The Queen of the Village Question and Answers and Summary of class 11 Alternative English book Seasons along with Textual and important notes or solutions of AHSEC Assam board. This chapter is written by Jim Corbett.


Summary

"The Queen of the Jungle" is a story written by Jim Corbett in his book "My India" published in 1952. The story is set in a village that can be seen from the Cheena hills, where Corbett takes the reader in the Introduction. Corbett invites the reader to join him in visiting this village, which is known for its terraced cultivation on hilly terrain. The villagers use special tools and short, sturdy cattle bred in the hills for their farming.

Corbett mentions that he is familiar to the villagers because he had once received a telegram from them, asking him to deal with a man-eating tiger. The tiger had already killed a twelve-year-old girl, and by the time Corbett arrived, it had claimed another life. The villagers had placed the second victim's body on a tree as bait for the tiger and in the hope that Corbett would arrive soon.

An amusing incident occurred before Corbett reached the village. Another person, a sportsman, claimed that he would kill the tiger but ended up burning a large area of the forest instead. After this confusion, Corbett finally shoots and kills the tiger. After many years, Corbett returns to the village and learns that the headman has passed away. The village is now governed by his wife, who is referred to as the "queen of the village." She is a Brahmin of pure ancestry, and her rule is unquestioned. Corbett shares interesting and sympathetic observations about the Indian caste system and then shifts his focus to a small shop across the road.

Corbett describes the bania's shop and its various goods, as well as the diverse customers who visit the shop. Through these descriptions, Corbett paints a vivid picture of the place and the people who make up his vision of "my India." He concludes the narrative by stating that the people in India are genuine in their affections.

Textual Question Answers

Comprehension

I. Answer these questions in one or two words.

1. In which tree was a machan put up?
Ans: Rhododendron tree

2. Where is Mokameh Ghat?
Ans: Eastern Bihar

3. Who is the "White Sadhu"?
Ans: Jim Corbett

4. Who is the bania's first customer?
Ans: A small boy

5. How many pice make an anna?
Ans: Four

II. Answer these questions in a sentence or two.

1. How do the villagers plough the narrow fields?
Ans: The people in the village used a special tool called a plough to dig and prepare their small fields. The plough had a short handle. They also had strong and sturdy cows that were bred in the mountains. Together, the villagers and their cows worked hard to plough the fields and make them ready for planting.

2. Describe the dress of a high-caste hill woman.
Ans: A high-caste hill woman would wear a specific type of clothing. Her outfit would consist of several parts. She would wear a shawl, a tight-fitting bodice, which is a piece of clothing that covers her upper body made of a warm material, and wear a skirt that is very full and puffy.

3. How did the tiger kill his first victim?
Ans: The tiger's first victim was a twelve-year-old girl. She was attacked while she was with her mother, the tiger leaped at her and severed her head from her body and carried the body away.

4. What items are sold by the bania in his stall?
Ans: The bania sold essential things like kerosene oil, which is used for lamps, and food items such as flour (atta), rice, lentils (dal), clarified butter (ghee), salt, and vegetables like potatoes and turnips. Additionally, he also sold old and not fresh sweets, cigarettes, and matches along with warm milk which he always kept simmering in an iron pan.

5. How do the inhabitants of Kumaon villages get news of the outside world?
Ans: The people living in Kumaon didn't have many ways to find out what was happening in the world outside. They relied on occasional visits to a nearby place called Nainital or on people passing through the area, who were called wayfarers. Among these travelers, the packmen were considered to be the most knowledgeable because they traveled to different places over long distances and had more information to share.

III. Answer these questions briefly.

1. Describe the episode involving the sportsman from the time of his arrival at the machan to his departure.
Ans: The villagers were busy constructing a platform called a machan in the forest when they encountered a sportsman and his group. The sportsman claimed to be a friend of Corbett, a famous hunter, and offered to kill the tiger. He climbed up the machan and stayed there. However, he didn't shoot the tiger when it came, and instead let it take away its prey. When his assistant asked him about it, the sportsman pretended not to have seen the tiger. While he was lowering a lamp from the tree, it slipped and fell, causing a fire to start. The fire quickly spread through the dry leaves and continued until it rained. Unfortunately, the sportsman's actions harmed the forest and allowed the tiger to escape with its prey. He spent the night in the machan and left with his group the next morning. Instead of helping the villagers by killing the tiger, the sportsman ended up causing damage to the forest and letting the tiger go free.

2. Would you agree that through the bania and his customers, Corbett presents a snapshot of life in a typical Kumaon village? Write a reasoned answer.
Ans: Yes, Corbett presents a true snapshot of life in a typical Kumaon village through his description of the bania's shop and his customers.

The bania's shop becomes a centre of village life through which people of all castes and classes pass through. Through the range of his customers, from the two little boys buying sweets to the woman belonging to the depressed classes, Corbett presents a representative view of typical village life in the hills of Kumaon.

3. Describe the two instances when the villagers display bravely and courage.
Ans:  The first time the villagers showed bravery was when a woman was attacked by a tiger while she was cutting grass on a hill near the village. When they heard her screams, the villagers came together courageously to scare away the tiger. They acted quickly, and as a result, the tiger couldn't take its prey with it.

Later, the villagers hung the body of the woman, who had been killed by the tiger, on a rhododendron tree in an attempt to lure the tiger back. When the tiger returned and carried away the body, the villagers, although unarmed, fearlessly followed the trail for half a mile. They eventually found the partially eaten body and decided to build another platform called a machan at that spot. This was the second instance of their bravery and courage.

4. Why did the villagers send Corbett a telegram? Why did it take him long to arrive at the village?
Ans: The villagers sent a telegram to Corbett, a hunter, to let him know that there was a dangerous tiger in their village that had been attacking people. They asked for his help in killing the tiger and protecting their community.

At the time, Corbett was in Mokameh Ghat, a different location. When the telegram was sent, Corbett explains that even urgent telegrams can take a long time to be delivered. Since he had to travel a thousand miles by train and road, and then walk the last twenty miles on foot, it took him a while to reach the village. In fact, it took him nearly a week to make the journey and arrive at the village.

IV. Answer these questions in detail.

1. Do you think that "The Queen of the Village" is an appropriate title? Discuss.
Ans: "The Queen of the Village" is not a suitable title for this story because the main character, after whom the story is named, is not the central focus. The story begins by describing the village, but then it shifts to focus on a man-eating tiger, which takes up most of the story's length. There is also a humorous anecdote about a sportsman.

It is only later in the story, after many years have passed, that we are introduced to the headman's widow, who is referred to as the "queen of the village." However, her role is brief and not central to the overall narrative. Instead, the story shifts to the bania's shop, where Corbett describes a variety of people. The story concludes with a brief reflection on the genuine and affectionate nature of Indian people.

The story is not primarily about the character named "The Queen of the Village." Instead, it focuses more on the man-eating tiger, the bania's shop, and the diverse people in the village. Therefore, the title is not appropriate because it does not accurately represent the main content of the story.

2. It is generally held that Corbett was very sympathetic in his portrayal of the hill people. Do you agree? Write a reasoned answer.
Ans: Yes, I agree that Corbett was very fond of the hill people and showed a deep affection for the land and its inhabitants. He talked about different kinds of people in the story and genuinely cared for all of them. He also had great respect for Indian culture and values, which is why he named the collection of stories "My India."

The story begins by describing how hardworking the hill people are. Corbett explains how they manage to farm in challenging terrain using special tools like a plough with a short shaft. He tells us that they had a strong belief in him, trusting that he would come to their rescue if a tiger posed a threat. He also provides a detailed and respectful description of the headman's wife, praising her ancestral background. Later, when he talks about the people at the bania's shop, he portrays village life sympathetically.

Corbett expresses his gratitude for the time he spent in the hills of India, considering them the best years of his life. He concludes his piece by praising the people for their pride and thanking them for their genuine love and affection.