1. The story The Eyes
Have It is written by — (a) APJ Abdul Kalam. (b) Langston Hughes. (c) Ruskin
Bond. (d) Leo Tolstoy.
2. The narrator's first co-passenger was a/an — (a) young boy. (b) old lady.
(c) young girl. (d) child.
3. The narrator was alone in the train compartment up to — (a) Rohana. (b)
Dehra. (c) Saharanpur. (d) Mussoorie.
4. The couple who saw the girl off were probably — (a) her parents.
(b) uncle and aunt. (c) grandfather and grandmother. (d) friends.
5. The couple who saw the girl off seemed very anxious about her — (a)
health. (b) destination. (c) comfort. (d) blindness.
6. At that time the narrator was — (a) completely blind. (b) partly blind. (c)
seriously ill. (d) suffering from fever.
7. The girl in the story The Eyes Have It was wearing — (a) slippers. (b)
shoes. (c) a skirt. (d) a sweater.
8. The first question that the narrator asked the girl was If she was all the
way to — (a) Rohana. (b) Saharanpur. (c) Dehra. (d) Delhi.
9. The narrator's voice startled the girl because — (a) she did not see him at
first. (b) he spoke very loudly. (c) the narrator was sitting in a dark corner.
(d) she did not know that there was another person in the compartment.
10. The narrator thought that he must have been sitting — (a) near the door.
(b) in the side-lower berth. (c) in a dark corner. (d) in front of the
girl.
11. According to the narrator, people with good eyesight often fall to see —
(a) what is chasing them. (b) in which situation they are. (c) what is right in
front of them. (d) goodness.
12. According to the narrator, people who cannot see or see very little have to
take in — (a) only the essentials. (b) the stark realities. (c) the
insignificant details. (d) the hardships of life.
13. The girl said that she was getting off at — (a) Dehra. (b) Saharanpur. (c)
Mussoorie. (d) Kolkata.
14. At Saharanpur the girl was going to meet — (a) her mother. (b) her aunt.
(c) her brother. (d) her father.
15. The narrator thinks that aunts are usually — (a) good in nature. (b)
generous. (c) loving mothers. (d) formidable creatures
16. In the story The Eyes Have It the narrator's first destination was
— (a) Rohana. (b) Mussoorie. (c) Dehra. (d) Saharanpur.
17. In the story The Eyes Have It the narrator's final destination was
— (a) Rohana. (b) Mussoorie. (c) Dehra. (d) Saharanpur.
18. The girl loves to visit — (a) seas. (b) hills. (c) lakes. (d)
historical places.
19. The girl prefers to visit the hills in the month of — (a) September.
(b) October. (c) November (d) December.
20. “Then I made a mistake” The mistake that the narrator made was — (a) to ask
the girl of her family. (b) to behave rudely with the girl. (c) to ask a
question that revealed his blindness. (d) to crack a joke.
21. When the narrator asked the girl what it was like outside, she — (a)
was startled to hear such a question. (b) began to describe the outside. (c)
remained silent. (d) seemed to find nothing strange in the question.
22. According to the narrator, few girls can resist — (a) flattery. (b)
curiosity. (c) hunger. (d) talking.
23. “I can’t bear " - The speaker cannot bear — (a) to travel
without any companion. (b) to travel with luggage. (c) to sit in a train for
more than two-or-three hours. (d) to travel without a storybook.
24. The narrator was prepared to sit at his own seat Just to — (a) enjoy
the journey (b) enjoy the scenic beauty (c) listen to the girl's talking.
(d) listen to music.
25. The narrator was prepared to listen to the girl's talking for — (a)
one hour (b) almost any length of time. (c) two hours. (d) four hours.
26. “And a high-pitched female voice near the carriage door."— The
voice belonged to the— (a) female vendors. (b) girl's aunt. (c) girl's
mother. (d) narrator's mother.
27. It seemed to the narrator that the perfume from the hair of the girl
— (a) attractive (b) tantalizing. (c) comforting (d) irritating.
28. The narrator wanted to raise his hand to— (a) touch the girl's hand.
(b) pick up his luggage. (c) touch the window.(d) touch the girl's hair.
29. After the girl's departure there was still lingering — (a) the scent
of perfume of the girl. (b) the words of the girl. (c) sound of the girl’s
laughter. (d) the narrator's voice.
30. An apology was stammered by — (a) the girl's aunt (b) the girl. (c)
the narrator. (d) a male passenger.
31. "I'm not nearly as attractive a travelling companion as the one who
Just left “ - The 'one' referred to here is— (a) the narrator. (b) the
narrator's first companion. (c) a new male passenger. (d) the girl's aunt.
32. The narrator's new fellow – traveller noticed the girl's — (a)
attitude. (b) eyes. (c) beautiful hair. (d) way of speaking.
33. The narrator compared the girl's voice to— (a) the roaring of cloud
(b) the sparkle of a mountain stream. (c) the murmuring of river. (d) the
sweep of the wind.
34. “ But they were of no use " — Here 'they refers to — (a) the
narrator's eyes. (b) the girl’s eyes. (c) the new traveller's eyes. (d)
the girl's hands.
35. "Didn't you notice?"—The person whom it was spoken did not
notice— (a) the animals in the field. (b) the girl's aunt. (c) the train. (d)
the girl's eyes.
36. The girl was startled when the narrator first spoke to her because— (a) she
did not see him at first. (b) he was sitting in a dark corner. (c) she was not
used to being spoken to in that manner. (d) she did not know that there was
another person in the compartment.
37. “Then I made a mistake” - The mistake that the narrator made was— (a) to
ask a wrong question. (b) to behave rudely with the girl (c) to let slip the
fact that he could not see. (d) to crack a joke.
38. The game that the narrator played with his fellow-travellers was to— (a)
pretend that he could see. e (b) pretend that he couldn't hear. (c) make
conversations about things around them. (d) make sure that they did not realize
that he could not see.
39. The new fellow traveller's remark took the narrator by
surprise because— (a) he said that he did not notice the girl's hair
style. (b) he said that there was no girl at all. (c) he said he had seen a boy
instead. (d) he said that the girl had no sense of humour.
40. What is the narrator's very first clue about his fellow traveller in the
train? — (a) He knows that she wears slippers, from the way the slap against
her heels. (b) He knows that she has light eyes and golden hair. (c) He
knows that she has a radiant smile. (d) He knows that she wears glasses.
41. What further arouses his curiosity about her? — (a) Her voice. (b) Her
good looks. (c) Her perfume. (d) Her sense of humour.
42. Where did the girl say she was getting off? — (a) Dehra. (b)
Saharanpur. (c) Mussoorie. (d) Nainital.
43. The eyes of the narrator
were sensitive to – (a) Light (b) Shadow (c) Light and darkness (d) Darkness
44. According to the narrator people with
good eyesight often fail to see things in front of them because – (a) They don’t care about anything else (b) They actually cannot see (c) They have too much to
take in (d) They avoid the people in front of them.
45. The girl’s parents seemed very anxious about
her comfort because – (a) She was homesick (b) She was blind (c) She boarded a train for the first time (d) She was young and charming
46. The narrator decided to conceal his
blindness from the girl by – (a) Keeping quiet (b) Keeping
to his seat (c) Putting a finger on his lips (d) Quarrelling
47. The journey in ‘The Eyes Have It’ took place
in the month of- (a) May (b) October (c) July (d) December
48. In October the hills are covered with
– (a) Moss (b) Pine trees (c)Wild
Dahlias’ (d) Sunflowers.
49. How are the roads of Mussoorie in the month of October – (a) Crowded (b) Quiet (c) Beautiful (d) Quiet and almost deserted.
50. The surprise of the story is- (a)The
girl is also blind like the narrator (b)The parents of the girl are known to
the narrator (c) The aunt of the girl is known to the narrator
(d) The narrator knows the girl since childhood.
51. ‘Then I made a mistake.’ –The mistake was
made by- (a) The girl (b) The girls aunt (c) The co-passenger (d) The narrator
52. In the compartment, the narrator felt
for the- (a) Seat (b) Berth (c) Window-ledge (d) Luggage
53.The girl in the train compartment thought the
narrator to be – (a)Gallant (b) Serious (c) Gallant and serious (d) Pretentious
54. The girl felt relieved as the journey was –
(a) A short one (b) A long one (c) Boring (d) Comfortable
55. The perfume of the girl’s hair was so
tantalizing that the narrator – (a) Touched her hair (b) Wanted to raise his hand to touch her hair (c) Came close to her and touched her hair (d) Smelt her hair and wanted to touch it
56. There was some confusion – (a) On the platform (b) Near the ticket counter (c) In the doorway (d) In the next compartment.
57. The narrator wanted to know from the
passenger about the girls – (a) Face (b) Movement (c) Hairstyle (d) Voice
58. The narrator was travelling in a – (a) car
(b) taxi (c) tram (d) train
59. The person who broke into the narrator’s
reverie was – (a) the girl (b) the new passenger (c) the girl’s father (d) the
girl’s aunt
60. “- but they were of no use to her.” Here
‘they’ refers to the girl’s – (a) eyes (b) ears (c) hands (d) legs
Short Answer Type Questions from Eyes Have It
1. Till which station was the narrator alone in his
compartment?
Ans) The narrator was alone in his compartment
till Rohana station.
· At which station did the blind girl get into the
train?
Ans) the blind girl got into the train at Rohana
station.
· Who came to see the girl off at Rohana station?
Ans) A couple that was probably the girl’s
parents came to see the girl off at Rohana station.
· Was the narrator really blind?
Ans) Yes, the narrator was really blind. We come
to know from the story that his eyes were sensitive only to light and darkness.
· What remark did the narrator make about people
with good eyesight?
Ans) According to the narrator, people with good
eyesight often fail to see what is right in front of them as they supposedly
have too many things to see.
· How did the narrator think of preventing his
co-passenger from discovering that he was blind?
Ans) The narrator decided to keep to his seat to
prevent his co-passenger from discovering that he was blind.
· Who would receive the blind girl at the
destination?
Ans) The girl’s aunt would receive the blind
girl at the destination.
· Who did the narrator of ‘The eyes have it’ think
to be formidable creatures?
Ans) The narrator of the story ‘The Eyes Have
It’ thought that aunts were generally formidable creatures.
9. When do the hills look lovely, according to
Ruskin Bond?
Ans) According to Ruskin Bond, the hills look lovely in the month
of October.
10. Why did the girl
consider the narrator ‘lucky’?
Ans) the girl considered
the narrator to be ‘lucky’ as he was going to Mussoorie in October, which is
the best time to enjoy the scenic beauty of the hills.
11.” Then I made a mistake”- What mistake did the narrator make?
Ans) The narrator made the mistake of asking the girl a question,
which could have revealed the fact that he was blind.
12. What could the narrator see in his mind’s eye?
Ans) The narrator could see telegraph posts flashing by, in his
mind’s eye.
13. At what compliment from the narrator did the girl laugh?
Ans) The girl laughed at the narrators’ compliment that she had an
interesting face.
14. Why did the girl call the narrator ‘gallant’?
Ans) The girl called the narrator gallant as he dared to
compliment an unknown girl saying that her face was not only interesting but
also pretty.
15. For how long and why was the narrator prepared to sit in the
train?
Ans) The narrator was prepared to sit in the train for almost any
length of time just to listen to the girl talking.
16. How did the narrator in ‘The Eyes have It’ describe the voice
of the blind girl?
Ans) The narrator in ‘The Eyes have It’ described the blind girls’
voice as the sparkle of a mountain stream.
17. What lingered after the girl had left the train?
Ans) After the girl had left the train, only the scent of perfume
still lingered where she stood.
18. Whose ‘eyes’ are referred to in ‘The Eyes have It’?
Ans) The ‘eyes’ of both the narrator and the girl are referred to
in ‘The Eyes Have It’
19. Why was the new passenger in the train puzzled?
Ans) The new passenger in the train was puzzled because he who did
not even notice the girl’s hair was asked about the girl’s hairstyle.
20. What did the second fellow-passenger say to the blind narrator
about the girl’s eyes?
Ans) The second fellow passenger told the
narrator that the girl had beautiful eyes but they were of no use to her.
1. What was the girl tired of?
Ans:- The girl was tired of people telling her
that she had a beautiful face.
2. When did the new passenger stammer an
apology?
Ans:-The new passenger stammered an apology
while he was trying to get in the train compartment from Saharanpur railway
station.
3. How was the voice of the girl’s aunt
,according to the narrator?
Ans:- According to the narrator,the voice of the
girl’s aunt was high pitched.
4. “.....but it was a safe remark.” – What was
the safe remark?
Ans:-The safe remark by the narrator was that
the girl had an interesting face.
5. What did the narrator compare the girl’s
voice to?
Ans:- The narrator compared the girl’s voice to
the sparkle of a mountain stream.
6. How did the narrator know that the girl wore
slippers?
Ans:- The narrator knew that the girl wore
slippers from the sound they made against her heels.
7. What mistake the narrator did in ‘The Eyes
Have It’ make?
Ans:- In ‘The Eyes Have It’, the narrator made a
mistake by asking the girl a question how it was like outside.
8. When do the hills look lovely, according to
the narrator?
Ans:- According to the narrator, the hills look
lovely in the month of October.
9. Who came to see off the girl?
Ans:- A couple, probably the girl’s parents,
came to see off the girl.
10. What nation does the narrator have about
aunts?
Ans:- According to the narrator, aunts are
usually formidable creatures.
11. What tantalised the narrator of the story
“The Eyes Have It”?
Ans:- The perfume from the girl’s hair
tantalised the narrator of the story “ The Eyes Have It”.
12. Who would receive the girl at the station?
Ans:- The girl’s aunt would receive her at the
station.
13. Why did not the girl notice the narrator at
first?
Ans:- The girl didn’t notice the narrator at
first, because she could not realize that there was anyone in the compartment
besides, she was blind.
14. What compliment did Ruskin Bond give to his
co-passenger, the girl?
Ans:- The compliment, Ruskin Bond gave to his
co-passenger, the girl was that she had an interesting face.
15. Why were the eyes of the girl of no use?
Ans:- The eyes of the girl were of no use
because she was completely blind.
16. What did the new traveller tell about the
girl?
Ans:- The new traveller told that the girl had
beautiful eyes but she was completely blind.
17. Where was the girl got in?
Ans:- The girl was got in Rohana.
18. Why were the beautiful eyes of the girl useless
to her?
Ans:- The beautiful eyes of the girl were
useless to her because she was completely blind.
19. Where was the narrator going in the story
‘The Eyes Have It’?
Ans:- In the story ‘The Eyes Have It’ , the
narrator was going to Dehra and then to Mussoorie.
20. Why did the girl consider the narrator to be
lucky?
Ans:- The girl consider the narrator to be lucky
because he was going to Mussoorie, a place she loved.
21. Why was the narrator prepared to sit for any
length of time?
Ans:- The narrator could sit in the train
compartment for any length of time just to listen to girl talking.
22. What fascinating game did the narrator want
to play?
Ans:- The narrator wanted to guess what went on
outside the train compartment.
23. ‘That always happens’ – what always happens?
Ans:- Whenever a train runs, the trees always
seem to be moving while the passengers seem to be standing still. It always
happens.
24. Who broke into the narrator’s reverie?
Ans:- The new fellow passenger who got into the
train at Saharanpur broke into the narrator’s reverie.
25. What flashed in the mind’s eye of the
narrator?
Ans:- The telegraph posts outside the window of
the moving train flashed in the mind’s eye of the narrator.
26. What did the narrator hear by facing the
window?
Ans:- By facing the window, the narrator heard
the panting of the engine and the rumble of the wheels of the train.
27. What pretence did the narrator make?
Ans:- The narrator made pretence of studying the
landscape.
28. ‘I can’t bear.’ – What can’t the girl bear?
Ans:- The girl can’t bear to sit in a train for
more than two or three hours.
29. Who gave the girl detailed instructions?
Ans:- The woman, probably the girl’s, mother
gave the girl details instructions.
30. To what things only were the narrator’s eyes
sensitive?
Ans:- The narrator's eyes were sensitive only to
light and darkness
Descriptive/Analytical questions from The Eyes
Have It
1. What instructions were given to the girl by her
parents before she started her journey? Do you think the narrator started to
like the girl from the very beginning? Support your answer with reference to
the text.
Ans) When the train stopped at Rohana in Ruskin
Bond's short story ‘The Eyes have it', a couple came to see a girl off who
boarded the train at the station. The couple seemed very anxious for the girl's
comfort and safety. The woman gave her elaborate instructions about where to
keep her things and where to sit and not to talk to strangers. Their concern
made the narrator conclude that they were her parents.
The narrator started to like the girl from the
very beginning of their journey together. He was captivated by the sound of her
voice and her slippers. The fascinated narrator even described the voice of the
girl to have the sparkle of a mountain stream.
2. What was the destination of the narrator in
the story ‘The Eyes Have It’? What description of his destination did he give?
How could he give such a description in spite of being blind?
Ans) The destination of the narrator in Ruskin
Bonds ‘The Eyes Have It’, was Mussoorie.
According to the narrator, October is the best
time to visit the hills. In October, the hills are covered with wild dahlias,
the sunshine becomes pleasant and at night one can sit in front of a log fire
and drink a little brandy. The roads become quiet and deserted as the tourist
season gets over.
In spite of being blind, the narrator was able
to give a description of the place because his other sense organs were much
strong and sensitive. Moreover, the narrator recalled from his memory the
glimpses of the hills he had seen years back when he could see partially. He
was familiar with the surroundings of Dehra and Mussoorie, which helped him to
give a spectacular description of Mussoorie and its surroundings.
3. “…she thought me a romantic fool” – who might
be thought a romantic fool? When and why did the speaker doubt so?
Ans) In the short story ‘The Eyes Have It’,
during the narrator’s conversation with the girl regarding the beauty of the hills
in October, the girl expressed her desire to visit the hills. The narrator
became nostalgic and gave a vivid and romantic description of the hills during
the month of October. After listening to the narrator’s description of the
hills the girl became silent. This made the narrator wonder whether his words
had touched her or if she thought him to be a romantic fool.
4.’Then I made a mistake’- What ‘mistake’ did
the speaker make? Why was it a ‘mistake’? What removed the speaker’s doubts?
What did the speaker do then?
Ans) In Ruskin Bonds
‘The eyes Have It’ the narrator made a mistake of asking the girl what it was
like outside the train.
The speaker thought he
made a mistake, as it was unusual of people with proper eyesight to ask such a
question. The speaker was afraid that the girl might discover the truth that he
was blind.
When the girl asked the
speaker why he himself did not see outside the window the narrators doubts were
cleared.
The narrator wanted to
keep on acting that he was not blind. To establish his lie more firmly the
speaker moved easily along the berth and felt for the window ledge. He faced
the open window pretending that he could see everything and tried to convince
the girl that he could see.
5.’I’m tired of people
telling me I have a pretty face.’ Who said this, to whom and when? What did the
person spoken to reply?
Ans) The girl said this
to the narrator when he complimented her by saying that she had an interesting
face.
In course of the journey
once the narrator became a bit more daring and told the girl that she had an
interesting face. Hearing the narrator’s flattery the girl laughed pleasantly
and replied that the narrators remark was nice as she was tired of hearing people
say that she had a pretty face. The girl also addressed the narrator as a very
gallant young man.
6. ‘But the thought of
laughter only made me feel troubled and lonely’. – Why did the narrator feel
so?
Ans) In Ruskin Bonds
‘The Eyes Have It”, the narrator’s blindness had isolated him from the rest of
the world. He knew that the moment the girl would get down from the train she
would forget their brief encounter. He would be shut in his world of loneness
and darkness again. The departure of the girl would shut the door to the outer
world, which had brightened his life momentarily. Thus, in such a mental state,
the thought of laughter only made him feel troubled and lonely.
7. ‘She was standing
very close to me’ – Whom does ‘she’ refer to? When and why was ‘she’ standing
very close to the narrator? What was the effect of her proximity to the
narrator?
Ans) here ‘she’
refers to the girl who was travelling with the narrator in the same train
compartment.
When the engine shrieked
and the wheels changed their sound, the girl in the compartment got up and
began to collect her things, as she was about to get off at Saharanpur. While
collecting her things she came in close proximity to the narrator.
The girl stood so close
to the narrator that the perfume from her hair seemed tantalizing to the
narrator. He was so engrossed by her presence that he almost reached out to
touch her hair.
She moved away but her
perfumed remained where she stood.
8.“The man who had
entered the compartment broke into my reverie.” – Whose reverie is referred to
here? What was the reverie about? How was the reverie broken?
Ans) The reverie of the
narrator is referred to here.
The reverie was about
the brief encounter with the girl in his compartment who got down at
Saharanpur. The narrator was daydreaming about the girl with whom he had a
sweet and short interaction. The narrator was charmed by the presence of the
girl and he felt that this brief encounter with the girl would stay with him
for eternity.
The next passenger who
boarded the train at Saharanpur broke into his reverie. The man broke the
silence by saying that he was not as attractive a travel companion as the one
who just left.
9.’She was completely
blind. Didn’t you notice?’ – who said this to whom? When was this said? Explain
the irony in the line.
Ans) The male passenger
who boarded the train at Saharanpur said this to the narrator.
After the male passenger
boarded the train at Saharanpur he told the narrator that he was not half as
attractive as the girl who had just left the train. In reply, the narrator
wanted to know from the passenger about the girl’s hairstyle. The fellow
passenger was startled at this type of question. In reply, he said that he did
not notice the girl’s hairstyle instead he had noticed her eyes. He also told
that the girl was very beautiful and had beautiful eyes but her eyes were of no
use to her as she was completely blind.
Throughout the journey,
the narrator tried to conceal from the girl that he was blind. When the next
co-passenger revealed to him that the girl he was travelling with was
completely blind, he realized that all his hard labour was in vain. Fate had
played a ruthless prank on the narrator.
10.Would you agree that
this story is a comment on ‘seeing’? Support your point with instances from the
text.
Ans) A person who is
blind narrates Ruskin Bonds ‘The Eyes Have It’. The narrator hides his
blindness to strangers attempting to show that he is completely normal like any
other person by playing the guessing game. He tries to describe things by
guessing them and recalling it from his memory. We saw this in the conversation
of the narrator with the girl saying that ‘Have you noticed?’ ,’ …that
the trees seem to be moving while we seem to be standing still.’
He even complimented the
girl by saying that, ‘You have an interesting face’, which apparently nullifies
him being blind. Throughout the story, we saw the narrator's description to
perceive the girl through his eyes. His desperation was so high that when the
girl left he asked his fellow passenger to describe the girl’s hair so that he
can draw her in his mind’s eye. The voice of the girl, the sound of her
slipper, her laughter helped to recreate her in his mind. The entire story
revolves around the blind narrator’s desire to defy his blindness and trying to
see through his mind. So it seemed that the story is a bold comment on ‘seeing’
as once the narrator had said that people with good eyesight often fail to see
what is in front of him as they have too much to take in whereas people like him
recreate the world in their own minds’ eyes.