Glimpses of India |A Baker from Goa| NCERT Solution |CBQs| Board Exam 2024

Lesson Architecture

Theme

Lesson-At-A-Glance

NCERT Questions

Theme:

• This chapter describes about the bakers of Goa.

• The story presents a picture of Goa and its culture of bread-making existing from the long past.

• The bakers of Goa keep the old traditions of Goa alive till today.

• They played a vital role in marriages and festivals of Goa.

• Through the vivid description of the narrator, we get to know an idyllic childhood and laid back Goan life during the Portuguese reign in Goa.

Story-At-A-Glance

• The love for bread by Goans comes from the influence of the Portuguese, who ruled over Goa for more than four hundred years.

• The author grew up in a Goan village and a baker presence was cherished by the author.

• The children would wake up from sleep on hearing the jingling sound of the baker's bamboo staff, and run to greet him with joy.

• It was the love of children for the bread-bangles that forced children rush to the baker.

• Bread in its many forms, is an essential food item not only for everyday consumption but for all special occasions in Goan life. This makes the baker's presence even more welcoming and thrilling.

• In olden days, the baker wore a peculiar dress that consisted of a single piece long frock reaching down to the knees. It was called the Kabai. During the author's childhood, the bakers wold usually wear a shirt and trousers reaching just below the knees.

• Baking was considered a lucrative occupation in olden day.

Mindmap

                        A Baker From Goa
                        Childhood in Goa)
                              |
           _____________________________________________
          |                                             |
     Recollections                               Portuguese Influence
          |                                             |
    Childhood Memories                         Goa's Baker Tradition
          |                                             |
  - Author's early days                         - Portuguese left Goa
  - Lived in Goa as a child              - Famous Portuguese bread
                                    -Sons continue fathers' profession
                                        
      Sounds of Morning                -Arrival of the baker
                                       -Basket on head, jingling 
                  |                -Thud and jingling wake children
                  |                 - Children run to 
           Baker's Arrival                      - Loaves for elders, bread-bangles for children
                  |                             Author's excitement
      - Basket on head, bamboo jingles     - Fragrance of bread-bangles
      - Children woken up, run to baker       - Eating with hot tea
                  |                       -Humorous mention of not brushing teeth
     Importance of Baker                  -Indispensable in Goan life
                  |                  -Essential for parties, marriages, ceremonies
-Integral part of life                  - Old Portuguese days' dress
-No party & marriage etc. without baker  - Kabai: single-piece frock
                                          - Dress in author's childhood
                                          - Shirt and half pant attire
                                    - Plump physique, well-to-do bakers
                                   - Known for happiness and prosperity

NCERT Solution:

Oral Comprehension Check ( Page 86)

1. What are the elders in Goa nostalgic about?

The elders in Goa are nostalgic about the good old days of the Portugese and their famous loaves of bread.

2. Is bread-making still popular in Goa? How do you know?

Ans: Bread making is still popular in Goa. We get to know about it owing to the presence of mixers, moulders and those who bake the loaves as well as those time-tested furnaces.

3. What is the baker called?

Ans: The baker is called pader.

4. When would the baker come everyday? Why did the children run to meet him?

Ans: The baker would come at least twice everyday. Once when he set out in the morning on his selling round, and then again when he returned after emptying his basket of bread. The children ran to meet him because they wanted to eat the bread-bangles.

Oral Comprehension Check ( Page 87)

(Don't copy Qno. 1 on your English notebook. Just revise from here)

1. Match the following. What is a must

(i) as marriage gifts cakes and bolinhas

(ii) for a party or a feast ? - sweet bread called bol.

(iii) for a daughter's engagement? -bread

(iv) for christmas? - sandwiches

Ans: (i) as marriage gifts : sweet bread called bol.

(ii) for a party or a feast ? - bread

(iii) for a daughter's engagement? -sandwiches

(iv) for christmas? - cakes and bolinhas.

2. What did the bakers wear:

(i) in the Portugese days?

Ans: The baker used to wear 'kabai'- a single peiece long frock reching down to the knees.

(ii) When the author was young?

Ans: When the author was young: a shirt and trousers which were shorter than full-length ones and longer than half pants.

3. Who invites the comment-'he is dressed like a padder'? Why?

Ans: Anyone who wears a half-pant which reaches just below the knees invites the comment that he is dressed like a pader. It was so because during the author's childhood days, bakers would wear trousers which were shorter than full-length ones and longer than half pants.

4. where were the monthly accounts of the baker recorded?

Ans: the monthly accounhts of the baker were recorded on some wall in pencil.

5. What does a 'jackfruit-like appearance' mean?

ans: It means that a person who is plump in appearance.

Thinking about the Text:

(Don't copy these questions on your English Notebook. Just revise from here)

1. Which of these statements are correct?

i) The pader was an important person in the village in old times. (Correct)

ii) Paders still exist in Goan villages (Correct)

(iii) The paders went away with the Portuguese (Incorrect)

(iv) The paders continue to wear a single-piece long frock (Correct)

(v) Bread and cakes were an integral part of Goan life in the old days. (Correct)

(vi) Traditional bread-baking is still a very profitable business ( Incorrect)

(vii) Paders and their families starve in the present times. (Incorrect)

2. Is bread an important part of Goan life? How do you know this?

Ans: Yes, bread is an important part of Goan life. It is so as they are required as marriage gifts, in parties and feasts, at a daughter's engagement, at Christmas and other festivals.

3. Tick the right answer. What is the tone of the author when he says the following?

(Don't copy these questions on your English Notebook. Just revise from here)

i) The thud and the jingle of the traditional baker's bamboo can still be heard in some places. ( nostalgic, hopeful, sad)

(ii) May be the father is not alive, but the son still carries on the family profession. ( nostalgic, hopeful , sad)

(iii) I still recall the typical fragrance of those loaves.. ( nostalgic, hopeful , naughty)

(iv) The tiger never brushed his teeth. Hot tea could wash and clean up everything so nicely, after all. ( naughty , angry , funny)

(v) Cakes and bolinhas are a must for Christmas as well as other festivals. ( Sad, hopeful, matter of fact)

(vi) The baker and his family never starved. They always looked happy and prosperous. ( matter-of-fact, hopeful, sad)

Extra Questions:

1. Who are Paders and how did they herald their arrival?

Ans: The bakers of Goa are known as ‘Paders’. The thud and jingle of the traditional baker’s bamboo are the signal of their arrival in the morning. When the writer was a child, the jingling thud of baker’s bamboo used to wake him up.

2. What role did the baker play in the childhood of the narrator?

Ans: The baker played a very important role in the childhood of the narrator. He used to be a companion, friend and a guide for the narrator. Every day the narrator was woken up by him. He used to get sweet bread and delicious loaves from the baker.

3. How was the arrival of the baker special?

Ans The arrival of the baker was very special. He made his musical entry with the ‘Jhang jhang’ sound of his specially made bamboo stick. One hand supported the basket on his head and the other banged the bamboo on the ground. He wore a peculiar dress called ‘Kabai’. They also wore a shirt and trousers which were shorter than full length and longer than half pants.

4. What justification does the narrator give for not brushing his teeth?

Ans: The narrator as a child did not brush his teeth or wash his face or mouth properly. He did not think it necessary. He justified his action by saying that a tiger never brushed his teeth. Hot tea could wash and clean up everything nicely. So, there was no need for washing mouth or brushing teeth.

5. How did the baker attract the children?

Ans : The jingling thud of bakers’ bamboo used to attract the children. They were fond of sweet bread bangles which were specially made for them. The typical fragrance of the sweet bread and cakes attracted the children and they never missed them.

6. What is the role of bread on the occasion of marriage?

Ans : During the marriage ceremony gifts are exchanged. Marriage gifts are meaningless without the sweet bread known as the ‘bol’. Every mother in the family prepares bread, cake and loaves on the occasion of her daughter’s engagement.

7. What is the role of a baker in a Goan village?

Ans : A baker played a vital role in the lives of people of Goa. No function, festival, nor was any party possible in the absence of a baker. The baker supplied loaves and cakes on these occasions. Some special breads and cakes were also prepared by them for some special occasion.

8. Describe ‘kabai’. What is its importance for a baker.

Ans : ‘Kabai’ is a peculiar dress of a baker. It is a single-piece long frock reaching down to the knees. It is the ‘kabai’ which distinguishes a baker from others.

9. How did the bakers maintain their accounts?

Ans : The bakers used to collect their bills at the end of every month. Monthly accounts were recorded on some wall in pencil.

Recommended Reading

https://www.englishwithadifference.com/post/glimpses-of-india-coorg-class-x-english-ncert-solution

https://www.englishwithadifference.com/post/glimpses-of-india---tea-from-assam--class-x--ncert-solution-english

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