THE ULTIMATE SAFARI
Class 10, CBSE English (Communicative) - Interact in English Literature Reader
CBSE NCERT Solutions - Textbook Exercise Answers
Q.3: Discuss
(a) Who is narrator? What’s the narrator’s age, and position in the family?
(b) What do you think happened to the mother? Or,
Where had the narrator’s mother gone?
(c) Who are the Bandits?
(d) Who come to look after the children?
(e) Why did the grandmother decide they would go away?
Ans: (a) The narrator is a young girl from Mozambique whose village has been torn by the bandits. She is around nine to ten years old. She is the second-born of the three children.
(b) She was probably killed by the bandits when she went to some shop to buy oil for cooking.
(c) The bandits are the guerrillas fighting in Mozambique’s civil war. In this war they raided villages, killed people and burnt houses.
(d) The children’s grandmother and grandfather came to look after the children.
(e) The grandmother decided to go away because they had no food. There was also the constant fear of bandits.
Q.4: Discuss:
(a) What is Kruger Park?
(b) While walking through Kruger Park, what could they not do, and why?
Ans: (a) Kruger Park is an enormous reserve of wild animals.
(b) While walking through Kruger Park, they could not do the following things –
1. Light a fire or make loud sounds as these would attract the police and the wardens would send them back where they came from.
2. Could not touch the fence because it was electrified.
3. Could not make any noise since, it would attract animals.
4. Could not talk to their own people who were employed in the Kruger Park because if they did so, they might lose their jobs.
Q.5: Discuss these questions:
(a) What do you think happened to the grandfather!
(b) Why do you think Grandmother decided to continue the journey without Grandfather! Or,
Why did grandmother continue the journey without grandfather?
(c) What were the narrator’s feelings, when they continued without Grandfather?
Ans: (a) Narrator’s grandfather ate some wild unknown fruit and his stomach ran. He went into the elephant grass to relieve himself. But he did not come for long. So it is assumed that either he lost his way in the tall grass or was eaten up by some wild animal. The leader of the group said that they could not wait any longer for grandfather because of other’s safety and security reasons so, the grandmother decided to move on.
(b) Grandmother decided to continue the journey without grandfather because she was also concerned about the safety and security of her grandchildren. The guide did not want to stay there any longer and he insisted that they should move on because there were many children in the group who had not eaten anything for many days. There was danger of police and wardens too. So, she decided to continue the journey for the sake of children leaving the grandfather to his own fate.
(c) The narrator’s feelings were very sad when they continued without grandfather. But her fear for being left alone in the forest and urge for survival overpowered her other feelings.
Q.6: (a) What is the proper name for the place they arrived at?
(b) What do you think “the special powder” was that the children were given when they first arrived?
(c) Why was the little brother different from other small children?
Ans: (a) A refugee camp.
(b) It was probably ORT (oral rehydration therapy) – powdered food containing ample protein to increase liquid content of the children’s body and to supply energy.
(c) The little brother was different from other children because he could not get proper nourishment at home and then during their long journey through the Kruger Park. Lack of proper food and care caused malnutrition and extreme weakness. He liked just to lie about instead of playing like other kids. He would occasionally smile if the narrator tickled him.
Q.7: “The Ultimate Safari” is narrated by a young girl. In groups of four, discuss the following:
(a) Why do you think the author has chosen to tell the story as seen through the eyes of this particular narrator?
(d) Would the story have been so successful if it had been narrated by someone else, e.g. by the grandmother?
Ans: (a) Most stories are narrated as seen through the eyes of an adult. The author has chosen to tell the story as seen through the eyes of a young girl in order to lend a different perspective to the events and characters. Children are full of innocence and simplicity, whereas the adults are cruel, deceptive and ruthless. Children are generally ignorant about the world of adults. And herein lays the irony – human beings are afraid of human beings.
(d) Probably the story would not have been so successful because many of the above characteristics would not be possible to describe with an adult narrator.
Q.9: Turn back to Q.1. Now that you have read the story, why is it called “The Ultimate Safari”? Or,
Justify the title of the story “The Ultimate Safari”.
Ans: The word ‘Ultimate’ can be defined as the most extreme and defining moments of a long and complicated series of events. The title of the story “The Ultimate Safari” is very appropriate as the journey undertaken by the narrator’s family was indeed a challenging, adventurous, unpleasant one which was forced on the narrator and her family by the circumstances.
The word ‘Safari’ holds ironical meaning in the lesson. ‘Safari’ means an expedition done for an amusement by hunting and observing wild animals. In this story instead of enjoying the safari, the narrator and other people were forced to undertake it for their survival. In fact, the trip is the narrator’s and his family’s last desperate attempt to save their life. The difference was that in this safari through Kruger Park it was some human beings who had to escape from being hunted by other humans in their own land. The title though rings a sad tone but sums up the story so appropriately in it.
Q.10: Imagine that grandfather eventually arrives at the camp. Write a paragraph (80-100 words) describing his arrival. Remember that you are narrating this event as a young girl.
Ans: One day we got a pleasant surprise. It was really believe in our eyes. Our grandfather stood before us, weakened by long and tedious journey. He looked leaner and thinner than before. We saw tears rolling down his cheeks as he described his story. He had got lost in the tall grass. He fell into a ditch and lost consciousness. When he awoke, he tried to contact us, but it was not possible for him to walk much. Then he was picked up by a warden and was forced to work for more than two years for the white men. They had ultimately dropped him in our refugee camp.
I wished my mother also to startle us some day with her appearance.
Q.11: “The Ultimate Safari” highlights the problems faced by refugees in Southern Africa. Can you think of similar situations in your country, or neighbouring countries? Why do people become refugees? What responsibilities does the “host country” have/ for how long?
Ans: People become refugees because they have to flee for life from their native land in the event of civil war, external invasion or some natural calamity. The ‘host country’ has to provide food and shelter to these refugees on human grounds. However, no host country can accommodate refugees for ever. They have to return to their country when things become normal.
Q.12: The grandmother and the narrator have different opinions about returning to Mozambique. Why is this?
Ans: The grandmother does not want to return to Mozambique because she sees no future there especially for the children. She has no place liked home to return to her country. On the other hand, the narrator being a child has a different opinion that shows keenness to return home. She hopes to find their mother waiting for them. She even hopes that her grandfather might have gone back and might be waiting for them. Being young and inexperienced the narrator is unable to visualize the reality what the grandmother could do.
Further study – The Ultimate Safari
Thanks for sharing this information. This is really helpful in my review. I am also working on an online self study too, to get ready with my exams this year. I wish to pass this year's CBSE exam.
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