I’am afraid!”
(iii) “come on’ .replied the other. Don’t be frightened, it won’t get any deeper.
(iv) “Mind, Malasha, don’t splash, walk carefully!”
(v) “You naughty dirty girl, what have you been doing?”
Indirect speech of the sentence written above
(i) She forbade Malasha to go in. So her mother would scold her. She would take off her shoes and stockings and she (Malasha) must take off hers.
(ii) Malasha said that it was deep so she was afraid.
(iii) The other replied and called her then she forbade her not to be frightened it would not get any deeper.
(iv) Akoulya reminded Malasha not to splash and further she advised to walk carefully. ‘
(v) She rebuked Malasha as naughty and dirty girl and further asked what she had been doing.
Ex.2. Write extended form of the<following: one is done for you:–
I’m lam,
Won’t Don’t didn’t
hand’t hasn’t haven’t
Shouldn’t shan’t aren’t
wouldn’t weren’t isn’t
Answer:
won’t — will not
Don’t — donot
Didn’t — did not
Hadn’t — had not
Hasn’t — has not
Haven’t— have not
shouldn’t— shduld not
Shan’t — shall not
Aren’t — are not
wouldn’t— would not
weren’t— were not
Isn’t — isnot
Translation.
Translate the passage into Hindi:
They would not listen to the old lady, and nearly knocked her off her feet. And she would not have been able quite crowd, if it had not been for Akoulya and Malasha themselves. While the women were abusing each other, Akoulya had wiped the mud off her frock, and gone back to the puddle. She took a stone and began scraping away the earth in front of the puddle make a channel through which the water could run out into the street.
Ans.
उनलोगों ने उस बूढी महिला की बातों को नहीं सुना (बातों पर गौर नहीं किया), और उसे आघात पहुँचाकर लगभग उसको अपने पैरों पर गिरा दिया तथा वह भीड़ को शान्त नहीं करा सकी; यदि यह ऑकोल्या और मलाशा, उन दोनों के लिए नहीं होता। जब वे औरतें – एक दूसरे के प्रति अपशब्द (बुरे भले शब्द) का व्यवहार कर रही थीं, ऑकोल्या ने अपनी फ्रॉक में लगी हुई कीचड़ को पोंछ दिया तथा तालाब (छिछली पोखरी) में पुनः वापस चली गयी। उसने एक पत्थर उठा लिया और तालाब के सामने की जमीन को कुरेदना (काटना) प्रारम्भ किया। एक जलमार्ग (नाली) बनाने के लिए जिससे होकर पानी गली में बह सके ।
| Other Chapter Solutions |
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| Chapter 1 Solutions: The Pace for Living |
| Chapter 2 Solutions: Me and The Ecology Bit |
| Chapter 3 Solutions: Gillu |
| Chapter 4 Solutions: What is Wrong with Indian Film |
| Chapter 5 Solutions: Acceptance Speech |
| Chapter 6 Solutions: Once Upon A Time |
| Chapter 7 Solutions: The Unity of Indian Culture |
| Chapter 8 Solutions: Little Girls Wiser Than Men |
