English Study Material for First Year Intermediate, on Short stories “The Short Sighted Brothers” Folklore, via Interactive English Telugu Akademi, Hyderabad.
Short stories
3. The Short Sighted Brothers ( Folklore )
6. Match any four of the following words in column-A with their meaning/definition in column-B [4 x 1=4]
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 1. short sighted | unable to see objects clearly if they are not near |
| 2. folklore | The traditional stories of an area, largely transmitted orally |
| 3. to take charge of | To get control of |
| 4. sneered | Spoke in very unkind way, poke in such a way that shows no respect |
| 5. monastery | A place where monks live |
| 6. tablet | Flat piece of stone with words cut into it |
| 7. inscribed | Cut words on the surface of a Stone |
| 8. strain | Difficulty |
| 9. in unison | (say) some words at the same time |
| 10. get a few winks | sleep for a short while |
| 11. sneaked | went secretly |
| 12. monk | A member of an all men religious group living away from public |
| 13. confucius | A great Chinese philosopher and teacher who lived from 550-479 BC |
| 14. triumphantly | Victoriously, with happiness at one’s success over other |
| 15. applauded | Approved, praised |
| 16. intoned | Said something slowly and clearly |
| 17. face falling | Looking sad, disappointed |
3. Answer ANY TWO of the following in 100 Words each. [2x 4 =8M]
1. Is the Title, The short Sighted Brothers apt to the story? Explain.
2. How did the three brothers try to outsmart one another?
3. Were the Brothers successful in executing their tricks? Support your answer
4. Does the story support the wise saying, “Honesty is the best policy”. Discuss.
Answer
The “Short-Sighted Brothers” is a folk tale. The story excites the reader thoroughly with its gripping narration. It explains to us how the saying “Honesty is the best policy” is apt to the human life.
Three aged brothers – central characters -who lived in a spacious house on the outskirts of a town were short-sighted both physically and mentally. They were selfish and greedy. Citing their eldest brother’s short-sightedness as a reason, one day the youngest brother proposed to manage their family finances. People took advantage of the eldest brother’s disability since he could not see how much money he was receiving or giving. He was blind to his own disability. All of them suffered from the same flaw, sight problems and lack of values. Yet, each tried to out-most the others. They planned to test their own vision by reading the inscription above the doorway of a nearby monastery each knew that he could not read it.
So, each of the three brothers secretly and separately enquired with the monk there as to what was written on the tablet the day before. In addition, the second youngest brother inquired as to whether it was decorated. And the younger brother inquired if there was anything else on the tablet except the inscription. Instead of reading the inscription individually, each brother tried to outsmart the other.
And later, they pretended they were reading the inscription with their own eyes. It was then, that the monk revealed that the tablet was not put up yet! The three short-sighted brothers felt ashamed of each other to know that they were deceiving each other, the brothers realized how foolish they were!
This folk story makes an interesting reading. The story effectively exposes the follies of the brothers, prompting many readers to introspect !
Honesty is not just about telling the truth. It’s about being real with yourself and others. It’s about authenticity, integrity, and transparency.
(OR)
The Short-Sighted Brothers is a folk tale. It explains to us how the saying Honesty is the best policy is apt to the human life.
Three aged brothers-central characters-were shortsighted, both physical and mentally. They were selfish and greedy, citing their eldest brother’s short sightedness as a reason, the youngest brother proposed to manage their family finances. He was blind to his own disability. All of them suffered from the same flaw, sight problems and lack of values. Yet, each tried to outsmart the other.
They planned to test their own vision by reading the inscription “Honesty is the best policy” above the doorway of a nearby monastery. Each knew that he couldn’t read it. So, they secretly and separately enquired with the monk there as to what was written on the tablet. And later, they pretended they were reading the inscription with their own eyes. It was then, that the monk revealed that the tablet was not put up yet!
Thus, the brothers realized how foolish they were!