Chapter 6 The Fight Important Questions Class 8 It So Happened English
Short Answer Type Questions
Question 1. What did Ranji wish to do when he saw his adversary in the bazar?
Answer
When Ranji saw his adversary in bazaar at first, he wanted to turn away and look somewhere else, and the second was to throw the lemonade bottle at his enemy.
Question 2. Why did the pool not dry even in the extreme summer?
Answer
The pool didn’t dry up like the pools in the plains because the rocks held the water in it.
Question 3. How did Ranji and Suraj become friends?
Answer
Suraj put his arm lovingly around Ranji and said, “we are friends now, yes?” They looked at each other with honest, unflinching eyes, and in that moment, love and understanding were born. “We are friends”, said Ranji.
Question 4. Ranji knew that he would lose the fight yet did not surrender. Why?
Answer
Ranji was feeling weak and lazy as his body was stiff. He knew that he would be beaten in another fight. He thought that he must defy his enemy or outwit him to gain his respect.
Question 5. What did Ranji do when he returned home after the duel with Suraj?
Answer
Ranji gave a tough fight to Suraj and received bruises. He tried to hide it from his mother who scolded him. She asked him to stay indoors but he slipped into the market and ate jalebis.
Question 6. What did Ranji tell about the surrounding of the area?
Answer
Ranji came to a semi-hill station where the weather was hot. The earth was parched, the grass was brown, the trees were listless no wind, and narrow stream due to lack of rains.
Question 7. For how long did Ranji stay in Rajpur?
Answer
Ranji had been for less than a month in Rajpur when he discovered the pool in the forest.
Question 8. How did Ranji react to the challenge of Suraj?
Answer
Ranji disliked the way Suraj behaved with him. He was aware of his lean body and could assess the strength of the opponent. Yet he accepted the challenge because he did not want to give up the fun he could experience while swimming.
Question 9. How did they become friendly?
Answer
Suraj was fascinated by the tricks of Ranji, he decided to learn it from him. He surrendered the anguish and dominance over the pool. He offered to train Ranji to become a pahalwan.
Question 10. Who was the other boy and what did he do to Ranji?
Answer
When Ranji was relaxing after an hour of swimming, he observed that a tall and healthy boy was staring at him. He then scolded him for using the pool as he claimed that he owned the pool.
Question 11. Why could not Suraj make a perfect dive?
Answer
Ranji told Suraj told the basics of diving. Suraj stood up stiff and straight, stretched out his arms and threw himself into the water. He landed flat on his belly. With a crash that sent the birds screaming out of the trees.
Question 12. Where did Ranji go for his holidays? What happened there?
Answer
Ranji had gone to Rajpur, a semi hill station. He discovered a pool in the forest.
Question 13. Why did the other boy want Ranji to leave?
Answer
The other boy wanted Ranji to leave because he called that pool as his own.
Question 14. How has Rajpur’s summer been described in the lesson ‘The Fight’?
Answer
The earth was parched, the grass brown, the trees listless, hardly stirring, waiting for a cool wind or a refreshing shower of rain.
Question 15. Although Ranji was not ready to fight the next day. Why did he go to the pool?
Answer
Although Ranji was not ready to fight the next day, he went to the pool because he could not refuse the challenge and not to turn up would have meant an acknowledgement of defeat.
Question 16. How was the pool in Rajpur different from that of Rajputana?
Answer
The pool in Rajpur was cool with clear water which did not dry but the pool in Rajputana was sticky and muddy where buffaloes wallowed and women washed clothes.
Question 17. What did Ranji and the other boy claimed themselves to be?
Answer
The other boy called himself a warrior and Ranji called himself a fighter.
Question 18. What did Ranji and the other boy teach each other?
Answer
Ranji promised to teach the warrior how to dive and swim and warrior promised to teach Ranji how to become Pehalwan.
Long Answer Type Questions
Question 1. In the fight between Ranji and Suraj, who was the winner?
Answer
Ranji was physically no match for Suraj, the tall wrestler. Yet they fought over the right to use the pool. Ranji suffered cuts and bruises all over his body, but he refused to surrender or accept defeat. In the first round the fight ended in a draw. Next day they faced each other across the pool for a second round of fight. But Ranji this time proved himself a better swimmer than his adversary. They fought together to learn something worthwhile. They suspended the fight after a while and became good friends. Hence neither was the winner.
Question 2. What according to you, makes the two adversaries turn into good friends in a matter of minutes? Explain it as you have understood it.
Answer
It was combination of many factors. The first was realization on warrior’s part that Ranji was more than a match for him in terms of physical strength and mental strength. The next was Ranji’s show of superior swimming and diving skills. And the final factor is Ranji’s willingness to befriend people and his willingness to share things.
Question 3. Who was the better swimmer? How do you know it?
Answer
Ranji was the better swimmer. When the other boy made fun of him by saying that he would not be able to swim across the pool, Ranji dived straight into the water and surfaced at the other end in a flash. The boy was amazed at how well Ranji had dived and later, at how he had swim underwater. He said that, he did not know how to dive or swim underwater, and asked Ranji to teach him both.
Question 4. “Then we will have to continue the fight,” said the other.
(i) What made him say that?
(ii) Did the fight continue? If not, why not?
Answer
(i) Suraj spoke the above words because he was tired but he did not want to spare Ranji who refused to accept defeat. So he deferred the fight for the next day.
(ii) no, the fight didn’t continue the next day. Both Suraj and Ranji needed each other’s help, so they compromised. Suraj asked Ranji to teach him to dive and swim underwater. While Ranji agreed to become a wrestler with the help of Suraj.
Question 5. ‘Hobby is an integral part of everybody’s life’. Comment.
Answer
Hobby is an essential activity that caters to the need of a person. A hobby can enhance our well – being and can give more meaning to one’s life. All work and no play make Jack a dull boy. So every person should have a hobby to keep himself active physically as well as mentally. Ranji was superior to the boy because he had pursued his hobby of swimming. He could have spent his day roaming here and there doing nothing. He rather preferred to explore the forest. He spent his off time swimming. Suraj, however, had muscular strength, yet he felt little before Ranji and befriended him.
Question 6. Where was the second fight occurred. What was its result?
Answer
The second fight occurred across waters of the pool. But the two adversaries couldn’t fight for long there. Soon, they became friends because both were tired and needed each other’s help. Ranji promised to teach Suraj the art of swimming and Suraj offered to make Ranji a good wrestler.
Question 7. Ranji sees his adversary in the bazaar.
(i) What does he wish to do?
(ii) What does he actually do, and why?
Answer
(i) At first Ranji felt like turning away and look the other way. His second thought was to hit his enemy with the lemonade bottle.
(ii) He actually stands his ground and only scowls at Suraj.
Question 8. How were the pools in the desert? Where he lived? Did he like it?
Answer
Ranji lived with his parents in a thirsty town in the middle of the Rajputana desert. There he had known only sticky, muddy pools, where buffaloes wallowed and woman washed clothes. He had never seen a pool like this so clean and inviting. Of course, he admired it by leaping into the water as he did not hesitate to get into it.
Question 9. ‘Children are the best gift of the nature’. Do you agree to the statement? Give reason in support of your answer.
Answer
Nature has been kind and considerate in many ways. Children are the most adorable gift that showered upon mankind. They learn behaviour from elders and teach them a lot. The two children in the story wanted to show their dominance but became good friends on the very second day. They built faith and trust among themselves. They don’t hide their genuine feelings from each other.
Question 10. Narrate the episode of the fight between Ranji and Suraj in the forest in about 100-125 words.
Answer
Ranji was a thin built boy, fond of swimming. Once he discovered a pool in the forest. It was a hot summer day. He got into the pool. Soon a boy, taller and stronger than him, arrived there. He said that it was his pool and he would swim alone. He tried to frighten Ranji. He called himself a warrior. Ranji stood his ground and proclaimed himself a fighter. The two fought over the right to the pool. Both were tired and exhausted in the very fist fight. In the second fight, they faced each other across the pool. They challenged each other. Ranji was decidedly a better swimmer than Suraj. He could dive and swim under water. He established his superiority over his adversary. Now the two agreed to help each other rather than fight. Ranji promised to teach Suraj the art of swimming. Suraj offered to make Ranji a wrestler. They became friends.