THE GENTLEMEN OF THE JUNGLE
JOMO KENYATTA
Characters in the story.
The Man (dynamic character)
Mr. Elephant
Mr. Lion
Mr. Rhinoceros
Mr. Leopard
Mr. Fox
Mr. Buffalo
Mr. Hyena
Mr. Alligator
Themes:
Injustice
Colonization
Abuse of Power
Injustice: The elephant was allowed to help choose members of the C.O. E. All of the members were already on the elephant's side before the case even started. The C.O.E only listened to the elephant's story.
Colonization: It was originally the man's property, but the animals took over. The actual meaning of the story, is the invasion of the Europeans in Africa.
Abuse of Power: Because of the elephant's title in the jungle, he was able to lie and get away with it. The rhinoceros ordered the man to give up, knowing that the man is scared of him. Initially, the conflict is between the man and the elephant. Eventually, it develops later into a conflict between the man and all of the animals in the jungle.
SUMMARY
Once an elephant made friendship with a man. The man had built a hut to live. One day a thunderstorm broke out. The elephant requested the man to allow it to keep its trunk inside the hut. The man agreed. The elephant put its trunk inside the hut and slowly occupied the hut and pushed the man out. The man and elephant started a quarrel for the hut. Lion the king of the jungle came to solve the problem and appointed a commission of inquiry. Fox was the president and leopard was the secretary. The commission of enquiry gave the report in favour of elephant because the elephant said that it occupied the hut to save it from the hurricane. The man built another hut but rhinoceros occupied it. All the huts built by man were occupied by other animals. At last, the man built a big hut. Many animals occupied that big hut and the man set fire to that hut.
I. Answer the following questions in a word, a phrase or a sentence each: -
1. What particular event in Kenya’s history does Kenyatta give reference to?
Ans: - The division of Africa among themselves by the chief European powers in the late 19th century.
2. Where had the man built his hut in the gentleman of the jungle?
Ans: - At the edge of the forest.
3. Who or what does the man in the fable represent?
Ans: - The Africans who were colonized by the Europeans.
4. What do the animals in the story represent?
Ans: - The European colonizers.
5.What did the elephant want to protect from the rain?
Ans: - Protect its trunk.
6. What did the lion desire to have in his kingdom?
Ans: - Peace and tranquility.
7. What did the lion do to solve the problem?
Ans: - Appointed a Commission of Enquiry.
8. Who commanded the ministers to appoint a Commission of Enquiry in the fable?
Ans: - The lion.
9. Name any two members appointed to the Commission of Enquiry.
Ans: - Mr. Buffalo and Mr. Alligator.
10.Who were appointed as the chairman and secretary of Commission of Enquiry?
Ans: - Mr. Fox and Mr. Leopard.
11.Why there were no men from the man’s side in the Commission of Enquiry?
Ans: - They were not educated enough to understand the intricacies of jungle law.
12.What was the man’s belief?
Ans: - That he could get impartial justice.
13. Who made the friend ship with a man?
Ans: - The Elephant
14. Who had a little hut at the edge of the forest?
Ans: - A man
15. Who requested the man to put his trunk inside the hut?
Ans: - The Elephant
16. When did the elephant request the man to put his trunk inside the hut?
Ans: - At the time of torrential rain.
17. The Elephant intended to protect his delicate skin from _________.
Ans: - Hail storm
18. Why did all the animals of forest gather?
Ans: - All the animals started gather because of heard the noise of man
19. What did make turmoil to the lion?
Ans: - The heated argument between the man and the Elephant.
20. -------- was one of the high ministers of Jungle.
Ans: - The Elephant
21. What did lion wanted to have in his Kingdom?
Ans: - Peace and tranquility
22. What did the man was pleased?
Ans: - The sweet words from the king of the jungle
23. Who did innocently wait for the hut would be returned to him?
Ans: - The man
24. Mention the members of commission of enquiry?
Ans: - Mr. Rhinoceros, Mr. Buffalo, Mr. Alligators, the Rt. Hon Mr. Fox and Mr. Leopard.
25. Who was the chairman of commission of enquiry?
Ans: - Rt. Hon Mr. Fox
26. Who was the enquiry commission first called off?
Ans: - Mr. Hon. Mr. Elephant
27. After Mr. Elephant’s evidence, whom did the enquiry commission call for?
Ans: - Mr. Hyena
28. Whom did the Mr. Hyena support?
Ans: - The Elephant
29. Who arranged the delicious meal for the enquiry commission?
Ans: - Rt. Hon. Mr. Elephant
30. Who ordered the man to quit and built another hut?
Ans: - Mr. Rhinoceros
31. When did Mr. Rhinoceros charge the man and order to quit the hut?
Ans: - As soon as he built another hut.
32. Where the man ultimately built a bigger and better hut?
Ans: - A little distance away
33. How did Mr. Hyena appear to the new house?
Ans: - Howled for a place in the shade
34. Mr. Alligators appear to the new house on----------
Ans: - The roof
35. What did man ultimately say?
Ans: - Peace is costly, but it is worth the expense
36. How did the lion decide to solve the problem?
Ans: - To construct the commission.
37. What kind of judgment did the man expect?
Ans: - The hut would be returned to him.
38. In whose favour was the judgment given?
Ans: - Mr. Elephant
39. Why did the man accept the suggestion of building a new hut?
Ans: - The house was decayed by animals and it is near to pieces.
40. How did the man buy peace finally?
Ans: - By set the hut on the fire and burnt it completely.
II. Answer the following questions in a paragraph of 80-100 words.
1. Why was the commission of enquiry appointed by the king of the jungle?
Ans: - The man protested the wrong doing of Elephant and he started to grumble. All the animals in the nearby forest heard the noise and came to see what the matter was. All stood around listening to the heated argument between the man and his friend the elephant. In this turmoil the lion came along roaring, and asked the reason in a loud voice. The lion wanted to have 'peace and tranquility’ in his kingdom. So he commands his ministers to appoint a Commission of Enquiry to go thoroughly into this matter.
2. Why did the animals decide not to have anyone from the man’s side on the commission of enquiry?
Ans: - The Commission of Enquiry decided not to have any one from the man’s side because they thought that they did not have enough knowledge about the jungle animals and their characteristics and also not knew the rules of jungle law.
3. How did the elephant justify in act of occupying the hut?
Ans: - Elephant justify in his act of occupying the hut that man’s skin is harder than his, and as there is not enough room for both of them. So the elephant told the man that he can afford to remain in the rain while it was protecting his delicate skin from the hailstorm.'
4. Why was the Commission of Enquiry appointed by the King of the jungle?
Ans: - Once there lived a man and an elephant in a jungle who were close friends. A thunderous rain broke out one day. The elephant came to his friend & requested him to allow him to keep his trunk inside the hut. The man allowed the elephant to keep his trunk. as his but was small. The elephant slowly sneaked inside the hut & flung the man outside the hut in the rain. When the elephant threw the man out of his own but he began to grumble. The animals in the nearby forest head the noise & came to see what the matter was. All stood around listening to the heated argument between the man & his friend. The lion. came to see why peace of his kingdom was being disturbed. After the elephant explained that they were having a little discussion regarding the possession of the hut the lion decided to command his ministers to appoint a Commission of Enquiry to go thoroughly into the matter and report to him.
5. On what grounds did the Commission of Enquiry give its verdict?
Ans: - The Commission of Enquiry gave the verdict on the following grounds; The elephant had not cheated the man instead it helped the man as the hut was not fully occupied by him, it might have been blown off due to the impact of the hurricane if the elephant had not occupied it. The second thing was that due to the misunderstanding that the man is incompetent (hopeless) to understand the intricacy (difficulty) of the Jungle law. In the opinion of the members the dispute had arisen through a regrettable (disappointing) misunderstanding due to the backwardness of man's ideas. According to them, the’ elephant helped the man &. not cheated him. The Commission further asked the elephant to continue the possession of the hut and asked the man to look for a suitable site and build a new hut.
III. Answer the following question in about 200 words.
1. “An act of kindness is misunderstood as weakness". Discuss this with reference to the story.
Ans: - The man was very kind enough to share his hut with an elephant. When it requested him to allow him to keep its trunk inside his but to protect it from the torrential rain. It proved to be a mistake because it was that act of kindness which led to his being driven out of his own hut. Though his but was small & he admitted the fact to the elephant, he was generous enough to allow the elephant to keep only its trunk inside the hut. Similarly, when the case was decided against him saying that the dispute had arisen through a regrettable misunderstanding due to the backwardness of his ideas, he went away quietly and built himself another house. However, this house and the ones he builds later, were all occupied by various animals and he was left with no shelter at all. All animals considered him weak and exploited him. Thus their treatment led to his violent action of setting the to the house and destroying all the animals.
2. “Peace is costly but it is worth the expense.”. What is the ironical significance of this statement?
Ans: - It is ironical that wars are waged continuously by countries in order to show their strength and also to establish peace. Most of the countries in the world have a wrong notion that violent attacks on the other killing thousands of people, destroying them will force the country to submit and maintain peace. But do we really enjoy the peace? Have we really achieved peace? But even if peace is achieved; it is the 'Silence of the dead, not the peace of the satisfied’. There will be resentment (dislike) in the mind of the country, which has been' subjugated (dominated). This resentment will, sooner or later, surface and lead to confrontation (battle) again. In the story, the man is free of all exploitation by the animals after he kills them, but does he really enjoy freedom? No, he is left lonely without any friends to share himself. That Was the price he had to pay for securing peace through violence. It takes a lot of effort from everyone concerned to achieve peace in a country, and it can happen only when everyone is aware of the necessity for peace, and is motivated to achieve it through peaceful means.
2. “Peace is costly but it is worth the expense.”. What is the ironical significance of this statement?
Ans: - It is ironical that wars are waged continuously by countries in order to show their strength and also to establish peace. Most of the countries in the world have a wrong notion that violent attacks on the other killing thousands of people, destroying them will force the country to submit and maintain peace. But do we really enjoy the peace? Have we really achieved peace? But even if peace is achieved; it is the 'Silence of the dead, not the peace of the satisfied’. There will be resentment (dislike) in the mind of the country, which has been' subjugated (dominated). This resentment will, sooner or later, surface and lead to confrontation (battle) again. In the story, the man is free of all exploitation by the animals after he kills them, but does he really enjoy freedom? No, he is left lonely without any friends to share himself. That Was the price he had to pay for securing peace through violence. It takes a lot of effort from everyone concerned to achieve peace in a country, and it can happen only when everyone is aware of the necessity for peace, and is motivated to achieve it through peaceful means.
‘We shall never know all the good that a simple smile can do’.
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