Table of Contents

THE GARDENER

1 Marks Questions

1.Where has the story its genesis?

Ans: In narrator’s chance encounter with an old man.

2.Where was the old man standing?

Where did the narrator of The Gardener’ meet the old man by chance?

Ans: In a coconut grove near Chennarayapatna.

3.How were the old man’s eyes suffused with?

Ans: With strange memories and native intelligence.

4.What does the old man carry in one hand?

Ans: A spade.

5.Why does the old man carry a spade?

Ans: To tend coconut trees.

6.What did the old man tuck under his arm?

What was tucked under the old man’s arm when the narrator of The Gardener’ met him?

Ans: A Newspaper

7.What was the old man well-versed in?

Ans: Agriculture.

8.What dramatic improvement took place after the arrival of the old man, at the plantation?

Ans: The petty thefts stopped and the income improved dramatically.

9.What did the owner’s wife find it hard to decide?

Ans: Whether the oldman’s arrival was for the better or for the worse.

10.What did the owner’s wife become apprehensive about her husband?

Ans: About his adultery and umpteen other vices, cultivated lately.

11.What did the old man bring down when the owner’s wife was in a fix?

Ans: An offering of tender coconuts from a nearby tree.

12.Where did the old man and the owner’s wife sit?

Ans: On the embankment of the well.

13.Name one of the trees through which the sun’s rays were reaching the walls of the well.

Ans: The foliage of coconut/ mango / jackfruit trees.

14.What did the old man begin by sitting on the embankment of the well?

Ans: His narrative.

15.How many acres of wet land did Tammanna have?

Ans: Ten acres.

16.What was the most important possession of Tammanna?

Ans: His rival Sangoji or Basavaiah.

17.To what pitch did the competition rise between Tammanna and Basavaiah?

Ans: That there was no land left in the village for them to buy.

18.Tammanna had one thousand acres of land and Basavaiah owned

one thousand
eight hundred
two hundred

Ans: 2. eight hundred.

19.What word did Basavaiah send to Tammanna?

Ans: Asking him to sell two hundred acres.

20.How did Basavaiah acquire two hundred acres of Tammanna’s land?

Ans: He acquired it forcibly.

21.Tammanna could not tolerate this

invention
innovation
invasion

Ans: 3. invasion

22.What idea did Tammanna get to annihilate Basavaiah completely?

Ans: Idea of composing all his experiences in the form of ballads and singing them.

23.The rivalry between Tammanna and Basavaiah started moving away from things that were visible, towards an invisible, ______domain.

Ans: Abstract.

24.How did Basavaiah perform his agricultural tasks?

Ans: More diligently

25.What did Tammanna’s songs start making a mention about Basavaiah?

Whose cruelty and meanness did Tammanna’s songs make a mention in The Gardener?

Ans: Basavaiah’s cruelty and his meanness.

26.Who were after Tammanna?

Ans: Scholars of folklore.

27._______started analysing and translating Tammanna’s songs

critics
scholars
Basavaiah

Ans: a. critics

28.Who encroached more and more into Tammanna’s land?

Ans: Basavaiah.

29.Who was felicitated as the best poet of his times in “The Gardener’?

Ans: Tammanna

30.Art had become the________ of his life.

Ans: Raison d’etre.

31.At what point did Basavaiah find the means of surpassing Tammanna?

When did Basavaiah find the means of surpassing Tammanna in The Gardener’?

Ans: At the point that Tammanna was ill.

32.________is wealth.

Money
Land
Health

Ans: c. Health

33.Tammanna’s___________was Basavaiah’s health.

Health
disease
Wealth

Ans: 2. disease

34.Mention the second method that Tammanna had thought of punishing Basavaiah.

Ans: By his death.

35.When did Tammanna forget all his songs and ballads?

Ans: After the death of Basavaiah.

36.Mention one of the thoughts that went in Tammanna.

When would Basavaiah go on offering stiff competition according to Tammanna in The Gardener’?

Ans: If he continued at the level of the body, Basavaiah would go on offering a stiff cumpetition.

lf his song was separated from his body.

If there was no relation between the songs and his own body.

37.According to the old man, who paints well?

Ans: The young child of Lokya.

38.What became the main reason of Tammanna’s Life in “The Gardener”?

Ans: Art

39.Mention one of the means. suggested to Tammanna through which he would get back his land from Basavaiah.

Ans: To go to the court of Law/take recourse to the police/attack on Basavaiah

40.What was the most important possession of Tammanna?

Ans: His rival, Basavaiah / Sangoji

41.When did Tammanna forget all his songs and ballads?

Ans: After Basavaiah’s death

42.Whom did Tammanna consider or treat as the most important among all his possessions in ‘The Gardener’?

Ans: Basavaiah or Sangoji

43.Tammanna’s disease was Basavaiah’s

health
weakness.
Sorrow

Ans: 1. health.

44.When, according to the narrator, does man lose his name in “The Gardener’?

Ans: After a particular age.

45.When did Tammanna forget all his songs and ballads?

When according to Tammanna did he forget all his songs and ballads?

Ans: After the death of Basavaiah.

46.Who did the old man narrate his story to?

Ans: To the plantation owner’s wife.

47.How was Tammanna felicitated for his art?

Ans: As the best poet of his time.

48.Which country had been the sworn enemy of America?

Ans: Russia.

49.When according to the narrator, does man lose his name in The Gardener?

When, according to the narrator of “The Gardener”, does the man lose his name?

Ans: After a particular age.

50.Who hired the old man in ‘the Gardener’?

Ans: Owner of the plantation.

51.Who was the reason for the owner’s lethargy in ‘the Gardener

Ans: The Old man.

52.Who paints well according to the old man in “The Gardener’

Ans: Young child of Lokya.

4 Marks Questions

1.Describe the old man.

Ans: The old man was a tall figure. His hair had gone grey; he had a long beak like nose andstrong muscular arms. In one hand, he had a spade used to tend coconut trees. A newspaper tucked under his arm. He was a labourer, overseer and philosopher, all rolled into one. His eyes were suffused with strange memories and native intelligence. He came to a coconut garden near Chennarayapatna after walking hundreds of miles.

2.The old man was really useful to the coconut plantation. Explain

Ans: The owner of the plantation needed a person exactly like the old man. The old man was well-versed in agriculture. He could understand the problem of workers. The petty thefts in the garden came to an end. The income from the garden improved dramatically. There was a perceptible change in the lifestyle of the owner. The plantation expanded. The owner’s wealth and social prestige had risen higher. His life became crowded with colourful events. Their farm had grown from ten acres to beyond their imagination.

3.How did Basavaiah start filling his life with all kinds of material wealth?

What was Basavaiah’s way of investing his home with meaning?

How did Basavaiah react to Tammanna’s popularity?

What did Basavaiah do to invest his home with meaning in “The Gardener ?

Ans: Basavaiah was shrunk in humiliation. Yet he started filling his life with all kinds of material wealth. He got a palatial mansion built for himself. He appointed persons to praise him. He wore ornaments of gold, diamond and other precious stones. But still his house looked dull and empty because Tammanna’s books were not there. The visitors also felt the same. So he started inviting scholars, poets and musicians to his place. This was his way of investing his home with meaning.

4.Give an account of the strategies used by Tammanna to destroy Basavaiah.

What invisible means did Tammanna use to annihilate Basavaiah completely? Explain.

Explain the invisible means by which Tammanna decided to destroy Basavaiah in ‘The Gardener’?

Ans: Tammanna who lived in a far-off place had everything such as ten acres of wet land and a comfortable house. Among all his possessions, Basavaiah was his rival. In the beginning all looked like healthy competition. Tammanna had possessed two hundred acres of excess land than Basavaiah. He wasmad witn rage and acquired Tammanna’s excess of land forcibly. The quarrel led them to seek the advice of their supporters. A war had become virtually inevitable. But Tammanna was in search of a method that could destroy Basavaiah completely, He composed ballads and started singing them. He became popular soon. Basavatah had no answer to this. Tammanna’s fame rose everywhere. He was facilitated as the best poet. Basavaiah shrunk in humiliation as any of his agricultural tasks and material wealth was not answer to Tammanna. He thought of another method of punishing Basavaiah as he was suffering from disease. Tammanna’s disease was Basavaiah’s health. He decided to die and put an end to competition. He thought that his death alone would destroy Basavaiah. He gave up everything and started off.

5.Trace the course of rivalry between Tammanna and Basavaiah that moved away from visible domain to an abstract domain.

How did Basavaiah try to surpass his rival in “The Gardener’?

How does Thammanna take revenge on Basavaiah through invisible means?

Ans: Basavaiah was Tammanna’s rival. If Tammanna bought land Basavaiah also followed the suit. They acquired friends and admirers in competition. All this looked like healthy competition but gradually it rose to such a pitch that there was no land left to buy. Basavaiah was mad with rage as Tammanna had one thousand acres of land whereas his was eight hundred. He took away Tammanna’s land forcibly. Tammanna found a new method that could destroy Basavaiah completely. He started composing all his experience in the form of ballads and singing them. Now the rivalry between Tammanna and Basavaiah started moving away from things that were visible, towards an invisible abstract domain. Tammanna became well-known and earned fame. Basavaiah filled his house with material wealth. He invited musicians and scholars to his house but yet he failed miserably, still he found surpassing Tammanna Tammanna was ill. Tammanna’s disease was Basavaiah’s health. Thus the strange nature of man to take revenge is pointed out by the oldman.

6.Bring out the changes in the lifestyle of the owner after the arrival of “The Gardener’.

How did the plantation owner’s life style change after the arrival of the old man in “The Gardener’?

What circumstances led to the unhappiness of the owner’s wife in “The Gardener’?

The arrival of the old man to the garden caused both good and bad things. How is this brought out in “The Gardener ?.

Ans: The old man was a labourer, overseer and philosopher, all rolled into one, He came to the garden and stayed on. He was really useful. He was well versed in agriculture and well aware of the problems of workers. He controlled the petty thefts in the garden. The income increased. There was perceptible change in the life style of the owner. The plantation expanded. But the owner became lethargic and shied away from hard work. His wealth and social prestige had risen higher. He acquired many friends, cultivated lately. The gardener made their farm to grow beyond their imagination but they made their lifedu gradually get out of their hand and they got into fix.

7.How does Tammanna take revenge on Basavaiah through invisible means?

Describe the circumstances that led Tammanna to become a non entity in “The Gardener”.

Ans: At first the rivalry between Tammanna and Basavaiah started from things that were visible. It wa acquiring lands, Tammanna could not tolerate on Basavaiah’s invasion. He decided to take revenge ont Basavaiah through invisible means, an abstract domain. Tammanna chose an intellectual domain. He started composing songs and ballads and singing them. He became famous. But Basavaiah was a non-competent to Tammanna and shrunk in humiliation. Neverthless he moved on with all kinds of material wealth. He possessed a palatial mansion, gold precious stones including diamond. Yet his house looked dull as Tammanna’s books were not there. So he had invited musicians and artists to match Tammanna Tammanna ran away to create an impression that he was dead. A few days later Tammanna left Basavaiah was isolated and there were no competitors or rivals. He felt his life became futile, He met an unexpected death. He had no more reason to live. After Basavaiah’s death, Tammanna became a non-entity.

8.What measures did Tammanna adopt to humiliate Basavaiah?

Ans: Tammanna adopted the measures of abstract domain to humiliate Basavaiah. Tammanna had chosen an intellectual domain to punish Basavaiah. He composed ballads of all his experiences and started singing them. He became popular Basavaiah had no answer to this. Earlier, he invaded Tammanna’s land forcibly but now he couldn’t do anything for Tammanna’s invisible measure. Tammanna’s fame rose as his songs started making a mention ofBasavaiah’s cruelty and his meanness. Tammanna was felicitated as the best poet of his time. Of course Basavaiah helplessly watched all this consumed by anger. He encroached more and more Tammanna’s land but art had become the reason and cause of his life. Basavaiah shrunk in humiliation. He ran behind material weaith. Tammanna thought of another method to punish Basavaiah further. That was death. Tammanna fled and created the impression of his death to put an end to the competition thinking that death alone would destroy Basavaiah. He gave up everything and started off.

9.How does Tammanna take revenge on Basavaiah through invisible means?

The rivalry between Tammanna and Basavaiah started moving from the visible to the invisible

domain. Explain.

Ans: At first the rivalry between Tammanna and Basavaiah started from the things that were visible. Itwas acquiring lands. Tammanna could not tolerate on Basavaiah’s invasion. He decided to take revenge on Basavaiah through invisible means, an abstract domain. Tammanna chose an intellectual domain. He started composing songs and ballads and singing them. He became famous. But Basavaiah was a notcompetent to Tmmanna and shrunk in humiliation. Neverthless he moved on with all kinds of material wealth. He possessed a palatial mansion, gold, precious stones including diamond. Yet his house looked dull as 1ammanna’s books were not there. So he had invited musicians and artists to match 1ammanna. Tammanna ran away to create an impression that he was dead. A few days later after Tammanna left, Basavaiah was isolated and there were no competitors or rivals. He felt his life became futile. He met an unexpected death. He had no more reason to live. After Basavaiah’s death, Tammanna became a non-entity.

10.How did the owner’s life change after the arrival of the old man in “The Gardener?

Why did the plantation owner’s wife find it hard to decide whether the old man’s arrival was for the better or the worse in “The Gardener”?

Ans: After the arrival of the old man, both good and worse happened to the owner. The old man was really useful. The petty thefts were avoided. The income from the garden had improved. His plantation was expanded. The owner’s wife had found it hard to decide whether the old man’s arrival was for the better or the worse. Of course, her husband’s wealth and social prestige had risen higher. But less work left for the owner made him lethargic. He acquired more number of friends both in his village and the next town. His life had become crowded with colourful events. He developed many vices and adultery. Many things were fine and at the same time their life was also gradually getting out of hand.

11.Why does Tammanna feel that human nature can be strange?

How did Tammanna and Basavaiah manage their rivalry in the beginning in “The Gardener’?

Rivalry can make both aggressive and reflective. How does Tammanna’s narrative in TheGardener’ prove this?

Ans: Tammanna and Basavaiah were the rivals. There was a healthy competition in the beginning. They had everything – land, house, admirers and supporters. Tammanna had one thousand acres and Basavaiah owned eight hundred. He acquired two hundred acres of Tammanna’ s land forcibly. There was a quarrel which took the intense of a war. But Tammanna was in search of a method that could annihilate Basavaiah completely. He hit upon the idea of composing all his experiences in the form of ballads and Singing them. Their rivalry started moving from visible things to invisible, abstract domain. Tammanna Decame famous and his songs started making a mention of Basavaiah’s cruelty. Basavaiah consumed by anger had occupied Tammanna’s land. But art had become the cause of Tammanna’s life. It was humiliation to Basavaiah. Basavaiah’s house looked dull and empty, though it had all kinds of material wealth. As Tammanna’s books were not there, Basavaiah started inviting scholars, poets and musicians as a way of investing his home with meaning. Basavaiah heard that Tammanna was ill. Tammanna’s disease Was Basavaiah’s health. Now Tammanna thought of punishing Basavaiah and that was death. His thoughts went to feel if he had continued at the level of the body, Basavaiah would go on giving stuft competition. He decided not to have relationship between the songs and his own flesh and blood. lammanna strongly felt that human nature can be very strange. Man needs wealth, education, art and nany more things. And yet he lives for some kind of unbearable revenge, there would be no reason forhis existence without vengefulness. After a particular age, man loses his name. His age becon important and his name vanishes into thin air. Man is so complicated that till the day of his death, he o on living for some revenge or the other, confronting with one challenge or the other.

12.What measures did Tammanna adopt to humiliate Basavaiah? Explain.

Ans: Basavaiah was Tammanna’s rival. Tammanna did not agree to sell two hundred acres of his land Basavaiah. The latter was mad with rage and forcibly acquired Tammanna’s land. He could not tolera the invasion and he was in search of a method that could annihilate Basavaiah completely. He hit upo the idea of composing all his experiences in the form of ballads and singing them. The rivalry betwee Tammanna and Basavaiah moved away from visible to invisible, abstract domain. Basavaiah also triedt do the same but he could not. He performed agricultural tasks more diligently. It was no answer t thim Tammanna and his reputation started spreading all around. His song started making a mention of Basavaiah’s cruelty and his meanness. Critics analysed and translated his songs and scholars of folklore were after him. Basavaiah helplessly watched all the developments in Tammanna’s life with his anger and encroached more and more of Tammanna’s land. But Tammanna did not notice these activities. Art had become the reason or cause of his life and he was felicitated as the best poet of his times. Basavaiah shrunk in humiliation. His house looked dull and empty because Tammanna’s books were not there Tammanna had thought of another method of punishing Basavaiah. That was death. His thoughts went to find no relation between the songs and his body. He thought his death alone could destroy Basavaiah. few days after Tammanna left, Basavaiah passed away and Tammanna became a non-entity.

6-Marks Questions

1.Tammanna suffered a similar fate just as the agony and boredom of America. Explain.

Ans: The human nature is very strange. Man needs wealth, education, art and many more things. Still he lives for some kind of unbearable revenge. Otherwise there would be no reason for his existence Tammanna is an old man. He subscribed to a daily and read it. He told the owner’s wife that after particular age, man loses his name. His age becomes important and his name vanishes into thin air. Now that he was an old man in that garden and their servant looking after the garden properly. When he has conceived the story of Tammanna and Basavaiah, he remembered all of a sudden Russia which tol America I am not your enemy. I shall not wage a war against you’. It was the agony and boredom America as it was the sworn enemy of Russia and once it knew Russia was no more an enemy. A natio is capable of withstanding strains like this. But a human being cannot. Tammanna thought his death alon could destroy Basavaiah. He gave up everything and started off. Basavaiah passed away after a few dayTammanna left. Tammanna forgot all his songs and ballads. Once he was famous, he became a non entity. Man is so complicated that he goes on living for some revenge, confronting challenges till his death.

2.Without revengefullness, there would be no reason for man’s existence’. How does The gardener bring this out?

Man goes on living for some revenge.’ To what extent is this true in case of Basavaiah and Tammanna in ‘The Gardener’?

Ans: Tammanna and Basavaiah were rivals. They competed with each other and all the competition looked healthy. It started to take on new dimension. Tammanna was in search of a method that could defeat Basavaiah completely. He hit upon the idea of composing all his experieneces in the form of ballads and singing them. The rivalry between Tammanna and Basavaiah shifted from visible to invisible, abstract domain shrunk in humiliation. Nevertheless he started filling his life with all kinds of material wealth. Tammanna was ill. His discase was Basavaiah’s wealth. He thought of punishing Basavaiah further. That was T ammanna’s death. He had thought his death alone could destroy Basavaiah. So, he gave up everything and started off. A few days after Tammanna had left, Basavaiah passed away. Tammanna had forgotten all his songs and ballads. He realized that human relations rely upon strange things like challenge, rivalry and revenge.