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Directions (Q. 11–15): Read the passage and answer the questions given below it. Certain words/ phrases in the passage are printed in bold to help you locate them while answering some of the questions.
Long ago, a Brahmin, called Haridatta, lived in a little village. He was a farmer, but the piece of land he cultivated provided him with so little to survive on that he was very poor.
One day, unable to stand the heat of the summer sun, he went to rest for a while under a big tree on his land. Before he could stretch out on the ground, he saw a huge black cobra slithering out of an ant hill nearby. The snake then spread his head and swayed gracefully from side to side. Haridatta was astonished to see this and he thought, “This cobra must really be the god of this land. I have never seen or worshipped him before, which is probably why I am not able to get anything from the land. From this day onwards, I will worship him”.
He hurried back to his home at once and returned with a glass full of milk. He poured it into a bowl and turning to the ant hill said, “O ruler of the land, I did not know you were living in this ant hill. That is why I have not paid my tribute to you. Please accept my apologies for this omission and accept this humble offering”. He then placed the bowl of milk at the entrance of the ant hill and left the place.
The next day when the Brahmin arrived to work on his land before the sun rose, he found a gold coin in the bowl he had left at the ant hill. He was very happy indeed, and from that day on, he made it a practice to offer the cobra milk in a bowl each day. The next morning, he would collect a gold coin and leave.
One day Haridatta had to go to a neighbouring village on business. He asked his son to go to the ant hill as usual and leave a bowl of milk for the cobra. The son did as he was told, but when he went to the same spot the next day and collected the gold coin he thought, “This ant hill must be full of gold. If I kill the cobra, I can collect all the gold in an instant, instead of having to waste my time coming here every day. He then struck the cobra with a big stick. The cobra deftly dodged the blow but bit Haridatta’s son with his poisonous fangs. The boy soon died. When Haridatta returned to his village the next day, he heard how his son had met his death. He realised at once that his son’s greed would probably have caused him to attack the cobra.
The Brahmin went to the ant hill the day after his son’s cremation and offered milk to the cobra as usual. This time, the cobra did not even come out of his hole. Instead, it called out to Hariddatta, “You have come here for gold, forgetting that you have just lost a precious son and that you are in mourning. The reason for this is pure greed. From today, there is no meaning to our relationship. I am going to give you a diamond as a final gift. But please don’t ever come back again”. He slithered away as the Brahmin watched.
Long ago, a Brahmin, called Haridatta, lived in a little village. He was a farmer, but the piece of land he cultivated provided him with so little to survive on that he was very poor.
One day, unable to stand the heat of the summer sun, he went to rest for a while under a big tree on his land. Before he could stretch out on the ground, he saw a huge black cobra slithering out of an ant hill nearby. The snake then spread his head and swayed gracefully from side to side. Haridatta was astonished to see this and he thought, “This cobra must really be the god of this land. I have never seen or worshipped him before, which is probably why I am not able to get anything from the land. From this day onwards, I will worship him”.
He hurried back to his home at once and returned with a glass full of milk. He poured it into a bowl and turning to the ant hill said, “O ruler of the land, I did not know you were living in this ant hill. That is why I have not paid my tribute to you. Please accept my apologies for this omission and accept this humble offering”. He then placed the bowl of milk at the entrance of the ant hill and left the place.
The next day when the Brahmin arrived to work on his land before the sun rose, he found a gold coin in the bowl he had left at the ant hill. He was very happy indeed, and from that day on, he made it a practice to offer the cobra milk in a bowl each day. The next morning, he would collect a gold coin and leave.
One day Haridatta had to go to a neighbouring village on business. He asked his son to go to the ant hill as usual and leave a bowl of milk for the cobra. The son did as he was told, but when he went to the same spot the next day and collected the gold coin he thought, “This ant hill must be full of gold. If I kill the cobra, I can collect all the gold in an instant, instead of having to waste my time coming here every day. He then struck the cobra with a big stick. The cobra deftly dodged the blow but bit Haridatta’s son with his poisonous fangs. The boy soon died. When Haridatta returned to his village the next day, he heard how his son had met his death. He realised at once that his son’s greed would probably have caused him to attack the cobra.
The Brahmin went to the ant hill the day after his son’s cremation and offered milk to the cobra as usual. This time, the cobra did not even come out of his hole. Instead, it called out to Hariddatta, “You have come here for gold, forgetting that you have just lost a precious son and that you are in mourning. The reason for this is pure greed. From today, there is no meaning to our relationship. I am going to give you a diamond as a final gift. But please don’t ever come back again”. He slithered away as the Brahmin watched.
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