“The Rightful Inheritors of the Earth”
1. What made the narrator feel happy even though he bought an old house that needed renovation?
The narrator felt happy because the two-acre plot had coconut palms, and at that time, the price of coconuts was rising. He imagined the palms laden with coconuts and saw it as a secure future.
2. When was the narrator’s dream of a secure future broken? List the names of all those who were responsible for it.
The narrator’s dream was broken when various creatures started trespassing and damaging the crops. The responsible ones were:
- Birds and butterflies
- Crows
- Hawks
- Mongooses
- Foxes
- Cobra
- Squirrels
- Rats
- Bats
- A cat (died due to poison)
3. For which two reasons the narrator disliked the crows more than other birds?
- Their loud, raucous cawing was insufferable.
- They swooped down and harmed the chicks.
4. ‘Hadn’t almost the whole of the earth been bought by man, bit by bit?’ What aspect of man’s nature is suggested by the comment of the narrator? Does he approve/disapprove of this aspect of man?
The comment suggests man’s possessiveness and greed to own every piece of land. The narrator disapproves of this trait, highlighting that all creatures have a right to live and share nature’s bounty.
5. Pick out the lines that convey the narrator’s belief that human beings and all other creatures on the earth have equal rights on everything that grows on earth.
- “Don’t you think we should remind ourselves always that birds, beasts and insects too are entitled to the produce of the earth?”
- “Let us be satisfied with what we get after they have taken their share.”
- “All living beings are the rightful inheritors of the Earth.”
6. Why does the narrator ask for forgiveness of God for killing rats? What would happen if the rats were not killed?
He asks for forgiveness because he believes in the sanctity of all life and regrets taking any. However, he is compelled to kill the rats because they were destroying around 900 coconuts monthly, which was their only livelihood.
7. How were rats and other creatures made to eat poison? List the creatures that actually died of eating poisonous food.
The poison was mixed with bananas, rice, and tapioca, and placed all over the property. Creatures that died:
- 5 hens
- 12 squirrels
- 200 rats
- A cat
8. What was the old myth about the owls? Was it proved right or wrong? How?
The myth was that owls peck at tender coconuts. It was proved wrong when the real culprits were found to be bats who came in swarms after dusk and feasted on the coconuts.
9. What difference do you notice between the attitude of the narrator and his wife towards killing the bats, foxes and polecats?
The narrator is compassionate and against killing any creature. He believes in coexistence. His wife, on the other hand, is more practical and supports killing the animals to protect their livelihood.
10. How did the cousin of the narrator’s wife plan to kill three thousand bats in two to three days?
He brought an expensive gun and planned to go to an islet near a temple where thousands of bats hung on two banyan trees. He intended to shoot and kill them in large numbers.
11. How were the bats saved? Pick out the words that convey how the narrator’s wife and her cousin felt when they failed to kill the bats.
They were saved by the intervention of local people who believed bats were the souls of ancestors and threatened to kill anyone who harmed them.
Words describing their reaction: shamefaced, terrified, deflated, agitatedly
12. ‘Let us be satisfied with what we get after they have taken their share?’ What do these words of the narrator suggest about his attitude towards the living creatures and their claim on the things grown on the earth?
It shows that the narrator values coexistence and believes all creatures have a rightful share in nature’s bounty. He accepts nature’s balance and is content with sharing the produce with other beings.