INTERNATIONAL INDIAN SCHOOL, DAMMAM

BOYS MIDDLE SECTION

E-LEARNING NOTES 2021-22
CLASS: VIII SUBJECT: ENGLISH Prepared by: Ms. Rubina Khan
______________________________________________________________________________________________________
Lesson No & Name: 6 THE FIGHT (Text Book Page No: 45 to 54)

Summary (Read it thoroughly)

Introduction: Ranji had come to Rajpur only recently. He had not yet made any friends
there. There were hills and forests on all sides of Rajpur. He roamed in these places alone.
It was very hot. One day he discovered a pool in the forest.

The Pool: The water in the pool was clear. It came there from a cluster of rocks. In the
monsoon the water came in large quantities. During the summer the flow was weak. Yet it
never dried up like the pools of Rajputana deserts.

Ranji into the Pool: Ranji got into the water. He knew swimming. He had so far known
only the muddy pools of Rajputana deserts. This pool was much better. His body was free
of fat. It shone in the sunlit water.

Another Boy:The next day Ranji came again. He enjoyed a lot in the coolness of the water.
After an hour, he lay to relax on the smooth rocks. It was then that he noticed a boy staring
at him in a hostile manner. He was a little older than Ranji and had a well-built body. He
stood on the edge of the pool. He seemed waiting for Ranji to explain his presence there.

The Verbal Duel: The boy asked Ranji why he was there. Ranji wanted to be friendly. So he
ignored the other boy’s hostility. He asked him to join him in the enjoyment. The other boy
did not like it. He came closer to Ranji who was now sitting on the rock. He said that he
was a Punjabi and did not like to talk to villagers. Ranji said that he was a Rajput, not a
villager. The Punjabi tried his best to scare away Ranji. When Ranji did not run away, he
warned that he would beat him.

The Real Fight: Now Ranji claimed vehemently of being a Rajput. The other boy claimed
of being a Punjabi. The Punjabi boy made a strange hissing sound. They stared each other
in the eye for a minute. Then the Punjabi boy slapped Ranji across the face with all his
strength. Ranji felt dizzy. Thick red finger marks were there on his face. Then Ranji pushed
a hard, bony fist into the other’s face.

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 INTERNATIONAL INDIAN SCHOOL, DAMMAM
BOYS MIDDLE SECTION
E-LEARNING NOTES 2021-22
CLASS: VIII SUBJECT: ENGLISH Prepared by: Ms. Rubina Khan
______________________________________________________________________________________________________
In the Water: Then they were at each other’s throats. Fighting they rolled into the
shallows of the pool. Even in the water, they continued fighting. Yet, after five minutes,
both of them stood exhausted. Standing at a distance from each other both of them spoke
proudly of their states. Then the Punjabi-boy had an inspiration. He proposed to continue
fighting next day, Ranji agreed. Then they left the forest by different routes.

Ranji Away from the Pool: At home, Ranji could not hide his injuries. His mother insisted on his
staying at home for the rest of the day. In the evening, he was able to slip out to the bazar. There he
took some lemonade and jalebis. When he had finished it, he saw the Punjabi boy coming down the
road. Both of them scowled at each other.

Next Day at the Pool: Ranji reached the pool unwillingly next day. He was feeling weak and knew
he would be beaten in another fight. Yet, how could he refuse the challenge? As long as he fought,
he had a right to the pool. He saw the Punjabi boy on a rock on the other side of the pool. Seeing
Ranji, he shouted a challenge. He asked Ranji to come to his side and fight. Ranji asked him to
come to his side. The Punjabi boy ridiculed. He said that Ranji could not swim the length of that
pool.

Ranji Accepts the Challenge: Ranji dived straight into the water. He surfaced on the other side
without a splash. The Punjabi boy’s mouth hung open in amazement.
Ranji Becomes his Teacher: The Punjabi boy exclaimed with surprise how he could dive so well. He
asked Ranji if he would teach him how to dive. Ranji told him how to dive. The Punjabi boy landed
in the water flat on his belly. There was noise which sent the birds screaming from the trees. Ranji
laughed a lot. The Punjabi boy came out of the pool spouting water like a whale. Then Ranji
executed another fine dive to teach him. It went on for some time. Then the Punjabi boy said that
Ranji must teach him every day. Ranji agreed.

The Friendship: The two told their names to each other. Then the Punjabi boy asked Ranji if he
was not strong. Ranji agreed and said that he (Suraj) was a real pahelwan. The Punjabi boy Suraj
said that he would become the world’s champion wrestler. Then looking critically at Ranji he said
that Ranji was strong too. However, he said that he was bony. He invited him to have food with him.
Suraj proposed a deal. If Ranji taught him diving, he would make Ranji a pahelwan too. Again Ranji
agreed. “It is our pool”, said Suraj, “Nobody else can come here without our permission.” Ranji said
that nobody would dare to come there now because they were friends.

Question and answers

Q1. In what way is the forest pool different from the one which Ranji knew in the Rajputana
desert?
Ans. The forest pool was clean, cold and inviting, whereas the Rajputana desert had sticky, muddy
pools where buffaloes wallowed and women washed clothes.

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 INTERNATIONAL INDIAN SCHOOL, DAMMAM
BOYS MIDDLE SECTION
E-LEARNING NOTES 2021-22
CLASS: VIII SUBJECT: ENGLISH Prepared by: Ms. Rubina Khan
______________________________________________________________________________________________________

Q2.The other boy asked Ranji to ‘explain’ himself. (i) What did he expect Ranji to say? (ii)
Was he, in your opinion, right or wrong to ask this question?
Ans. (i) He expected Ranji to apologise to him and immediately leave the pool. (ii) He was wrong to
ask this question because the pool was in the forest. It was not his personal property.

Q3. Between Ranji and the other boy, who is trying to start a quarrel? Give a reason for your
answer.
Ans. Between Ranji and the other boy, the other boy was trying to start a quarrel. When Ranji saw
him, he did not say anything. It was the other boy who asked Ranji to explain himself. Ranji was
prepared to be friendly, but was taken aback by the boy’s hostile tone. He even asked the boy to
come and swim with him. However, the boy said that it was his pool, and started a fight by calling
himself a ‘warrior’.

Q4. “Then we will have to continue the fight,” said the other. (i) What made him say that? (ii)
Did the fight continue? If not, why not?
Ans. (i) When even after a lot of fighting Ranji refused to leave the pool, the other boy said that they
would have to continue their fight.
(ii) No, the fight did not continue. After they decided to continue the fight, neither of them took the
initiative. Then, the other boy said that they would continue the fight the next day if Ranji dared to
come back to the pool.

Q5. What is it that Ranji finds difficult to explain at home?

Ans. At home, Ranji found it difficult to explain the cuts and bruises that showed on his face, legs
and arms. It was difficult to hide the fact that he had been involved in a fight.

Q6. Ranji sees his adversary in the bazaar. (i) What does he wish to do? (ii) What does he actually
do, and why?
Ans. (i) When Ranji saw his adversary in the bazaar, he wished to turn away and look elsewhere.
Then, he wished to throw the lemonade bottle at his enemy.
(ii) He actually stood his ground and scowled at the other boy. He did not throw the lemonade bottle
because he did not want to start a fight in the bazaar.

Q7. Ranji is not at all eager for a second fight. Why does he go back to the pool, then?
Ans. Ranji was not eager for a second fight, but he still went back to the pool because if he had not
turned up, it would have been an acknowledgement of his defeat. He could not quietly accept his
defeat. If he surrendered, he would be beaten forever. However, if he fought and got beaten, he
could come again to fight and be beaten again. As long as he fought, he had the right to the pool in
the forest.

Q8.Who was the better swimmer? How do you know it?

Ans. Ranji was the better swimmer. When the other boy made fun of him by saying that he would
not be able to swim across the pool, Ranji dived straight into the water and surfaced at the other
end in a flash. The boy was amazed at how well Ranji had dived, and later, at how he had swum

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 INTERNATIONAL INDIAN SCHOOL, DAMMAM
BOYS MIDDLE SECTION
E-LEARNING NOTES 2021-22
CLASS: VIII SUBJECT: ENGLISH Prepared by: Ms. Rubina Khan
______________________________________________________________________________________________________
underwater. He said that he did not know how to dive or swim underwater, and asked Ranji to
teach him both.

Q9. What surprises the warrior?

The warrior was surprised to see how well Ranji had dived and later, at how he had swum
underwater.

Q10. Now that they are at the pool, why don’t they continue the fight?
Ans. The warrior asked Ranji to teach him how to dive. Ranji agreed. He even surprised the warrior
by swimming under water. The warrior made efforts to dive and swim underwater. Ranji did not
discourage him, and promised to teach him. In return, the warrior promised to turn Ranji into a
wrestler. Consequently, they became friends and therefore, did not continue the fight.

Q11. Ranji’s superiority over the other boy is obvious in the following: physical strength,
good diving, his being a fighter, sense of humour, swimming under water, making a good
point, willingness to help. Underline the relevant phrases.
Ans. The following are the areas in which Ranji is superior to the other boy: good diving, swimming
under water and willingness to help.

Q12. What, according to you, makes the two adversaries turn into good friends in a matter of
minutes? Explain it as you have understood it.
Ans. The two adversaries admired certain skills in each other, which they themselves lacked. When
the other boy saw how well Ranji dived and swam underwater, he forgot about the fight and asked
him to teach him these skills. Ranji’s willingness to help the other boy made their friendship
possible. Noticing Ranji’s thin body, the other boy promised him that he would turn him into a
wrestler like himself. As a result, in a matter of minutes, the adversaries turned into good friends.

LONG ANSWERS
Q1.Narrate the episode of the fight between Ranji and Suraj in the forest in about 100-125
words.
Ans. Ranji was a thin built boy, fond of swimming. Once he discovered a pool in the forest. It was a
hot summer day. He got into the pool. Soon a boy, taller and stronger than him, arrived there. He
said that it was his pool and he would swim alone. He tried to frighten Ranji. He called himself a
warrior. Ranji stood his ground and proclaimed himself a fighter. The two fought over the right to
the pool. Both were tired and exhausted in the very fist fight. In the second fight, they faced each
other across the pool. They challenged each other. Ranji was decidedly a better swimmer than
Suraj. He could dive and swim under water. He established his superiority over his adversary. Now
the two agreed to help each other rather than fight. Ranji promised to teach Suraj the art of
swimming. Suraj offered to make Ranji a wrestler. They became friends.

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 INTERNATIONAL INDIAN SCHOOL, DAMMAM
BOYS MIDDLE SECTION
E-LEARNING NOTES 2021-22
CLASS: VIII SUBJECT: ENGLISH Prepared by: Ms. Rubina Khan
______________________________________________________________________________________________________
Q2. Compare and contrast the character traits of the two adversaries or contestants in the
story ‘The Fight’.
Ans. Suraj was a tall, thickset wrestler. He was a bully. He proclaimed that he was a warrior and he
had exclusive right to swim in the pool. He tried to scare Ranji away. But Ranji had a strong feeling
of self respect. He accepted the challenge to fight. He thought if he surrendered he would lose his
right to the pool for ever. He suffered cuts and bruises. But he went to the pool ready for a second
fight. This time he proved his excellence as a swimmer. Suraj got influenced by Ranji’s art of
swimming. He also wanted to be a good swimmer. So he agreed to get training from Ranji and in
return make Ranji a wrestler.

Q3. In the fight between Ranji and Suraj, who was the winner?
Ans. Ranji was physically no match for Suraj, the tall wrestler. Yet they fought over the right to use
the pool. Ranji suffered cuts and bruises all over his body, but he refused to surrender or accept
defeat. In the first round the fight ended in a draw. Next day they faced each other across the pool
for a second round of fight. But Ranji this time proved himself a better swimmer than his adversary.
They fought together to learn something worthwhile. They suspended the fight after a while and
became good friends. Hence neither was the winner.

Exercise: Discuss the following topics with the help of the pictures in small groups.

Q1. Is fighting the only way of resolving differences of opinion? What else can be done to
reach a mutually acceptable settlement?
Ans. Fighting is not the only way to resolve a dispute. The best course is to start a dialogue with a
cool head. In case they fail to agree on any point, they can appoint an arbiter or middleman
acceptable to both.

Q2. Have you ever been in a serious fight only to realise later that it was unnecessary and
futile? Share your experience/views with others frankly and honestly.
Ans. People usually quarrel over minor issues which can be resolved over a cup of tea. Such violent
quarrels harm both the parties. In a war, no party actually wins. Both suffer equally and feel sorry
later on. Every person can recall one or two occasions of this type.

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 INTERNATIONAL INDIAN SCHOOL, DAMMAM
BOYS MIDDLE SECTION
E-LEARNING NOTES 2021-22
CLASS: VIII SUBJECT: ENGLISH Prepared by: Ms. Rubina Khan
______________________________________________________________________________________________________

Q3.Why do some of us find it necessary to prove that we are better than others? Will you be
amused or annoyed to read the following sign at the back of the car in front of you?
Ans.

I May be going slow but I am ahead of you.

It is our common weakness to do better than others or to pull somebody down. Some pretend to be
superior to others and try to hurt them. This is, in fact, a symptom of their inferiority complex. We
should avoid ego clash.

LINKS FOR REFERENCE:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gaVsfhokXaU

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SeGkcsUaIXw

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qLTCgWriqJU

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