Too Dear

Comprehension-1

1.Why was ‘Monaco’ called a ‘toy kingdom’?

Answer:

Monaco was called a toy kingdom because it had such a tiny landmass that if
all the land in the kingdom were divided, there would not be even an acre for
each of its seven thousand inhabitants.

2.Name the commodities that were taxed in Monaco.

Answer:

The commodities taxed in Monaco were tobacco, wine, and spirit The people
also paid a poll tax.

3.What was the source of the King’s special revenue? Who were its
beneficiaries?

Answer:

The percentage of profit given by the gaming housekeeper to the kinglet was
the source of the king’s special revenue. The king, his ministers, courtiers,
his servants, a bishop, his generals, and his army were its beneficiaries.

4.Why did the Germans stop gaming houses in their country and how did it
benefit Monaco?

Answer:

The Germans stopped gaming houses because those gaming houses did
much harm to people. If a man went to a gaming house to try his luck,
risking all he had and lost It, then he would even risk money that did not
belong to him. If he loses that also, he would be forced to commit suicide by
drowning or shooting himself in despair. It benefitted Monaco as it was the
only Kingdom that allowed a gaming house to run.

5.What was the punishment given to the murderer?

Answer:

The murderer was sentenced to death

6. Do by yourself

7.How much did the king spend on the criminal annually?

Answer:

The king spent 600 francs on the criminal annually.

8.On what condition did the criminal agree to go away from the prison? How
was his demand fulfilled?

Answer:

The criminal agreed to go away on condition that he be paid 600 francs as

pension for a year regularly until his death. His demand was fulfilled because
the prisoner refused to run away from the prison. If he had remained there
the king would have been forced to keep a guard over him to watch and also
feed him until his death. The criminal left the prison and the king’s dominions
as well, as soon as he received one-third of his annuity in advance. He
emigrated to another country just across the frontier and settled there
comfortably.

Comprehension-2

1.Though gambling is a dirty business, why does the king of Monaco resort to
it?

Answer:

The king of Monaco resorted to letting the gaming house run in his kingdom
because the gaming housekeeper paid a large sum of money out of his
profits. This money helped the kinglet to live and enjoy his life, holding court
with all the ceremony of a real king.

2.Why did the king of Monaco keep changing his mind in dealing with the
criminal?

Answer:

The king of Monaco kept changing his mind in dealing with the criminal
because, every time he took a decision, he faced a problem to execute it.
First, the king accepted the judge’s verdict and ordered the execution of the
criminal, but he cancelled it and changed the sentence to ‘imprisonment for
life’ because there was neither a guillotine machine nor an executioner in his
country. Moreover, if he had decided to borrow one from the King of Italy, he
would have been forced to levy 2 francs per person as additional tax which
he did not like.

Secondly, after keeping the criminal in prison for one year, he realized that
he had to spend 600 francs on the maintenance of the criminal until his
death, which would have proved to be again a financial burden to his people.
Therefore, as advised by his council of ministers, he dismissed the guard
hoping that the prisoner would run away. But the prisoner refused to run
away because he had nowhere to go and he had stopped the habit of
working. Once again the king faced a new problem. Then, as suggested by
his council of ministers, the king ordered payment of 600 francs a year as
pension and got rid of the criminal

3.Why was the criminal reluctant to go out of the prison?

Answer:

The prisoner was reluctant to go out of the prison because his character had
been ruined by the death sentence given to him and he had nowhere to go.
Secondly, by being imprisoned and given food in his cell every day, he had
given up working to earn his living. So he had become lazy. Therefore he felt
helpless and so refused to go.

4.How did the criminal lead his life after his release?

Answer:

After his release from prison, the criminal emigrated to another country and
settled just across the frontier. With the money he had received as an
annuity in advance, he bought a bit of land, started market-gardening and
lived comfortably.

Comprehension-3

1.You can’t earn stone palaces by honest labour.’ Justify with reference to the
story.

Answer:

The King of Monaco levied taxes on tobacco, wine, and spirit. He also levied a
poll tax. This was the source of his income. But, with the revenue collected
this way, the king found it difficult to feed his courtiers, his officials, and to
meet his own expenses. Nobody could live a king’s life with the meager
income as the Prince of Monaco got from his subjects. Therefore, to drive
home the truth of this statement he quotes the proverb, ‘You can’t earn
stone palaces by honest labour’. It only means that if one wants to live
beyond his means, honest labour alone cannot fetch him enough money for
his luxuries.
It implies that one has to take recourse to earn extra money by some
dishonest or unethical means. The King of Monaco also had a source of
additional or alternative revenue. He used to receive a large sum of money
regularly from a gaming housekeeper, who paid it out of his profits earned
from his gaming house.

The king knew that earning one’s living by running a gaming house where
people risked their money at the roulette table was a dirty business. Yet, he
had allowed it to run because he needed more money. Also, he knew that
collecting ‘tax’ on tobacco and ‘drink’ was also unethical but, anyhow he had
been doing it for a long time and so he did not mind collecting additional
revenue by this dirty business as well.

2.Were there other ways of dealing with the criminal? Discuss in the light of
the story.

Answer:

Monaco was a very small kingdom, with a small population and a small army.
Also, its revenue was meagre. Yet, the king managed to rule like any other
king with courtiers, judges, and ministers enjoying the luxuries and privileges
of a king. The king managed to enjoy his kingship, utilizing the additional
revenue generated from monopolizing the gambling business. It is highly
condemnable that a king should resort to doing a dirty business to enjoy
royal comforts. One can only say the king is too self-centered.

As regards the ‘murder’ committed by a criminal, the kingdom did not have
either a guillotine machine or an executioner. Secondly, the government
could not afford to spend even 12000 francs on borrowing the same from the
King of Italy. In such a situation it is quite preposterous to put in place a
system of inflicting violence to eliminate violence.

One possible alternative punishment would have been sending the criminal
into exile. Another alternative punishment would have been to condemn
such criminals to hard, physical labour for life or for a limited period until
they reformed their behaviour. It would be far more practical, economical,
and humane to use the state’s resources to reduce crimes, this way.