The Beggar Explanation, Line by Line, Meaning of Difficult Words, Class 9 CBSE English Chapter 10 NCERT Moments

The Beggar Explanation, Line by Line, Meaning of Difficult Words, Class 9  CBSE English Chapter 10 NCERT Moments

THE BEGGAR

(Explanation, Meaning of difficult words)

Author – Anton Chekhov

 

Word	Meaning
Have pity	Show mercy
Copeck	Russian coin equal to one hundredth of a rouble
Lodging	Temporary accommodation
I swear it before God	By the name of God I am telling truth

A person came near me. He told me to look at him. He told that he was a poor person and he was hungry. He had not eaten anything since last three days. He wanted to take shelter. He did not have even five copecks required for this purpose.

 

 

Word	Meaning
Intrigue	Secret planning against somebody
Calumny	False statements or  wrong allegations

He told that he was a school teacher for eight years.  But some people were against him. They planned against him. They made some false statements and false allegations against .  So he lost his job. Since last one year he is not able to find another job for him.

 

 

Word	Meaning
Ragged	Wearing torn clothes
Fawn coloured	Of light brown colour
Suppliant	A person who makes an humble request

The person to whom the beggar is speaking is an advocate. His name is Sergei. The advocate looked at the torn clothes of the beggar. The coat of the beggar was of light brown colour. His eyes were dull and he looked drunk. He had a red spot on his each cheek. It appeared to advocate that he had seen the beggar somewhere before also.

 

 

Word	Meaning
Province	State
Mendicant	Beggar
To get there	To reach there
Obliged	Compelled, Forced
Circumstances	Situation

The beggar told Sergei that he had been offered a job. This job is in the state od Kaluga. The beggar further told that he did not have money to reach there. He requested the advocate to help him. He said that he was ashamed of begging. But the situation had forced him to beg.

 

 

Word	Meaning
Overshoes	Bigger shoes worn over normal shoes

Sergei looked at the overshoes of the beggar. One was slightly higher and the other was shorter. He suddenly recollected some previous incident.

 

 

Sergei asked the beggar to pay attention to what he was saying. Sergei told beggar that the day before the previous day, he had met the beggar in Sadovya Street. At that time you told me that you were a student. Your school had expelled you. That day you did not tell me that you were a schoolteacher in a village. Are you able to recollect?

 

 

Word	Meaning
Mumbled	Speak unclearly, Murmured
Taken aback	Surprised

In an unclear voice the beggar denied it. He was surprised because the advocate had recollected their previous meeting. The beggar said the he was a schoolteacher. He was ready to show documents about it.

 

 

Word	Meaning
Have done with lying	Stop speaking lie

Sergei asked the beggar to stop telling lies. He told that the beggar had called himself a student at that time. He had even narrated the reason for his expulsion. Sergei advised the beggar to recollect the incident.

 

 

Word	Meaning
Flushed	Became angry
Disgust	Disliking, Hate
Swindling	Cheating of money
Damn you	An expression of hate

Sergei became angry and turned his face away from the beggar who was wearing torn clothes. Sergei had an expression of hate on his face.  Sergei shouted that the beggar was dishonest. The beggar was trying to cheat people to earn some money. You should be given to police.

 

 

Word	Meaning
Fiction	Story, A lie

The beggar put his hand on his heart. He told that he had been telling lies. He accepted that he was neither a teacher nor a student. I have been telling false stories.

 

 

Word	Meaning
Choir	Group of singers
Get along	Survive

The beggar told that earlier he was a part of a Russian group that sang songs. I had the bad habit of drinking. So they removed me from the group. Now I cannot do anything. I tell lies so that I can survive. Nobody will give me anything if I told the truth. I cannot do anything else. 

 

 

Sergei went close to the beggar. He shouted at him because he was asking what he could do. Sergei advised him that he should work to earn something.

 

 

Word	Meaning
Chop	Cut into small pieces
Wood cutter	Person who cuts or chops wood
Sitting without bread	Do not have work, Not able to earn

The beggar told that he was aware that he should work. But he was not able to find work. Sergei asked the beggar if he would cut wood for him. The beggar agreed. He further told that nowadays even the experienced wood cutter were not able to find work.

 

 

Word	Meaning
Hastened along	Walked quickly

Sergei asked the beggar if he would cut wood for him. The beggar agreed. Sergei told that they would know about it very soon. Sergei walked quickly. He was rubbing his hands. They reached Sergei’s home. Sergei asked his cook to come out of the kitchen.

 

 

Word	Meaning
Scarecrow	A badly dressed person
Shrugged shoulders	Raised shoulders for a moment
In perplexity	Puzzled, Confused
Irresolutely	Without any desire

Name of the cook is Olga. Sergei asked her to take  beggar to the wood shed. She should allow the beggar to chop wood. The poorly dressed beggar raised his shoulders. He looked like a confused person. Though he did not have any desire to chop wood, he went to the wood shed.

 

 

Word	Meaning
Obvious	Evident, Clear
Gait	Way of walking, Posture
Consented	Agreed
Trapped	Caught, Deceived

One thing became  very clear from the way he walked to the wood shed. He had not agreed to cut wood because he was in need of some work. He had agreed to chop wood because of his pride and shame. Actually he was deceived by his own words he had spoken to the advocate.

 

 

Word	Meaning
Undermined	Reduced, Eroded
Vodka	A Russian drink
Inclination	Willingness, Desire
Toil	To work

It was clear that his strength had reduced because he drank too much vodka. He was sick. He did not have any desire to work.

 

 

Word	Meaning
Hurried into	Quickly went into

Sergei quickly went into his dining room. From windows of the dining room he was able to see the wood-shed. He could also watch activities being done in the his yard.

 

 

Sergei stood near the window. He saw that the cook and the beggar came into the yard through the back yard. Then they went towards the wood-shed. They had walked through the snow that was on the ground.

 

 

Word	Meaning
Glared	Looked intently, Gazed
wrathfully	Angrily, With irritation
Companion	One who is together
Shoved	Pushed
Aside	Sideways
Banged	Kicked

Olga looked at the beggar angrily. She pushed him to the side when they reached the shed. She opened the lock of the shed. Then she kicked the door to open it. 

 

 

Word	Meaning
Pseudo-teacher	False teacher, Person claiming to be a teacher
Seat	To sit
Log	Big piece of wood
Fist	Hand when one bends finger to touch palm
Flung down	Threw
Spat	Spoke angrily
Scold	Rebuke, Fire

Sergei now saw that the false teacher sat on a big piece of wood. He started thinking of something. He had placed his cheeks on his fists. Olga threw an axe towards him. She angrily shouted at him. Sergei could not listen to her voice. But by her lip movements he guessed that Olga was firing the beggar.

 

 

Word	Meaning
Irresolutely	Unwillingly
Billet	A big piece
Set it up	Arranged
Tapped	Touched it
Feebly	Weakly, Without force
Wavered	Shook

Unwillingly, the beggar pulled the big piece of wood towards him. He arranged the piece between his feet. He touched the piece with the axe. He did not apply force. The billet shook a bit and fell down on the ground.

 

 

Word	Meaning
Cautiously	Carefully

The beggar again pulled the big piece of wood towards him. Carefully he tapped it with the axe. He was afraid that the axe might hit his overshoes or cut off his fingers. The billet of wood again fell on the ground.

 

 

Word	Meaning
Vanished	Disappeared
Sorry	Sad
Spoiled man	A person of bad habits
Menial labour	Hard work

Anger of Sergei disappeared. He started feeling sad. He was ashamed of himself. The beggars was a person of bad habits. He was used to drinking. Probably he was sick also. And Sergei had forced such a person to do some hard work.

 

 

After about one hour, Olga informed Sergei that the beggar had cut wood. Sergei was happy. He told Olga to give one rouble to the beggar. Sergei advised Olga to inform the beggar that he could come there. He could cut wood on first day of every month. We will always give him work. The advocate is trying to ensure some money to the beggar.

 

 

Word	Meaning
Waif	A person without home, An unhealthy looking person
Barely	Hardly
From that day on	After that day

The homeless person (the beggar) again came to the house of Sergei on first of next month. He was hardly able to stand on his feet. He was very week. But he did the allotted work. This time he earned half a rouble. After that he used to regularly come there. Every time some work was given to him. So the beggar started earning money.

 

 

Word	Meaning
Shovel the snow	Remove the snow
Put in order	Clean and arrange properly
Beat the dust	Remove dust
Rugs	Blankets
Sent out	Given

On some occasions he removed the snow. Sometimes he cleaned and properly arranged the wood-shed. On other occasions he cleaned blankets and mattresses. He received money for each work. It was between twenty to forty copecks. On one occasion an old pant was given to him.

 

 

Word	Meaning
Hired him	Engaged him, Took his services
Hauling	Moving
Waif	Beggar
Sober	Without drinking
Gloomy	Sad

After Sergei decided to shift to another house. Sergei engaged the beggar to help him in packing and shifting of his furniture.  The beggar was not drunk while doing this job. He was sad and silent.

 

 

Word	Meaning
Wagon	Lorry
Making a pretense	Making an excuse, Faking

The beggar touched the furniture on very less number of times. He walked behind the lorries during shifting. He did not make any excuse to look busy. He was doing all the works with patience.

 

 

Word	Meaning
Embarrassed	Ashamed
Carters	People driving a cart
Jeered	Teased
Feebleness	Weakness
Tattered	Old and torn
Sent for	Called

The beggar was shivering because of cold. The drivers of wagons teased him. They teased him because he did not have work. They also teased him because he was wearing torn clothes and a strange coat. They also teased him because he was weak. After all the house hold material had been shifted, Sergei called the beggar.

 

 

Word	Meaning
Words have taken effect	Advice had an impact
For your pains	For the work done by you

Sergei was happy that his advice had an impact on the beggar. He had started working. Sergei gave him one rouble and told him that it was for the work he had done. Sergei was happy to note that the beggar was not drunk.  He did the work willingly.  Sergei asked his name. Name of the beggar was Lushkoff.

 

 

Sergei told Lushkoff that he could offer some better type of work.  Sergei asked the beggar if he knew how to write. The beggar replied that he could write.

 

 

Sergei gave a letter to Lushkoff. He asked Lushkoff to go to his friend. He will give some work to Lushkoff. The work will be of copying some documents. Sergei advised Lushkoff to work hard and not to drink.  He told the beggar to remember his advice. Sergei said good bye to him.

 

 

Word	Meaning
Gave him his hands	Shook hands with him
Parting	Separating
From that day forth	From that day onwards, After that day

Sergei was happy that he had arranged work for a person. He hoped that the person would be on correct path of life. Sergei gently tapped on his shoulder. He shook hand with Lushkoff. Then the two men separated. Lushkoff took that letter from Sergei. After that day Lushkoff never came to work at the house of Sergei.

 

 

Word	Meaning
Two years passed by	Two years passed
Beside	Near
Curly fur	A coat made of fur
Sealskin	Skin of seal. Seal is an animal that lives in sea

Two years passed since Sergei and Lushkoff had met. One evening Sergei had gone to a theatre. He was standing in the queue to buy a ticket for him. He noticed that a man of small height was standing near him. He was wearing a coat made of fur. The fur was full of curls. He also had a cap that was made of skin of seal.

 

 

Word	Meaning
Timidly	In a low voice of request

That man of small height spoke in a low voice. He requested the person selling tickets to give him a ticket for gallery. He paid the money through coins made of copper.

 

 

Sergei recognised Lushkoff who earlier used to chop wood for him. Sergei asked him how was he and what he had been doing. He wanted to know everything about Lushkoff. In a polite voice Lushkoff replied that he was all right. He had become a notary. His salary was thirty-five roubles per month.

 

 

Word	Meaning
Delighted	Happy
Glad	Happy
Godson in a sense	Just like my son
I gave you a push	I helped you, I showed you the right direction

Sergei thanked God because everything had become better. He was very happy for Lushkoff. Sergei told that Lushkoff was just like his son. He had helped Lushkoff and shown him the right direction.

 

 

Word	Meaning
Roasting	Scolding, Rebuke
Sinking into ground at my feet	Touching my feet for seeking mercy

Sergei told that on that day he had given solid rebuke to Lushkoff. He hoped that Lushkoff still remembered that. That day you were touching my feet and begging me to show some mercy on you. Sergei thanked the old man (Lushkoff) for remembering his advice.

 

 

Word	Meaning
To this day	Till today
Dragged myself out of pit	Pulled out from a miserable situation
Indeed	Certainly

Lushkoff thanked Sergei. He said that if he had not met Sergei, even today he would be calling him a student or a teacher. Through your protection and help, I came out of the miserable situation. I am certainly very happy now.

 

 

Word	Meaning
Deeds	Works
Grateful	Thankful
Noble	Gentle, Kind hearted

Lushkoff again thanked Sergei for his kind words and what he had done for him. He was very grateful to Sergei and his cook. He said that let God bless the gentle and kind hearted woman.

 

 

Word	Meaning
Spoke finely	Gave correct advice
Indebted	Grateful, Obliged
To my dying days	Till my death

Lushkoff told that Sergei had given him the correct advice on that day. He shall be thankful to Sergei till his death. But actually your cook Olga had helped me a lot. She gave me all the protection I needed. Sergei wanted to know how Olga had helped Lushkoff.

 

 

Word	Meaning
Sot	A person who has habit of drinking
Ruin	Misery, troubles, Having no money

Lushkoff continues to narrate.

Whenever I came to your house to cut wood, Olga would sit in front of me. She would say that I was in the habit of drinking. I am a miserable person. I can never get out of troubles. I would always remain a poor person. Then she would become very sad. She would look at me and start crying.

 

 

Lushkoff continues to narrate what Olga used to tell him.

She would say that I was an unlucky person. I do not have happiness in the world. I can never become happy in this world.  I am a drunkard. I will burn in the hell. I will always be unhappy.

 

 

Lushkoff continues to narrate what Olga used to tell him.

Olga would continue to speak in the same manner. Lushkoff is not able to narrate how bad she used to feel. How many times she cried for the sake me. But the main thing is she used to chop all the wood on my behalf.

 

 

Lushkoff continues to narrate about Olga.

Lushkoff says that he did not chop even a single piece of wood. She chopped all the wood. Why this acts of kindness save my life? Why did I change? Why did I stop drinking because of her? I cannot explain these to you.

 

 

Lushkoff continues to narrate about Olga.

Lushkoff says that he is aware of only one aspect. Because of her advice and kind words, my heart changed. She put me on the right direction. I can never forget this. But now it is time to go. The bell is ringing. The play is about to start in the theatre.  Lushkoff bent before me as a mark of respect. Then he went towards the gallery section of the theatre.

ANTON CHEKHOV