The Boy Who Broke the Bank
The story ‘The Boy Who Broke The Bank’ humorously depicts how a rumour about a bank's instability, originating from a sweeper boy's complaint, triggers a chain reaction leading to a bank run and chaos in a small town. Answer the following MCQs and question answers based on the short story.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. What was Nathu's profession?
2. Why was Nathu upset at the beginning of the story?
3. Who was the first person to spread the rumor about the bank's financial trouble?
4. What was the reaction of the elderly gentleman getting a haircut when he heard the news?
5. How did the news spread through the bazaar?
6. What was peculiar about Ganpat's reaction to the news?
7. What was the manager's biggest challenge in controlling the situation?
8. What happened to the bank's window?
Reference to Context Questions
Men stood in groups at street corners discussing the situation. Pipalnagar seldom had a crisis, seldom or never had floods, earthquakes or droughts; and the imminent crash of the Pipalnagar Bank set everyone talking and speculating and rushing about in a frenzy.
Question: Why and how did the bank collapse?
Answer: The bank collapsed due to a bank run, triggered by a rapidly spreading rumour. The rumour, which originated from Nathu's complaints about delayed salary, started a panic among the people in the town, leading them to withdraw their money. The bank, unable to handle the sudden surge in withdrawals, ran out of cash. Thus, it had to close its doors.
Question: What is the moral of this short story by Ruskin Bond?
Answer: The moral of the story is that rumours and misinformation can have devastating consequences. The story highlights the power of words and how easily they can be misinterpreted and amplified, leading to a chain reaction of panic and irrational behaviour. It also depicts the importance of critical thinking and verifying information before any action is taken.
Who would have thought the bank would collapse!’ he said to himself, and looked thoughtfully into the distance. ‘I wonder how it could have happened…’
Question: Who is the speaker here? Identify the short story and its author.
Answer: The speaker in this line is Nathu, the sweeper boy. This excerpt is taken from the short story ‘The Boy who broke the bank’ by Ruskin Bond.
Question: What role did he play involuntarily in the closing of the bank?
Answer: Nathu played an unintentional yet crucial role in the bank's sudden closure. His initial complaints about not receiving his salary were overheard and misinterpreted, setting off a series of events that led to the bank run. Although he had no intention of causing harm, his words, amplified and misinterpreted by others, created a panic. This ultimately resulted in the bank's collapse.