7.

The Gardener
ONE MARK QUESTIONS:

1) Where was the old man when the author met him?

Ans: Standing in a Coconut Grove near Channarayapatna.

2) How long did the old man walk to reach the garden?
Ans: Hundreds of miles.

3) Who found it difficult to decide whether the old man’s arrival was for the better or for the worse?

Ans: The wife of the owner of the garden.

4) How much land did the owner have before the arrival of the old man?

Ans: 10 acres.

5) How did the old man look?

Ans: His eyes were suffused with strange memories and native intelligence. He was tall, hair gone grey, a
long beak-like nose and strong muscular arms.

6) Where did the old man and the owner’s wife sit before he started narrating the story?

Ans: On the embankment of the well.

7) What time of the day was it when the old man started narrating the story?

Ans: Evening.

8) Name the important possession of Tammanna.

Ans: Basavaiah/ Sangoji- his rival.

9) How much land did Tammanna own when there was no land left in the village for them to buy?

Ans: 1000 acres.

10) How much land did Basavaiah/ Sangoji own when there was no land left in the village for them to buy?

Ans: 800 acres.

11) How much of Tammanna’s land was forcibly acquired by Basavaiah/Sangoji?

Ans: 200 acres.

12) What idea did Tammanna hit upon to annihilate (destroy) Basavaiah?

Ans: Composing all his experiences in the form of Ballads and singing them.
13) Who started analysing and translating Tammanna’s songs?

Ans: The critics.

14) What had become the raison-d’etre (reason or cause) for Tammanna’s life?
Ans: Art.
15) Whose house looked dull and empty to the visitors?

Ans: Basavaiah’s house.

16) Why did Basavaiah’s house look dull and empty?

Ans: Because his house did not have Tammanna’s books.

17) Who told Basavaiah that his house looked dull and empty?
Ans: The visitors.

18) What was the ultimate method that Tammanna found to punish Basavaiah?

Ans: Tammanna’s death.

19) What was Basavaiah’s health?

Ans: Tammanna’s disease.

20) When does a man lose his mane?

Ans: After a particular age, man loses his name.

21) Name the two countries that the old man refers to at the end of his narration.

Ans: Russia and America.

22) What was the reason for Basavaiah’s death?

Ans: He had no reason to live without Tammanna as his rival.

23) Who is Tammanna in the old man’s story?

Ans: The old man himself.

24) When did Tammanna forget all his songs and ballads?

Ans: After Basavaiah’s death.

25) Who is the old man going to pay a visit to?

Ans: Lokya’s son who is bedridden with fever.

LONG ANSWERS:

1) What description does the narrator give about the old man?

Ans: ‘The Gardner’ written by ‘P.Lankesh’ is a short story that provides insights into the strange human
relations with all their complexities and dimensions of rivalry.

The narrator had a chance encountered with the old man. When the narrator met the old man, he was
standing in a coconut grove near Channarayapatna. His eyes were full of strange memories and native
intelligence. He was tall and his hair had gone grey. He had a long beak like nose and strong muscular
arms. In one hand he carried a spade to work in the coconut grove and had tucked a newspaper under
his arm. He worked in the coconut grove as a labourer, overseer and a philosopher as well. After walking
hundreds of miles he had come to that garden and got a job.

2) How did the owner’s life change after the arrival of the old man?

Ans: ‘The Gardner’ written by ‘P.Lankesh’ is a short story that provides insights into the strange human
relations with all their complexities and dimensions of rivalry.

The old man proved himself to be useful to the owner being well versed in agriculture and
understanding the problems of the workers. The petty thefts in the garden came to an end. The income
from the garden gradually expanded. The plantation expanded. The arrival of the old man surely
brought along perceptible and distinct changes in the life style of the owner. He became lethargic and
started avoiding hard work. His wealth and social status had risen higher. He acquired number of
friends in his village and in the next town as well. His life was filled with colourful events. He cultivated
adultery and other vices. His farm which was merely 10 acres grew beyond their imagination. Along
with the advantages, because of the lethargy and other vices that her husband had adopted, the
owner’s wife became very apprehensive and upset as it was leading to their lives gradually getting out
of their hand.

3) Describe the meeting between the old man and the owner’s wife:
Ans: ‘The Gardner’ written by ‘P.Lankesh’ is a short story that provides insights into the strange human
relations with all their complexities and dimensions of rivalry.
The owner’s wife was worried about the changes in the attitude of her husband with the arrival of the old
man. No doubt that with his arrival their property multiplied to beyond their imagination as he was well
versed in agriculture and could understand the problems of the workers. Even the thefts in the garden
came to an end, their wealth and social prestige grew, the owner made friends with number of people in
and outside his village, the plantation expanded and even the income from the farm drastically increased.
But, along with all these, the change in the owner’s attitude was also noticeable. He became lethargic and
shied away from hard work; he started adultery and other vices. This change in owner’s behavior made it
hard for the owner’s wife to decide whether the arrival of the old man was a boon or a bane.

One day the old man met her and behaved as though he knew all about her plight. He smiled at her and
brought down tender coconuts from a nearby tree. He sat on the embankment of the well. She too sat
beside him. It was evening and the sun rays were reaching the walls of the well through the foliage* of
coconut, mango and jack fruit trees. Then the old man begins to narrate the story of rivalry between
Tammanna and Basavaiah.
4) Bring out the rivalry between Tammanna and Basavaiah.

Ans: ‘The Gardner’ written by ‘P.Lankesh’ is a short story that provides insights into the strange human
relations with all their complexities and dimensions of rivalry.

There was a healthy competition between Tammanna and Basavaiah in the beginning. They competed
with each other in buying more and more land and acquiring friends to admire them. If Tammanna
bought four more acres of land, Basavaiah also followed. If one had 10 friends, the other acquired 15
admirers. As a result there was no land left to buy in the village. By this time Tammanna owned 1000
acres of land where as Basavaiah owned 800 acres. Basavaiah couldn’t tolerate this and he sent word to
Tammanna asking him to sell 200 acres. Tammanna did not agree. He was prepared to buy all the land
that belonged to Basavaiah. Basavaiah was mad with rage and acquired 200 acres of Tammanna’s land
forcibly and built a fence around it.
Tammanna’s supporters advised him about various ways for getting his land back. He could go to the
court or police station. If he did not want that, there were many supporters to attack Basavaiah. But
Tammanna was in search of a different method to destroy Basavaiah completely. He got an idea of
composing all his experiences in the form of ballads and singing them. Thus their rivalry moved from
visible domain to invisible domain.

5) How did Tammanna react to Basavaiah’s encroachment of his land?

Ans: ‘The Gardner’ written by ‘P.Lankesh’ is a short story that provides insights into the strange human
relations with all their complexities and dimensions of rivalry.

When Basavaiah acquired Tammanna’s land forcibly the supporters of Tammanna advised him to take
the matter to the police or seek justice in the court of law. His supporters were also ready to attack
Basavaiah. But Tammanna was in search of a different method to destroy Basavaiah completely. He got
an idea of composing all his experiences in the form of ballads and singing them. Now the rivalry
between Tammanna and Basavaiah started moving from visible domain to invisible domain.
6) Give an account of the strategies used by Tammanna to destroy Basavaiah.

[OR]

What measures did Tammanna adopt to humiliate Basavaiah?

Ans: ‘The Gardner’ written by ‘P.Lankesh’ is a short story that provides insights into the strange human
relations with all their complexities and dimensions of rivalry.
Tammanna started composing all his experiences in the form of ballads and singing them to humiliate
Basavaiah. To complete with Tammanna, Basavaiah also tried to sing but he could not. He preformed
his agricultural tasks more seriously. Tammanna’s reputation spread all around. People became aware
of Basavaiah’s cruelty and meanness through Tammanna’s ballads. His poems were admired by the
scholars and critics translated his poems into other languages. Humiliated Basavaiah helplessly watched
this. He acquired more and more land of Tammanna. But, Tammanna did not pay attention to any of
Basavaiah’s activities. Art had become his life. He was felicitated as the best poet of his times.
7) How did Basavaiah try to overcome his humiliation?

Ans: ‘The Gardner’ written by ‘P.Lankesh’ is a short story that provides insights into the strange human
relations with all their complexities and dimensions of rivalry.

Basavaiah could not compete with Tammanna who had writing and singing talent. To overcome his
humiliation he acquired more and more land of Tammanna. He performed his agricultural tasks more
seriously. But that could not match the name and fame of Tammanna. Basavaiah started filling his life
with material wealth. He got a big mansion and appointed persons just to praise him. He decorated
himself with gold, diamonds and other precious stones. But the visitors told him that his house looked
dull and empty without Tammanna’s books. Therefore he started inviting scholars, poets and musicians
to fill his house with artists. Meanwhile, there was an upsurge of hope for Basavaiah when Tammanna
fell ill. Health was the new found means for Basavaiah to surpass Tammanna. If Tammanna started
suffering from a disease, Basavaiah’s spirits would be revived.

8) Why did Tammanna feel that human nature can be strange?

Ans: Introduction- ‘The Gardner’ written by ‘P.Lankesh’ is a short story that provides insights into the
strange human relations with all their complexities and dimensions of rivalry.

The rivalry between Tammanna and Basavaiah reached the extreme level when Tammanna had thought
of yet another method of punishing Basavaiah. That was, if Tammanna was no more to give Basavaiah
the opportunities to compete, that would be the ultimate punishment for Basavaiah. Then he observed
his own thoughts to realize how strange human nature could be. Man needs wealth, education, art and
many more things. And yet he lives for some kind of vengefulness, which gives meaning to his existence.
Without it his life would become dull and passive. That’s what happened in the lives of Tammanna and
Basavaiah. The rivalry between them can be compared to that between Russia and America. In case,
Russia declares that it leases to be the enemy of America and it shall not wage any war, America would
experience utter boredom. It would become passive without any tough competition.

Thinking that his death would destroy Basavaiah, Tammanna gave up everything and left the village. After
a few days Basavaiah passed away as he had no reason to live. Tammanna forgot all his songs and ballads
as they were of no use now without Basavaiah. Thus the old man analyzed that human nature is so
complicated that till the day of his death he goes on living for some or the other revenge, facing one or
the other challenge.

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