Textual Questions

1. Do your parents restrict you from going out to play? What would be your feelings then?

Answer:  Share your own experiences.

2. Pick out the expressions that you like most from the first paragraph of the story. State why you like them.

Answer: Pick out your own favourite expressions from the paragraph.

For example, "wailed so horrendously", "burst out like seeds from a crackling, overripe pod into the veranda" - these lines reveal the inner joy and happiness of children. The expression recaptures the real feel of children escaping from the restrictions imposed by parents.

3. Why does Raghu refer to his mother’s instructions?

Answer: Raghu, the catcher for the game "hide and seek", would find it difficult to seek the other children who hide in distant places. So he reminds them of the mother's instruction.

4. How does the author create a powerful word picture of the abandoned shed?

Answer: References to the smell of rats, anthills, dust, cobwebs, cracks etc. and expressions like 'dark and depressing mortuary of defunct household goods' create a powerful portrait of the shed.

5. The fear in Ravi’s mind is conveyed well by the author in paragraph 7. Do you agree? Substantiate your views.

Answer: Yes, the fear in Ravi's mind is conveyed well by the author. He stood frozen inside the shed and shivered all over.

                  Substantiate the answer with your views as well.

6. Who will be the winner of the game - Raghu or Ravi? Justify your answer.

Answer: Predict the winner based on the reading of the first eight paragraphs of the story.

7. Have you ever experienced the thrill of being unconquered in a game you have played? If so, narrate the experience.

Answer:  Share your own experiences in your own words.

8. What might have happened to the game?

Answer:

* Do you think Raghu has been searching for Ravi for a long time?
* No one was willing to be the catcher, so they decided to stop the game.

   Share your views and observations as well.

9. If the hider is not found out in a game of hide and seek, won’t the hider be the winner? Don’t you think Ravi is the winner of this game? Justify your answer.

Answer: Justify your answer with the rules and regulations of the game "hide and seek".

10. What is the spirit of a game - winning it or participating in it? What do you think? Substantiate your arguments.

Answer:  What is your opinion? Share your viewpoints and elaborate on the topic.

11. Does the saying ‘out of sight, out of mind’ get justified here? Pick out the words and expressions that substantiate your answer.

Answer: Pick out words and expressions from the story to substantiate your views.

            For example: "Having disappeared from the scene, he had disappeared from their minds."

12. Why is the last game ‘funereal’ for Ravi? Why didn’t Ravi want to be included in it?

Answer: Though Ravi was unconquered in the game and came out from the shed like a hero, nobody was there to acknowledge his heroism. No one appreciated his victory. His joy and enthusiasm died out in no time. The game becomes 'funereal' to Ravi.