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Karnataka State Syllabus Class 10 English Prose Chapter 3 Gentleman of Rio en Medio
Gentleman of Rio en Medio Questions and Answers, Summary, Notes
Check your understanding:
Question 1.
The old man was ________ (Fill in the blank with the most appropriate word)
a) understanding
b) quick
c) unhurried
d) witty
Answer:
c. unhurried.
Question 2.
Do you think the ancestors of the old man lived in Rio en Medio?
Answer:
Yes, the line, ‘where his people had been for hundred of years’, tells us this.
Question 3.
A word in line 4 of paragraph 1 suggests that the old man was a farmer. Pick that word.
Answer:
tilled.
Question 4.
Study the picture and describe the old man’s orchard by using the words given below.
Answer:
(a small stream, unpleasant, fruit-bearing trees, old fashioned house, attractive)
The old man’s orchard was beside a small’ stream. The orchard had many fruit-bearing trees. The old man’s house was situated in the orchard. Although the house was old-fashioned and quaint, there was nothing unpleasant about it.
Question 5.
In paragraph 2 the words ‘who’ and ‘these’ refer to _______ and _______ respectively.
Answer:
Senator Catron and the people of the mountain.
Question 6.
Look at the picture and draw your inference about the old man’s appearance and his social / living condition.
Answer:
The old man’s appearance has semblance of grandeur although a closer look reveals signs of poverty. He has worn a hat and is in a coat, but the coat is faded; he has worn gloves, but there are holes in them; the stick that he carries is more like a spoilt umbrella turned into a walking stick. However, no one can deny that he has his own dignity.
Question 7.
The word ‘innumerable kin’ means that the old man had a number of
a) children
b) trees in his orchard
c) relatives
d) followers
e) canes.
Answer:
c. relatives.
Question 8.
In the Indian context the eyes of women are compared to fishes (Meenakshi) and lotus (Kamalakshi) based on their shape and size. Why do you think the eyes of the boy are likened to gazelle? Can you write it in Kannada? Note: Gazelle in Kannada is slots.
Answer:
The boy had large beautiful eyes like those of a gazelle. It is called Harinakshi (So OraS) in Kannada.
Question 9.
How did the old man greet the people who had been waiting for him?
Answer:
The old man bowed to all in the room.
Question10.
The old man removed his hat and gloves carefully.
a) Was he afraid that they would get spoiled?
b) Whose style did it remind the writer of?
Answer:
a) The old man removed his hat and gloves, slowly and carefully. We can’t be sure of the reason behind this gesture. May be he was afraid of losing them as old people are quite often worried about their things and grow to be possessive of them however old and ragged they might be. However, it’s possible that he wasn’t afraid that they would get spoiled, but was careful and dignified by nature.
b) The writer says that the action of the old man reminded him of the way Charlie Chaplin once bowed in a picture.
Check your understanding:
Question 1.
In the meeting of the old man and the Americans, they talked about rain and the old man’s large family. It was
a) to mock his large family
b) to break the ice
c) a custom of the Americans
d) to make themselves comfortable
e) to prepare everyone for the main talk
f) to make everyone know that it had not rained in that area.
(You may think more than one among the above are appropriate. If so, tick them.)
Answer:
b. to break the ice.
d. to make themselves comfortable
e. to prepare everyone for the main talk.
Question 2.
Why do you think the storyteller spoke Spanish?
Answer:
The storyteller spoke Spanish as the old man with whom he had to discuss the deal was a Spaniard.
Question 3.
The storyteller offered the old man almost the double of what he had quoted earlier. Why?
Answer:
According to land Surveyor, the land was doubled so the storyteller offered the old man almost the double amount because it is fair and just as usual.
Question 4.
What was the reaction of the old man to the story teller’s offer?
Answer:
The old man thought a while and he felt insulted and refused the offer. He was the man of principles, so according to him, it was not fair to accept more money than agreed before.
Question 5.
We respect elders in many ways; For example
a) We shake hands
b) We touch their feet .
c) _______________
d) _______________
e) _______________
f) _______________
Think of some more ways in which we respect elders.
Answer:
c. We pay them courtesy visits.
d. We try to help them in their daily chores.
e. We offer them seats in vehicles.
f. We have more patience while interacting with them.
Question 6.
The storyteller respected the old man by __________ (Fill in the blank with appropriate words)
Answer:
letting him have his say.
Question 7.
After the findings of the engineer, the offer was doubled for the old man’s land.
a) Did the old man raise the rate?
b) Did the storyteller offer more?
Answer:
a. No, the old man wouldn’t raise the rate,
b. Yes, the storyteller offers more.
Question 8.
Match the following:
A | B |
1. seller | People of Spain |
2. Some Americans | Follower of the old man |
3. A yong dark boy | Buyers |
The story teller | |
Don Anselmo |
Answer:
A | B |
1. seller | Don Anselmo |
2. Some Americans | Buyers |
3. A yong dark boy | Follower of the old man |
Question 9.
Don Anselmo took only twelve hundred dollars for the land finally because
a) the storyteller failed to convince Don Anselmo to make more money than what had been agreed upon.
b) Don Anselmo was a man of principles. (Choose the correct answer)
Answer:
Both the answers are correct. In fact the two answers can be combined to give the right answer. The story teller failed to convince Don Anselmo to take more money than what had been agreed upon as Don Anselmo was a man of principles.
Question 10.
What did Don Anselmo do as he left the place with the money?
Answer:
As he left the place with the money, Don Anselmo shook hands with all, put on his ragged gloves, took his stick, and walked out with the boy behind him.
Check your understanding:
Question 1.
Fill in the blanks with suitable word/s to describe the land and the house sold by the old man.
Answer:
Question 2.
From the list given below, tick the activities with which the children of after the Rio en Medio were involved, Americans occupied the house and the land sold by Don Anselmo.
i) pruning the trees
ii) renovating the house
iii) playing in the orchard
iv) speaking harsh words to the Americans in Spanish
v) plucking flowers from the trees
vi) putting fences around their play area
vii) laughing whenever they were spoken to
viii) running around the land. iii. playing in the orchard
Answer:
iii. playing in the orchard
v. plucking flowers from the trees
vi. putting fences around their play area
vii. laughing whenever they were spoken to.
Question 3.
The possibilities for a week-long delay for .another meeting are given. Which of them do you agree with? Discuss with your partner.
Answer:
The old man
It’s possible that the old man was slow in responding because we see that he is generally slow at everything. It’s also possible that he was ill because after all he was an old man. It’s not possible that he deliberately delayed because we see him as a straightforward man. It’s not possible that he was out of station because the details given in the lesson do not support the idea of these people travelling a lot.
Question 4.
Don Anselmo repeated certain things whenever he met the story teller and took leave of him. Write them down. One is done for you.
a) the old man shakes hands
b) ____________________
c) ____________________
d) ____________________
e) ____________________
Answer:
b. he bows to all
c. he removes his hat and gloves, slowly and carefully.
d. he hands his things to the boy who stands obediently behind his chair
e. while leaving he repeats the action of shaking hands with all.
Question 5.
Don Anselmo says, “The Americans are good people”. Does his remark strike you as sarcastic or sincere?
Answer:
Don Anselmo was sincere when he said, “The Americans are good people.” There is nothing in the character of Anselmo to suggest that he is capable of such sarcasm. He was sincere in his words when he said at the time of selling the property that he knew the goodness of the Americans. The problem with Anselmo was that he did not know the legal implications of selling the property.
Check your understanding:
Fill in the blanks/choose the most appropriate answer.
Question 1.
Don Anselmo sold his land but he didn’t sell his __________________
Answer:
trees.
Question 2.
The children of Rio en Medio were Don Anselmo’s __________ and ___________
Answer:
sobrinos and nietos.
Question 3.
Don Anselmo inherited the house from his _______________
Answer:
mother.
Question 4.
According to Don Anselmo, the real owners of the trees were
a) the children of Rio en Medio
b) Don Anselmo himself
c) the Americans
d) the storyteller
e) Don Anselmo’s ancestors.
Answer:
a. the children of Rio en Medio.
Question 5.
Don Anselmo did not sell the trees. Why do you think he did not? Tick the correct ones.
a) Trees were like children to him.
b) They were grown for the children of the next generation.
c) He thought they did not belong to him but to the children.
d) He had grown them in memory of his ancestors.
e) He wanted his surroundings to be green.
Answer:
c) He thought they did not belong to him but to the children.
Think about the text:
Question 1.
Don Anselmo’s appearance and manners were quite unusual. How would you support this statement based on the text?
OR
Briefly describe the appearance and manners of Don Anselmo.
Answer:
Don Anselmo’s appearance and manners can be termed unusual because he was shabbily dressed, but was majestic in his behaviour. His coat was old, green and faded; gloves were torn and the cane was the skeleton of an umbrella. Yet he bowed to all in a ceremonious manner and was followed by a boy ready to take his orders.
Question 2.
Whose argument do you agree with – Don Anselmo’s or the story teller’s? Give reasons.
Answer:
In legal terms, it is the argument of the story teller that we have to agree with. Legally it is impossible to sell a property without giving up everything that is on the property. However, as the story teller himself admits, as Anselmo has sold the property for half its price, it’s clear that he cannot be judged purely on legal basis. That is why the buyers along with the story teller, instead of trying to bind Anselmo with legal clauses, take the pain of buying all the trees, one by one, from the people after whom the trees were planted.
Question 3.
Don Anselmo was passionate about his land and the children of Rio en Medio.
Which details in the text support this statement? Write them.
OR
Don Anselmo had concern for the children of Rio en Medio. Explain briefly.
Answer:
We can see that Don Anselmo was passionate about his land and the children of Rio en Medio because ever since he had taken possession of the house from his mother, he had planted a tree for every child born in the village. Being the oldest man in the village, everyone was his relative and he considered the children his nieces and nephews. He felt that the trees didn’t belong to him, but they belonged to the children, and hence he couldn’t sell them. All these details show how passionate Anselmo was about the land and the children of Rio en Medio.
Question 4.
Don Anselmo’s reaction to the offer of more money was not expected. Justify this statement.
Answer:
Don Anselmo’s reaction to the offer of more money was totally unexpected. Instead of feeling elated that he would get double of what he was to get, he felt that the offer of extra money was an insult to him. His idea of honour was that no changes should be made to the initial amount agreed upon. The story teller, being a nice man, tried to explain the situation to Anselmo.; but Anselmo was stubborn.
Question 5.
Read paragraph 5 and identify the tone or reaction of the old man while uttering the following wordJwords. Some examples are given. You may use any other appropriately
(mild / harsh / blunt / authoritative / self-assertive / confident / comfortable / polite / aggressive)
Answer:
Question 6.
Why do you think the Americans wanted to buy Don Anselmo’s land?
Answer:
The Americans must have wanted to be away from the busy city life. They must have decided to live in the quietude of the village. They must have found the old house of Anselmo quaint and attractive. They would have realised that with a little bit of repair work of the house, they would be able to convert the house in the orchard to an idyllic place of stay.
Question 7.
Don Anselmo and the Americans were generous in their own ways. Comment on this.
OR
“The Americans were really good people”.
Give two examples to justify the statement.
Answer:
Don Anselmo was generous in not taking the extra amount. The Americans were generous in getting the proper survey done and in offering the extra money without any haggling. The Americans were generous also in buying the trees one by one from the ‘children of Rio en Medio’. They could have tried to use legal measures to protect their property instead of paying the money. They did not forget the generosity of Anselmo. Usually, after a deed is over, people don’t remember previous acts of kindness. But the Americans prove this notion wrong.
Question 8.
At last, the problem of ownership was resolved. But it took a long time. What might be the reasons for it?
Answer:
Anselmo refused to accept the simple fact that along with the land, the fruit-bearing trees also go to the buyer. So he thinks that the children of the village have every right to roam around the orchard according to their free will. However, the Americans behave in a gentlemanly manner in following the unusual procedure of buying the trees separately from each owner of the tree one by one till they could rest assured that the orchard along with the trees was theirs. Thus the problem of ownership was resolved.
Question 9.
Read the story and arrange the given events in the order in which they occur in the text.
a) The storyteller offered Don Anselmo more money than what had been agreed upon.
b) The children of Rio en Medio disturbed the peace of the Americans.
c) The Americans bought the trees from the descendants of Don Anselmo.
d) The storyteller was surprised at the strange argument of Don Anselmo.
e) Don Anselmo lived up in Rio en Medio.
f) The buyers renovated the house.
g) Don Anselmo signed the sale deed after the negotiation for twelve hundred dollars.
h) Don Anselmo felt offended when he was offered more money.
i) The occupants of the house came up with lots of complaints about the children of Rio en Medio.
Answer:
e) Don Anselmo lived up in Rio en Medio.
a) The storyteller offered Don Anselmo more money than what had been agreed upon.
h) Don Anselmo felt offended when he was offered more money.
d) The storyteller was surprised at the strange argument of Don Anselmo.
g) Don Anselmo signed the sale deed after the negotiation for twelve hundred dollars.
i) The buyers renovated the house.
j) The occupants of the house came up with lots of complaints about the children of Rio en Medio.
b) The children of Rio en Medio disturbed the peace of the Americans.
c) The Americans bought the trees from the descendants of Don Anselmo.
Question 10.
Imagine that a group of four students endorses the old man’s views. The other group supports the Americans. Write a paragraph on each group’s argument. Discuss them with the groups.
Answer:
The first group: The old man is right in his argument. The Americans should respect the tradition and cultural values of a place. If the old man has planted each of those trees dedicating it to a child, then the children have every right to come and play there. The Americans should be accommodating in spirit. After all, they have got the property for half the price and they shouldn’t really complain about little children playing there. Moreover, the children were not even rude in their behaviour. So the Americans should have respect for what has been followed in the village till then. They should not disturb the peace and tranquillity of the place.
The second group: But such sentimental argument is not objective. It is not rational on the part of the old man to say that he wouldn’t be bound by the legal system and would follow his own rule. In the future, it’s possible that there’s another argument to the effect that the property sold does not include the house on it. It is the duty of the old man, as an aged man respected by all, to convince the children not to disturb the Americans.
Question 11.
Imagine that your neighbour is in a fix as the Americans were. How would you solve the problem?
Answer:
As the old man hadn’t accepted the extra money in the first instant, it’s not likely that he would accept it even if it were to merely keep the children away. Neither would it be advisable to be harsh towards a gentleman like Anselmo. So I too, like the story teller in the story, would try to find a way out by approaching the parents of the children and by explaining the situation to them.
Enrich your vocabulary:
Task 1: Look for the words in the word maze which match with the given meaning. One is done for you. Note that the number given in brackets is the number of letters in that word. Read across, down and diagonally.
Cane (4): a long thin stick
(9) finding something that was not known earlier
(8) thing/ things that someone owns
(7) a place where fruit trees are grown
(5) ability to control people.
(9) finding something that was not known earlier – DISCOVERY
(8) thing/things that someone owns – PROPERTY
(7) a place where fruit trees are grown – ORCHARD
(5) ability to control people – POWER.
Task 2: Find out the words in the given word maze and match with their meanings. Read across, down and diagonally.
(9) to go with someone
(6) the way in which something is done
(8) official record
(9) unhappy about something
(4) price
(7) many (across)
(4) agreement
(9) to go with someone – ACCOMPANY
(6) the way in which something is done – MANNER
(9) unhappy about something – COMPLAINT
(7) many-SEVERAL
(8) official record — DOCUMENT
(4) price – RATE
(4) agreement – DEED.
Read and respond:
Read the passage carefully and answer the questions set on it.
A small crowd had gathered around the entrance to the park. His curiosity aroused, Robert crossed the road to see what was happening. He found that the centre of attraction was an old man with a performing monkey. The monkey’s tricks, he soon discovered, were in no way remarkable. So, after throwing a few pennies in the dirty hat which the man had placed on the pavement, Robert moved off, along with other members of the crowd.
At this point ifie man suddenly let out a loud cry. Everyone turned to see what had happened. The man was bending over his monkey, which now lay quite still on the pavement. He picked up the apparently lifeless body and holding it close to him, began to weep. A young man stepped forward from the crowd and taking some money from his pocket, dropped it into the hat. Robert and several other people did likewise, until the pennies in the hat were covered with silver coins. Meanwhile the man continued to hold the dead monkey in his arms and seemed to take no notice of what was going on about him.
A few months later, Robert came across the old man again in another part of the city. The man had a monkey, bought no doubt with the money the crowd had given him. It did not, however, seem any better at its tricks than the previous one. Robert was pleased to see that the old man was still able to earn a living, though on this occasion, having partly paid for the monkey out of his own pocket, he did not feel inclined to throw any money into the hat.
But the performance was not yet over. Once again the old man let out a loud cry. Once again the monkey lay still on the pavement. The man picked up the ‘dead’ monkey and clutching it in his arms began to weep. The same young man stepped forward and threw some money into the hat. Again the crowd followed suit – except Robert. Smiling to himself, he went on his way, amazed at the man’s audacity.
Question 1.
Robert went to the other side of the road because
a) he wanted to help the old man by giving him some money
b) he wanted to see why a crowd had gathered
c) he was curious to watch the monkey’s tricks
d) he had seen one of his friends over there.
Answer:
b) he wanted to see why the crowd had gathered
Question 2.
The word “pavement” in the fifth line of para 1 is
a) a temporary tent which is used for public entertainment
b) a path at the side of a road for people to walk on
c) a small building made of wood
d) a shelf on the road.
Answer:
b) a path at the side of the road for people to walk on
Question 3.
The old man let out a loud cry suddenly in order to
a) keep the monkey quiet for some time
b) let the crowd know that his monkey was dead
c) let the crowd know that he was a poor man
d) show that he was hurt.
Answer:
b) let the crowd know that his monkey was dead
Question 4.
Why did the old man begin to weep?
Answer:
To gain the sympathy of the crowd.
Question 5.
What wise thing did Robert do after he watched the monkey’s tricks for the second time?
Answer:
Robert did not throw money into the hat. He had been fooled once and would not be fooled again by the old man into believing that his monkey was dead.
Learn grammar through communication:
Task 1: Rohini and her friends were on a picnic. They couldn’t take photographs as John forgot to carry his camera. How did John express his feelings?
Rohini: John, did you bring your camera?
John: Oh! Sorry.
Rohini: It’s ok.
John: If I had brought my camera, we’d have taken some photographs.
Task 2: Complete Hemanth’s mother’s reaction
Hemanth moved to the edge of the compound to pluck guava fruits. He lost balance, fell down and broke his leg. His mother said, “If you had not moved ________________ “.
“If you had not moved to the edge of the compound, you wouldn’t have fallen and broken your legs.”
Task 3: In the inter-school cricket match, the captain of your school team chose • only one fast bowler. As a result, your team-lost the game.
Your reaction: If the captain of our team __________________________________ (complete the sentence)
If the captain of our team had chosen more than one fast bowler, we wouldn’t have lost the game.
OR
If the captain of our team had chosen more than one fast bowler, we would have won the game.
Task 4: Monsoon rains failed. Farmers couldn’t grow crops. Newspaper reported:
Had it rained __________________________________ (complete the sentence)
Had it rained sufficiently, the farmers could have grown crops.
Task 5: Shanthanu scored less marks in English. Therefore he couldn’t get a seat in the college he wanted.
Guess the response of his father: __________________________________
If you had scored good/more marks in English, you could have got a seat in the college of your choice.
OR
If you hadn’t scored such low marks in English, you could have got a seat in the college you wanted.
Task 6:
Chitra : You missed the train, didn’t you?
Saina: Yes. I went to the railway station at 10:30 a.m. But the train had left at 10:15 a.m.
Chitra : Ifyou ________ (go) to the station at 10 a.m ________ wouldn’t ________ (miss) the train. (Complete the sentence)
Answer:
Chitra: If you had gone to the station at 10 a.m., you wouldn’t have missed the train.
Make reference:
Task 1: The given table provides you information about the services offered at different counters in a Bank. Read the table and also the paragraph given below. Answer the questions.
One of the Americans wished to buy two acres of land. The old man quoted rupees 50,000 for his land. But, the American didn’t have enough money with him. He requested his friend to help him with money. He sent a cheque for rupees 20,000 to the American. The American went to a bank for a loan. The bank manager asked him to open an account which he did. The old man wanted the American to pay the price of the land only in the form of a demand draft. The old man invested 50% of the amount which he received from the American on deposits.
Which counter did the American and the old man approach for the following? Fill in the boxes provided. One is done for you.
Answer:
b. to present the cheque – 02 Savings Bank
c. to receive money – 05 Cash
d. to know more about services offered – 01 Enquiry
e. to invest on deposits – 06 Deposits
f. to open an account – 02 Savings Bank
g. to get a demand draft – 04 Demand Draft
h. to submit filled-in challan for demand draft – 02 Savings Bank
Gentleman of Rio en Medio Additional Questions and Answers
Answer the following questions in a word or a sentence each:
Question 1.
Why did it take months of negotiation to come to an understanding with the old man?
Answer:
Since the old man had lot of time with him and was in no hurry, it took months of negotiation to come to an understanding with the old man.
Question 2.
Where did the old man live?
Answer:
The old man lived in Rio en Medio, a place in Santa Fe county, New Mexico, United States.
Question 3.
How does the writer describe the old man’s house?
Answer:
The old man’s house was small and wretched, but quaint.
Question 4.
Describe the appearance of the old man.
Answer:
The old man’s coat was old, green and faded. He wore gloves that were old and torn and his finger-tips showed through them.
Question 5.
For what price did the old man agree to sell his land?
Answer:
The old man agreed to sell his house and land for twelve hundred dollars.
Question 6.
Why did the author say that the Americans were buena gente?
Answer:
The Americans did not want to cheat Don Anselmo and they were willing to pay him twice the promised money for his land. Hence the author says that the Americans were buena gente.
Question 7.
Why did the children overrun the orchard every day?
Answer:
The trees belonged to the children, so they went there to play every day.
Question 8.
Why couldn’t Don Anselmo sell the trees on his ranch?
Answer:
Don Anselmo planted a tree for every child born and so the trees in the orchard belonged to the people. Hence he could not sell the trees as they did not belong to him; they belonged to the people of Rio en Medio.
Question 9.
Why does Don Anselmo say that the trees belong to the children?
Answer:
Every time a child was born in Rio en Medio, Don Anselmo planted a tree for that child. Hence he says that the trees belong to the children.
Question 10.
How did the Americans solve the problem of children over-running their property?
Answer:
The Americans bought the trees planted on the ranch, individually, from the descendants of Don Anselmo. They could thus prevent the children from over-running the property.
Question 11.
Who is the narrator of ‘Gentleman of Rio en Medio?
Answer:
The lawyer who handled the purchase is the narrator of the story.
Answer the following questions in 2-3 sentences each:
Question 1.
Why does Don Anselmo refuse to accept more money for his property?
Answer:
The initial understanding was that Don Anselmo would sell his property for twelve hundred dollars in cash, to the Americans. So he refuses to accept more money.
Question 2.
Why does he believe that he does not own the trees in the orchard?
Answer:
Although he had planted the trees in the orchard, he had planted them for the children of the village and hence thinks that the trees are not his, but children’s.
Question 3.
Are the descendants of Don Anselmo entitled to the money they receive for the trees? Give reasons for your answer.
Answer:
Don Anselmo is the oldest man in the village and almost everyone in the village is his relative. Since Don Anselmo himself feels that not he, but his descendants, have right over the trees, it is all right for them to receive money for the trees. It is as if Anselmo has bequeathed trees unto them.
Question 4.
Why does the narrator offer Don Anselmo more money for his land in the story ‘Gentleman of Rio en Medio’?
Answer:
When the surveyor surveyed the land of Don Anselmo, he discovered that Anselmo’s property extended across the river, making the area almost twice what he had thought. So although the initial agreement was for twelve hundred dollars in cash, the narrator offered more money.
Question 5.
Describe the old man’s property.
Answer:
The old man’s house was small and wretched but quaint. His orchard was gnarled and beautiful. A little creek ran through his land. The property extended across the river and was almost twice more than the eight acres it was originally thought to be.
Question 6.
Where did Don Anselmo live? What work did he do?
Answer:
Don Anselmo lived in a small, quaint house in Rio en Medio. He tilled the land belonging to his ancestors.
Question 7.
What did the Americans speak about with Don Anselmo to break the ice?
Answer:
The Americans spoke about the weather and rain to break the ice. They also spoke about Don Anselmo’s family.
Question 8.
What did the Americans discover after the survey?
Answer:
The land was originally thought to be eight acres. But, after the survey, the Americans discovered that Don Anselmo owned almost twice as much as he had thought and that it extended across the river.
Question 9.
The storyteller offered the old man almost the double of what he had quoted earlier. Why?
Answer:
The storyteller offered the old man almost double what he had quoted earlier because he discovered that Don Anselmo owned much more than eight acres of land and it was almost twice what he had thought.
Question 10.
What was the reaction of the old man to the story teller’s offer?
Answer:
The old man hung his head for a moment in thought. Then he stood up and stared at the story teller and said that he felt insulted and would not take anything more than the price they had agreed upon.
Question 11.
After the survey, why did the Americans offer double the quoted price for the old Titan’s land?
Answer:
The Americans were good people. When they found out that Don Anselmo owned almost twice what he had thought, they offered to pay double of the price they had quoted earlier.
Question 12.
What did the story teller’s friends complain about?
Answer:
The story teller’s friends complained that the children of the village were over-running the property purchased by them. The children came every day, played under the trees and took blossoms.
Question 13.
What changes did the Americans make to Don Anselmo’s property?
OR
What were the changes made on the ranch after it was sold?
Answer:
The Americans replastered the old house. They pruned the trees and patched the fence.
Question 14.
Don Anselmo was a generous man. Justify.
Answer:
Don Anselmo was passionate about children. He planted a tree in his compound for every child that was born in Rio en Medio. When he sold his land to the Americans, he did not sell the trees because he believed that the trees belonged to the children. He showed his generosity again when he refused to take from the Americans more money than what was agreed to, though he could have easily made a fortune.
Answer the following questions in 5-6 sentences each:
Question 1.
What details describe Don Anselmo’s appearance when he first comes to the office? What details describe his behaviour? How does his behaviour contrast with his appearance?
OR
How does the writer describe the appearance and manners of Don Anselmo?
Answer:
Don Anselmo’s appearance and manners can be termed unusual because he was shabbily dressed, but was majestic in his behaviour. His coat was old, green and faded; gloves were torn and the cane was the skeleton of an umbrella. Yet he bowed to all in a ceremonious manner and was followed by a boy ready to take his orders. When the storyteller saw Anselmo in his suit, he was reminded of Senator Catron who had been very influential with the people up in the mountain. The storyteller remarked that it perhaps was one of his old Prince Alberts. Again, when Anselmo bowed, and slowly and carefully removed his hat and gloves, the storyteller was reminded of Charlie Chaplin who had come up with similar actions while portraying the character of a Janitor. In other words, the storyteller made indirect references to Anselmo’s majestic manner though his clothing and other accessories did not match the grandeur.
Question 2.
In what way is the word ‘gentleman’ an accurate description of Don Anselmo’s character and manners?
OR
What makes you think that Don Anselmo was a man of principles?
Answer:
Don Anselmo sold his property to some American people. After the land was resurveyed by a surveyor, they came to know that he owned eight acres more than what he had said. So they willingly offered him almost double the amount. But, as he was a man of principles, he refused it. He said that he had agreed to sell his land for twelve hundred dollars and would not accept anything more than what was agreed to.
Question 3.
What is the external conflict in ‘Gentleman of Rio en Medio’?
Answer:
‘Gentleman of Rio en Medio’ makes subtle references to the question of external conflict. We see external factors impinging upon the internal happiness and tradition. The story makes it clear that even when no one is at fault, there might be conflict because of external factors. In the story we see that the Americans cannot understand the idea of the old man planting trees for all his descendants. They buy the trees from the descendants to avoid friction. Everything seems to have been amicably settled.
However, one cannot completely overlook certain other possibilities. Although there are no more references to the descendants, one point becomes apparent. The descendants have been attracted by money, which is the first sign of commercialisation. This can be taken as an indication of traditional values giving way to commercial factors.
Question 4.
What problem did the Americans face after buying the land from Don Anselmo? How was the problem resolved?
Answer:
A month after buying the land and the house from Don Anselmo, the Americans moved into the house after renovating it. But they found that the children of the village came there every day, played under the trees, built little play fences around them, and took blossoms. When the Americans tried to speak to them, they just laughed good-naturedly. When they complained to Don Anselmo, he merely said that he had sold only the land to them and not the trees on the land. No amount of explanation could make Don Anselmo see the point as he insisted that the trees did not belong to him, but to the children of the village. The good Americans, finding no other alternative to solve the problem, began buying the trees one by one from the individual owners though the process was long and time-consuming.
Question 5.
“I did not sell the trees because I could not, they are not mine”. How did the old man support this statement?
Answer:
The lesson ‘Gentleman of Rio en Medio’ has a strange plot. Don Anselmo surprises the narrator, sellers and the readers with his refusal to take more money than what is mentioned in the contract for his property. Even when he is told that the surveyor had discovered that his property was almost double of what it was thought to be, he refuses to take more money.
If this strangeness is surprising, his stand on the trees in the orchard is even stranger. After selling the orchard to the Americans, he states that he has sold only the orchard, and not the trees in the orchard. He adds that even if he wanted, he wouldn’t be able to sell the trees as the trees didn’t belong to him. He adds that he had planted a tree each for the children of the village as and when they were born and hence they were the rightful inheritors of the trees. Although his logic is strange, we cannot question his integrity because we should remember that he had refused money earlier with equally strange logic.
Read the following extracts and answer the questions given below them:
Question 1.
These Americans are _____ willing to pay you for the additional land as well ____ so that instead of twelve hundred dollars you will get almost twice as much.
a) Why did the Americans offer to pay almost double of what had been agreed to earlier?
b) What was the reaction of Don Anselmo to the offer?
Answer:
a) When the surveyor surveyed the property of the old man, he discovered that the area was almost twice of what he had mentioned. Hence the Americans offered to pay almost double of what had been agreed to earlier.
b) The old man refused to take the extra money saying that he did not like to be insulted. His argument was that he had agreed to sell the property for twelve hundred dollars and offering more than that was an insult to him.
Question 2.
I sold them my property ______ But I did not sell them the trees in the orchard.
a) Who sold the property? OR Who is the speaker?
b) To whom was the property sold?
c) Why could the owner sell only the property and not the trees on the land?
Answer:
a) Don Anselmo.
b) The property was sold to some Americans.
c) Although Don Anselmo had himself planted the trees in the orchard, he had planted them for the children of the village. Hence he thinks that the trees belong to the children and he has no right to sell them.
Question 3.
There was nothing we could do. Legally we owned the trees, but the old man had been so generous refusing what amounted to a fortune for him. It took most of the following winter to buy the trees.
a) Who were the legal owners of the trees after the deed was signed?
b) In what way had the old man been generous?
c) What did the Americans do?
Answer:
a) The Americans were the legal owners of the trees after the deed was signed.
b) The old man, Don Anselmo, had agreed to sell his land for twelve hundred dollars to the Americans. But the surveyor found out that the extent of the property was almost double of what it was thought to be. The Americans were willing to pay extra money but the old man refused to take anything more than what was agreed upon.
c) The Americans had to buy the trees from the children for whom Don Anselmo had planted them.
Question 4.
“The old man removed his hat and gloves carefully”.
a) Who is the old man referred here?
b) Whose style did it remind the writer of?
Answer:
a) The old man is Don Anselmo.
b) The style reminded the writer of Charlie Chaplin. Chaplin had done so once in a picture.
Question 5.
“Don Anselmo”, I said to him in Spanish, ((We have made a discovery.”
a) Who said this?
b) What was the discovery?
c) What did the speaker offer as a result of the discovery?
Answer:
a) The narrator Juan A. A. Sedillo.
b) When the surveyor surveyed the property of the old man, he discovered that the area was much larger than what was initially thought.
c) As a result, they offered him double of the price they had quoted earlier.
Question 6.
“These Americans are Buena gente”.
a) Who is the speaker?
b) What is the meaning of Buena gente’, according to the context?
c) Why did the speaker call the Americans Buena gente’?
Answer:
a) The narrator Juan A. A. Sedillo.
b) ‘Buena gente’ means ‘good people’.
c) After the survey, when the Americans came to know’that Don Anselmo owned twice what he had thought, they were ready to pay twice the money they had quoted earlier. Hence the speaker called the Americans ‘Buena gente’.
Question 7.
He said, “I do not like to have you speak to me in that manner”.
a) Who is the speaker?
b) Why did the speaker say so?
c) What made him say so?
Answer:
a) Don Anselmo.
b) The speaker felt that he was being insulted.
c) The Americans offered him twice the money they had agreed to earlier for his land. This made the speaker say so.
Question 8.
“I have agreed to sell my house and land for twelve hundred dollars and that is the price.”
a) Who is the T mentioned here?
b) When did the speaker say this?
c) What does this statement tell you about the speaker?
Answer:
a) Don Anselmo.
b) The old man said this when the Americans offered him double the price that had been agreed to earlier.
c) This statement tells us that the speaker is not greedy and fie is a man of principles.
He is generous in not taking the extra amount.
Question 9.
Don Anselmo said, “I did not sell them the trees in the orchard”.
a) Who does ‘them’ refer to?
b) Why didn’t he sell the trees in the orchard?
c) How did Don Anselmo defend his statement?
Answer:
a) The Americans who bought his land.
b) According to Don Anselmo, he didn’t sell the trees because the trees did not belong to him. They belonged to the children of Rio en Medio.
c) Don Anselmo defended that every time a child was born in the village, he had planted a tree for the child. Hence the trees belonged to the children of the village.
Question 10.
I argued with him but it was useless. Finally he signed the deed and took the money but refused to take more than the amount agreed upon.
a) Who argued with Don Anselmo? OR Who is the T?
b) Did Don Anselmo take double of the amount offered? Why?
c) What was the argument about?
d) Why was it useless arguing with him?
Answer:
a) Juan A.A. Sedillo, the narrator.
b) No. Don Anselmo refused to take anything more than what was agreed upon in the contract.
c) Don Anselmo had agreed to sell his land for twelve hundred dollars to the Americans. But the surveyor found out that the extent of the property was almost double of what it was thought to be. The Americans were willing to pay extra money but the old man refused to take anything more than what was agreed upon.
d) It was useless arguing with him because he refused to take anything more than the amount that was agreed upon in the beginning.
Question 11.
‘It took months of negotiation to come to an understanding with the old man’.
a) Who is the old man?
b) What was the negotiation about?
c) Why do you think it took months to come to an understanding?
Answer:
a) Don Anselmo.
b) The negotiation was about the land that the Americans wanted to buy from the old man.
c) It took a long time to convince the old man as the old man was not at all in a hurry to sell the land. He didn’t seem to be in any hurry to get the money either.
Question 12.
‘The trees in that orchard are not mine’.
a) Who is the speaker?
b) According to the speaker, who did the trees belong to?
c) Why did he feel that the trees don’t belong to him?
Answer:
a) Don Anselmo.
b) According to Don Anselmo, the trees belonged to the children of the village.
c) He felt so because he had planted a tree for each of the children born and thought that the children were the owners of the trees. He felt that he had no right over the trees.
Question 13.
“Friend, I do not like to have you speak to me in that manner.”
a) Who is meant by ‘you’?
b) Who does ‘I’ refer to?
c) What was the speaker’s decision?
Answer:
a) ‘You’ is the narrator, that is Juan Sedillo.
b) ‘I’ refers to Don Anselmo.
c) When the narrator tells Anselmo that, according to the discovery made by the surveyor, Anselmo should get almost twice the amount mentioned in the contract, Anselmo reacts in this manner. He does not agree to take more than what he has already agreed to.
Question 14.
“I did not sell the trees because I could not”.
a) Who is the speaker here?
b) Who was he speaking to?
c) Why could he not sell the trees?
Answer:
a) Don Anselmo.
b) The narrator.
c) According to Don Anselmo, he couldn’t sell the trees because the trees did not belong to him. They belonged to the children of Rio en Medio.
Question 15.
A month later my friends moved into Rio en Medio, but one day they came back to complain.
a) Who does ‘my’ refer to?
b) Who are the friends mentioned here? OR Who does ‘they’ refer to?
c) Who did they complain about?
d) What was their complaint?
Answer:
a) Juan Sedillo.
b) The Americans who had purchased the land from Don Anselmo.
c) They complained about the children of the village.
d) The Americans complained that the children of the village came there every day, played under the trees, built little play fences around them, and took blossoms.
Question 16.
“I did not sell them the trees in the orchard.”
a) Who is the ‘I’ here?
b) Who didn’t the speaker sell the trees to?
c) Why didn’t the speaker sell the trees?
Answer:
a) Don Anselmo.
b) To the Americans.
c) Because he believed the trees belonged to the children of Rio en Medio.
Multiple Choice Questions
Question 1.
Who is the narrator of ‘Gentleman of Rio en Medio’?
A) Don Anselmo himself
B) one of Don Anselmo’s many relatives
C) the buyer of the property
D) the lawyer who handled the purchase.
Answer:
D) the lawyer who handled the purchase.
Question 2.
Between whom is the conflict in ‘Gentleman of Rio en Medici’?
A) Don Anselmo and the Americans
B) Don Anselmo and the children
C) the Americans and the person helping them with the deal
D) Don Anselmo and his relatives
Answer:
A) Don Anselmo and the Americans
Question 3.
Why do you think Don Anselmo brings his young relative to the meetings?
A) Don Anselmo enjoys having a servant with him at all times.
B) Don Anselmo is proud of his family and includes them in his life.
C) Don Anselmo never travels alone.
D) Don Anselmo wants company.
Answer:
B) Don Anselmo is proud of his family and includes them in his life.
Question 4.
How is the conflict resolved in ‘Gentleman of Rio en Medio’?
A) The person helping the Americans pays for the trees.
B) The children are allowed to play in the orchard.
C) The Americans buy the trees from their owners.
D) Don Anselmo moves back into his house.
Answer:
C) The Americans buy the trees from their owners.
Question 5.
To whom does Don Anselmo want to sell his land?
A) to the people he respects
B) to the people who can pay the highest price
C) to the people who will take care of the orchard
D) to the people who will sell the orchard
Answer:
A) to the people he respects
Question 6.
Why does Don Anselmo refuse to stop the children from climbing the trees?
A) Don Anselmo is hard of hearing and cannot understand what they want him to do.
B) Don Anselmo has sent the children to destroy the Americans’ property.
C) Don Anselmo believes that the trees belong to the children.
D) Don Anselmo claims that he does not know any of the children.
Answer:
C) Don Anselmo believes that the trees belong to the children.
Question 7.
How is the problem of the children overrunning the Americans’ property eventually resolved?
A) The children destroy the Americans’ home.
B) The Americans erect a fence.
C) The Americans pay every family for their respective trees.
D) The Americans uproot the trees and transplant them.
Answer:
C) The Americans pay every family for their respective trees.
Question 8.
Why do the village children refuse to leave the property?
A) The children do not respect elders.
B) They do not speak English.
C) They have nowhere else to play.
D) They have always played there and see no reason to stop.
Answer:
D) They have always played there and see no reason to stop.
Question 9.
It took months of negotiation to
A) survey the land
B) arrive at the price
C) come to an understanding
D) find the old man
Answer:
C) come to an understanding
Question 10.
the old man agreed to sell his land for
A) Twelve dollars
B) Twelve hundred dollars
C) Twelve dollars per acre
D) Twelve hundred dollars per acre
Answer:
B) Twelve hundred dollars
Question 11.
Every time a child was born in the village
A) Don Anselmo gave the child a piece of land
B) Don Anselmo visited the newly born child
C) Don Anselmo planted a tree for the child
D) Don Anselmo gifted a tree to the child
Answer:
C) Don Anselmo planted a tree for the child
Question 12.
It took months of negotiation to come to an understanding with the old man because he
A) could not hear properly
B) could not understand the language
C) was not in a hurry
D) did not like the Americans.
Answer:
C) was not in a hurry
Question 13.
‘The old man removed his hat and gloves, slowly and carefully’. This reminds us of the actions of
A) Charlie Chaplin
B) Janitor
C) Senator.
D) Prince Albert.
Answer:
A) Charlie Chaplin
Question 14.
‘Don Anselmo”, I said, “We have made a discovery”. The discovery was that the old man
A) did not own the trees
B) had asked for a high price
C) had many relatives
D) owned more land than he thought.
Answer:
D) owned more land than he thought.
Question 15.
After the survey, the Americans were willing to pay
A) twelve hundred dollars
B) thrice the amount they had agreed to
C) almost twice the money they had agreed to
D) half of the money they had agreed to
Answer:
C) almost twice the money they had agreed to
Question 16.
Don Anselmo agreed to sell the land to the Americans because
A) they agreed to give twice the amount
B) they were his friends
C) they were good people
D) they agreed to buy the land without the trees.
Answer:
C) they were good people
Question 17.
Don Anselmo took only twelve hundred dollars for the land finally because
A) Don Anselmo was a man of principles
B) the story teller failed to convince Don Anselmo to take more money
C) the Americans refused to give more money
D) the surveyor had fixed the value of the land at twelve hundred dollars.
Answer:
A) Don Anselmo was a man of principles
Question 18.
The story teller spoke Spanish because
A) the story teller loved to speak Spanish
B) Spanish is the official language of New Mexico
C) the old man was a Spaniard
D) he doesn’t know any language other than Spanish.
Answer:
C) the old man was a Spaniard
Question 19.
Seeing Don Anselmo’s old coat green and faded, the author suddenly thought of
A) Chaplin
B) Americans
C) Senator Catron
D) Janitor.
Answer:
C) Senator Catron
Gentleman of Rio en Medio Summary in English
‘Gentleman of Rio en Medio’ is an interesting story based on a real-life incident. The author Juan A.A. Sedillo, a lawyer by profession, shares with his readers a story based on an actual legal case.
The central character of the piece is an old man by the name Don Anselmo. The author pictures him as an old man of dignity although his clothes, apparels and appearance are shabby. Likewise, his house in his orchard is wretched but quaint. The old man is prepared to sell his property to some Americans for twelve hundred dollars in cash. But the surveyor finds out that the extent of the property is almost double of what it was thought to be and the good Americans are willing to pay the extra amount and buy the property from the old man.
However, the old man refuses to take any extra money other than what was agreed upon and no amount of explanation and persuasion on the part of the storyteller convinces the old man. In fact, the old man considers it an insult that an amount other than what was agreed upon is offered. Hence a deed for the initial amount itself is drawn and signed by the old man. The Americans take possession of the orchard and the house after giving both a face lift. Then another strange thing takes place. The Americans get disturbed by the village children who come to the orchard regularly and play there. When they are spoken to, they only laugh good naturedly. The Americans complain to the storyteller and the storyteller fixes a meeting with the old man. When the old man comes to know of the complaint of the Americans, he merely says that he can do nothing about the situation as he had sold only the orchard and not the trees in the orchard.
No amount of explanation can make him see the point and he reiterates that he cannot sell the trees as he had no right over them. By way of explanation he adds that as the head of the community he had planted a tree for every child born in the village and the tree was what he had bequeathed unto the children. By this he means that he has no right over the trees and hence couldn’t have sold the trees to the Americans. The good-natured Americans then take recourse to another method. They buy the trees one by one from the individual owners though the process was long and time consuming.
Thus we see that the turn of events is strange indeed. Yet, since both the parties concerned are devoid of deceit, the situation does not turn out to be an unpleasant one.
Gentleman of Rio en Medio Summary in Kannada
Glossary:
- Rio en Medio: a place in Santa Fe County, New Mexico, United States
- negotiation: official discussion
- wretched: unpleasant
- quaint: unusual and attractive especially in an old fashioned way
- creek: a small narrow stream or river
- orchard: a piece of land in which fruit trees are grown
- gnarled: (a branch of a tree) with twisted hard lumps
- Prince Alberts: long, double-breasted coat (named after the English Prince Albert, who later became Edward VII)
- gazelle: type of small deer which has large beautiful eyes
- Chaplin: Charlie Chaplin (1889-1977), silent film comedian (known for his great comic performances in silent movies)
- Janitor: someone whose job is to look after a school or a large building
- Senator Catron: Thomas Benton Catron (1912-1927), a senator from New Mexico
- Don: Spanish title of respect much like ‘sir’ in English
- buena gente: good people
- ragged: torn
- deed: agreement
- abode: home
- prune: to cut off some branches of a tree to make it grow better
- blossoms: flowers on the tree
- preliminary: done or said first to prepare for something
- broach: raise the topic
- ranch: a very large farm
- descendants: a group of people related to family that existed long ago
- Senor: a word of respect like ‘mister’ in English
- Sobrinos and nietos: Spanish for ‘nieces and nephews’ and ‘grandchildren’