A Rupee Goes a Long Way

Mohinder was clever — he already knew the river was too shallow for fishing.

Step 1: Think about when Ranji met Mohinder. Mohinder had just come back from fishing at the canal all morning. Step 2: He had been at the water and would know what condition the river was in. Step 3: By agreeing to exchange the rod for an old coin that could not even buy sweets, Mohinder was actually getting rid of a useless rod. Step 4: Ranji realises this when he sees the shallow river and says 'No wonder Mohinder let me have his rod.' This shows Mohinder made a smart deal. Step 5: Option A is wrong — it was a clever trade, not simple generosity. Options C and D are not supported by the sto

A flute.

Step 1: After finding the river too shallow for fishing, Ranji walked back towards the bazaar. Step 2: On the way, he came across a boy playing a flute near some scattered houses. Step 3: Both boys noticed each other's objects — the flute player had his eye on the rod, and Ranji had his eye on the flute. Step 4: After a brief conversation and examination of each other's items, Ranji said, 'Let's exchange,' and they traded. Step 5: The necklace came later (after the flute), the jalebis were at the beginning, and the rupee coin was the starting point — none of these are what Ranji got for the ro

He did not want to lose the chance of getting the flute by making the rod seem useless.

Step 1: Ranji had just discovered the river was too shallow to fish in — that is why the rod was not useful to him. Step 2: If Ranji had told the flute player the truth, the boy would not have wanted the rod. Step 3: Ranji was eager to get the flute, so he kept quiet about the river's condition — just like Mohinder had done to him! Step 4: This is an interesting pattern in the story — each person passes on something that is not fully useful by not revealing all the facts. Step 5: Options A, C, and D are not supported by the text. The story's question prompt itself ('Ranji does not tell the flu

The flute made a shrill, squeaky noise and startled a magpie from a mango tree.

Step 1: After the flute boy showed him the flute, Ranji 'put it to his lips and blew hard.' Step 2: The result was 'a shrill, squeaky noise' — clearly not a beautiful melody. Step 3: This noise 'startled a magpie' that was sitting in a mango tree, causing it to fly out. Step 4: This moment is also described humorously by the author to show that Ranji is not a skilled flute player. Step 5: Options A and D describe pleasant music, which is the opposite of what happened. Option C is wrong because the flute did not break — it just sounded bad when Ranji played it.