Leela's Friend/ Part-1

LEELA'S FRIEND

R. K. Narayan

Analytical/ Descriptive Type Questions- Marks 5

1. List the ways in which Sidda's company makes Leela 'supremely happy'.

   Leela enjoyed Sidda's company. They established a unique relationship between themselves. They would play with a red ball in the garden. Sidda framed a splendid story about the moon. Leela's joy knew no bounds. She learnt that the ball had touched the moon. Leela played the teacher to Sidda in great joy. After dinner Sidda told Leela stories of animals in jungle, the gods in heaven and of magicians. Leela listened how magicians could conjure up golden castles and fill them with princesses and their pets. He would give Leela his pleasant company whenever she asked for it. All these made Leela supremely happy. [104]

2. How did Leela attempt to endure Sidda?

    Leela was the five year old daughter of Mr. Sivasaker. Leela held a class for Sidda at dusk. She had a box filled with catalogues. There were illustrated books and stumps of pencils. Leela played the teacher to Sidda in great joy. She made him squat on the floor with a pencil between his fingers. The catalogue lay in front of him. Leela knew two or three letters. She could draw cat and crow. She then commanded him to write and draw. But Sidda's performance was poor. Leela then pitied and redoubled his efforts. He found relief by telling Leela that she was being called by her mother for having dinner. [111]

3. What is the relatinship between Sidda and Mr. Sivasanker?

    Mr. Sivasanker wanted a servant in his home. So, he appointed a homeless boy, Sidda. Sidda was obedient to his master. He was given two meals a day and four rupees a month for his service. But the master-servant relationship did not finally grow into a bond of love. Oneday Leela's gold chain was found missing. Sidda was charged with the theft. Sidda got afraid and vanished into the night. The police intervened. Later Leela's gold chain was discovered in a tamarind pot. Mrs. Sivasanker refused to take Sidda back because he had already been stamped as a criminal. Sidda suffered unjust punishment. [103]

4. How does Mr. and Mrs. Sivasanker react to Leela's missing chain? How does Leela herself react? What this suggest about each of them?

     Mrs. Sivasanker noticed that Leela's gold chain was missing. Leela told her mother that she knew nothing about it. Mrs. Sivasanker slapped her angrily . She called Sidda and asked him about the chain. Mrs. Sivasanker threatened to send Sidda to the lock-up. Panick-stricken Sidda escaped. On his return hom in the evening Mr. Sivasanker was informed of the incident. He became excited, went to the police station and lodged a complaint against Sidda.

     The missing of gold chain did not matter much to Leela. She showed no reaction over the loss of the chain. She regarded it as an object of little importance.

    The above incident suggested that Mr. and Mrs. Sivasanker are extremely materialistic and suspicious. They do not have the patience to judge the situation. The incident exposes the basic meanness in their character. Leela is a trully innocent child living around her own world of fantasy. Unlike her parents, she has more faithful in her felloe human beings. [162]