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*Unit 1*
Chapter 4
*Horegallu* (Anecdote)
Read and Respond (Textbook Page No.26)
Question 1.
What is a “Horegallu”? What is its purpose?
Answer:
A horegallu means a stone that can bear weight. A horegallu provides a space for anyone to sit and rest for a while, chat with a fellow traveller and drink water from an earthen pot kept nearby.
Question 2.
What are the special memories the author associates with the Horegallu?
Answer:
The special memories are of her grand father who used to chat with travellers who were rest in at the horegallu.
Question 3.
How did the grandfather refresh the travellers?
Answer:
Grandfather refreshed the travellers by talking to them
Question 4.
Is horegallu essential in journey? Why?
Answer:
Yes. The burdens of our life need to be put down once in a while. Only then can we be refreshed to pick up the load once again and regain their strength.
Question 5.
Horegallu gives everyone the opportunity to regain their strength. What does the author try to indicate here?
Answer:
Once the burden is relieved, people may find an extra energy to pick up the load once more and go forward. Similarly if a person gets a chance to share their worries and be relieved of them, they regain their strength to move on taking the load of life again.
Question 6.
Bring out the symbolic significance of the word “burden”
Answer:
Burden here signifies the problems of life which are like heavy loads.
Question 7.
Comment on the expression “infectious cheerfulness”.
Answer:
It means that such people have an ability to spread their happiness to everyone.
Question 8.
What did Ratna do during lunch hours?
Answer:
She spoke with people individually and listened to their problems.
Question 9.
What is Ratna’s simplistic outlook?
Answer:
Ratna is simple and admits that she is not a trained counsellor or an intellectual to solve anybody’s problems. But she is a patient listener, enough to get people relieved of their problems. That is her simplicity.
Question 10.
The author wished that there were many more of “Horegallus” in the world, Comment.
Answer:
She wishes that there were many more people with whom they could share their problems and get relieved.
Think and Write (Textbook Page No.29)
Question 1.
Do you think that the grandfather and Ratna were doing some tremendous social service? Explain.
Answer:
The author’s grandfather and Ratna were both excellent social workers. They had been improving the lives of many by helping them unload their mental stress and tension. The author’s grandfather listened to travellers talking about their miseries. Ratna also did the same. She just gave an ear to their complaints. Both could not actually resolve their problems but they could make a change in their mental state. In a way, Ratna and the author’s grandfather rendered tremendous social service as they both helped many to regain their normality
Question 2.
Can we relate grandfather and Ratna to horegallu? Why?
Answer:
Yes. Horegallu is a stone that bears weight. The grandfather and Ratna are horegallus that bore the heavy load of life. They helped others to get a relief by opening their hearts to them. This helped them to resume their journey afresh. Ratna and the grandfather became stones upon which others could take rest and lean. It is normal that people feel relaxed when they share their problems with someone. This feeling offered by Ratna and the grandfather is similar to the relief that a horegallu gives.
Think and Write (Textbook Page No.29)
Question 1.
Do you think that the grandfather and Ratna were doing some tremendous social service? Explain.
Answer:
The author’s grandfather and Ratna were both excellent social workers. They had been improving the lives of many by helping them unload their mental stress and tension. The author’s grandfather listened to travellers talking about their miseries. Ratna also did the same. She just gave an ear to their complaints. Both could not actually resolve their problems but they could make a change in their mental state. In a way, Ratna and the author’s grandfather rendered tre