The Hack Driver | Question and Answer |
NCERT | Class 10 | English | Footprints without Feet
Read and Find Out
Question 1 Why is the lawyer sent to New Mullion? What does he first think about the place?
Answer The lawyer was sent to New Mullion to serve summons on Oliver Lutkins, who was needed as a witness in a law case. Lutkins was needed as a witness in a law case.He first thinks that the place must be a sweet and a simple country village but it was totally opposite to his expectation.
Question 2 Who befriends him? Where does he take him?
Answer The lawyer was befriended by a hack driver at the station, who called himself Bill Magnuson. He told the lawyer that he knew Lutkins and would help in finding him. Bill took him to all the places where Lutkins was known to hang out. He took the lawyer to Fritz’s shop, where Lutkins played a lot of poker; to Gustaff’s barber shop and then to Gray’s barber shop; to the poolroom and several other places before finally taking him to Lutkins’ mother’s farm. However, Oliver Lutkins was not found.
Question 3 What does he say about Lutkins?
Answer Bill told the lawyer that Lutkins was a hard person to find as he was always busy in some activity or the other. He owed money to many people, including Bill, and had never paid back anybody. He also said that Lutkins played a lot of poker and was good at deceiving people.
Question 4 What more does Bill say about Lutkins and his family?
Answer Bill told the lawyer that he knew mother of Lutkins. He said that she was a terror. He narrated an incident when he took a trunk to her once and she almost took his skin off because he did not carry it carefully. He also said that she was very tall and bulky. She was very quick and could talk a lot. He said that Lutkins must have heard that somebody was chasing him and consequently would have gone into hiding at his mother’s place.
Question 5 Does the narrator serve the summons that day?
Answer No , the narrator did not serve the summons that day.In fact , it was hack driver who misguided the lawyer and led him on a wrong path.
Question 6 Who is Lutkins?
Answer Lutkins is a middle aged person from New Mullion town. The hack driver himself is Lutkins but pretends to be Bill Magnuson. He tricks the lawyer to avoid the summons to be a witness in a case.
Think About it
Question 1 When the lawyer reached New Mullion, did ‘Bill’ know that he was looking for Lutkins? When do you think Bill came up with his plan for fooling the lawyer?
Answer Lutkins was a clever and a cunning man. He did the whole act of helping the lawyer to find Oliver Lutkins. Bill told the lawyer that Lutkins was a hard fellow to catch. He said that Oliver played a lot of poker and was good at deceiving people. This tell that he never disclose his true identity to unknown person.
Question 2 Lutkins openly takes the lawyer all over the village. How is it that no one lets out the secret? (Hint: Notice that the hack driver asks the lawyer to keep out of sight behind him when they go into Fritz’s.) Can you find other such subtle ways in which Lutkins manipulates the tour?
Answer Lutkins never allows the lawyer to reach the place where the imaginary Lutkins is supposed to be present at a given time.He never allowed him to go inside to interrogate about Lutkins. The way he weaves stories about Lutkins’ vagabond nature and the way he scares the lawyer about Lutkins’ mother are ways of fooling the lawyer devised by the hack driver.
Question 3 Why do you think Lutkins’ neighbours were anxious to meet the lawyer?
Answer Almost the entire village had enjoyed Lutkins making a fool of the lawyer. Only Lutkins’ neighbours had not seen the lawyer but had come to know what happened.He insisted the lawyer to come with him and have a cup of tea at neighbour’s house.he said that his neighbour was anxious to meet a person who caould be easily dumped. They wanted to enjoy the lawyer predicament.
Question 4 After his first day’s experience with the hack driver the lawyer thinks of returning to New Mullion to practise law. Do you think he would have reconsidered this idea after his second visit?
Answer After his first day’s experience with the hack driver the lawyer thinks of returning to New Mullion to practise law.However during his second visit he realised that he had been literally taken for a ride by the hack driver( who himself was lutkins). In this Lutkin was helped by the town people. After becoming the source of laughter for the town, it is most likely that the lawyer would have reconsidered his initial idea of working there.
Question 5 Do you think the lawyer was gullible? How could he have avoided being taken for a ride?
Answer Yes the lawyer was gullible. He was new to his profession and inexperienced. He had yet to understand the way the bad world function. He could have done some research work before going to the village. He could have taken the photograph of Lutkin if available. He should have asked about Lutkins from other villagers. Instead, he depended completely on the hack driver.
Talk About it
Question 1 Do we come across persons like Lutkins only in fiction or do we encounter them in real life as well? You can give examples from fiction, or narrate an incident that you have read in the newspaper, or an incident from real life.
Answer Character like Lutkin is common in our daily life. They do not just appear in stories. They are very much real. There is this famous con man in ‘David Copperfield’ written by Charles Dickens. His name is Uriah Heep. He traps a gullible, rich old man. The old man depends on him entirely. He takes advantage of his trust and takes all his money. He makes the old man an addict to alcohol. Then he forces the old man to marry his daughter to him.
Question 2 Who is a ‘con man’, or a confidence trickster?
Answer A ‘con man’ or a confidence trickster is a person who makes a fool out of other people. He wins their trust first and then, he gets from them whatever he wants.He can make you believe blindly.In this story, Lutkins was a confidence trickster.
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