2nd PUC ENGLISH NOTES - TOO DEAR

 

2. TOO DEAR!

Leo Tolstoy

Comprehension I

1) Why was ‘Monaco’ called a ‘toy kingdom’?

Ans: Monaco had quite a little landmass that if all the land in the kingdom were isolated, there would not be even a section of land for every one of its 7,000 occupants. So, Monaco was known as a toy kingdom.

 

2) Name the commodities that were taxed in Monaco.

Ans: Tobacco, wine and spirit were the commodities taxed in Monaco. Even a poll tax was paid by the people.

 

3) What was the source of the King’s special revenue? Who were its beneficiaries?

Ans: The King’s special revenue was the percentage of profit given by the gaming housekeeper to the kinglet. Its beneficiaries were the king, his ministers, courtiers, his servants, a bishop, his generals, and his army.

 

4)  Why did the Germans stop gaming houses in their country and how did it benefit Monaco?

Ans: Gaming houses had harmed so much to the people. On the off chance that a man went to a gaming house to attempt his karma, taking a chance with all he had and lost it, at that point he would even risk cash that didn't have a place with him. In the event that he loses that additionally, he would be compelled to end it all by suffocating or shooting himself despondently. So, the Germans stopped gaming house in their country. Gaming house benefitted Monaco, as it was the only kingdom that allowed running it.

 

5) What was the punishment given to the murderer?

Ans: Sentenced to death was the punishment given to the murderer.

 

6) The death sentence was converted into imprisonment for life because

a) Monaco had abolished the death penalty.

b) Carrying out the death sentence was expensive.

c) Monaco wanted to show mercy to the criminal.

Ans: b) Carrying out the death sentence was expensive.

 

7) How much did the king spend on the criminal annually?

Ans:  600 francs, the king spent on the criminal annually.

 

8)  On what condition did the criminal agree to go away from the prison? How was his demand fulfilled?

Ans: The condition was to pay 600 francs as pension for a year regularly until his death that the criminal agreed to go away from the prison. If the prisoner refused to run away from the prison then his demand was fulfilled. The king would have been forced to keep a guard over to watch and feed him until his death.

 

9) Where is the kingdom of Monaco situated?

Ans:  The kingdom of Monaco was situated near the borders of France and Italy.

 

10) How many inhabitants are there in the kingdom of Monaco?

Ans: Seven thousand inhabitants are there in the kingdom of Monaco.

 

11) If the kingdom of Monaco were divided among its inhabitants, how much land would each inhabitant get?

Ans: If the kingdom of Monaco were divided among its inhabitants, then each inhabitant would get less than an acre.

 

12) How many men are there in the army of Monaco?

Ans: Only sixty men are in the army of Monaco.

 

13)  Name the special source of revenue in the kingdom of Monaco.

Ans:  The special source of revenue in the kingdom of Monaco was the large sum of money paid by the gaming housekeeper, out of his profits from the gaming house.

 

14) How did the king of Monaco supplement the kingdom’s revenue?

Ans: The king of Monaco supplemented the kingdom’s revenue by keeping to himself the monopoly of the gaming business.

15) Which was the only place of gambling in Europe as mentioned in ‘Too Dear!’?

Ans:  Monaco was the only place of gambling in Europe as mentioned in ‘Too Dear!’

 

16) What business does the Prince of Monaco monopolies?

Ans: The business of gaming at the roulette table is the Prince of Monaco monopolies.

 

17) What unusual crime was committed in the kingdom of Monaco?

Ans:  A murder was unusual crime committed in the kingdom of Monaco.

 

18) Mention one of the reasons for altering the death sentence to life imprisonment in ‘Too Dear!’

Ans: The reason for altering the death sentence to life imprisonment in ‘Too Dear!’ was that the Kingdom of Monaco did not have either a guillotine machine or a professional executioner.

 

19) To whom did the ministers of Monaco write first to help them with the execution?

Ans: The ministers of Monaco wrote first a letter to the French Government to help them with the execution.

 

20) Where was the criminal’s food fetched from in ‘Too Dear!’?

Ans: The criminal’s food fetched from the palace kitchen in ‘Too Dear!’

 

21) Who brought food from the palace kitchen for the prisoner?

Ans: The food was brought by the guard who was appointed to keep watch over the prisoner from the palace kitchen for the prisoner.

 

22) What was the new item of expenditure noticed by the Prince?

Ans: The money spent on keeping a guard to watch the criminal and to feed the criminal was the new item of expenditure noticed by the Prince.

 

23) What was the pension offered to the criminal?

Ans:  The pension offered to the criminal was 600 francs.

 

24) How much did the criminal receive as an advance of his annuity before leaving Monaco?

Ans: The criminal received one-third of his annuity as an advance before leaving Monaco.

 

25) What did the criminal do to earn his living after his release?

Ans:  The criminal bought a bit of land and started market gardening to earn his living after his release.

 

26) Name the ‘Toy Kingdom’ mentioned in ‘Too Dear!’

Ans: The ‘Toy Kingdom’ mentioned in ‘Too Dear!’ is Monaco.

 

27) Who is referred to as ‘a rascal’ by the king in ‘Too Dear!’?

Ans: The king referred the criminal who committed a murder as a rascal in ‘Too Dear!’

 

28) Where did the criminal settle after emigrating in ‘Too Dear!’?

Ans: The criminal settled in a place just across the frontiers, which could be reached by rail in only a quarter of an hour after emigrating in ‘Too Dear!’

 

29) Which government is Republican and has no proper respect for the King in ‘Too Dear!’?

Ans: The French Government is Republican and has no respect for the King in ‘Too Dear!’

 

30) What does the keeper of the gaming house pay the Prince in ‘Too Dear!’?

Ans: A large sum out of his profits from the gaming house the keeper pays the Prince in ‘Too Dear!’

 

Comprehension II

1) Though gambling is a dirty business, why does the king of Monaco resort to it?

Ans: The gaming housekeeper paid a huge amount of cash out of his benefits. This money assisted the kinglet to enjoy his life, holding court with all the service of a real king. So, the king of Monaco had resort the gaming house run his kingdom.

 

2) Why did the king of Monaco keep changing his mind in dealing with the criminal?

Ans: At first the king acknowledged the judge’s decision and ordered the execution of the criminal. He changed the sentence of death to imprisonment for life due to absence of guillotine machine and an executioner.  The king understood that he needed to spend 600 francs on the criminal after keeping in jail for one year, and it was financial burden to his people. On the advice of his ministers, he planned to flee the prisoner by excused the guard. But the prisoner refused to run away and the king faced a new problem and he ordered to pay 600 francs a years as pension to the prisoner.

 

3) Why was the criminal reluctant to go out of the prison?

Ans:  The criminal’s character had been destroyed by capital punishment given to him and he had no place to go. Besides, by being detained and given food in his cell consistently, he had quit any pretense of attempting to make money. He felt vulnerable thus would not go. So, the criminal was reluctant to go out of the prison.

 

4) How did the criminal lead his life after his release?

Ans: The criminal moved to another country and settled right across the outskirts, with the cash he had received as an annuity in advance, and he purchased a bit of land, started market gardening and lived serenely after his release from the prison.

 

Comprehension III

1) “You can’t earn stone palaces by honest labour.’ Justify with reference to the story.

Ans: The source of the King of Monaco’s income was imposed taxes on tobacco, wine, and soul. He likewise demanded a poll tax. The king thought that it was hard to take care of his retainers, his authorities, and to meet his own costs. No one could carry on with a king's existence with the small pay as the Prince of Monaco got from his subjects. Consequently, to commute home the reality of this assertion he cites the maxim, ‘You can’t earn stone palaces by honest labour. It possibly implies that in the event that one needs to maintain an unsustainable lifestyle, legit work alone can't get him enough cash for his extravagances.

It suggests that one needs to take plan of action to bring in additional cash by some untrustworthy or deceptive methods. The King of Monaco likewise had a wellspring of extra or elective income. He used to get an enormous amount of cash consistently from a gaming housekeeper, who paid it out of his benefits acquired from his gaming house. The king realized that making money by running a gaming house where individuals took a chance with their cash at the roulette table was a grimy business. However, he had permitted it to run since he required more cash. Thus he wouldn't fret gathering extra income by this messy business also.

 

2) Though the trial and imprisonment of the criminal is depicted in a comic mode in this story, it does give rise to serious questions. What are they?

Ans: The author’s will likely satire the endeavors of the cutting edge state to fiercely control wrongdoing. Monaco had a little population, a little armed force and was controlled by a kinglet. Individuals lived calmly yet by one way or another way a murder was committed. The criminal was attempted according to the current guidelines of the state and was at last condemned to death. However, there was neither a guillotine machine nor a killer in the state. Consequently the king and the ministers made true endeavors to get them from their neighbors the French Government and the King of Italy.

Subsequent to gauging the advantages and disadvantages of causing an immense consumption the king surrendered getting the criminal executed and transformed it to imprisonment for life. This cost the lord 600 francs. At the point when the king reflected over the cost, its truck him that the expense would turn into a major weight if the criminal experienced an additional few years. The king and his ministers planned to flee the criminal by excused the guard but criminal wouldn’t go. At last, the criminal was offered a little benefit and paid one third of his annuity as advance. He left the jail and moved to another nation. In this way, there is a dash of humor in the story.

 

3) Were there other ways of dealing with the criminal? Discuss in the light of the story.

Ans: A very small kingdom Monaco was having a small population and a small armed force. Additionally, its income was pitiful. However, the king figured out how to lead like some other lord with retainers, judges, and clergymen getting a charge out of the extravagances and advantages of a king. The king figured out how to make the most of his majesty, using the extra income created from hoarding the betting business. It is profoundly condemnable that a king should turn to doing a filthy business to appreciate imperial solaces.

In the King’s kingdom a murder was committed by a criminal whereas the king did not have a guillotine machine or an executioner. It was very ludicrous to set up an arrangement of exacting viciousness to dispense with brutality. One potential elective punishment would have been sending the criminal into oust. Another elective punishment would have been to sentence such criminals to hard, actual work forever or for a restricted period until they improved their conduct. It would be unquestionably more reasonable, conservative, and empathetic to utilize the state's assets to decrease wrongdoings, along these lines.