An Equal Share

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The story is adapted from 'The Rightful Inheritors' by Vaikom Muhammad Basheer, a famous Malayalam writer and freedom fighter. He is known for his simple and thoughtful writing.

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The speaker felt happy because he became the owner of a two-acre plot with coconut trees and a house. He was excited because coconut prices were rising, and he hoped to earn money from the coconuts.

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'Trespassers' means people or creatures who enter someone else's property without permission. In the story, the speaker calls animals trespassers, but later realizes that they also have a right to the…

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He calls them trespassers because they entered his land without asking. But this shows his initial selfish view. Later, he realizes that animals have as much right to the land as humans do.

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Birds, butterflies, crows, hawks, mongooses, foxes, rats, a cobra, squirrels, bats, and hens all came to the land. Each had their own reason for being there, like finding food or shelter.

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'Laden' means heavy or full of something. In the story, the coconut trees were 'laden with fruit', which means they were full of coconuts.

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The speaker was surprised and a little scared when the cobra stood before him with its hood spread. But he also felt that the cobra looked noble and was defending its home, just like he was.

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The speaker’s wife bought rat poison and mixed it with bananas, rice, and tapioca. She scattered it on the land, which killed many rats, but also accidentally killed hens, squirrels, and a cat.