Hi Everyone!! This article will share The Honey-gatherers Of Sundarbans Questions & Answers.
In my previous posts, I have shared the questions and answers of The Rats’ Feast, Vocation and The Four Puppets so, you can check these posts as well.
The Honey-gatherers Of Sundarbans Questions & Answers
Question 1: How did the Mowalis prepare for their long honey-gathering expedition?
Answer: In April, even though it is very hot in the Sundarbans, there is feverish activity as the Mowalis prepare for their honey-gathering expedition. Men are busy repairing and organizing their boats, taking the kitchen appliances and arranging the ration of rice, lentils, oils, spices, salt and drinking water for their two-month long expedition inside the jungles of Ganga Delta.
Question 2: ‘Luck had always smiled on him.’ How had Gaffar been lucky?
Answer: Gaffar had been lucky because every year he came back with the largest haul of honey. Further, not a single member of his team had lost his life in such expeditions.
Question 3: What did Gaffar do on reaching the forest and why?
Answer: On reaching the forest, Gaffar sprinkled little honey mixed with water around the trees to lure giant bees. As they appeared, Gaffar followed their trail till he heard the overwhelming hum of bees at a distance.
Question 4: How big was the beehive? How did Ghalib get rid of the bees?
Answer: The beehive was huge, almost two metres long. It hung like huge dark mass full of honey that would be nothing less than 30 kilos. Ghalib got rid of the bees by lighting a smoke torch made of dried golpatta leaves. He wrapped his head in a towel to avoid bee-stings and climbed the tree carrying the torch. The bees were blinded and driven away.
Question 5: Where was the huge honeycomb stored? What did the men do to it in the boat?
Answer: The huge honeycomb was stored in the dhama, which is a container to store the honey. In the boat, the honeycomb was squeezed to extract the glutinous honey in an earthen pot.
Question 6: Who was attacked by a tiger? Why could the person not be saved?
Answer: Ghalib was attacked by a tiger. He could not be saved because the tiger attacked so unexpectedly and with such strength and ferocity.
Question 7: Read the lines and answer the questions:
1. ‘I can’t do that,’ retorted Ghalib.
(a) Who is Ghalib? Who is he speaking to?
Answer: Ghalib is a honey gatherer of the Mowali community of the Sundarbans. He is Gaffar’s cousin. He is speaking to Gaffar.
(b) What does Ghalib feel he can’t do? Why does he feel that way?
Answer: Ghalib feels he cannot slice off the whole comb with the honey because the bees will then not be able to rebuild their colony. He also feels it would displease the goddess Bonbibi.
(c) Does the listener agree with him?
Answer: Gaffar does not agree with Ghalib and he is very angry at the suggestion.
2. ‘Why should we leave something for her? We took the risks. We did the hard work.’
(a) Who says these words and to whom?
Answer: Gaffar says these words to his cousin and team member Ghalib.
(b) Who is the ‘her’ referred to here?
Answer: ‘Her’ refers to Bonbibi, the goddess of the forest.
(c) What does the listener want to do?
Answer: Ghalib feels that Bonbibi should be thanked as she controls the forest. She kept them safe from the tiger and therefore, they should pay their respects.
So, these were the Questions & Answers.