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“The Eyes are not here” by Ruskin Bond - 60 MCQ, 30 single line question and 10 Long question

 

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.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


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