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Extract from the Play
HAR DATT
:
And does it have a short tail?
MERCHANT
:
(Astonished)
You describe it perfectly! Yes, it has a short tail.
DEV DATT
:
Tell me, sir, has it not been suffering from a pain in the stomach?
MERCHANT
:
(Taken aback)
How could you possibly know that? The poor creature has been unwell for two weeks now. Surely you are a healer! I will gladly pay your fee if you can cure it. But tell me, where is my camel?
RAM DATT
:
We regret to inform you that we do not know where it is.
Summary in Bullet Points
- Har Datt asks whether the camel has a short tail. The Merchant says he is correct.
- Dev Datt then asks whether the camel has stomach pain. The Merchant again says yes.
- The Merchant is so surprised that he thinks Dev Datt may be a person who can treat illness.
- But when he asks where the camel is, Ram Datt says that they do not know.
-
This is where the Merchant’s surprise begins to turn into doubt.
astonished / taken aback
= very surprised
healer = a person who treats or cures illness
Board Pattern
Questions Mapped to Exam Format
Short Answer
2 marks
What two further details do Har Datt and Dev Datt give?
2 Marks
How to answer:
Name the physical detail and the health problem.
View Answer
Answer: Har Datt says the camel has a short tail, and Dev Datt says it is suffering from pain in the stomach.
Longer Short Answer
3 marks
Why does the Merchant first think Dev Datt may be a healer?
3 Marks
How to answer:
Connect Dev Datt’s exact knowledge with the camel’s illness.
View Answer
Answer: Dev Datt correctly identifies a stomach pain that the camel has suffered for two weeks. The Merchant cannot imagine that a traveller could know this from tracks, so he assumes Dev Datt must be a healer who can diagnose and cure the animal.
