‘When I was Twelve’ is the 10th Chapter of the Class 6 English Textbook ‘Wind Chimes’ published by ‘Madhuban Publications’. The chapter is about R K Laxman, the most famous political cartoonist of India. The chapter starts with a few cartoons of R K Laxman. The chapter ‘When I was Twelve’ contains the younger days incidents of R K Laxman. here we are giving important notes in the form of Word-meanings, summary and solutions of the chapter ‘‘When I was Twelve’.

Word-Meanings: When I Was Twelve Class 6
arguably – with reasons and logics
featuring – showing as important or interesting
tribulations – sufferings and troubles
pithy – short but very meaningful
elegant – attractive, stylish
exception – which is not the part of, not included
baffle – to confuse or bewilder
dreads – fear (v)
particularly – especially
nasty – bad, unpleasant
compassion – a deep sympathy for the sorrows of others
committed – determined and devoted to
get the hang of – try to learn how to do something
formidable – fearsome
beyond me – beyond my understanding
involved – engrossed
indeed – in fact,
subconsciously – unintentionally
inanimate – non-living things and objects
spilling out – come out as flowing or running over
rubbed off on – feeling or quality that gets transferred to others or others seem to have it
ridicule – to laugh at sb/sth
big affair – a big programme or function
reputation – the good or bad opinion that people have about you
hang upon words – to listen carefully and patiently
compulsive – natural behaviour that seems difficult to control or stop
enormous – in large or huge amount, immense
giggle – to laugh in a silly manner with high pitch
dimmish – to reduce, to lessen
good-humouredly – cheerfully
grimly – seriously
stomped – to walk away with heavy steps
woo – to persuade (मनाने की कोशिश करना )
roundly – strongly, by a large number of people
enlightened – having or showing a good understanding of people’s needs, a situation etc.

A. Answers
1. ‘We’ seems to refer to the author’s contemporaries.
2. Laxman felt that a personality gets rubbed off onto inanimate objects. By figuring out, he was able to relate things and creatures to personalities.
3. The teachers were of high quality and Maharaja of Mysore took an interest in it.
4. The teacher was angry. He twisted Laxman’s ears and punished him.
5. Not everyone is able to be humorous enough to enjoy one’s own caricature. The cook was one such person who could not digest that it was just a child and the caricature was not to malign his image.
6. The cook became furious and he refused to cook for the wedding. He was ready to leave with stomping.

C. Answers
1. Laxman and his classmates were weak at arithmetic, but they performed much worse because they feared their teacher. According to Laxman students did not dare tell even the correct answers.
2. Laxman’s fear of the teacher was evident in the fact his caricature took the shape of scary tiger.
3. Laxman was not understanding arithmetic and also did not want to make his career in it.
4. A cartoonist’s work is great fun, until we ourselves become the subject of her/his caricatures. When that happens, the subject inevitably gets rubbed the wrong way.
5. The Laxman’s family welcomed the cook by standing themselves. They flattered him saying that he knew what was best for cooking. They also offered him coffee with humbleness.
6. Laxman’s family was an enlightened family. The family supported the caricature making skill of Laxman. They wanted him to pursue his passion and career.
7. I do not agree with Laxman’s views. All teachers are not like his arithmetic teacher. In fact, the teachers create a conducive atmosphere while teaching so that students could ask frankly but in a disciplined manner.
8. I cannot say that I could go spared in such episodes. Parents would surely scold and may punish for enraging the cook the way Laxman had done.
9. Laxman’s parents allowed him to work at his talents. He was given chalk to start with and then a pencil at the age of six or seven and then colour pencils and paint boxes. They always showed pride in his every achievement as he progressed in the class.
10. For Laxman, the secret of caricaturing is in finding extensions of people’s personalities in the other creatures or objects. Laxman also realises that often caricatures rubbed the people wrong way especially the subject of caricature. Others enjoy but the person who is in the caricatures may not be sportive enough to take it lightly as the cook was.
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