Summary of Palanquin Bearers

There is a custom of carrying a bride in a palanquin by the

palanquin bearers and the poem ‘The Palanquin Bearers’ is so

finely woven around this custom, which expresses the joy and

pride of the palanquin bearers in carrying the newlywed

princess to her in-law’s house and while walking they are

singing along happily.

According to the palanquin bearers, the bride is so light that it

feels like the princess is swaying, like a flower sways in the

wind. She is sitting in the palanquin and is hearing their song.

They consider the royal princess as a privilege instead of a

burden to them since she is sitting and thinking about her

future after marriage. Like a flower in the wind, the bride is

moving from side to side.

They say that ‘she is like the bird that skims on the foam of a

stream’ which means that a bird passes a stream skipping

through the foam of the stream and the bride resembles of that

bird because she is so delicate to carry. She carries a mixed

feeling as she is leaving her parents behind and moving onto a

new phase of her life. She is happy and contented to live and

start a new inning with her beloved.

They are carrying her like a pearl on a string since she is

precious and delicate like a jewel. In the dew of their song, the
princess is hanging like a star. Like a ray of light is seen on the

top of a tide, she appears to be jumping just like that. A tear

roll down the eyes of a bride, in the same way, she falls. The

bearers are carrying the princess as if she is dew or a teardrop.

They are delighted to carry the bride and could not feel her

weight because she is very tender.

Summary

The palanquin bearers are carrying a royal bride in a palanquin. They

are singing a song while moving. There song is related to the situation
of the bride. They say that they are bearing the bride lightly. The bride
is swaying like a flower in the wind. She is gliding like a bird on the
froth of a stream. She is floating quietly like a laugh from the lips of
dream. They are singing and carrying her happily. They are carrying
her like a pearl on a string. They are moving gently and cheerfully. She
is hanging like a star in the dew of their song. She rises like a ray of
light seen on the top of a tide. She falls like a tear from the eyes of
bride.

Analysis

In ancient days the royal brides in India were carried in ornate

palanquins. The men who carried them were called palanquin bearers.
The palanquin bearers considered it a privilege to carry the bride.

Palanquin Bearers is a musical poem. The vivid description of the

journey makes us experience the soft and gentle swaying movements
of the palanquin.

The palanquin bearers carry the palanquin gently. The swaying

movements of the palanquin are compared to a flower moving in the
wind. The palanquin bearers carry the bride so softly and delicately as
if she were something very delicate, soft, and precious. They carry her
like a pearl on a string.

The bearers do not feel the burden and move with quick steps like the
birds that skim across the river without touching the water. The
palanquin bearers are aware of the presence of the beautiful bride
they are carrying in the palanquin.

The poet uses two images deliberately to convey the contradictory

feeling of joy and sadness. In the first stanza the poet says that ‘she
floats like a laugh’. This conveys the joy of anticipation as she is going
to her husband’s house. Her heart is full of excitement as the
palanquin moves towards the house of her soul mate. In the second
stanza the poet compares the bride to a tear falling from the eyes of a
bride to lend a touch of sadness to the description. This aptly
describes the state of bride’s mind as she is sad at separation from her
parents and family.

The poet has used variety of literary devices. The poem is full of
descriptive similes. She is compared to objects known for their beauty,
delicacy, worth and brightness. The variety of similes used lend
modesty and beauty to the sweet occasion when the brides being
carried to her husband’s house. The poet used repetition to give
musicality and sweetness to the poem. The rhythm of the poem is
even but swift. The close rhyme scheme adds to the lyricism.
Alliteration, pictorial quality, and imagery are some of the other
devices used in the poems to create a mesmerizing effect on the
reader.

In the poem "The Palanquin Bearers" the poet Sarojini Naidu

talks about the feelings of the bearers who have to bear the
'noble burden' until the destination is reached. The palanquin
bearers when feel exhausted and tired, they start to sing and
shout in unison and change the position of the palanquin. Along
with their songs and the movement of the palanquin, the lady
sitting inside the palanquin too moves lightly and delicately.
2.) Where do palanquin bearers carry the bride?

The palanquin bearers carry the newl-wed bride in a palanquin.

They sing as they carry the bride to her in laws' house. They tell us
that the bride is very light to carry.

3.) How does the poet describe the bride?

Answer: The poet draws a very vivid description of the bride. She

states that the bride is “like a flower”, “a bird” and “a laugh”.

4.) What is a Palanquin?

noun. (formerly in India and other Eastern countries) a passenger

conveyance, usually for one person, consisting of a covered or boxlike
litter carried by means of poles resting on the shoulders of several
men.

5.) How do the palanquin bearers carry the bride? What is so

special about them?

Answer: The Palanquin bearers carry the bride very gently and

they move very softly. They sing a song as they go along the
theme of the song is about the marriage of the bride. They sing
that they are bearing the bride lightly and softly. The bride is
moving from side to side like a flower in the wind. She glides
like a bird on the froth of a stream. She is floating like a laugh
from the lips of a dream. They carry her like a pearl on a string
like she is precious and delicate. The bride is hanging like a
star in the dew of their song. She appears to be jumping like a
ray of light seen on the top of a tide. She falls like a tear from
the eye of a bride.

a) Why do the Palanquin Bearers carry the bride "lightly"?

Answer: a) The Palanquin Bearers carry the bride "lightly" because she is very precious and
also it is the most auspicious occasion for her. So they handle here like a very precious jewel.

b) How does the poet describe the bride?

b) The poet draws a very vivid description of the bride. She states that the bride is "like a
flower" "a bird" and "a laugh". By using such similes the poet's intention is to get across that
the bride is very fragile but precious and needs to be handled with care.

c) Explain the comparison "She sways like a flower".

c) The bride is like a very delicate and fragile and beautiful like a flower, which moves or
sways in the air. Thus the comparison

a) Why do the Palanquin Bearers carry the bride singing? What is this song
about?
a) The Palanquin Bearers carry the bride singing because it is auspicious and
joyous occasion. The bride is going to her husband's house with many
expectations. The song is all about her in which she is described very
gloriously.

b) What is the bride compared to in the above stanza?

b) The bride is compared to a star, a beam, a tear and finally, a pearl on a

sting. In doing so the poet is heightening the effect of the glory being given
to the bride on the momentous occasion in her life.

Refund questions and answers

1.) How does Fritz Karinthy deal with in refund?

The play Refund written by Fritz Karinthy opens with a former

student who visits his school with a peculiar motive. ... He tells that his
school certificate is useless as he has not been able to secure a job
out of it. This unique idea of claiming a refund of fees was given to
him by his classmate, Leader.

2.) Why does Wasserkopf demand for refund?

Fritz Karinthy is a well know short story writer who wrote the one act
play “Refund” in the year 1938. This is the story of a former
student Wasserkopf, who demands that his tuition should
be refunded because he feels his education was worthless. ... He
better can go to the school and get his tuition fees back.

3.) Who is Wasserkopf?

Wasserkopf is the central character of the play 'Refund'.

He is so gullible that he believes people, when they tell him he knows

nothing. It makes his frustrated and angry. Wasserkopf is an
unemployed man, about forty years old. He is turned away from all
places that he goes to, seeking employment.

4.) What is the theme and genre of the play the refund?

The story is about a student who has graduated many years ago but
he decided to pay his school and the principle a visit with an ulterior
motive. The story is quite funny and hilarious when a forty-year-old
man demands a refund of his school fees. While the principle thought
he was foolish to do so.

5.) What refund means?

A refund is a payment from the state or federal government taxing

authority to reimburse an individual for overpaid taxes. Businesses
and merchants also issue refunds to customers in exchange for the
return of purchased goods and when services are unsatisfactory or
unfulfilled

6.) How did the teachers outwit Wasserkopf?

A : The teachers understand that Wasserkopf's objective is to fail in

the re- examination as fie wants a refund. So they decide beforehand
that they should accept whatever answers Wasserkopf may give and
ensure that he passes. The teachers ask very easy questions.

7.) How did the mathematics teacher prove that he was more shrewd
than the former pupil?

Wasserkopt's answer to first question was little out of way. But for his
second question to calculate the refund amount the answer was
correct. On getting right answer he called his claim for refund
genuine and called him Mathematics genius. Thus he prove he was
more shrewd than Wasserkopt.

8.) Why did Wasserkopf come to the school after eighteen years?

... The education he received in the school failed to provide him with

any capability. It had also rendered him worthless. He came to
the school for the refund of his tuition fees.

9.) How many years did Wasserkopf attend the school in all?

It is the story of a former student Wasserkopf. After an interval of

eighteen years, Wasserkopf come back to his school to get back his
tuition fees.

Refund
Fritz Karinthy

Fritz Karinthy is a well know short story writer who wrote the one act play
“Refund” in the year 1938. This is the story of a former student Wasserkopf,
who demands that his tuition should be refunded because he feels his education
was worthless. But he loses his fight when he is tricked by the mathematics
master.  The play “Refund” is full of humour which deals with an
extraordinarily absurd situation.

Wasserkopf is forty years old. He could not get any job and wherever he
goes people tell him that he is fit for nothing. One day he meets Leaderer and
asks him about his business. When Leaderer tells him about foreign exchange
and Hungarian money, he could not able to understand anything and starts
asking questions about foreign exchange. Leaderer says when Wasserkopf does
not know the silly thing then what had he studied? He better can go to the
school and get his tuition fees back. Wasserkopf who is jobless and does not
have any finance, thought this idea as something beneficial. So he went to the
school where he studied once.

Wasserkopf wanted the refund of his tuition fees which were paid
eighteen years ago because he was taught badly. When he asks for it, the
principal is shocked. The principal is in a peculiar situation now and he calls for
an urgent meeting with all other staff members. The masters realized that
Wasserkopf’s real intention was to fail in the exam and claim the refund.
Therefore, they decided to outsmart the old student by proving all his answers
right. The Mathematics Master said that they had to be united and ought to help
each other in implementing their plan. The exam was an oral one as
Wasserkopf’s refusal to write. They decide that whatever answers he gives
whether it is right or wrong they will prove him right.

The first question was from the History Master. The Master asked him
how many years the ‘Thirty Years’ war lasted. The answer was in the question
itself. But Wasserkopf, who was keen on giving wrong answers, said that the
‘Thirty Years war’, lasted seven metres. The History Master did not know how
to prove this answer right. Fortunately for him, the Mathematics master aided
him by proving that the answer was right on the basis of Einstein’s Theory of
Relativity. The Master argued that time and space are relative terms and
therefore years can be represented in terms of meter. The war took place during
half of each day, three hours a day to eat, hours given up to noon day, so totally
seven years.  The actual time spent in fighting was seven years and it has been
by Einstein’s equivalence of seven meters. Wasserkopf called the History
Master a numskull.
 The Physics Master asked Wasserkopf whether clocks in church become
smaller if one walks away from it or is it because of optical illusion.  He called
The Physics master as an ass.  The master says that the answer is correct
because ass does not have any illusion of vision. Therefore, Wasserkopf has
given a metaphorical explanation. Wasserkopf called him a cannibal.

     The Geography Master asks Wasserkopf for the name of a city which has the
same name as the capital of German Providence of Brunswick.  He replied as
‘Same’.  Master said it as the correct answer.  There was a legend that once as
the emperor Barbarossa was riding in the city, he met a young peasant (farmer)
girl, who was munching a bun mouthful.  He called out her God Bless you and
asked her the name of the city, she answered same to you sir for his wishes, and
Emperor mistaken the city name as ‘Same’.
 One by one each teacher justified his wrong answer to be correct one and
they mark him excellent. Though Wasserkopf gives wrong answers and use
abusive words to each teacher, they donot show their anger because they have to
prove him as an excellent student.

At last the mathematics master asks him a difficult question and an easy
question. For the easy question he gives wrong answer and the master gets
angry and says that he has failed in his examination so he should be given his
tuition fees back. The master says that they have decided to give him his tuition
fees back and asks for the exact amount which he has to get. Wasserkopf
without knowing that he is going to fall into their trap gives them the list of
exact amount. The mathematics master says that was his difficult question and
he gave the right answer. Now he is proved excellent in the entire subject and
they throw him out without allowing him to say anything further. It shows the
ability of the teachers to manage the situation and how they tackle Wasserkopf
without spoiling the reputation of their school.

3. THE VILLAGE SCHOOL MASTER. Summary.

Oliver Goldsmith.

Outline

The village school master who ran his little school was a severe
disciplinarian. The students were afraid of him and were sufficiently clever to
assess from his face whether that day would bring any misfortune or not. In
spite of his strictness, the school master was jolly. The children laughed at his
jokes with pretended joy. If they noticed any sign of anger on his face they
would spread the news throughout the classroom.

The school master was, in reality, a kind hearted person. His only fault was
his excessive love for learning. He could write, work out sums, survey land,
forecast the time and tide and measure the content of a vessel. He was a
master at argument, too. He used verbose words when he talked and the
simple village people would gawk at him. They were amazed that such a
small head could hold such an enormous hoard of knowledge.
Summary of the Poem

The village school master ran his little school in a small village. It was
situated next to the irregular fence that fringed the village path with full
blossomed, beautiful but ornamental furze. He was not only a very strict
disciplinarian but also a ferocious person to observe. He was familiar to the
poet and all other truants because they had endured the master’s rage. His
face was a thing of careful scrutiny. The trembling pupils would gaze at his
face to sense his present frame of mind. The day misfortunes were written on
his forehead or in between the eyebrows.

The school master was a contradiction. Although he was stern, he was kind
and good-humored. He had a store of jokes. When he told them, the children
burst out in fake laughter, under the pretext that the jokes were awfully
hilarious. If the children observed a frown on his fore head, they circulated
the gloomy news throughout the classroom in an undertone. But he was in
essence a kind man. If at all he had any fault, it was his intense love for
learning. He wanted his pupils to become genuine scholar and hence, he had
to be demanding with them.

The villagers were unanimous in their opinion that he really was an erudite
man. He without doubt could write and also work out sums in arithmetic. He
could also survey land, forecast weather and tides. Besides, he was able to
measure the content of a vessel .The parson approved of his skill in debate.
Even if defeated, the school master would keep on arguing. He would
become more fervent and would fling booming words at his adversary. The
uncomprehending villagers would be convinced that the school master was
establishing his standpoint very thoroughly. They stood round the two
debaters and witnessed the verbal duel. They were awestruck when they
heard the high-sounding and incomprehensible words used by the school
master. They gawked at him and wondered how his small head could keep
that enormous hoard of knowledge.

Appreciation

This poem is a simple vignette of a village school master. The school was in
a small village at Lissoy, an Irish village where the poet himself had studied.
Mr. Thomas Paddy Byrne was the village school master. This poem has
become one of the classics of literature because of the ring of genuineness.
As the poet himself was a pupil of this school master, he is able to create an
authentic aura to the poem. With a fleeting allusion to the site, the poet starts
to describe the man. The school master’s fluctuating moods, the situation in
the class room and reactions of learner are described in this poem. It is amply
obvious that Goldsmith looked upon the teacher with the mixed feelings of
fear, respect and humour.

The poet gives an amusing sketch of the teacher’s character with a deep
sympathy for him. He analyses of the nature and capability of the school
master. The teacher was a taskmaster who took his students to task if they
played truant. The poet, as a student, was very aware of this facet of the
school master but he valued his stand and came to love and respect him. The
harsh steps taken by the teacher had a soft and virtuous purpose behind them
as he wished to see his pupils turn in to learned people.

The school master’s is recognized as a great scholarly person by the entire

village and even the parson recognizes his skill in debate. The oratory of the
teacher leaves the rustics gazing in admiration. The poem ends on a note of
humour. The teacher is not to be taken as a sheer sardonic sketch. Besides,
his academic affectations, he was remarkably kind and compassionate . The
scowl on his face often masks a heart brimming with love and consideration.
He has smattering of useful information which he puts to good use with the
illiterate and ignorant villagers. Thus he creates a larger than life figure of
himself before them. He has a view on every subject and loves to engage in
debate above all with the village priest. He knows that in the eyes of the
villagers the conclusion of the debate depends more on noise than on
wisdom. Hence he keeps arguing even if he is defeated.

Goldsmith’s portrait of his former school master is a tour de force of

depiction. He manages to make fun of the schoolmaster’s idiosyncrasies
while maintaining reverence and admiration for him. The forte of the poem
lies in the way in which Goldsmith has neither idealized nor trivialized the
school master. On the other hand, the school master brush stroked to make
him more humane.
QUESTION AND ANSWERS FROM THE POEM.

Q (a) Describe the place where the schoolmaster taught his little school.

Ans:The school is situated in a village where there is a abundance of green

bush .Bordered with an irregular fence stands a big building where his village
master taught the little school.

Q (b) Explain straggling fence and unprofitably gay.

Ans:Straggling fence means irregular fence bordering the village school.It

means uselessly bright this beauty served no purpose because there was body
to admire it.

Q (c) Reference to the extract describe the schoolmaster .

Ans:The poet portraits disciplanarian. He was a man of stern appearance and

every indisciplined student knew that they could not take liberties with him.
Inspite of his strict exterior the school master was a hind man and had a love
for knowledge and his pupils.

Q (d) Who laughed? Why did they laugh with counterfeited glee?

Ans:The indisciplined and idle student laughed with counterfeited glee . The
master could tell many joked and even if the students did not feel like
laughing at those jokes yet they pretended to be happy or merry to impress
their teacher.

Q (e) Explain the line “The days disaster in his morning face.”

Ans:Day’s disaster means the misfortunes that were going to occur that day
for the indisciplined students in the school .Morning face means expression
seen on schoolmaster’s face in the morning.

Q (f) How did the people who laugh reacted when he frowned?

Ans: When truants and his other student found that the schoolmaster was not
in the good mood,they would know before hand that day would bring disaster
for them. The schoolmaster would punish them strictly for their little faults.
Q (a)The poet has earlier referred to the schoolmaster as stern and strict.What
reason doer he attribute later for this?

Ans: Schoolmaster was a kind-hearted teacher. He used to act though so that

his students could develop a love for learning and become responsible
citizens.

Q (b) What opinion the villagers have of him?

Ans: The whole of the village was in awe of his knowledge and his ability to
solve problems effortlessly.

Q (c) What different qualities did the schoolmaster has?

Ans: The village schoolmaster could easily measure distance ,area and

volume. He could deliver the accurate meanings of various expressions and
could also predict the seasons and the events of the future .Everyone
acknowledge that he was good at debating because he had the shill to
continue with his arguments when he had lost the debate.

Q (d) Elaborate on his argumentative skills.

Ans:The schoolmaster had a good argumentative skill and could continue

with his arguments even when has lost the debate.The village loved to gather
around him to listen his learned words that were uttered in a high pitched
voice.

The Village Schoolmaster
Oliver Goldsmith

The poem "The Village Schoolmaster" by Oliver Goldsmith is an extract from

his famous poem The Deserted Village. The word "village" in the title clearly
suggests that the poem is set in a rural area, probably where the speaker lived.
The poem portrays a realistic picture and the speaker's sentiments about a
teacher. The Schoolmaster presented in the poem might be the poet’s teacher
Thomas Byrne. The poem is about the characteristics of the Schoolmaster who
is respected by all the villagers due to his knowledge and interest in reading. It
also talks about how things could change in the course of time, a kind of
looking back at past.
 The village school master runs his little school in a small village. The
poem starts with a description of the location of the school. The school is
situated next to an irregular fence which is dilapidated and also leaning over.
The road leading towards the school is lined with flowers, which are not being
admired or appreciated by the people. The school is mentioned as a ‘noisy
mansion’ following the rules of the school master. The village teacher is
equipped to manage a class and teaches his lessons there. He is a very strict
disciplinarian and also a stern person to observe. The speaker says that he and
all other truants know him well because they have undergone the master’s rage.
The students have learnt to sense the mood of the teacher by observing his face.
The day’s trouble is noticed from his forehead.
The school master is a contradiction. Although he is strict, he is kind and
good-humoured. He tells many jokes. Whenever he tells some jokes, the
children laugh with pretended joy.  If they notice any sign of anger on his face
they will spread the news throughout the classroom. But basically the
schoolmaster is a kind man. If at all he has any fault, it is because of his intense
love for learning.
The schoolmaster is admired and respected by the villagers. Everyone in
the village praise him for his great knowledge. He can write, do mathematics,
and predict weather patterns and tides. It is also assumed that he can do accurate
survey and determine borders easily. He can also debate intelligently and have
discussions with the village parson, a person who was greatly respected by his
parishioners. The master uses difficult words and emotional language to
convince and impress the poorly educated village people. The parson also
accepts the master’s skill in debate. Sometimes even after being defeated in
arguments, the schoolmaster continue to speak. The village people wonder how
his small head could contain so much knowledge.
Though the poem presents the pleasant remembrances of the poet about
the schoolmaster, the poem ends in a sad tone. The last two lines tell the present
condition. The great fame of the schoolteacher has become a thing of past. At
present the school where he faced many successes is forgotten.
15. REFUND
FRITZ KARINTHY
INTRODUCTION:-
Refund was written by Fritz Karinthy one of the most famous Hungarian
writers. His works such as You Write Like this, A Trip around My Skull
and Professor, won him a lot of recognition. Refund was adopted by the
American playwright Percival Wilde for a general audience. Refund
brings out the extraordinary sense of parody, word play in karinthy’s
literary art.
EXPLANATION:-
The play is about a good- for- nothing fellow called Wasserkopf who goes
back to the school in which he had studied and demands a refund of the
fees he had paid. He claims that he had learnt nothing at school.
Wasserkopf, a former student of a school, tells the principal that as he
has not learnt anything.  He is entitled to a refund. A re-examination
says, would prove his claim that he had not gained any knowledge.
The principal is taken a back. He describes the matter with the teachers.
All of them are puzzled. The maths teacher says that all the teachers
must ensure that Wasserkopf some has passes in the examination. Even
if Wasserkopf gives wrong answer, he should not be failed. Otherwise
other students too might ask for a refund. All agree to this suggestion.
Thus, while Wasserkoff is determined to fall, the teachers are equally
determined to make him pass.
The teachers understand that Wasserkopf objective is to fail in the re-
examination as he wants a refund. So they decide before hand that they
should accept whatever answers Wasserkopf may give and ensure that he
passes.
The History teacher asks Wasserkopf how long the thirty seven meters.
All the teachers unite to justify their answer. The physics teacher asks a
question about optical illusions. In reply Wasserkopf call the teacher on
------. but this is accepted as the correct answer. The Geography teacher
asks what the capital of Brunswick province is Wasserkopf answer that
the answer is “same”. The teachers claim it is the right answer.
The teacher ask very easy questions. Though Wasserkopf gives ridiculous
answers they justify every answers. The mathematics teacher then asks a
meaningless question and Wasserkopf gives an equally meaningless
answer. The mathematics teacher says that Wasserkopf has failed. She
tells Wasserkopf to calculate the amount of that should be refunded.
Delighted, Wasserkopf makes calculations and reaches the figures of
6,450 crowns. The mathematics teacher then says that his calculation
was actually a question in the test. She says that Wasserkopf is a
mathematical genius. The teacher declares that Wasserkopf has passed
the exam. In this way they succeed in activity Wasserkopf.
CONCLUSION:-

A single exam is used to assess the capabilities of the student. Then too,
fivolus excessively elaborate questions may be asked. The career of the
student hinges on his performance in this exam. The dramalist polices
from at teachers too. Some teachers are not bothered about the welfare
of the students. They may also be under tremendous pressure to make
undeserving students pass as their job and promotion may depend on
the “pass percentage” of students.
Refund - One Act Play: Summary 02

The Refund is an unusual story. A student who was a bad performer in

school comes back to the school as a young man and wants a refund of all the
fees that he paid. He jeers his professors, calling them names and tells them
that they were as much “good for nothings” as he was and since he did not
derive any value from them, it is only rightful that he be paid back all his
tuition. He also threatens the school with legal action if they don’t return his
money. The Principal is livid, but the Maths teacher sizes up the situation
quickly and proposes a solution.

She says that each of the teachers would administer an oral quiz to him and if
he gets even one question right, then he is deemed to have passed all his
exams and so he will not be entitled to any refund, otherwise he can be given
a refund if he fails to answer ALL of the questions correctly. According to
her plan, every professor should ask him two questions – one easy and the
other hard. The young man agrees to this proposition since he is determined
to get his money and so he looks forward to answering every question
incorrectly even if he knows the right answers to some or all of them. So, one
by one, the teachers quiz him – the Biology professor, the English professor,
the Chemistry professor and the Physics professor but he answers all of them
incorrectly and is quite delighted at the progress he is making. The Principal
feels uneasy but the Maths professor assures her that she can handle it.
Finally it is the turn of the Maths professor. She says she is going to ask him
the easy question first.
Her first question is, “If we represent the speed of light by X and the distance
of the star Sirius from the Sun by Y, what is the circumference of a one-
hundred-and-nine-sided regular polyhedron whose surface area coincides
with that of the hip-pocket of a state railway employee, whose wife has been
deceiving him for two years and eleven months with a regimental sergeant
major of hussars”.

The young man is flummoxed with this question but recovers quickly and
says “28 apricots” as the answer. There is tension in the air as the Principal
and other Professors look expectantly in the direction of the Maths Professor,
who coolly says that it is the wrong answer and that the correct answer is 27
apricots. The young man is greatly relieved and looks extremely happy in
flunking this quiz. The Maths teacher turns around to the horrified Principal
and coolly says that the young man is right about asking his fees back and
that the school should refund him.

The Maths teacher turns to the young man and asks him how much the
school owes him. Overjoyed at the prospect of getting some money, the
young man goes over each year and the fees for that year in detail and comes
up with the final amount the school owes him. All along as he is counting
mentally and saying what is due to him, the Maths teacher writes the figures
down on a piece of paper and calculates the total. Finally the teacher
acknowledges to the young man that his mental arithmetic adds up correctly.
The young man says that they can bet on it since he has it all worked out.

That is when the Maths Professor drops the bombshell that her asking him
what the school owed him was her “hard” question and that since he got it
right, he has now passed his course with flying colors and so the school
doesn’t owe him anything now. That is when the young man realizes that he
has been tricked and as he prepares to leave the school in disgust, he is
mocked at by each of the professors in turn. 
Refund

 Question-answer

1) What does Wasserkopf want from the school?

Ans – Wasserkopf wants his tuition fees back from school.

2) Why does Wasserkopf want his money back?

Ans – Wasserkopf believes that he didn’t get his money’s worth and
he didn’t learn anything. so he wants his money back.

3) Why does Wasserkopf want to take another examination?

Ans – Wasserkopf wants to take another examination to prove that he

didn’t learn anything in school.so he gets his money back.

4) What does the Physics teacher say about student losing

knowledge?

Ans – The Physics teacher says about student losing knowledge that
the law of the conservation of energy proves that any given learner
will lose as much knowledge as a teacher can drill into his head after
some period of time.

5) Who is the mastermind behind the plan to outsmart

Wasserkopf? How is the plan implemented?

Ans – The Mathematics Master is the mastermind behind the plan to

outsmart Wasserkopf. The teachers ask an easy questions and agree
beforehand that whatever answers of Wasserkopf are,they all are
correct. By keeping this in mind,the plan is implemented.

6) Why does Wasserkopf want to fail in examination?

Ans – Wasserkopf wants to fail in examination to prove that he didn’t

learn anything in school.so he gets his money back.

7) What do the teachers and the principal do to make sure that Wasserkopf doesn’t fail?

Ans – The teachers don’t ask any difficult questions to make sure he
doesn’t fail. They agree beforehand that whatever Wasserkopf’s
answers are,they are correct.

8) How does the Mathematics Master trap Wasserkopf?

Ans – The mathematics master will ask 1 easy question and 1 hard.
he asks an easy one and accept that Wasserkopf cannot pass the
examination. So he tells him that we want to refund your money,how
much do we owe you,Wasserkopf ? which was hard question.After
calculation he gives correct grand total .Thus he passes unfortunately
and trapped by the Mathematics master.

9) What is the final judgement passed on Wasserkopf by his

principal and teachers?

Ans – Every teacher certifies that he answers correctly to all

questions and Principal declares that Wasserkopf has passed with
distinction in every subject and again shown that he is entitled to the
certificate of graduation.

10) Which questions does Wasserkopf answer incorrectly?

 How long did the Thirty Years’ war last?

 Do clocks in church steeples really become smaller as you walk
away from them or its appear smaller because of an optical
illusion?
 What city of the same name is the capital of the German
province of Brunswick?
 If we present the speed of light by x and distance of star Sirius
from the sun by y,what is the circumference of 109 sided regular
polyhedron….?

11) How does the History teacher prove that the answer given by
Wasserkopf is correct?

Ans – The History teacher says that actual warfare took place only
during half of each day so 30 years become 15. For warriors 3 hours
needed to eat-reducing 15 to 12 hours. we deduct hours for noonday
napping,n0n-warlike activities, and other activities then we have left
only the time which Wasserkopf answers. Thus he proves
that Wasserkopf is correct.
12) Which question does Wasserkopf answer correctly?

Ans – The question which is correctly answer by Wasserkopf is “how

much do we owe you ,Herr Wasserkopf”  asked by the Mathematics
Master.

 Question-answer

1) What does Wasserkopf want from the school?

Ans – Wasserkopf wants his tuition fees back from school.

2) Why does Wasserkopf want his money back?

Ans – Wasserkopf believes that he didn’t get his money’s worth and
he didn’t learn anything. so he wants his money back.

3) Why does Wasserkopf want to take another examination?

Ans – Wasserkopf wants to take another examination to prove that he

didn’t learn anything in school.so he gets his money back.

4) What does the Physics teacher say about student losing

knowledge?

Ans – The Physics teacher says about student losing knowledge that
the law of the conservation of energy proves that any given learner
will lose as much knowledge as a teacher can drill into his head after
some period of time.

5) Who is the mastermind behind the plan to outsmart

Wasserkopf? How is the plan implemented?

Ans – The Mathematics Master is the mastermind behind the plan to

outsmart Wasserkopf. The teachers ask an easy questions and agree
beforehand that whatever answers of Wasserkopf are,they all are
correct. By keeping this in mind,the plan is implemented.
6) Why does Wasserkopf want to fail in examination?

Ans – Wasserkopf wants to fail in examination to prove that he didn’t

learn anything in school.so he gets his money back.

7) What do the teachers and the principal do to make sure that Wasserkopf doesn’t fail?

Ans – The teachers don’t ask any difficult questions to make sure he
doesn’t fail. They agree beforehand that whatever Wasserkopf’s
answers are,they are correct.

8) How does the Mathematics Master trap Wasserkopf?

Ans – The mathematics master will ask 1 easy question and 1 hard.
he asks an easy one and accept that Wasserkopf cannot pass the
examination. So he tells him that we want to refund your money,how
much do we owe you,Wasserkopf ? which was hard question.After
calculation he gives correct grand total .Thus he passes unfortunately
and trapped by the Mathematics master.

9) What is the final judgement passed on Wasserkopf by his

principal and teachers?

Ans – Every teacher certifies that he answers correctly to all

questions and Principal declares that Wasserkopf has passed with
distinction in every subject and again shown that he is entitled to the
certificate of graduation.