Too Dear Questions & Answers

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MCQs

1. The population of Monaco in ‘Too Dear!’ is __________.

a. about 12000 b. about 16000 c. about 7000 d. about 600

Ans: c. about 7000

2. According to the story, ‘Too Dear!’, which of the following is incorrect?

a. The population of Monaco was about 7000.

b. There were 60 men in the army of Monaco.

c. The Italian government quoted 12000 francs for lending a machine and an expert.

d. The criminal received 600 francs as his pension before leaving the kingdom of Monaco.

Ans: d. The criminal received 600 francs as his pension before leaving the kingdom of Monaco.

3. The special tax mentioned in the story ‘Too Dear!’ was on ___________

a. tobacco b. gaming house c. spirits d. wine

Ans: b. gaming house

4. Which of the following statements is incorrect about the army of Monaco?

a. It was not a large army as it had only 60 men.

b. The General was asked to get a soldier to cut the criminal’s head.

c. The General talked with the soldiers to undertake the job of cutting criminal’s head

d. Only one soldier said he would cut the criminal’s head in a rough and homely fashion.

Ans: d. Only one soldier said he would cut the criminal’s head in a rough and homely fashion.

5. The people of ______ forbade their rulers to make money from gaming houses, in ‘Too Dear!’

a. Germany b. France c. Italy d. Monaco

Ans: a. Germany

6. Everyone who wants to gamble goes to ______, in ‘Too Dear!’

a. Germany b. France c. Italy d. Monaco

Ans: d. Monaco

7. The proverb, ‘You can’t earn stone palaces by honest labour’ is used in ‘Too Dear!’ to justify the ______

a. gaming houses in Monaco

b. pension sanctioned for the criminal

c. change from death punishment to life imprisonment

d. decision to dismiss the guard of the prison

Ans: a. gaming houses in Monaco

8. The new item of expenditure, the king of Monaco noticed was for _________, in ‘Too Dear!’

a. salary of soldiers b. charges for guillotine

c. salary for the executioner d. the keep of the criminal

Ans: d. the keep of the criminal

9. Choose the right sequence of incidents as they take place in ‘Too Dear!’

a. The guard was dismissed –expenditure came to 600 francs –the criminal did not run away - death

punishment was changed to life imprisonment

b. Death punishment was changed to life imprisonment – expenditure came to 600 francs –the guard

was dismissed – the criminal did not run away

c. The criminal did not run away – the guard was dismissed – expenditure came to 600 francs –death

punishment was changed to life imprisonment

d. The criminal did not run away- death punishment was changed to life imprisonment– the guard was

dismissed – expenditure came to 600 francs

Ans: b

10. Match the particulars in column A with the amount in column B with reference to ‘Too Dear!’ and choose

the correct option.

A B

A. The French Government i. 600 francs

B. The Italian King ii. 12000 francs

C. The pension fixed iii. 16000 francs

a. A-i B-ii C-iii b. A-ii B-iii C-i c. A-ii B-i C-iii d. A-iii B-ii C-i

Ans: d. A-iii B-ii C-i

11. The kingdom of Monaco had ________, in ‘Too Dear!’

a. a guillotine and an executioner b. a suitable prison for life imprisonment

c. a large army d. a gaming house where roulette was played

Ans: d. a gaming house where roulette was played

12. Choose the odd combination with reference to ‘Too Dear!’

a. The king and his men– Always considered the expenditure on punishment

b. The German Sovereigns– Thought the gaming houses did so much harm

c. The soldiers – Ready to cut off criminal’s head in a rough and homely fashion

d. The criminal – Reluctant to go out of prison for various reasons

Ans: c. The soldiers – Ready to cut off criminal’s head in a rough and homely fashion

13. The king of which country is called ‘a brother monarch’ in ‘Too Dear’?

a. Italy b. Germany c. France d. Monaco

Ans: a. Italy

14. Which one of the following is not the reason stated by the criminal for not going away from prison in ‘Too Dear!’?

a. He liked to fetch food from palace kitchen and stay in prison

b. The people would turn their backs on him

c. The king and his men have ruined his character

d. He has got out of the way of working

Ans: a. He liked to fetch food from palace kitchen and stay in prison

15. The criminal in ‘Too Dear!’ received _______ as advance of his pension before leaving the king’s dominions.

a. his full annuity b. two-third of his annuity

c. one-third of his annuity d. half of his annuity

Ans: c. one-third of his annuity

16. In ‘Too Dear!’ the criminal started _______ for livelihood after leaving the king’s dominions.

a. running a gaming house b. selling tobacco and wine

c. market-gardening d. working in an army

Ans: c. market-gardening

17. In ‘Too Dear!’ ________________ is referred to as ‘a dirty business.’ [A]

a. selling wine and spirits b. selling tobacco

c. market gardening d. gaming house

Ans: d. gaming house

18. The council of the king of Monaco stated that the French Government had no proper respect for the king because the government was _________________.

a. Monarchal b. Military c. Democratic d. Republican

Ans: d. Republican

19. In ‘Too Dear!’ ______________ is referred to as a ‘brother monarch’ of the king of Monaco [E]

a. the king of France b. the king of Germany

c. the king of Italy d. the king of Russia

Ans: c. the king of Italy

20. The only hitch in implementing the life imprisonment in ‘Too Dear!’ was _______.

a. there was no suitable prison b. the prison was not comfortable

c. the prison didn’t have any facilities d. the prison was very comfortable

Ans: a. there was no suitable prison

21. The annual expenditure for the keep of the criminal was around _____francs in ‘Too Dear!’

a. 16000 b. 12000 c. 200 d. 600

Ans: d. 600

22. In ‘Too Dear!’, ______________was the initial punishment given to the criminal.

a. life imprisonment b. death sentence

c. temporary stay in lock up d. grant of pension

Ans: b. death sentence

23. The people of Monaco mentioned in ‘Too Dear!’ were_________________ .

a. sociable b. fashionable c. peaceable d. irritable

Ans: c. peaceable

24. The criminal’s food was fetched from the _______________.

a. palace kitchen b. gaming house

c. guard’s kitchen d. soldier’s kitchen

Ans: a. palace kitchen

25. When the guard was dismissed, the criminal in Too Dear!’, was ______________.

a. happy and tried to run away b. demanded protection

c. worried about his family d. didn’t show any sign of running away

Ans: d. didn’t show any sign of running away

26. No soldier came forward to execute the murderer in ‘Too Dear!’ because ______________.

a. they have not been taught about it. b. they wanted him to be pardoned

c. they wanted him to run away d. they wanted him to give him a pension

Ans: a. they have not been taught about it.

27. Match the following:

A B

A. French Government (i) Brother Monarch

B. King of Italy (ii) Kinglet

C. King of Monaco (iii) Republican

a. A-iii, B-ii, C-i b. A-i, B-ii, C-iii c. A-iii, B-i, C-ii d. A-i, B-iii, C-ii

Ans: c. A-iii, B-i, C-ii

28. Match the following:

A B

A. French Government i. 600 francs

B. King of Italy ii. 16000 francs

C. Pension Amount iii. 12000 francs

a. A-iii, B-ii, C-i b. A-ii, B-iii, C-i c. A-i, B-ii, C-iii d. A-iii, B-i, C-ii

Ans: A-ii, B-iii, C-i

29. Match the following:

A B

A. Population of Monaco i. 60

B. Soldiers in Monaco ii. 600

C. Pension granted in francs iii. 7000

a. A-iii, B-ii, C-i b. A-ii, B-iii, C-i c. A-i, B-ii, C-iii d. A-iii, B-i, C-ii

Ans: d. A-iii, B-i, C-i

30. Match the following:

A B

A. Gaming houses forbidden in i. Monaco

B. Monopoly of Gaming houses ii. Gaming house

C. Special revenue comes from iii. German sovereigns

a. A-i, B-ii, C-iii b. A-ii, B-iii, C-i c. A-iii, B-i, C-ii d. A-iii, B-ii, C-i

Ans: c. A-iii, B-i, C-ii

31. Statement: German Sovereigns forbade gaming houses.

Reason: Wanted the Prince of Monaco to monopolize them.

a. Both statement and reason are correct. b. Both statement and reason are incorrect.

c. Only statement is correct. d. Only reason is correct.

Ans: c. Only statement is correct.

32. Statement: There was no proper respect for king in France.

Reason: There was a republican government in France.

a. Both statement and reason are correct. b. Both statement and reason are incorrect.

c. Only statement is correct. d. Only reason is correct.

Ans: a. Both statement and reason are correct.

33. Statement: The soldiers were not ready to cut the man's head off.

Reason: They were not trained for it.

a. Both statement and reason are correct. b. Both statement and reason are incorrect.

c. Only statement is correct. d. Only reason is correct.

Ans: a. Both statement and reason are correct.

34. Statement: Death sentence was changed to life imprisonment

Reason: They thought it would be cheaper.

a. Both statement and reason are correct. b. Both statement and reason are incorrect.

c. Only statement is correct. d. Only reason is correct.

Ans: a. Both statement and reason are correct.

35. Statement: A guard was placed over the criminal

Reason: The criminal was all alone.

a. Both statement and reason are correct. b. Both statement and reason are incorrect.

c. Only statement is correct. d. Only reason is correct.

Ans: a. Both statement and reason are correct.

36. Statement: The guard was dismissed

Reason: It was done to cut down the expenditure

a. Both statement and reason are correct. b. Both statement and reason are incorrect.

c. Only statement is correct. d. Only reason is correct.

Ans: a. Both statement and reason are correct.

37. Pick the right sequence from the story ‘Too Dear!’

a. The guard had to watch the criminal -death sentence was altered to life imprisonment - there was a small lock up - a guard was placed over him

b. A guard was placed over him –death sentence was altered to life imprisonment - there was a small

lock up – the guard had to watch the criminal.

c. Death sentence was altered to life imprisonment - there was a small lock up - a guard was placed over him – the guard had to watch the criminal.

d. There was a small lock up -death sentence was altered to life imprisonment - a guard was placed over him – the guard had to watch the criminal.

Ans: c.

38. Pick the right sequence from the story ‘Too Dear!’

a. The guard was dismissed - the ministers waited to see what would happen - the criminal fetched his own dinner from palace kitchen –the criminal did not run away from the prison.

b. The criminal did not run away from the prison - the guard was dismissed - the ministers waited to see

what would happen - the criminal fetched his own dinner from palace kitchen

c. The ministers waited to see what would happen - the guard was dismissed - the criminal fetched his

own dinner from palace kitchen -the criminal did not run away from the prison.

d. The criminal fetched his own dinner from palace kitchen - the guard was dismissed - the ministers

waited to see what would happen –the criminal did not run away from the prison.

Ans: a.

39. Statement: The criminal was given the annual pension of 600 francs to go away from the prison.

Reason: The criminal was reluctant to go away from the prison.

a. Both statement and reason are correct. b. Both statement and reason are incorrect.

c. Only statement is correct. d. Only reason is correct.

Ans: b.

40. In ‘Too Dear!’, “The wretch is not worth the money” , ‘the wretch’ refers to________.

a. the brother monarch b. the criminal

c. the army general d. the prince of Monaco

Ans: b. the criminal

41. Which one of the following is cheap and not too dear mode of punishing the criminal, according to theprince of Monaco?

a. Accepting the Italy’s proposal of 12000 francs. b. Keeping the criminal in the prison until his death c. Getting the criminal’s head cut by the soldiers d. Paying an annual pension

Ans: c. Getting the criminal’s head cut by the soldiers

42. Identify the one thing not done by the criminal after his release from prison.

a. He goes at proper time to receive his annual pension

b. He bought a bit of land and started market gardening

c. He goes to gaming table every day to play roulette

d. He emigrated and settled across the frontier

Ans: c. He goes to gaming table every day to play roulette

43. Everyone who wants to gamble goes to _____ in 'Too Dear!' (Exam 2 2025)

a) Monaco b) France c) Germany d) Italy

Ans: a) Monaco

44. In the story 'Too Dear!', _______ business did the Kinglet of Monaco monopolise. (Exam 3 2025)

a) gambling b) marketing c) travelling d) gardening

Ans: a) gambling

45. What was the initial hitch in executing the criminal in ‘Too Dear’? (Additional Paper 2025)

a) The King prohibited execution b) They didn’t have a guillotine and an executioner c) There was only an executioner but no guillotine d) There was a guillotine but no executioner

Ans: b) They didn’t have a guillotine and an executioner

46. The proverb “You can’t earn stone palaces by honest labour” is used in ‘Too Dear’ to justify.

a) The alteration of death sentence to life imprisonment b) The decision to dismiss the guard

c) The pension given to the criminal d) The presence of gaming house in Monaco.

(Additional paper 2025)

Ans: d) The presence of gaming house in Monaco.

47. Who is described as ‘young and healthy’ in ‘Too Dear!’

a. the kinglet b. the army general c. the criminal d. the minister

Ans: c. the criminal

Two marks

1. Mention any two things which make Monaco a toy kingdom in ‘Too Dear!’. [E]

2. Name the two countries that bordered Monaco mentioned in ‘Too Dear!’ [E]

3. Mention any two-supporting staff / officials of the King of Monaco in ‘Too Dear!’. [A]

4. Name any two commodities that were taxed in Monaco mentioned in ‘Too Dear!’.

(wine / spirits / tobacco) [E]

5. Which commodities did the king of Monaco draw the revenue from, in ‘Too Dear!’? [E]

6. Who were the main beneficiaries of Gaming House in Monaco whether one loses or wins in ‘Too Dear!?

[E]

7. Give any two reasons that made German Sovereigns to forbid gaming houses in ‘Too Dear!’. [E]

8. Name any two things that the prince of Monaco did on a smaller scale as a king in ‘Too Dear!’ [A]

9. Mention any two professionals who tried the murder case in the most judicial manner in ‘Too Dear!’ [A]

(judges, Barrister, prosecutors, jury men)

10. What were the works assigned to the guard when the criminal was kept in the prison in ‘Too Dear!’? [E]

11. How much pension was fixed for the criminal? How much money was received in advance in ‘Too Dear!’?

[E]

12. What did the criminal do for his living after receiving his annuity in advance in ‘Too Dear!’? [E]

13. Name the two types of punishments given to the criminal in ‘Too Dear!’ [E]

14. What are the main sources of revenue for the prince of Monaco, as mentioned in 'Too Dear!'?

(Additional Paper 2025)

Three marks

1. In ‘Too Dear!’, how does the narrator describe ‘Toy kingdom’? [E]

2. Write a note on gaming houses in Monaco as mentioned in ‘Too Dear!’ [E]

3. Though gambling is a dirty business, why does the king of Monaco resort to it in ‘Too Dear!’? [A]

4. Describe the attempts made by the ministers to solve the problem of cutting off the criminal’s head. [A]

5. Why did the authorities fail to carry out the death sentence in ‘Too Dear!’? [A]

6. How did the criminal lead his life after his release in ‘Too Dear’? [E]

7. Why did the king of Monaco alter the death sentence into life imprisonment? [E]

8. What arrangements were made by Monaco for the life imprisonment of the criminal? [A]

9. Why was the criminal reluctant to get out of the prison? [E]

10. Why did the prince decide to offer the criminal a pension and how much amount was fixed? [E]

11. Why did the criminal choose to remain in prison, even without a guard in, 'Too Dear!’? (Additional paper)

Four Marks

1. Why did the king of Monaco keep changing his mind in dealing with the criminal ‘Too Dear!’? [A]

2. 'You can't earn stone palaces by honest labour'. Justify this statement with reference to ‘Too Dear!’ [A]

3. Even after several attempts to carry out death sentence, the Prince of Monaco was not successful. Give reasons.

[A]

4. Write a note on the gaming houses in Europe with a special reference to Monaco. [A]

5. Do you agree with the reasons provided by the criminal for not running away from the prison in ‘Too Dear!’?

Give reasons. [A]

6. Why was the death sentence converted into life imprisonment in ‘Too Dear!’? [A]

7. Why did the king of Monaco keep changing his mind in dealing with the criminal in ‘Too Dear!’? [A]

8. What were the arguments put forth by the prisoner for not going out of the prison as in 'Too Dear!'? [E]

9. Why could not the king of Monaco execute the criminal for committing a murder? (Exam -1 2025)

10. Why did the Kinglet of Monaco retain the gaming house, unlike other countries in Europe? (Exam -2, 2025)

11. How did the criminal lead his life after the release in 'Too Dear!'? (Exam-3, 2025)

12. Monaco is called as a 'toy kingdom' in the story 'Too Dear!'. Give reasons. (Additional paper)

13. “The criminal has upper hand over the prince of Monaco”. Evaluate this statement with respect to the story,

‘Too Dear!’ [A]

14. What happened to the prisoner after the guard was dismissed in ‘Too Dear!’? [E]

15. How does the Prince of Monaco conduct his rule in terms of ceremony and justice throughout ‘Too Dear!’?

[A]

16. What is the understanding and stance taken by the prince and the keeper of the gaming house in Monaco in

‘Too Dear!’? [E]

17. Write a note on the army general and the soldiers of Monaco and their attitude. [A]

18. What was the immediate reaction of the judiciary body and the prince to the murder that was committed in

Monaco? [A]

19. Though the kinglet of Monaco knows that Gambling is a dirty business, he continues to have it in Monaco.

Why?

MCQs

1. One of the commodities that was not taxed by the prince of Monaco was on _______.

a) Gaming House b) Wine and spirit c) Income Tax d) Poll tax

2. ________is the special source of revenue in the Kingdom of Monaco.

a) Poll-tax b) Roulette c) Tobacco d) Wine

3. The tiny little kingdom called Monaco lies near the borders of _______.

a) France and Russia b) Italy and Germany

c) France and Italy d) Russia and Germany

4. In the kingdom called Monaco, there were about _______ people.

a) seven thousand b) six thousand and eight hundred

c) eight thousand d) eight thousand and five hundred

5. The tiny little kingdom called Monaco had an army comprising _____

men.

a) seven thousand b) sixty thousand

c) sixty d) sixteen thousand

6. The only gambling establishment in entire Europe was in _______.

a) Russia b) France c) Italy d) Monaco

7. The ________ forbade their rulers to make money through gambling.

a) Russians b) French c) Italians d) Germans

8. The monopoly of the business of gambling was with ______.

a) Russia b) France c) Italy d) Monaco

9. Complete the proverb. “You can’t earn stone palaces by ______.

a) by gambling b) by honest labour

c) by drinking and smoking d) by winning money

10. Monaco lies near the borders of France and Italy and on the shores of the_____.

a) Arabian Sea b) Indian Ocean c) Pacific Ocean d) Mediterranean Sea

11. The initial punishment given to the criminal by the council was ______.

a) life imprisonment b) death sentence

c) by giving him pension d) by putting him in prison

12. One of the reasons for altering the death sentence to life imprisonment was _____.

a) they sympathized with the murderer

b) they did not have an executioner

c) they did not have a guillotine

d) they neither had a guillotine nor did they have an executioner

13. The king had spent _______on the criminal after a year.

a) 200 francs b) 600 francs c) 16000 francs d. 12000 francs

14. A guillotine and an executioner would cost ________ if supplied from

France.

a) 200 francs b) 600 francs c) 16000 francs d) 12000 francs

15. The people of Monaco mentioned in ‘Too Dear!’ were _______.

a) sociable b) peaceable c) fashionable d) irritable

16. The criminal received _______as advance before leaving Monaco.

a) one third of his pension b) two third of his pension

c) half his pension d) his full pension

17. The criminal’s food was initially fetched by _______.

a) himself b) a courtier c) a guard d) a soldier

18. The criminal was offered a pension amount of _______ francs.

a) 7000 b) 600 c) 16000 d) 12000

19. The criminal’s food was fetched from ____________.

a) the soldiers’ kitchen b) the prince’s kitchen

c) the gaming house d) the criminal’s kitchen

20. The criminal was in the prison for ______.

a) six months b) a year c) a month d) 15 days

21. If all the land in Monaco were divided, each inhabitant would get _____.

a) about one acre b) 600 acres c) less than half an acre d) two acres

22. The king had to find a special source of revenue because ______.

a) the income from the taxes was insufficient

b) his people drank and smoked less.

c) the people of Monaco gambled a lot.

d) the people wanted more revenue

23. The death sentence in ‘Too Dear!’ was altered because _______.

a) the king wanted to show mercy to the criminal

b) doing so would not be expensive

c) no one was willing to execute the criminal

d) the people of Monaco wanted him to be pardoned

24. When the guard was dismissed, the criminal in ‘Too Dear!’ ______.

a) was happy and tried to run away

b) worried about the guard’s family

c) did not show any sign of running away

d) demanded protection

25. The criminal in ‘Too Dear!’ agreed to go away from the prison after_____.

a) he was offered a pension b) he was allowed to emigrate

c) the guard was dismissed d) he was offered a job

26. No soldier came forward to execute the murderer because ______.

a) they wanted him to be pardoned

b) they had not been taught in that art

c) the guard was dismissed d) the guard was offered a job

27. The special source of revenue in Monaco came from _________.

a) tobacco b) Poll Tax c) a gaming house d) Taxes on wine and spirits

28. The criminal was awarded the death sentence for _________.

a) indulging in gambling b) committing murder

c) robbing a person d) he refused to pay taxes

29. The criminal finally received __________ his annuity in advance.

a) one-third of b) half of c) one-fourth of d) three-fourth of

30. The guard was dismissed ______

a) to save money over his salary b) as he was not efficient

c) to let the criminal run-away d) to make the criminal repent

Comprehension I

1. Why was ‘Monaco’ called a ‘toy kingdom’?
Ans: It had just about seven thousand people and if all land in kingdom were divided, there would not be an acre for each inhabitant.

2. Name the commodities taxed in Monaco.

Ans: They were tobacco, wine and spirits.

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

Ans: Gaming house or the profit from the gaming house wear the source of special revenue. The King, the gamekeeper, the officials and his people were the beneficiaries.

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

Ans: The gaming houses caused more harm. Monaco was benefited as it was the only place in Europe that allowed this game.

5. What was the punishment given to the murderer?

Ans: Death sentence / Capital Punishment / Execution

6. The death sentence was converted into life imprisonment because

Ans: (b) Carrying out death sentence was expensive.

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

Ans: 600 francs a year.

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

Ans: That he would be paid his annual pension regularly. By paying one-third of his annuity as advance his demand was fulfilled.

Comprehension II

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

‘You can’t earn stone palaces by honest labour’. In what context is this statement made?

Ans: This is from the story “Too Dear” written by Count Leo Tolstoy who is a master of realistic fiction and widely considered one of the world’s greatest novelists. This story is a parody of one of the modern systems of governance. The king of Monaco ruled a tiny kingdom with a small population of about seven thousand. In that kingdom he was a real kinglet. He had a palace, courtiers, ministers, a bishop, generals and an army to take care of. However, he had very limited sources of income: a tax on tobacco, wine, spirits and a poll-tax. These sources were insufficient. So, he found a new source of special income; a gaming house where people played roulette. This was the only place in the whole of Europe where people would come to play. Whether they would win or lose, the Prince gained by it. It is like, ‘You can’t earn stone palaces by honest labour’. This statement is true with reference to the context the king of Monaco lived in. He knew it very well that gambling is a dirty business. He also understood that by levying taxes on drink and tobacco for revenue was not a good idea. But, he had to resort to it for the survival and sustenance of his kingdom.

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

Ans: This is from the story “Too Dear” written by Count Leo Tolstoy who is a master of realistic fiction and widely considered one of the world’s greatest novelists. This story is a parody of one of the modern systems of governance. When the criminal was sentenced to death, there was only one hitch in the matter; they had neither a guillotine nor an executioner. The ministers then sought the French Government for assistance. They said that they could arrange for the same with a cost of 16000 francs. Finding the cost more expensive, the Council decided to write a letter to the King of Italy. Though the cost quoted stood at 12000 francs, it still seemed too much. Even the suggestion of asking one of their soldiers to execute the criminal did not yield results. Later, it was decided to alter the death sentence to one of imprisonment for life. The Prince agreed to this. But exactly after a year when he looked over the account, he noticed a new item of expenditure for the keep of the criminal. It came to more than 600 francs a year. So, they dismissed the guard so that the criminal might run away. But this did not happen as he remained inside. When brought before the Prince to explain why he did not run away, he complained that they had spoilt his character by their sentence. Finally, a Council was called and it considered offering him a pension of 600 francs to get rid of him. Thus the matter was settled. This is how the King of Monaco kept changing his mind dealing with the criminal.

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

Ans: The criminal was reluctant to go out of the prison because he had nowhere to go. He complained that by their death sentence, they had ruined his character. He was afraid that people would turn their backs on him. Besides, he had lost touch with the way of working. He said he had been treated badly which was not fair. After he was sentenced, he should have been executed. Instead, they changed it to life imprisonment, put a guard on him and then took him away again. He had to fetch his own food. Though he agreed to all these changes without complaining, he was not willing to go away from prison as he thought he would be rejected by society as a normal citizen. He would not earn any respect. So, he declined to go out of the prison.

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

Ans: After the criminal was released, he received one-third of his annuity in advance, and left the King’s territories. He emigrated and settled just across the border where he bought a bit of land, started market-gardening and lived comfortably. He always went at the proper time to draw his pension. After collecting, he would go to the gaming tables and stake two or three francs. Sometimes he would win and at times, he would lose and return home. Thus, he lived happily.

Comprehension III

1. Though the trial and imprisonment of the criminal is depicted in a comic mode in this story, it does give rise to serious questions. What are they?

Ans: This is from the story “Too Dear” written by Count Leo Tolstoy who is a master of realistic fiction and widely considered one of the world’s greatest novelists. This story is a parody of one of the modern systems of governance. Though the writer presents the trial and punishment of the criminal in a comic manner, he raises very serious questions. The very method of trial is attacked: how can the jury ignore the practical aspect of judgement while awarding death sentence to the criminal when it does not have the required machinery and man power? Both the crime and punishment are interlinked here to mock at society and its legal and administrative system. For example, in the story crime takes place because of gambling. Ironically, the tiny kingdom does not support crime, but allows gambling. This is very true even with modern governments and with their law and administration. In this context, how can a criminal who is sentenced to life imprisonment reform or face society again because of lapses in legal system? Finally, when the story ends, the criminal after his release, leads a happy life and often visits the gaming house. Isn’t there a possibility of the freed man turning criminal owing to gaming again?

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

Ans: The Prince of Monaco could have dealt with crime and the criminal in other ways also. First of all, when he found out that gaming houses were forbidden in the entire Europe, he could very well have banned one in Monaco too. It was his risk with the monopoly over the game. Then, when the crime took place in his domains, the criminal was sentenced to death. Here, at this point, he could have used his wisdom and come up with a practical solution to deal with the punishment. Life imprisonment would have been a much better option giving an opportunity for the criminal to reform in the process. Instead of releasing him with an assured pension, the King could have employed him suitably.