The Gentlemen of the Jungle Questions and Answers

 

Comprehension I

1. What favour did the elephant ask the man on a rainy day?

Ans: The elephant asked the man if he could keep his trunk inside the man’s hut.

2. According to the man his hut had room only for him.

Ans: False

3. How did the elephant sneak into the man’s hut?

Ans: The elephant first put his trunk inside the hut, then slowly pushed his head            inside and finally flung the man out.

4. According to the elephant, the man can afford to remain in the rain because

Ans: a. the skin of the man is harder than any other animal.

5. How did the lion decide to solve the problem?

Ans: The lion commanded his ministers to appoint a Commission of Enquiry to go thoroughly into the matter and report accordingly.

6. What kind of judgement did the man expect?

Ans: A fair judgement / justice / that his hut would be returned to him.

7. Why was the man unhappy with the members of the Commission of                     Enquiry?                  

Ans: There was no member from his side in the commission / there was no           representation from man’s side / no one was included from man’s side.

8. According to the elephant, the man had invited him into the hut

Ans: c. to save the hut from the hurricane.

9. In whose favour was the judgement given?

Ans: In favour of the elephant.

 

10. Why did the man accept the suggestion of building a new hut?

Ans: The man feared that his refusal might expose him to the teeth and claws of the      members of the commission.             

11. How did the man ‘buy’ peace finally?

Ans: The man set the hut on fire and burnt it to the ground. Thus, he bought peace        finally.                       

II. Main

1. Why was the Commission of Enquiry appointed by the king of the jungle?

Ans: A series of events led to the appointment of the Commission of Enquiry. This is from “The Gentlemen of the Jungle”, a fable written by Jomo Kenyatta who was an African political leader and the first president of Kenya. Once, an elephant made a friendship with a man. One day, due to a heavy thunderstorm, the elephant went to his friend for shelter. The kind man offered to let the elephant put his trunk inside his hut as he had room only for him and the trunk of the elephant. But, the cunning elephant pushed his head inside and flung the man out. The man started to grumble and started to argue with his friend. Disturbed, the lion came roaring and sought to know why there was disturbance. The elephant replied that he had only been discussing with friend the possession of the little hut. The lion wanted to have ‘peace and tranquillity’ in his kingdom. So, he commanded his ministers to appoint a Commission of Enquiry and report accordingly.

 

 2. Why do you think the animals decide not to have anyone from the man’s side on the Commission of Enquiry? Explain.

Ans: The man was pleased as the King of the Jungle commanded his ministers to appoint a Commission of Enquiry. The following elders were appointed to sit in the Commission: Mr. Rhinoceros; Mr. Buffalo; Mr. Alligator; The Rt. Hon. Mr. Fox as chairman and Mr. Leopard as Secretary to the Commission. But there was no one from the man’s side. When he protested, he was told that there was no one from his side who was well-educated to understand the intricacy of the jungle law. He was further assured that there was nothing to fear since the members of the Commission were chosen by God and they were endowed with teeth and claws. So, they would investigate the matter with greatest care.

 

3. How did the elephant justify its act of occupying the hut?

Ans: The Commission sat to take the evidence.  Mr. Elephant justified his act of occupying the hut by saying that he had always regarded it as his duty to protect the interests of his friends and that had caused the misunderstanding. He said that his friend had invited him to save his hut from being blown away by a hurricane. Since the hurricane had gained access as a result of the unoccupied space in the hut, the elephant considered it necessary, to turn the undeveloped space to a more economic use by sitting in it. He felt that it was his duty to do so in such circumstances.

 4. Do you think the verdict by the Commission of Enquiry was on the expected lines? Why?

Ans: No. The verdict was not on the expected lines because the man had expected a fair judgement. But it went in favour of the elephant. Ironically enough, when the elephant gave its evidence, the elders of the jungle supported what Mr. Elephant had said. Then, the man began to give his account. The commission cut him short and asked him if the undeveloped space in his hut was occupied by anyone else before Mr. Elephant assumed his position. The man was bewildered. Finally, the commission gave its verdict. They concluded that the dispute had arisen through a misunderstanding due to the backwardness of man’s ideas. They defended Mr. Elephant’s actions saying that he had fulfilled his sacred duty of protecting man’s interests. They considered that the space should have been put to its most economic use. As man had not yet reached the stage of expansion, they arranged a compromise to suit both parties. Accordingly, Mr. Elephant would continue to occupy his hut whereas the man was advised to look for a site to build another hut. It was very evident that the members of the commission were biased. Accordingly, the judgement was in favour of the animals.

 5. What fate awaited the man each time he built a new house?

Ans: The Commission while handing the man its verdict declared that they had considered a compromise to suit both the parties. Accordingly, the man had to look for a site to build another hut. The man did as suggested, for he feared the teeth and claws of the Commission. But, the same fate was awaited. A new hut was built; Mr. Rhinoceros occupied, a Royal Commission was appointed only to give the same finding. This procedure went on till all were accommodated with new huts. The man by now had decided to adopt an effective method. When the huts already occupied by the jungle lords were beginning to decay, he built a bigger and better hut. As soon as the animals saw it, one by one came and occupied the space they found. They soon started to fight over their rights of penetration.

 III Main

1. Do you agree with the action of the man at the end? Why?

Ans: Yes. What man does at the end is justified. This is from “The Gentlemen of the Jungle”, a fable written by Jomo Kenyatta who was an African political leader and the first president of Kenya. This story shows how Kikuyu people of Kenya look at European laws and commissions. It narrates the story of late nineteenth century Africa that was divided by the European powers among themselves. 

This story begins in a context where an ‘act of kindness misunderstood as weakness’. The man was kind enough to offer the elephant shelter from torrential rain but the shrewd elephant flung the man out of the hut. This led to the disturbance and the man appealed for justice. The Lion appointed a Commission of Enquiry which comprised members from the animals whereas there was no representation from man’s side. He was told that no one was well educated from his side to understand the intricacy of the jungle law. The Commission heard evidence from both the parties and finally passed its judgement.

They defended Mr. Elephant’s actions saying that he had fulfilled his sacred duty of protecting man’s interests. They alleged that the space should have been put to its most economic use. As man had not yet reached the stage of expansion, they arranged a compromise to suit both parties. Accordingly, Mr. Elephant would continue to occupy his hut whereas the man was advised to look for a site to build another hut. It was very evident that the members of the commission were biased. Accordingly, the judgement was in favour of the elephant.

The man did as suggested, for he feared the teeth and claws of the Commission. But, the same fate awaited. A new hut was built; Mr. Rhinoceros occupied, a Royal Commission was appointed only to give the same finding. This procedure went on till all were accommodated with new huts. The man by now had decided to adopt an effective method. When the huts already occupied by the jungle lords were beginning to decay, he built a bigger and better hut. As soon as the animals saw it, one by one came and occupied the space they found. They soon started to fight over their rights of penetration. The man found the perfect opportunity and set the hut on fire and burnt it to the ground while the animals were all inside. He was finally relieved to say, ‘Peace is costly, but it’s worth the expense.” Thus, the man’s act at the end proves that people cannot be tested of their patience for long. There comes a time to assert one’s rights to put an end to the political hegemony.