Jalebis Summary & Solution - CBSE Class 8 English It So Happened Chapter 7

Summary 

The story is set in a middle-class Indian neighborhood where the author, as a young girl, becomes enamored with the idea of buying and eating jalebis. She often watches the jalebi seller from her balcony, longing for a taste of the sweet treat. However, her family discourages her from buying jalebis as they consider it an unhealthy indulgence.

Despite her family's disapproval, the author's desire for jalebis remains strong. She devises a plan with her brother to secretly buy jalebis using the money given to them for school. They manage to execute their plan successfully, relishing the taste of the sweet and savoring their clandestine indulgence.

However, the joy of eating the jalebis is short-lived as they soon realize the consequences of their actions. Their guilt and fear of being discovered by their parents overshadow the pleasure of eating the forbidden treat. The author regrets their disobedience and feels the weight of her family's disappointment.

In the end, the author learns a valuable lesson about the consequences of disregarding parental advice and indulging in forbidden pleasures. She realizes that the fleeting joy of satisfying one's desires often comes with a price and that it's essential to respect and heed the guidance of elders.

The story serves as a reflection on childhood desires, temptations, and the importance of understanding the wisdom behind parental advice. It emphasizes the significance of making responsible choices and respecting the values instilled by one's family. Ultimately, it highlights the lesson that gratification gained through disobedience may not bring lasting happiness and can lead to feelings of remorse and disappointment.

NCERT solutions for class 8 English It So Happened Jalebis

Comprehension Check on page 58

1.Why didn’t he pay the school fees on the day he brought money to school?

2. (i) What were the coins ‘saying’ to him?

    (ii) Do you think they were misguiding him?

3. Why didn’t he take the coin’s advice? Give two or three reasons.

4. (i) What did the oldest coin tell him?

    (ii) Did he follow his advice? If not, why not?

5. He reached home with the coins in his pocket. What happened then?

Answers:

1.The boy couldn’t pay the school fees on the day he brought to school because the teacher Master Ghulam Mohammed was on leave.

2 (i) The coins in the boy’s pocket urged him to buy hot and fresh jalebis.

  (ii) Yes, the coins were misguiding him because the money was meant for paying              school fees.

3. Initially, the boy didn’t take the advice of the coins seriously for a couple of rea­sons. He could not spend the money meant for paying school fees on jalebis. Sec­ondly, the boy knew the harsh nature of the master and the punishment.

4. (i) The oldest coin convinced him that they were telling him for his own good. He      can pay his fee next day with his scholarship money. So he should not suppress his desire for jalebis. .

   (ii) He didn’t follow his advice. He was a promising student. He was from a good family of repute. He didn’t want to get defame for it

5. After reaching home he couldn’t suppress his temptation for fresh Jalabis. He rushed to the shop of halwai. He bought jalebis and enjoyed them.

Comprehension Check on Page 61

1. (i) Why didn’t he eat all the jalebis he had bought?

    (ii) What did he do with the remaining jalebis?

2. “The fear was killing me.” What was the fear?

3. “Children’s stomachs are like digestion machines.” What do you

understand by that? Do you agree?

4. How did he plan to pay the fees the next day?

5. When it is time to pay the fees, what does he do? How is he disobeying

the elders by doing so?

Answers:

1.The youngster was unable to pay his school fees on the day he was taken to school because his instructor, Master Ghulam Mohammed, was absent.

2. (i) The money in the boy's pocket compelled him to purchase hot, fresh jalebis.

   (ii) Yes, the coins were leading him astray because the money was intended for paying school fees.

3. For a variety of reasons, the kid first dismissed the advise of the coins. He couldn't spend the money earmarked for school tuition on jalebis. Second, the youngster was aware of his master's stern personality and the punishment.

4. (i) The oldest coin convinced him that they were telling him for his own good. He can pay his fee next day with his scholarship money. So he should not suppress his desire for jalebis. .

    (ii) He didn’t follow his advice. He was a promising student. He was from a good family of repute. He didn’t want to get defame for it

5. After reaching home he couldn’t suppress his temptation for fresh Jalabis. He rushed to the shop of halwai. He bought jalebis and enjoyed them.

Comprehension Check on page 71 

1. What was the consequence of buying jalebis with the fees money?

2. His prayer to God is like a lawyer’s defence of a bad case. Does he argue his case well? What are the points he makes?

3. He offers to play a game with Allah Miyan. What is the game?

4. Did he get four rupees by playing the game? What did he get to see under the rock?

5. If God had granted his wish that day, what harm would it have caused

him in later life? 

 

Answer:

1. As a result of spending his fees money on jalebis, he had to be absent from school for the first time in his life.
2. He tries to please God with his requests and the recitation of the entire namaz. He admits that he made a mistake. He wouldn’t have spent his money on jalebis if he had known about the delay in scholarship. Thus, he argues his case like a lawyer.
3. The game is that he will go upto the signal, touch it and come back. And in the meantime God should put four rupees under a big rock.
4. No, he didn’t get four rupees by playing the game. When he lifted the rock, he saw a worm instead of coins.
5. If God had granted his wish that day he wouldn’t have learnt a lesson to do no wrong in future. He would have been like a bird and learnt no skill.

Answers: 1

A. 

• Alebis are intended to be consumed, and those with money can do so.
• However, these Jalebis are not your average Jalebis. They're crisp, fresh, and syrupy.
• My mouth began to wet. I dashed out of the home, barefoot, towards the bazaar.

B.

• My mind began to race.
• I left the school as the playtime bell rang, tucking my bag under my arm.
• Now, for the crime of eating a few Jalebis, I was missing from school for the first time in my life.
• I felt like sobbing as I sat under a tree.

C.

• I didn't eat them all by myself, and I gave them to a lot of kids.
• Miyan, Allah! I'm a decent kid. I have memorised the full namaz as well as the final 10 surats of the Quran.

Answer: 2

(a) The youngster is clearly intelligent. The first piece of proof is that he has received a scholarship. He's a promising young man. He understands what is right and wrong. He presents his case to God in the manner of a lawyer.

(b) His perspective shifted after class VIII. He eventually learned that nothing is free. Man would not develop any skill if God granted all of one's requests for the asking. He'd be no better than a bird.

(c) The coins are made to talk because they mirror the internal turmoil he is experiencing.