Class 11 2nd Semester ‘A Ghostly Wife’ Question Answer English (Rapid Reader)

'A Ghostly Wife' by Lal Behari dey

☆ Descriptive Type Question and Answer ☆ (Question Mark : 05)

What activities did the She-ghost do in the house of Brahman?  05

Ans.👉🏻  The Chief attraction of the folktale “A Ghostly Wife” lies in the strange and peculiar activities of the She-Ghost. Being angry with the Brahmani, the She-Ghost seized her, Put her in the hole of the tree, wore the woman’s Clothes and entered the Brahman’s house. There, her Promptness in household works and bringing things from a distance surprised the mother-in-law. She could stretch her arm to bring a thing from the next room or several yards away in a trice. One day, there was no firewood in the house. But the mother-in-law noticed that her daughter-in-law was cooking by thrusting her foot into the oven as fuel. When the Ojha Placed a piece of burning turmeric under her nose, the screamed aloud and ran away from the room. Finally, she assured that she would do no further harm to the Brahman and his family.

Who assumed the appearance of the Brahmani in the story “A Ghostly Wife”? How did she enter the house of the Brahman? In what respect did the ghostly wife differ from the Brahmani? 1+2+2

Answer 1 👉🏻 In the story “A Ghostly wife”, a Sankchinni assumed the appearance of the Brahmani.

   One night, the Brahman’s wife went to a tank near their house. Accidentally she brushed a Sankchinni. As she touched Sankchinni, the she-ghost seized her and put her in a hole of a tree. The woman lay there almost dead with fear. The the she-ghost wore the Brahmani’s clothes and entered the Brahman’s house.

   The next morning, the mother-in-law found some changes in her daughter-in-law. She began to cook and bring everything over in much less time than before. She Could stretch her arm quite some distance. But the most astonishing change was that the woman was using her foot as fuel while cooking.

Answer 2 👉🏻  In the story ‘A Ghostly Wife’, a Sankchinni assumed the appearance of the Brahmani.

One night, the Brahman’s wife went to the tank and accidentally touched the Sankchinni. Angered by the Brahmani, the she-ghost seized her by the throat, climbed on the tree and thrust her into a hole in the trunk. The woman lay there almost dead with fear. The ghost then wore the clothes of the Brahmani and entered the Brahman’s house.

The next morning, the mother-in-law found some changes in her daughter-in-law. The lazy and weak woman had become active and prompt. She began to cook and bring everything over in much less time than before. She could stretch her arm quite some distance and use her foot as fuel for cooking.

“The old woman was struck with wonder at the sight.” – who was the old woman? why was she struck with wonder?  1+4

Ans.👉🏻 In the story “A Ghostly life”, the old woman was the Brahman’s mother.

    A Sankchinni took the appearance of a Brahman’s wife and came to her house. At first Brahman’s mother suspected nothing. But she noticed some changes in the Character of her daughter-in-law. Her daughter-in-law was weak and languid by nature. She took long time to do household works, But suddenly she became very active and she did all household works in short time. When the mother-in-law ordered her to bring anything from the next room, it was brought in much less time than required. One day Brahman’s mother noticed that her daughter-in-law stretched her hand several yards to bring a vessel. Another day she noticed that her daughter-in-law used her leg as fuel during cooking, The old woman was struck with wonder to see the sight.

What is a ‘Sankchinni’? Where did she live? Narrate the events leading to the entry of Sankchinni to the house of the Brahman.

Answer 1 👉🏻  A ‘Sankchinni’ is a female ghost of white complexion. They usually stand at the dead of night at the foot of trees. They look like sheets of white cloth.

In the story ‘A Ghostly Wife’, the Sankchinni lived on the boughs of a tree. This tree was on the embankment of the tank near a Brahman’s house.

One night, the Brahman’s wife went to the tank and accidentally touched the Sankchinni. Angered by the Brahmani, the she-ghost seized her by the throat, climbed on the tree and thrust her into a hole in the trunk. The woman lay there almost dead with fear. The ghost then wore the clothes of the Brahmani and entered the Brahman’s house.

Answer 2 👉🏻 A Sankchinni is a type of female ghost in Bengali folklore. Ghosts like Sankchinni are often depicted as supernatural beings with the ability to shapeshift, possess people, or cause harm. They are known for their mischievous or vengeful nature.

The Sankchinni in this story lived on a tree near a tank (pond) close to the Brahman’s house. She resided on the branches of the tree and often stayed near the embankment of the tank.

One night, the Brahman’s wife went to the tank and accidentally brushed against the Sankchinni. This angered the ghost, who then seized the wife by the throat, carried her to the tree, and hid her in a hollow in the trunk. The Sankchinni then took the wife’s clothes, disguised herself as the Brahman’s wife, and entered the house. Neither the Brahman nor his mother noticed the change at first, as the ghost looked exactly like the wife. This marked the beginning of the Sankchinni’s stay in the Brahman’s home.

Who is called an ‘ojha’? What role does he play in the story ‘A Ghostly Wife’?

Answer 1 👉🏻  ‘Ojha’ is a Bengali word for the exorcist who drives away ghosts from any place or a possessed person.

In ‘A Ghostly Wife’, the ojha plays the most important role in settling the problem of the Brahman and his family. When the activities of the daughter-in-law were suspected, an ojha was called in. By putting a piece of burning turmeric under her nose, the ojha proved that the daughter-in-law was a ghost or a woman possessed by a ghost. Then the ojha took her under his control and by beating her with slippers, forced her to disclose her identity. Then the Brahmani was brought home. Finally, the ojha released the ghost from his spell and thereby made it possible for the Brahman and his family to live happily thereafter.

Answer 2 👉🏻 An Ojha is a traditional healer or exorcist in Indian folklore, often believed to have the power to deal with supernatural beings like ghosts and spirits. They use rituals, spells, and remedies to drive away evil entities or cure people possessed by them.

In the story, the Ojha plays a crucial role in identifying and expelling the she-ghost from the Brahman’s house. When the Brahman and his mother become suspicious of the wife’s unnatural behavior, they call the Ojha for help. The Ojha uses burnt turmeric, a known remedy to detect ghosts, and confirms that the woman is a ghost. He then forces the ghost to reveal the truth and release the real wife from the tree. Finally, he beats the ghost with his slippers and makes her promise never to harm the family again, restoring peace to the household.

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