Q 1: Why did the old man not follow the advice of the doctors?

Answer: The old man had his own understanding about life. He could not keep himself away from the rich soil. He wanted to dig it, cultivate it and then taste tomatoes, potatoes and yams grown in it. Therefore, he did not follow the advice of the doctors.

Q 2: What had the doctors told the old man?

Answer: They advised him to live with his family and enjoy the few remaining days of his life.

Q 3: Where did the old man take his son?

Answer: The old man took his son to his farm that he had planted on the top of a hill.

Q 4: Had the son ever been there before?

Answer: Yes, the son had been there many times except the last three years.

Q 5: What were the names of the vegetables that the old man grew on his farm?

Answer: The vegetables grown in his farm were yams, tomatoes and potatoes.

Q 6: Why did the old man take the steep path?

Answer: The old man always took the steep path as it was a way of knowing that he was improving day by day.

Q 7: Why had the son at the age of six cried?

Answer: He cried because he lost his plough in a furrow. His father made him another plough but he did not love that plough.

Q 8: What were the feelings of the old man at the age of seventy?

Answer: The old man always felt that he was healthy and energetic. He loved his farm and wanted to sift its soil through his fingers. He wanted to recall memories of his past life. He wanted to smell the dirt and taste the vegetables grown in his farm.

Q 9: Why had the old man planted his secret garden?

Answer: The old man had a strong belief that anything grown in the new land had a new and unique taste. Moreover his garden was also a source of taking him back into his past. He always went there to recollect the happy moments of his past life.

Q 10: Describe the physical appearance of the old man?

Answer: The old man had a red, wrinkled face and pale blue eyes. He always carried a walking stick with him.

Q 11: How did the old man feel about the land?

Answer: The land was like mother to him. He had strong belief that anything grown in a new land had a better flavour. He loved touching and smelling the soil of his land.

Q 12: What did the son remember from his childhood? Were these good memories?

Answer: Jess remembered that he was six years old when his parents brought him there and grew crops. His father made him a little wooden plough. He lost that in a furrow and started weeping. He got another plough but he did not love it much. Yes, all these memories were good.

Clearing in the Sky - by Jesse Stuart

Dark They Were, and Golden Eyed - by Ray Bradbury

Thank You Ma'am - by Langston Hughes

The Piece of String - by Guy de Maupassant

The Reward- by Lord Dunsany

The Use of Force - by William Carlos Williams

The Gulistan of Sa'adi - by Shiekh Sa'adi

The Foolish Quack - Folk Tale

A Mild Attack of Locusts- by Doris Lessing

I Have a Dream - by Martin Luther King Jr.

The Gift of Magi - by O. Henry

God Be Praised - by Ahmed Nadeem Qasmi

Overcoat - by Ghulam Abbas

The Angel and the Author - And Others - by Jerome K. Jerome