The Boy who broke the Bank

Glossary

 

Grumble Complain or protest in an ill-tempered way

Haphazard Without order or plan

Plod Walk with difficulty

Shrug Movement of shoulder raising to express indifference

Bankrupt Person judged by a law court to be unable to pay his debt

Startled Got a sudden shock or surprise

Nick Make a small cut

Yelp Give out a short sharp cry

Awful Terrible

Make a beeline for Go directly towards

Squat Sit on one’s heels with knees drawn up under the body

Alms Money, Clothes, Food given to poor people

Chaotic In a disorganised state

Speculate Guess, form an opinion with-out definite evidence

Rumour Information spread about by being talked about

Harassed Troubled and annoyed

Vault Cellar or underground room used for storing things

Chant Sing

Retreat Withdrawal when faced with danger or difficulty

Grille Protective screen of metal bars

Hurtle Move violently in a specific direction

Asset Valuable or useful quality of skill

Refuse Rubbish, Waste or Worthless material

Objective Type Question

 

Q1. Name the sweeper boy in the story ‘The Boy Who Broke the Bank?

A1. Nathu.

 

Q2. Who is Sitaram in the story?

A2. Sitaram is the washerman’s son.

 

Q3. Who is Faiz Hussain?

A3. Faiz Hussain is the barber in the story.

 

Q4. What did Jugal Kishore do for his living?

A4. He ran an electric goods shop.

 

Q5. What does the story tell us about?

A5. It tells us about the working of the psychology of the people.

 

Q6. Who was the owner of the Pipalnagar Bank?

A6. Seth Govind Ram.

 

Q7. Who was old Ganpat?

A7. He was a beggar.

Q8. How much money did old Ganpat have in the bank?

A8. Thousand Rupees.

 

Q9. What is the complaint of sweeper boy?

A9. His complaint is that he hasn’t even received his regular pay.

 

Q10. For how many month’s did the sweeper boy not get his money?

A10. For Two months.

 

Q11. What news did Mrs. Bhushan give about the bank?

A11. She said that the bank was going bankrupt.

 

Q12. To whom did Mrs. Prakash convey the news of the failure of the bank?

A12. To Mrs. Bhushan.

 

Q13. What kind of situation did the news of the collapse of the bank create?

A13. It created a chaotic situation.

 

 

Short Answer Type Question (Text Book)

 

Q1. What was Seth Govind Ram reputation as a business man?

A1. Seth Govind Ram did not enjoy a good reputation as a business man. He remained the owner of the Pipalnagar bank for most of the part. His unplanned business transactions had often brought him to the verge of ruin. Even the sweeper boy of the bank was not paid regular salary.

Q2. What was Nathu Ram’s problem?

A2. Nathu Ram was the sweeper boy of the Pipalnagar Bank. He was not paid his monthly salary regularly. He was given assurance of a pay rise of five rupees but he had not received his last month’s regular salary.

 

Q3. How did Faiz Hussain, the keeper of the barber shop take the news of the bank’s collapse?

A3. Faiz Hussain, the keeper of the barber’s shop came to know from Mr. Kishore that the Pipalnagar Bank owned by Seth Govind Ram was about to collapse. He was cutting the hair of an elderly gentleman at that time. On hearing the news, he was so astonished that he nicked the ear of his customer.

 

Q4. How did the people disperse in the evening?

A4. The news had spread that Seth Govind Ram’s bank was about to collapse. So, one evening people of half the town went to the bank to take out their money. They seemed to have gone mad. They demanded their money. They threw stones at the bank. The mob became more violent. The police reached there and pushed the mob back. Gradually everyone dispersed.

 

Q5. What was Nathu Ram’s reaction, as he saw the bank steps full of stones?

A5. Every day Nathu Ram used to sweep the bank. After the news of the collapse of the Pipalnagar Bank spread, Mob became violent, as they didn’t get their money from the bank. In response they started throwing stones. The next day, Nathu Ram came to sweep the steps of the bank early in the morning when he watched the dirt, the broken glass and the scattered stones all over the steps of the bank he had been terrified. He started cursing the ‘goondas’, who, he thought had done all that. He became unhappy, because he had to suffer due to increase of work, for that mess had been created.

 

Q6. How did Sitaram start the rumour regarding the bankruptcy of the bank?

A6. Washerman’s son Sitaram was passing by the Pipalnagar bank. Sweeper boy Nathu Ram was standing there. From Nathu Ram, Sitaram learnt that he had not been paid his last month’s salary. So he was thinking of leaving his job with the bank. Sitaram overheard Mrs. Prakash saying that it was very difficult to get someone to sweep the courtyard. Sitaram told her that she might get a sweeper boy the following month to sweep her courtyard, as he was not being paid his regular salary and he was thinking to leave his job with the bank. Sitaram added that bank might be short of money. In this way Sitaram gave the starting push to the rumour regarding the bankruptcy of the bank.

 

Q7. What role did Mrs. Prakash play in spreading the news?

A7. When Mrs. Prakash came to know from washerman’s son Sita Ram that Seth Govind Ram’s Bank was short of money, as it could not even pay the salary to its sweeper, she passed on the news to her friend Mrs. Bhushan. She made an addition and told that their sweeper-boy Nathuram had not been paid his salary for two months. In this way, Mrs. Prakash played a significant role in spreading of the news.

 

Q8. How and why did the elderly gentleman in the barber’s chair react on hearing the news of bank’s threatened collapse?

A8. On hearing the news of the bank’s threatened collapse, the elderly gentleman was so distressed and confused that he jumped out of his chair, while one side of his neck was still unshaved, and ran across the road to telephone from a Merchant’s shop. He dialed Seth Govind Ram’s number and learnt that Govind Ram was not at home and had gone to Kashmir. He quickly came back to Barber’s shop and announced, “The bird has flown.” He rushed out of the shop and went direct to his office to get his cheque book so that he might withdraw his money from the bank.

 

Q9 How did Ganpat astonish everyone?

A9. Ganpat, a beggar, had a crooked leg and had been sitting on the pavement for years, calling for alms. In the evening someone would come with a barrow and take him away. He had never known to walk. But when he heard the news of bank’s collapse, he astonished everyone by leaping to his feet and actually running towards the bank.

 

Q10. Explain in 5-6 sentences only, the chaotic situation arising out of the news of the collapse of the bank.

A 10. The news of the collapse of the bank created a chaotic situation. Men stood in groups at street corners, discussing the situation. Speculating on the reasons for the collapse. Some blamed Seth Govind Ram for the ruin of the bank as he had always been careless in his dealings. Someone said that Seth had run away from the state. Someone said that he was hiding himself somewhere in the city. There was also a rumour that he had committed a suicide by hanging himself from a tree.

About The Author: Ruskin Bond

•Ruskin Bond is an Indian author of British descent born in 1934 at Kasauli, Himachal Pradesh.

•The Indian Council for Child Education has recognised his role in the growth of children's literature in India.

•He was awarded the Padma Shri in 1999 and the Padma Bhushan in 2014.

•The Room on the Roof (1956), The Last Tiger (1968), Flight of Pigeons, The

Neighbourer’s Wife, My First Love are his important Works in writing.

 

Summary

 

• The Boy who broke the bank is an interesting story that gives a glimpse into the working of the psychology of the people who get swayed by the first ‘news’ they hear about without verifying its accuracy. It shows how an innocent remark can sometimes lead to a catastrophe undreamt of by the person who makes the remark.

 

• Nathuram is the main character in the story ‘The boy, who broke the bank’, around whom the whole story revolves. Nathu is employed as a sweeper boy in Seth Govind Ram’s Pipalnagar Bank. He is not satisfied with his small salary that too, is paid irregularly. When, nine months earlier, he was employed, he was promised that after every six months, he will get an increase of five rupees a month. But now, not to speak of that increase, he had not been paid his poor salary on a fix date. So he does not sweep the bank carefully.

 

• Nathu is an innocent and simple boy. He could never think that one innocent remark would become the cause of Seth Govind Ram’s bank’s collapse. He casually told the washer man’s son Sitaram that he was not paid his last month’s salary and he was going to leave his job, as soon as he got his salary. Sita Ram told all this to Mrs. Prakash and she passed on the news to her friend Mrs. Bhushan. Mrs. Prakash played a significant role in spreading the news.

 

• On hearing the news of the Bank’s collapse, the elderly gentleman was so distressed and confused that he jumped out of his chair, while one side of his neck was unshaved and ran across the road to make a telephone call to Seth Govind Ram’s number and learnt that Govind Ram was not at home and had gone to

Kashmir. He quickly came back to barber’s shop and announced that the bird has flown.

 

• Old Ganpat was a beggar having a crooked leg, he had been sitting crossed- leg on the pavement for years, asking for alms. He used to leave the place in the evening with someone’s help. None had ever seen him walking. As soon as he learnt that the bank was about to collapse, he astonished everyone by jumping to his feet and actually running towards the bank.

 

• The news of Bank’s collapse spread like a wild fire so people gathered in front of the bank. They stood in groups discussing the situation and causes of the collapse of the bank. Some blamed Seth Govind Ram of the ruin of the bank as he had always been careless in his dealings. Someone said that Seth has run away from the state. Someone said that he was hiding somewhere in the city. There was also a rumour that he has committed a suicide by hanging himself from a tree.

 

• In this way Nathu’s innocent remarks became the cause of failure of Seth Govind Ram’s bank. Nathu did not have any ill-will against the bank and he did not want to cause any harm to the bank, but because he was paid his fixed salary irregularly, his general remark created all the mess.

Pen-portrait of Nathu

 

• Nathuram is the main character in the story ‘The boy, who broke the bank’, around whom the whole story revolves. Nathu is employed as a sweeper boy in Seth Govind Ram’s Pipalnagar Bank. He is not satisfied with his small salary that too, is paid irregularly. When, nine months earlier, he was employed, he was promised that after every six months, he will get an increase of five rupees a month. But now, not to speak of that increase, he had not been paid his poor salary on a fix date. So he does not sweep the bank carefully.

 

• Nathu is an innocent and simple boy. He could never think that one innocent remark would become the cause of Seth Govind Ram’s bank’s collapse. He casually told the washerman’s son Sitaram that he was not paid his last month’s salary and he was going to leave his job, as soon as he got his salary. Sita Ram told all this to Mrs. Prakash and Mrs. Prakash became instrumental in spreading the rumour that Pipalnagar bank was short of money as it could not pay salary to its sweeper. Pen-portrait of Nathu

 

• So, the people thought that the bank was about to collapse and people rushed to withdraw their money from the bank. Large number of people gathered in front of the bank. They stood in groups discussing the situation and causes of the collapse of the bank. Some blamed Seth Govind Ram of the ruin of the bank as he has always been careless in his dealings. Someone said that Seth has run away from the state. Someone said that he was hiding somewhere in the city. There was also a rumour that he has committed a suicide by hanging himself from a tree.

 

• In this way Nathu’s innocent remarks became the cause of failure of Seth Govind Ram’s bank. Nathu did not have any ill-will against the bank and he did not want to cause any harm to the bank, but because he was paid his salary irregularly, his general remark had created all the mess. No doubt, Nathu is a lovable character, who remains in our mind, long after we have