Summaries for IV Semester Additional English

Lalajee – Jim Corbett

Lalajee was once flourishing grain merchant of Gaya. By mistake Lalajee had taken a partner for his business about whom he had known nothing. For a few years his business prospered and all went well. One day when Lalajee returned from a long journey he found his shop empty. To his utter dismay and shock he discovered that his partner had run away with all his wealth. The little amount of money he had with him was only sufficient to pay his personal debts. The circumstances forced him to leave his house where he lived until everything went well. He had no other option left with him but to seek an employment with some other rich merchant to take care of his family comprising his wife and a son. He worked for a merchant with whom he traded. For the next ten years he worked on seven rupees for a month.

Lalajee had come into contact with cholera in the train when he was on his way from Muzaffarpur to Gaya on his master’s errand. His condition grew worse on board of a ferry steamer. He slowly disembarked from the steamer and crawled close to the sacred waters of Ganges and prayed for his death. Jim Corbett, the author of this short story, had pity on this stranger lying on the banks of the sacred Ganges.  Immediately, Jim Corbett took him to an empty punkah coolies’ house next to his bungalow and placed him on the bed. He identified that the sick man was infected with cholera and there was no hope for his recovery. As there were no doctors nearby, the author started his crude method of treatment. He instilled faith in Lalajee that his treatment would definitely cure his disease. The next day the symptoms of improvement were shown in Lalajee had raised the hopes of Jim Corbett. At the end of the week he was able to get up and tell his story to Jim Corbett.

In the meantime, Lalajee recovered completely from his illness and stayed with the author for a month. He gained strength and prepared to go back his home. He approached Jim Corbett to seek his permission to leave for Gaya. While listening the story of Lalajee, the author Jim Corbett suggested him to resume his business rather than being servant to some master. Lalajee confessed his inability to start his business that he had neither money nor securities to provide surety for his loan. No one can believe a servant of seven rupees for a month to offer a loan five of hundred rupees that he required to start his business.

On the day when Lalajee was leaving for Gaya, Jim Corbett bought him a ticket and gave him five hundred rupee notes. The amount of five hundred rupees was almost a greater part of his entire savings. Lalajee was extremely happy and assured that he would return five hundred rupees within a year. The author, Jim Corbett had thought that it was beyond his capacity and forget about it later.

Lalajee started his business steadily and cautiously with meagre profits from transaction of three bags food grains per day to thirty tons of food grains and managed to get good rates of commission. He returned to Jim Corbett within the expiry of the time that he set himself. The author was very happy to hear that the successful story of enterprise and how his son settled in life by marring rich man’s daughter.  

Bankers Are Just Like Anybody Else, Except Richer – Ogden Nash

The poet, Ogden Nash says in his poem “Bankers Are Just Like Anybody Else, Except Richer” that his poem intends to celebrate banks. Thus, he makes the readers feel curious when the poet states that his poem celebrates banks. The banks will let us hear the clink-clank sound of the coins and the rustling sound of the currency notes. Of course, Money is an attraction that draws people towards it always and forever. Suddenly the poet changes the tone of his voice. He comments that bankers dwell in luxurious buildings. It is because they encourage deposits and discourage withdrawals. The stingy attitude of the bankers in lending and particularly to the poor sets the tone of the poem. He comments that banks are cautious conservatives and the bankers deny lending money to the needy. They dislike the people who have no money and no property to give them as security.

But the bankers shrewdly and tactfully behave with the rich persons. On seeing their rich customers they express their kindliness and greet them courteously and offer to lend as much money as they want. They would serve the rich customers with utmost care and affection. The vice-presidents of the banks nod their heads positively to such proposals. They would even send money to the customers’ place if they want.    

The poet says that bankers deserve our appreciation. The tone of the poet sounds very bitter and harsh. It means the very opposite of what is said.

The poet criticizes the too much commercial attitude of the bankers. They are pro-rich and anti-poor. The banks have to act as catalysts of social change. They have to see that the resources are evenly distributed among the various classes of society. They have to encourage the entrepreneurs and empower the deserving poor and hardworking people. But they are too cautious and conservative; they cannot discharge their duties to the society. They have to fulfill the objectives of the banking industry.  They play safe and fail to realize their obligations and duties; they would only facilitate the rich to grow richer and the poor become poorer.

The poet hints that bankers owe a duty to society. Wealth has to be distributed evenly. Those who do not have money but have the skills and talents, banks ought to help them to come up. But if the bankers play only by rules and stick on to their conservatism and pro-rich stance, they can earn profits without the ‘social gains’. Such attitude is absolutely undeserving. Thus, the poet prompts the bankers and readers to think of their duties and responsibilities with the ultimate objectives of the banking industry.

The Secret of Socrates – Dale Carnegie

Socrates was one of the greatest philosophers in humankind. He changed the course of human thought. He never told people they were wrong. Instead, he presented every question to be answered with a ‘yes’ response, winning one admission after another. After many affirmations, people found themselves supporting or embracing a conclusion that they would have bitterly objected to just minutes earlier.

Socrates’ secret is simple; begin all conversations on things which you agree. Do not begin by discussing differences. Emphasize common purposes and keep emphasizing these things. Keep your opponent saying ‘yes’ and, if possible, never permit him to say ‘no’. ‘No’ is difficult to overcome. Thus, it is of great importance to get people moving in the affirmation direction in soonest.

This is very simple technique but often overlooked and neglected as if some people get a rush off of self-importance by antagonizing others at the onset. Why antagonize other?

Carnegie concludes by citing an ancient Chinese proverb, “He who treads softly goes far.”

The Verger – Somerset Maugham

Part – 1

Albert Edward Foreman was a verger at St. Peter’s Neville Square. He served as a verger of the church for sixteen years efficiently and promptly to fulfill the duties of his office to the satisfaction of everybody concerned to the church.

The new Vicar of the church was so energetic and wanted everything to be proper and correct. The Vicar discovered that the Verger, Albert Edward Foreman was an illiterate who could neither read nor write. He made it clear to Albert that his work was quite satisfactory and that he had the highest opinion both of his character and of his capacity.  But he did not want to take any risk of some accident that might happen owing to his lamentable ignorance. He explained that it was a matter of prudence as well as of principle.

It was a great blow to Albert and he could digest the insult. The Vicar gave him three month’s time to learn to read and write. Albert resisted the proposal as it was somehow he did not like the new Vicar. When he rejected the proposal, the Vicar asked Albert that he would have to leave the church.

Thus, Albert Edward Foreman lost his job as a Verger of the church. His inability to read or write made him ineligible for the post. After his appointment sixteen years ago as a verger he had thought that the appointment was for life. But suddenly he became unemployed after a long service of sixteen years.

Part – 2

When Albert Edward Forman left the church, he was upset and deeply distressed. He strolled across the Square. He was sad and in deep thought. He did not take the street that led him home. He took the wrong turning. He walked slowly along. His heart was heavy. He did not know what he should do. He could not think of going back to domestic service after as a verger. He had saved a small sum but not enough to meet all his family requirements without doing anything.  He was a non-smoker but when he was tired he enjoyed a cigarette. It occurred to him now that a cigarette would comfort him. He could not find cigarette shop in the long street. It sounded strange to him. A tobacco shop in such a place would be profitable, he thought. The new idea that just occurred made him reflect seriously. He them turned and walked home. He considered the matter from every point of view. The next day he went along the street and by good luck found a little shop to let. It exactly suited him. The very next day he took the shop. He became business man. His wife said it was a dreadful to come down after being verger of St. Peter’s. But Albert had decided to move with the times to come. He did so well that in a year he began to think of taking a second shop. He got a good shop in another long street and started the business there. He put a manager in it. When the second shop was also a success, he searched all streets to find suitable places for his shops. Within the next ten years, he ran ten shops and made money. He went round to all of them himself every Monday, collected the week’s takings and took them to the bank.

Within short time Albert had kept thirty thousand pounds in his savings account. One-day the manger of the bank called him and advised him to invest his amount in some safe securities. Albert said that he did not want to take risk and wanted his money safe in the bank. The manager told him that there were safe securities and he could invest his money without least fear. Albert said that he did not know how and in which securities he could invest. The manager said to him that the bank would do it for him and he had merely to put his signature. After setting up the business Albert had learnt to sign. He asked the manager how he could know where he was investing. The manager said that he could read the document and then put his signature on that. Albert confessed that he could not read or write. It was a great surprise for the manager. It sounded him an extra-ordinary thing. Without knowing how to read or write Albert had amassed a huge sum. What he could have done had been a literate and educated. But Albert calmly answered him that if he knew to read and write he would have been the verger at St. Peter’s Neville Square and nothing more.

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