THE PIE AND THE TART
Hugh
Chesterman
Comprehension Questions
I. Answer the following questions briefly
1) “If
I stop walking, I shall freeze”, said Pierre. “I prefer to die sitting down”,
said Jean. This shows:
a) that it was extremely cold in Paris on that
day.
b) that Jean is quick-witted and reacts
intelligently.
c) their ability to laugh at and talk lightly
about their miserable condition.
Ans: a) that it was extremely cold in Paris on that day.
2) Why was Pierre pinched? How did he defend
himself before Judge Gaston?
Ans: Pierre was pinched because he was begging. He defended himself
before Judge Gaston by saying that he had to live.
3) “I really don’t see the necessity”, said
Judge Gaston. This remark is a reflection on …
a) the judge’s insensitivity.
b) how people felt about vagabonds in those
days.
c) the judge’s sense of humor.
Ans: c) the judge’s sense of humor.
4) What, according to Pierre, is a sure sign
of starvation?
Ans: According to Pierre, squinting slightly and saying seven days
instead of three days was a sure sign of starvation.
5) Who opens the door of the cake shop when
Pierre knocks on it?
Ans: M. Gaultier, the owner of the cake shop, opens the door when Pierre
knocks on it.
6) Pick out the common response of Gaultier
and Marion to the Vagabond’s begging.
Ans: M. Gaultier and Marion response in same manner as M. Gaultier says
that his wife is not there and Marion tells that her husband is not there and
they both tell that they have nothing to give to the vagabond’s begging.
7) Choose from the box given below the
phrases/adjectives that can be used to describe Gaultier, Marion and Pierre.
Content with his lot, conceited,
hypocritical, foolish, stoutish, clever, has presence of mind, sensitive,
comely, generous, kind, quick-witted, gullible, resourceful, pompous, excellent
pastry cook.
Ans: Gaultier: content with
his lot, conceited, hypocritical, pompous, excellent pastry cook.
Marion: foolish, stoutish, comely, sensitive, generous, kind and
gullible.
Pierre: clever, has a presence of mind, quick-witted,
resourceful.
8) “I can’t very well be seen carrying an eel
pie through the streets of Paris. Can I?” says Gaultier. This shows that he is
a) lazy
b) wise
c) too conscious and proud of his position
Ans: c) too conscious and proud of his position.
9) What details of the conversation between
the baker and his wife help Jean in his planning?
Ans: M. Gaultier was going to mayor house and he thought take eel pie
but didn’t want to carry it, then asked his wife even she too refused. Later,
M. Gaultier thought to arrange a messenger to carry it and he told his wife
that he would send a messenger to carry eel pie to mayor’s house. Marion asked
her husband how she should recognize him. M. Gaultier told her that he would
instruct the messenger to kiss her hand. Meanwhile Jean was standing nearby and
he heard conversation between the baker and his wife and it helped to taste
delicious eel pie.
10) Why does Jean ask Pierre to get the pie
instead of taking it himself?
Ans: Jean asked Pierre to get the pie instead of taking it himself
because Marion had already seen him when he had knocked the door.
11) How does the playwright bring out
Pierre’s nervousness when he presents himself as the messenger to carry the eel
pie?
Ans: Pierre was in nervousness when he met Marion. He fumbled and
uttered that M. Pie had sent him to fetch M. Gaultier instead of M. Gaultier
had sent him to fetch the eel pie.
12) How was Marion going to identify
Gaultier’s messenger?
Ans: Marion could identify Gaultier’s messenger when he would kiss her
and ask her for eel pie.
13) Jean does not give the details of the
conservation between the baker and his wife to Pierre, as
a) it is not necessary.
b) Jean wants to play the boss.
c) Jean wants to take advantage of the
situation.
Ans: a) it is not necessary.
14) Pick out any one comparison that Pierre
mentions while describing to Marion how he would canny the eel pie?
Ans: He would take utmost care of the eel pie as a mother would take
care of her children.
15) Why does Pierre think he was dreaming?
Ans: Pierre thought that he was dreaming because the eel pie was in his
hand and Marion had handed the eel pie to him.
16) Why do the vagabonds go back to the
bakery after eating the pie?
Ans: The vagabonds go back to the bakery after eating the pie because
Pierre had seen a tart and they decided to taste that delicious tart too.
17) What makes Pierre say that the eels “give
themselves up to Gaultier”? What does it tell you about the baker?
Ans: Pierre told Gaultier that he was an excellent baker in the town.
The eel pie was very tasty and delicious.
18) What is the only one fault that Pierre finds
with the eel pie?
Ans: Pierre found only one fault with the eel pie was that there was
only a single pie, it should have been two rather than one.
19) Who opens the door when Jean goes to get
the tart?
Ans: Marion opens the door when Jean goes to get the tart.
20) Does Jean get the tart? What happens to him?
Why?
Ans: No, Jean does not get the tart. M. Gaultier thrashed him because
Marion informed him that a boy had come to take the tart as earlier same manner
eel pie had been taken.
21) Why did Jean lie to Pierre and send him
to fetch the tart?
Ans: Jean lied to Pierre and sent him to fetch the tart because Jean was
beaten by M. Gaultier black and blue and he wanted Pierre should get same punishment
which he had.
22) What did Jean tell Pierre to convince him
that Pierre should go to get the tart?
Ans: Jean convinced Pierre by saying that Marion would not give the tart
to anyone except the same messenger who came for the pie.
23) Give one example to show that Marion has
a good sense of humour.
Ans: Marion had a good sense of humour, as she asked her husband to send
a good looking messenger to kiss her hand.
II. Close Study:
Read the following extracts carefully.
Discuss in pairs and then write the answers to the questions given below them:
1) Pierre: He does not catch them. They give
themselves up. No eel could resist the blandishments of such an artist as M.
Gaultier.
a) What does ‘them’ refer to?
Ans: ‘them’ refers to the eels.
b) What does the above statement tell us about Gaultier?
Ans: M. Gaultier was an excellent baker.
c) What prompts Pierre to give such a
compliment to Gaultier?
Ans: Pierre had eaten the delicious pie made by M. Gaultier. So, he gave
such compliment.
2) Gaultier: I can’t very well be seen
carrying an eel pie through the streets of Paris, can I? … Do you think you
could bring it along after me?
a) Where is Gaultier supposed to carry the
pie?
Ans: Gaultier supposed to carry the eel pie to the Mayor’s house.
b) What does the passage tell you about his
character?
Ans: M. Gaultier was a arrogant man and he felt it would be below his
dignity if he carried that eel pie.
c) Who is he addressing?
Ans: He is addressing to his wife, Marion.
III. Paragraph Writing.
Discuss in pairs/groups of 4 each the answers
to the following questions. Individually, note down the points for each
question and then develop the points into one-paragraph answers.
1) Jean and Pierre have a lot of
similarities. But the dramatist ensures that in spite of their similarities,
they are different enough to be individuals.
(Answer these sub-questions in a paragraph
each).
a) How are Jean and Pierre similar?
Ans: Jean and Pierre were similar in the following way; both of them
were poor and jobless, living on the streets of Paris. Simultaneously they were
vagabonds too. They were lying, robbing and begging the streets, even they were
caught by police many times but they were stubborn and lead their life by
begging. Apart from these qualities they were clever and tricky fellows, they
were quick-witted and have a good presence of mind and handled every situation
smartly.
b) How are they different?
Ans: They had different characteristics. Jean planed and Pierre executed
them. Jean explained the plan about to steal eel pie to Pierre and Pierre
without examining about it, he followed the word of Jean and executed plan to
get eel pie. On another occasion when Jean put Pierre in difficult situation,
at that Pierre used his mind and he came of difficult situation with a reward
as delicious tart.
