achilles class 8th summary questions and answers

Achilles class 8th summary questions and answers

INTRODUCTION

The story Achilles has been written by "Gerald Durrel". Achilles was a Greek Hero. According to Greek mythology, when Achilles was born, his mother held him up by his heel and dipped him in the river Styx so that he could live forever. After surviving many battles, Achilles finally died after an arrow struck him on his heel. In this story, the author has named his pet tortoise as Achilles.

                   SUMMARY

In this story, the narrator is surprised to meet the Rose Beetleman during his travels because he had a fairy tale air that was impossible to resist. The narrator could hear him long before he could saw him. He was saying and playing rippling tune or shepherd‟s pipe. Rose Beetleman had a fox like face with large eyes. His dress was fantastic. He had a hat on his head. His shirt was worn round his neck. The pockets of his coat bulged and his patched trousers dropped over a pair of leather shoes with upturned toes. He had carried on his back Bamboo cages full of pigeons and young chickens. When he saw the dog of narrator, the Rose Beetleman stopped and smiled at them. The narrator asked him if he had been to some fiesta. He nodded his head vigorously, raised his pipe to his lips and played a lilting tune on it and then stopped and smiled and rubbed his forefinger and thumbs together, expressing that he wanted money. The narrator realized that he was unable to speak. After a long conversation between them, the narrator asked the Rose Beetleman the price of the little tortoise. He showed him all the fingers of his both hands. The narrator denied and showed two fingers. At last the Rose Beetleman handed him the tortoise and held up five fingers. The narrator wanted to show the animal to everyone at his home. So he hurried off along the road. The new arrival was christened Achilles and turned out to be an intelligent beast, with a sense of humor. He loved grapes as much as Roger did. So there was always a great rivalry among them. But the fruit that Achilles liked best was the wild strawberries. Achilles developed a passion of human company. One day, the garden gate was left open and Achilles was nowhere to be found. At some length Achilles was found dead. He had fallen into a well. Lessie attempted artificial respiration and Margo suggested of forcing strawberries down his throat, but they failed to get any response. His corpse was buried in the garden under a small strawberry plant. It was only marred by Roger, who in spite of all protests insisted on waging his tail throughout the burial service.