Mystery Of The Missing Cap | Question-Answer | Invitation to English 2 | CHSE Odisha

 Mystery Of The Missing Cap

By Manoj Das

Text Book Question and Answer

Unit - 1

1. What impression of Sri Moharana do you get from the text? 

Ans: Sri Moharana was a well-to-do man in the writer's uncle's village. He had a pucca house in an area of twenty villages. It looked elegant. People stopped and looked at it whenever they passed by. He had a considerable reputation as a conscientious and generous man. He was an exemplary host with two ponds full of choice fish and a number of well cared for cows. He was a happy villager. He was a patriot, an ambitious fellow who wanted to enter the state legislature with the help of minister Babu Virkishore.

2. Who is Babu Virkishore? How does the narrator describe him? 

Ans: Babu Veer Kishore was the minister of fisheries and fine Arts hailed from the district of Sri Moharana. He was a swadeshi minister. Sri Maharana wanted to arrange a reception and to welcome Babu Virkishore to get his blessings to enter politics. Accordingly, a large arrangement was made. 

3. What idea of the narrator do you get from this unit of the text? 

Ans: The narrator was a small boy when the incident narrated here occured. He used to visit his uncle's house and Sri Moharana was his uncle's neighbour. So he had a great chance to observe him closely. He too observed the incident narrated here. His intention is not to criticise or mock Sri Moharana or Babu Virkishore. But he wants to provide pleasure to the readers. So he wants to narrate the situation among them. 

4. How does the narrator recount the preparation for the minister's reception? 

Ans: Sri Moharana wanted to arrange the reception of Babu Virkishore for his political interest. For this reason he spent day and night making lavish arrangements. The school children practised the welcome song. The huge ancestral cane chair was laid with a linen cover. The women folk were kept ready to blow their conch-shells when the minister stepped into the village.

Unit - 2

1. How does the narrator describe the procession of the minister in the village? 

Ans: The minister arrived in a jeep. As soon as the jeep reached the outskirts of the village near a gate, people shouted Babu Veer Kishore Ki Jai, Bharat Mata Ki Jai. The minister got down. Sri Moharana garlanded him. He was led to his house in a grand procession. People went on shouting slogans. Small children walked a little distance with a lot of curiosity. The minister put his hand on Moharana and plodded. Moharana felt credited. 

2. How did Sri Moharana entertain the guests? 

Ans: When the procession reached Sri Moharana's house, Moharana served them tender coconut juice. Then a luxurious lunch was served to them. In this lunch, there were twenty dishes along with sweetened ghee-baked rice. The minister ate a hearty meal and went to bed.  

Unit - 3

1. How did the minister's cap disappear? 

Ans: The minister Babu Veer Kishore took food and went to bed. The front door was closed. Some people were on guard there. The rear side window was open. Through this window, Sri Moharana's domesticated monkey Jhandoo came, took the cap of the minister, kept on the table and went away into the groove. In this way the minister's cap disappeared from the room. 

2. How did the minister's officials react to the disappearance of the cap?

Ans: The minister, after eating food, went to bed. He kept his cap on the table. Jhandoo, the pet monkey of Sri Maharana, came stealthily and took the cap. His officials too searched for it. As they did not find them they said that it was a deep rooted conspiracy. The public relations officer said- The Hon'ble minister doesn't mind the loss of the cap so much as the way it disappeared.  

3. How did Sri Moharana feel about the loss of the cap? 

Ans: The minister's cap was missing when he was asleep. A thorough search was made, but it was not found. Sri Maharana was found shaking. He was sweating like an ice- cream stick so profusely that at that rate he might completely melt away in a few hours. 

4. How did he feel when he came to know the cause of the missing cap? 

Ans: The minister's cap was lost. Sri Moharana looked cross. He started trembling. In the meantime, the writer told him that Jhandoo had taken the cap. He stood dumb for a moment, eyes closed. Then he smiled a bit, patted the writer and told him not to tell any about it. He promised to give him a reward. 

5. What was the effect of the disappearance of the cap on the ceremony? 

Ans: Minister Babu Virakishore's cap was stolen. A thorough search was made, But it was not found. All looked cross. Sri Moharana trembled. The incident had thrown a wet blanket on the occasion. From the sepulchral silence of the minister's room, intermittent coughing came. Anxiety dampened the spirit of the people in the courtyard and on the veranda. 

6. How did the narrator's pals react to the situation? 

Ans: The narrator's pals were full of anxiety. One said that the thief would be hanged. The big banyan tree near the river has been kept ready. Another said-all the villagers will be thrown to jail. Some of them believed that the cap might have ministerial power.

Unit - 4

1. How did the narrator describe the opening ceremony? 

Ans: The minister and Sri Maharana came to the reception pendal. The minister took chair. Moharana's niece, a high school educated girl, garlanded the minister. Then the chorus sang-"O mighty minister" with musical instruments in kirtan style. Mr. Moharana grabbed Mike and gave a fiery speech. 

2. How did Mr. Moharana explains the reason behind the missing cap? 

Ans: Sri Moharana explained that the minister's cap was not lost. A nobleman of the area had taken it to preserve it and worship it. If he had asked the minister for the cap, he wouldn't have offered it out of humility. So he was obliged to take it secretly. Instead he has sent hundred and one rupee to the minister to spend it for the poor people. 

3. What impression of Sri Moharana do you get from this unit of the text? 

Ans: Sri Maharana is an advanced, cultured man. He loved truth and honesty. Being ambitious he wanted to enter politics. But he realised that politics was not the right place for him. He had innovative talent. He was a pukka politician and could tackle a situation cleverly. He had presence of mind. He explained reason for the missing cap in a beautiful. manner. He hated to lie. In a particular circumstance he has told a lie, but he couldn't compromise with his conscience.  

Unit - 5

1. How did the minister find out the mystery of the missing cap? 

Ans: The minister was told that a nobleman took his cap to preserve and worship. But at the time of departure, Jhandoo presented him with the cap. He looked astonished and asked- Isn't the same cap which the nobleman had taken? Sri Moharana told cryingly This is the nobleman. Then the mystery of the missing cap was known. 

2. What role did Jhandoo play in the story? Did he bring an anti-climax to the story? Give your reasons. 

Ans: Jhandoo took away the minister's cap when he was asleep. When it was not found, Mr. Moharana told an imaginary story that a nobleman had taken it to preserve it and to worship it. The minister looked glad. Later Jhandoo returned the cap to the minister. Then he came to know about the mystery of the missing cap. They forgot politics. Jhandoo opened their eyes and they said goodbye to politics. 

Tags: story

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