A Horse and Two Goats Flashcards
Author of A Horse and Two Goats
R.K. Narayan
What does “Kritam” mean?
In Tamil, Kritam means “coronet” or “crown”.
How many villages does the story say are dotted on the map of India?
seven hundred thousand
How many houses did the village consist of?
The village consisted of less than thirty houses
Description of the Big House
The Big House was the only house in Kritam built with brick and cement. It was painted brilliant yellow and blue all over with gorgeous carvings of Gods and Gargoyles on its balustrade.
What were most houses in Kritam made of?
Most houses in Kritam were generally of bamboo thatch, straw, mud and other unspecified material.
Who’s house was the last house in the street?
Muni’s house
In his prosperous days, how many animals did Muni own?
He owned a flock of forty sheeps and goats.
In his propserous days, how would Muni spend a day?
He would travel every morning driving his flock of forty sheep and goats to the highway a couple of miles away. There, he would sit on the pedestal of a clay statue of a horse while his cattle grazed around. He carried a crook at the end of a bamboo pole and snapped foliage from the avenue trees to feed his flock. He would also gather faggots and dry sticks, bundling them and carrying them home for fuel at sunset.
His wife would light the domestic fire at dawn. She would boil water in a mud pot, throw into it a handful of millet flour, add salt and give him his first nourishment of the day. When he started out, she would put in his hand and a packed lunch, once again the same millet cooked into a little ball, which he could swallow with a raw onion at midday.
What had Muni’s stock come down to?
Muni’s stock had come down to two goats, which were tethered to the trunk of a drumstick tree which grew in front of his hut.
Where did Muni get drumsticks from?
Muni got drumsticks from a drumstick tree which grew in front of his hut.
How many teeth does Muni have left?
Muni has only four teeth left in his jaw
What ingredients does Muni’s wife list for making the sauce?
She lists dhall, chilly, curry leaves, mustard, coriander, gingelley oil and one large potato
How did Muni try to get the shop man’s attention?
Muni tried to get the shop man’s attention by clearing his throat, coughing and sneezing until the shop man could not stand it anymore.
Why did Muni laugh at the shopkeeper’s joke? Did it work?
Muni laughed at the shopkeeper’s joke inordinately at being called “young man” in order to please the shop keeper.
This completely won the shopkeeper over because he liked his sense of humour to be appreciated.
Why does Muni want to humour the shop man? What would be the shop man’s reaction.
By humouring the shop man, Muni could always ask for one or more items of food, promising payment later.
Some days, the shopman was in a good mood and he would give in. Sometimes he would lose his temper and suddenly bark at Muni for daring to ask for credit.
What debt does Muni owe to the shop man?
Muni owes a debt of five rupees and a quarter to the shop man.
When does Muni say he will repay the debt he owes to the shop man?
Muni says that he will pay everything on the first of the next month.
What does the shop man ask to make Muni feel caught?
The shop man asks Muni who he expects to rob to repay his debt on the first of the next month.
