Std 9 English Unit - 6 The night train at Deoli Questions Answers

Std 9 English 

Unit - 6 The night train at Deoli 

Questions Answers 



A. Read the extracts and answer the questions. 

(1) When I was at college, I regularly spent my summer vacation in Dehra, at my grandmother's place. I would leave the plains early in May and return late in July. Deoli was a small station about 50 km from Dehra. It was on the border of the heavy jungles of the Indian Terai. 


1. Where did the author spend his

summer vacation?

Ans. The author spent his summer vacatio at his grandmother's place in Dehra.


2. When would the author go to Dehra and return from there?

Ans. The author would go to Dehra early in May and return late in July. 


3. Where was Deoli?

Ans. Deoli was about 50 km from Dehra, on the border of the heavy jungle of the Indian Terai.


(2) I decided that one day I would get off the train at Deoli and spend the day there. I was eighteen, visiting my grandmother and the night train stopped at Deoli. A girl came down the platform selling baskets 


(1)What did the author see when the train stopped at Deoli?

Ans. When the train stopped at Deoli, the author saw a girl, who was selling baskets, coming down the platform.


(3) It was a cold morning and the girl had a shawl across her shoulder. Her feet. were bare and her clothes were old. She was a young girl, walking gracefully towards me 

1)Describe the girl's appearance.

Ans. The girl was young and she wore old clothes, with a shawl across her shoulder. 


(4) When the came to my window, she stopped. She saw that I was looking at her intently, but at first she pretended not to notice. She had a pale skin, shiny black hair and dark eyes. And then those eyes, searching and lively, met mine.


1. How did the author react when he saw the girl for the first time? 

Ans. When the author saw the girl for the first time, he could not stop staring at her.


2. Describe the young girl. 

Ans. The girl had a pale skin, shiny black hair and dark eyes.


3. What did the girl see? What did she pretend?

Ans. The girl saw that the author was looking at her intently, but she pretended not to notice it.

4. What does the author say about the girl's eyes?

Ans. The author says that the girl's eyes were dark, searching and lively.


(5) She stood by my window for some time and neither of us said anything. But when she moved on, I don't know why, 1 left

my seat and rushed to the carriage doar She noticed me at the door, and stood waiting on the platform. I walked across to the tea stall. A kettle was boiling on a small fire. The qul followed me behing the stall.


1. What did the author do when the girl moved on? 

Ans. When the girl moved on, the author left his seat and ran to the carriage door. 


2. What did the girl do when she saw the author at the carriage door? 

Ans. When the girl saw the author at the carriage door, she stood waiting on the platform.


(6) "Do you want to buy a basket?" she asked. They are very strong, made of the finest cane."

"No." I said, "I don't want a basket.

We stood looking at each other for a very long time and then she said, "Are you sure you don't want a basket?"

"Give me one," I said and I took the one on top and gave her a rupee I wished to touch her fingers, but could not. 


(1) What feeling did the author have while buying the basket?

Ans. While buying the basket, the author wanted to touch the girl's fingers, but he could not do so.


(7) The guard blew his whistle; she said something, but it was lost in the clanging of the bell and the hissing of the engine. 1 had to run back to my compartment. 1 watched her as the platform slipped away. She was alone on the platform and did not move, but she was looking at me and smiling. I watched her until the signal-box came in the way, and then the jungle hid the station. I could still see her standing there alone.


1. What was the girl doing when the train left the platform?

Ans. When the train left the platform, the girl was standing alone there and looking at the author and smiling. 

2. Why could the author not hear what the girl said? 

Ans. The author could not hear what the girl said because it was lost in the clanging of the bell and the hissing of the engine 


3. How long did the author keep watching the girl?

Ans. The author kept watching the girl till the signal-box came in the way and then the jungle hid the station.


(8) I sat up awake for the rest of the journey. I could not forget the girl's face and her dark, bright eyes. But when I reached Dehra, the incident became blurred and distant; for there were other things on my mind. It was only when I was making the return journey two months later, that I remembered the girl.


1. What kept the author awake for the rest of the journey?

Ans. The girl's face and her dark, bright eyes kept the author awake for the rest of the journey. 


2. Why did the author forget about the girl when he reached Dehra?

Ans. The author forgot about the girl when he reached Dehra because there were many other things on his mind.


3. When did he remember the girl? 

Ans. He remembered the girl on his return journey two months later.


(9) I was looking out for her as the train drew into the station and I felt an unexpected thrill. I saw her walking up the platform. I ran to the door and waved at her. When she saw me, she smiled. She was pleased that I remembered her. I was pleased that she remembered me.


1. What did the author feel when he saw the girl again?

Ans. The author felt an unexpected thrill when he saw the gud again.


2. What was the girl's reaction when she saw the author?

Ans. When girl saw the author, she smiled and looked pleased that he remembered her.


3. Why was the author pleased?

Ans. The author was pleased because the girl remembered him.


4. What did the author do when he saw the girl?

Ans. When the author saw the girl, he ran to the door and waved at her.


(10) She did not start selling baskets, but came straight to the tea stail. Her dark eyes were suddenly filled with light. We said nothing for some time but we spoke without words. I felt the impulse to put her on the train there and then, and take her away with me. I could not bear the thought of watching her vaninh into the darkness of Deoli station. I took the baskets from her hand and put them i on the ground. She put out her hand to take a basket, but I caught her hand i and held it.


1. What urge did the author have when he met the girl for the second time?

Ans. When the author met the girl for the second time, he had the urge to put her on the train and take her away with him.


2, What did the girl do when she saw the author? 

Ans. When the girl saw the author she came straight to the tea stall.


3. What happened when the author and the girl met?

Ans. When the author and the girl met, the girl's eyes were filled with light and they said nothing, but spoke without words.


4. What could the author not bear? 

Ans. The author could not bear the thought of watching her vanishing into the darkness of the Deoli station

5. What did the author finally do? 

Ans. The author finally caught the girl's hand and held it. 


(11) "I have to go to Delhi," I said. She nodded. "I do not have to go The guard blew his whistle and I anywhere." hated the guard for doing that.

"I will come again," I said. "Will you be here?"

She nodded: "I do not have to go anywhere."

She nodded again. The bell clanged and the train and forward. I had to pull my hand away from the girl and run for

the moving train. 


1. The author wanted to take the girl with him. How did the girl respond?

Ans. The girl said that she did not have to go anywhere and that she would always be there, at Deoli.


2. What happened when the train started moving?

Ans. When the train started moving, the author pulled his hand away from the girl and ran for the moving train.


(12) This time I did not forget her. She was with me for the rest the journey, and for Inng after. All that year she was a bright, living thing. And when the college term ended, 1 packed in haste and left for Dehra earlier than naual. 

1) Why did the author leave for Dehra earlier than usual?

Ans. The author left for Dehra Garli than usual because he could no forget the girl. He was very eager to see her and meet her.

(13) I was nervous and anxious as the train entered Deoli. I was wondering what should say to the girl, and what I should do. I was determined that I wouldn't stand helplessly before her.


1. How did the author feel as the train entered Deoli? 

Ans. The author felt anxious and nervous as the train entered Deoli 

2. What did he decide?

Ans. decided that he would not helplessly before her.


3. What was the author wondering? 

Ans. The author was wondering what he should say to the girl and what he should do.


(14) The train came to Deoli, and I looked up and down the platform, but I could not see the girl anywhere.

I opened the door and stepped off the footboard. I was deeply disappointed I felt I had to do something, and so I ran up to the station master and said "Do you know the girl who used to sell baskets here?"

"No. I don't," said the station master 


1. Whom did the author ask about the girl?

Ans. The author asked the station master about the girl.


2. What reply did the station master give?

Ans. The station master replied that he did not know the girl who sold baskets there.


(15) The train was moving out of the station, and I had to run up the platform and jump for the door of my compartment. As Deoli platform vanished, I decided that one day I would have to break my journey there. I would spend a day in the town, make enquiries, and find the girl who had stolen my heart with nothing. but a look from her dark, impatient eyes. 


1. What did the author decide?

Ans. The author decided to break his journey at Deoli some day and find out the girl who had stolen his heart.


2. What does the author say about the girl?

Ans. The author says that one day he would find the girl who had stolen his heart with a look from her dark, impatient eyes.


(16) In the last few years I have passed through Deoli many times. I always look out of the window to see the same unchanged face smiling to me. But I will never break my journey there. I prefer to keep hoping and dreaming, and looking out of the window for the girl with the baskets waiting for me....

I never break my journey at Deoli, but I pass through as often as I can.


1. Why does the author always look out of the window?

Ans. The author always looks out of the window to see the girl's unchanged face smiling at him.


2. Why would the author never break his journey at Deoli?

Ans. The author would never break his journey at Deoli because he preferred to keep hoping and dreaming and looking out for the girl waiting for him.


3. Does the author break his journey at Deoli? 

Ans. No the author never breaks his journey at Deoli, but he passes through as often as he can.

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