The Old Clock Shop - Solutions
CBSE Class 06 English
NCERT Solutions
A Pact With The Sun Chapter 04
The Old- Clock Shop
1. What made Ray think the visitor was not really a shopper?
Ans:Ray, being deaf and dumb,could judge the people with his eyes.In that late hour ,the customers who visited his shop ,did not seem to be friendly.Ray felt suspicious about their presence.One of the two men was in his twenties, the other closer to fifty. The younger man remained at the door. The older man approached the counter with no sign of friendliness in his eyes. Ray observed the shape of a gun and a restless hand in the man’s right coat-pocket.
2. Why do you think he had come to the shop?
Ans: He had not come to the shop to buy anything.They had come with an intention to loot the owner of his money as he was down on luck and in great need of money.
3. How did Ray communicate with him?
Ans: Ray,being deaf and dumb, communicated with him by writing the words"May I help you"on a notepad .He smiled at his unfriendly face, then pointed to his ears and shook his head from side to side indicating to the visitor that he was deaf.
4. What do you think the man said to his friend who waited at the door?
Ans: The man might have informed his friend that Ray was deaf and there was no need to worry about anything.
5. Ray was not a pawnbroker. Why then did he lend money to people in exchange for their old watches and clocks?
Ans: Ray was not a pawnbroker,a person who lends money on security of some item. He did not lend money on interest.He only lent money to people in exchange for their old watches and clocks because he knew that they were in need of money. He kept the watches till the owners wanted them back and he would return them at the same price he had paid, with no interest.
6. “The watch was nothing special and yet had great powers.” In what sense did it have ‘great powers’?
Ans: “The watch was nothing special and yet had great powers", because it was something that could be exchanged for money and a way to lead people out of a bad situation.The older man got the money he needed without hurting Ray .On Christmas Eve ,it had saved the two men who entered the shop, from doing something they might later have been sorry for.
7. Do you think the man would ever come back to pick up the watch?
Ans:Ray had paid the man far more than what the watch was actually worth,it is very unlikely that the man would return. But at the same time ,he seems to appreciate his generosity and when Ray looked into his eyes he saw gratitude and they seemed to say, “Thank you.” That is why he left a note saying that he would be back to pick up the watch as soon as he could and wished Ray a Merry Christmas.
8. When did “the unfriendly face” of the visitor turn truly friendly?
Ans: The "unfriendly face" of the visitor turned truly friendly when he got the money for his watch which was not worth fifty dollars. Also by giving him the money in exchange for the watch, Ray had prevented him from doing something he would be later sorry for.
