Song of the open road
Ice Breakers:
1) Complete the activity. What are your strengths?
- selling flowers, grocery, sweets, bangles, artificial jewelry , ayurvedic medicines, fruits,vegetables, clothes etc
- Magicians showing their magic.
- vendors calls for their customers, bargaining, discussions etc.
- Disputes and quarrels.
- Vendors with hand carts,
- Use of different languages.3) In a village /town /city it is quite a common sight to see an astrologer sitting by the roadsidewith his professional equipment.Give a list the requirements for his trade.1) Parrot, cards etc.2) Cowrie shells, Many obscure things, clothes, etc.
3) Lemons, green chillies, sindoor, photos of deities etc.
4) Panchang, mystic charts, Palmyra writing, stick, mat, etc.
4) There are certain unreasonable beliefs among people living in our society. Certain common
events are linked with superstitions.
List such events, discuss the superstitions linked with them and the means of their eradication.
1) A cat crossing your path
2) Bad luck comes in three.
3) To walk under the ladder.
4) To scratch the left hand.
5) To be careful with mirror.
6) To take salt on the palm.
7) To sit on the threshold.
8) To cut the nails at night.
9) Rabbit’s foot will bring you luck.
10) To remove the foot wears in front of the door.
11) To hear the caws of crow.
12) Bad luck comes in three.
13) To cross the fingers.
14) Boiled milk overflowing from vessel.
16) Sacrifice of animals toward of evil.
17) Marriage of animals to ward off drought and bring rain.
18) Hang lemon and chilies on the door.
19) Hang black doll on the door.
20) Seeing owl on the way.
Means to eradicate the superstitions:
- Keep scientific attitude.
2 . Aware people about the ill effects of superstitions.
- Teach students about an eradication of superstition.
- Literacy campaigns
- Through Street shows, films, songs, plays and TV programme.
- Workshops, seminars and scientific forums at school andColleges.Brainstorming activities:(a) The scientific study of the universe and the objects in it, including stars, planets, nebulaeand galaxies
- Astronomy(b) The study of the movements of the planets, Sun, Moon, and Stars in the belief that thesemovements can have an influence on people’s lives
- Astrology or (Cosmology or Astrophysics)(c) A prediction of what will happen in the future.
- Prophet or Foreteller or Oracle(d) Scientific discipline that studies mental states and processes and behavior in humans andother animals.
- Psychology(ii) In the story we are told that the Town Hall Park was a remarkable place in many ways foran astrologer to build his business. List the exceptional qualities of the place.a) A surging crowdb) A variety of trades and occupations.c) An auctioneer of cheap cloth created enough din to attract the whole town.d) Vociferousness of a vendor of fried groundnut.e) It does not have the benefit of municipal lighting.f) The place was lit up by shop lights.g) Bewildering crisscross of light rays and moving shadows.h) The astrologer transacted his business by the light of a flare.
(iii) The astrologer never opened his mouth till the other had spoken for at least ten minutes.
Discuss the reasons behind his act.
(a) He is good at reading the people.
b) The information given by people provided him enough stuff for a dozen answers and advices
c) He got a chance to analyze the troubles of his customer.
d) He won the confidence of the customer.
e) He got enough time for searching answers and giving advice.
(A2)
(i) The tactics used by the astrologer to earn his wages are…
a) Analysis of human troubles
b) A good presence of mind, experience and perception
c) Use of equipment and shrewdness.
d) Comment on the customer’s nature, affairs, efforts and fate.
e) Creation of fear in the mind of the customer.
f) Use of general statements to endear the customers and win their hearts.
(ii) An astrologer’s appearance helps to create an impression on his clients. Complete the
following:
a) The turban on his head
b) Sacred ash and vermilion on forehead
c) Dark whiskers, sparkling eyes, dark mustache etc.
d) Other equipment
(iii) Read the following sentences and choose the correct one .
(a) The astrologer says that if Nayak does not leave his village again, he would – Ans-face
danger
(b) According to the narrator the astrologer’s success in his profession is primarily due to –
Ans- his understanding of people
(c) The story suggests that the astrologer’s comments and observations please people by –
Ans: flattering them or supporting their own views
(d) Guru Nayak consults the astrologer because he wants to –
Ans: get the answer to a specific question
(e) Guru Nayak is looking for the man who tried to kill him –
Ans: to take revenge
(f) The astrologer’s remark makes Guru Nayak feel all of the following exceptAns: suspicious
(g) Reactions of the astrologer’s wife to his news suggest that she –
Ans: was unaware of his past
(iv) Read the following sentences and find out True and False sentences. Correct the False
sentences.
(a) The astrologer gave a correct prediction to the client about his past that he was stabbed, thrown
into a well and left for dead.- True
(b) When the astrologer came to know that the man whom he killed is alive he felt that he was
relieved of his guilt. – True
(c) The astrologer tried to back out of the deal and talked about the client’s past. – False (The
astrologer demanded more money to tell about the client’s past)
(d) The astrologer rescued himself from Guru Nayak’s revenge. – True
(e) The moral of the story is that we must be responsible about what we have done and should not
run away from our mistakes. – True
(v) The astrologer has changed his appearance and his persona when he arrived in the city.
Give specific reasons.
Answer: When astrologer was a silly youngster, he quarreled with Guru Nayak and tried to kill him
in wrath. He thought that he had murdered Guru Nayak. So he left the village and settled in the
distant city where no one was familiar with him. He changed his attire and also changed the
complete appearance and persona so that no one could recognise him and his offence of killing
Guru Nayak would not be revealed.
(vi)’The darkness load that was inside the astrologer has disappeared’. Through this sentence,
explain the significance of the title ‘An Astrologer’s Day’.
Answer: An astrologer was living under the burden of thought that he had the blood of man on his
hands all those days. But one day he saw a stranger before him. He identified Guru Nayak. When he
saw Guru Nayak was alive, he became tension free. The day on which he was relieved from that
load, was a special day for him. So that day is called An Astrologer’s Day.
(vii) The astrologer feels relieved that Guru is not dead as it relieves a great burden from
him. Critically justify the statement and explain it.
Answer: An astrologer was living under the load of thought that he had murdered Guru Nayak. So
he felt himself guilty. But one day when he saw Guru Nayak before him alive, he felt relieved from
the burden of that thought means he was not dead.
(viii) The astrologer wins/gets the sympathy of criticism of the reader in the end. Express your
opinion with the support of the main story.
Answer: The Astrologer gets the sympathy of the readers because he was guilty of his deed and
wanted to get away from it. His smartness and the tricks of his trade had saved him from his past
crime. He had accepted his mistake and already started living a new life. Acceptance of mistake is a
great quality which is difficult to find. His perception, presence of mind, self-confidence and
shrewdness helped him to overcome the problem. He had learnt a lesson hence the astrologer got
sympathy from the readers.
(ix) If we have to eradicate the superstitions and other ill practices from our society, what
steps would you like to suggest?
Answer: I would like to suggest the following steps for eradicating the superstitions and other ill
practices from our society.
a) To make the people aware of the things which are good and which are bad for our development
and also for the development of our society.
b)To tell them about the ill effects of superstitions on our health.
c)To try to develop the scientific views in the people.
d)To make aware them how common persons are deceived under the names of blind beliefs by
some so called Sadhus.
e) To tell the people not to believe in unknown persons who come
to your doorstep and ask you to make double the money or ornaments.
f)To take the help of the organizations who are working in the field of eradication of superstitions.
These organizations will arrange programmes to show the ill impacts of superstitions.
g)To try develop scientific thinking within common people through practical experiences.
etc.
(x) In the story, astrologer has a great listening power. Listening helps in developing good
relations with people. Express your opinion.
Answer: Yes, listening helps in developing good relations with people. a) If we listen carefully what
the person before us telling, he / she will respect us.