The Sri Krishna Eating House
by Anita Desai
COMPREHENSION
1. Answer the following questions.
a. In what ways was the Sri Krishna Eating House different from the restaurants in Thul?
= The Sri Krishna Eating House was the meanest and shabbiest restaurant Hari had ever seen; the cafes of Thul were pleasanter than that of Sri Krishna Eating House.
b. What kind of people came to eat at the Sri Krishna Eating House? Why did they come to this particular restaurant?
= Beggars and coolies came to eat at Sri Krishna Eating House.
They came to this particular restaurant because it was the certainly the cheapest restaurant anyone could possibly find in Bombay.
c. Why was the restaurant in such a dilapidated condition?
= The restaurant in such a dilapidated condition because the owner had no time to sweep or clean his restaurant or the money to decorate it with pictures and flowers.
d. Why did the two boys in the kitchen not speak to Hari?
= The two boys in the kitchen did not speak to Hari because they knew Tamil, a language Hari did not know. And they did not seem to know any Hindi or Marathi, the two languages Hari knew.
e. Why did Hari like talking to the old man in the watch shop?
= Hari liked talking to the old man in the watch shop because he was a fine and impressive man whom he could trust and who would understand him and try to help him.
f. What does the phrase 'stared open-mouthed' suggest?
= Hari was a poor boy. He had never seen so many clocks at a time. The phrase 'stared open-mouthed' suggested that he was very much astonished to see so many clocks tick-tocking on the walls and the watches that glittered in the showcases.
g. Why was the owner of the watch shop 'more likely' to have a pen?
= The owner of the watch shop 'more likely' to have a pen because he might have to write something or the names of his creditors unlike the owner of the eating house.
These questions are more difficult. Discuss them first.
h. What made Hari both frightened and happy? What other feelings might he be experiencing? Why?
= Hari was feeling both happy to have done what he knew he should do and frightened because this meant he would staying on in Bombay, not going home.
Hari belonged to a poor Indian family. The four children - Hari, Lila, Bela and Kamal - had to look after themselves because their mother was very ill and their father is drunk most of the time. He might be feeling very proud to be an earning member of his family and stand for his family.
i. In what ways was Jagu, the owner of the shop, kind? What do you think of the way he treated the boys who worked for him?
= Jagu was a silent man. He spoke to anyone. But he had been good to many. Like those two boys who worked for whom. Their parents were killed in a railway platform. When Jagu found the boys as he was coming to work in the morning, and he brought them there in his shop and gave them food and shelter and work.
I think Jagu was a hard working man. He might have struggled hard to get settled in life. That's why he knew the pain of poverty and he felt pity for the two boys and helped them as well as Hari.
2. Select the best answer.
a. "But the Sri Krishna Eating House did not have even so much as a coloured picture of Krishna glued to the wall." This means
i. the Sri Krishna Eating House had many pictures on the walls. [ ]
ii. it had some pictures on the wall. [ ]
iii. it had very few pictures on the wall. [✓]
iv. it had no pictures on the wall. [ ]
b. "The floor and the wooden tables were all black, too, since they all got an even share of soot from the open stoves." This means
i. not only the floor, but also the tables were black with shoot. [ ]
ii. everything in the place got the same amount of soot. [✓]
iii. the stove, too, was black with soot, apart from everything else. [ ]
c. "These people seemed to have no fixed working hours." This means
i. the people had no fixed working hours. [✓]
ii. the people pretended to have no working hours. [ ]
iii. the people appeared to have no fixed working hours, but in fact they did. [ ]
iv. the people had fixed working hours. [ ]
d. "They did not speak to each other as they worked." This means
i. they worked so hard, they had no time to speak. [✓]
ii. while they worked, they did not speak. [ ]
iii. because they were working, they could not speak. [ ]
iv. they were not allowed to speak as they worked. [ ]
3. Answer the following with reference to context.
a. "The Sri Krishna Eating House was the meanest and shabbiest restaurant Hari had ever seen."
i. In what way was the restaurant 'the meanest'? What does this mean?
= The restaurant was 'the meanest' as it was dirty and untidy. It was all covered under the layers of grime and soot.
ii. Why was Hari there?
= Hari was there as the watchman of a big building on a hill brought him there to eat and he stayed there to work.
b. "Then he said, 'Yes, I can do with another boy in the Kitchen.' "
i. Who is speaking?
= Jagu, the owner of the Sri Krishna Eating House, is speaking.
ii. What did he do just before giving this answer?
= He had given a tumbler of tea and a rolled-up chapati to Hari to eat before giving this answer.
iii. What was the question asked of him, and by whom?
= Hari asked him the question would he let him to work in his kitchen.
iv. What did the speaker go on to say about the job?
= The speaker instructed Hari to wash those pots first then to knead the dough and help roll out the chapatis. He can stay and work there if he liked. He will get his meal and one rupee per day for his work.
c. " 'So, a new boy at the Sri Krishna Eating House,' called the old gentleman."
i. Who was the old gentleman?
= The old gentleman was the watchmaker and the owner of the Ding Dong Watchworks beside Sri Krishna Eating House.
ii. To whom was the comment made?
= The comment was made to Hari.
iii. What did the speaker do immediately after making this comment?
= The speaker went back to his examination of the tiny watch, but continued to talk to Hari who stood on the pavement.
d. " 'Suddenly remembered you had to write to, did you?' "
i. Who is speaking and to whom are these words addressed?
= The old gentleman of the watchshop is speaking these words to Hari.
ii. What made the speaker ask the question?
= Hari was asking him about post office, that made the speaker ask the question.
iii. What is the letter the speaker refers to?
= The speaker refers to the letter to Hari's parents.
iv. How did the speaker help?
= The speaker lent Hari the money for a post card and later a pen to write the letter.