class 10 English - Very Important & Question Anwers

Short Answer Type Questions (2-3 Marks)

Word limit: 30-40 words

Q1. How was Ausable different from other secret agents?

Ans: Unlike the typical image of a secret agent (slim, tall, and dangerous), Ausable was very fat. He spoke with an American accent despite living in Paris for twenty years. He lived in a small, gloomy room on the sixth floor of a cheap hotel and didn’t have “mysterious figures” or “pistols” around him.

Q2. Who was Fowler and why was he disappointed?

Ans: Fowler was a young writer who wanted to write a book on secret agents. He was disappointed because Ausable did not fit the romantic, adventurous image of a spy. Instead of dark hallways and gunfights, he found a fat man in a boring hotel room.

Q3. Who was Max? Why had he entered Ausable’s room?

Ans: Max was another secret agent and a rival of Ausable. He had entered Ausable’s room using a passkey. He was holding a small automatic pistol and had come to steal a secret report concerning some new missiles.

Q4. How did Ausable react to seeing Max in his room?

Ans: Ausable remained perfectly calm. He didn’t panic or show fear. Instead, he sat down in an armchair and started complaining about a “non-existent balcony” under his window, which was actually a clever trap he was setting for Max.

Q5. What happened when there was a knock at the door?

Ans: When there was a knock, Ausable claimed it was the police who had come to check on him for the safety of the important report. This terrified Max, who believed him and decided to hide in the (imaginary) balcony.

---

Long Answer Type Questions (5 Marks)

Word limit: 100-120 words

Q1. How did Ausable outwit Max without using any weapon?

Ans: Ausable proved that the mind is the most powerful weapon. When he found Max in his room with a gun, he didn’t fight back physically. Instead, he used psychological warfare. He cooked up a convincing story about a balcony under his window that didn’t exist. He made Max believe that people had entered through it before. When the waiter knocked on the door, Ausable lied and said it was the police. Panicked and wanting to escape the “police,” Max jumped out of the window into what he thought was a balcony, but since there was no balcony, he fell to his death. Ausable’s calm demeanor and quick thinking saved his life.

Q2. “Appearances can be deceptive.” Explain this with reference to the character of Ausable.

Ans: This is the central theme of the story. Fowler was disappointed because Ausable looked like a “fat, sloppy” man who didn’t look like a spy at all. However, by the end of the story, Fowler realized that Ausable was a genius. Ausable didn’t need to look like James Bond to be effective. His strength lay in his intellect and his ability to stay cool under pressure. While Max looked like a dangerous “fox” with a pistol, he was easily fooled because he lacked Ausable’s wit. The story teaches us that we should never judge a person’s capability based on their physical appearance.

Q3. Describe the character of Max. Where did he go wrong?

Ans: Max was a “slender, not tall” man who looked like a fox. He was brave enough to break into a room with a gun, but he was not smart enough to see through a lie. Max’s biggest mistake was his over-reliance on his weapon and his lack of observation. He was so focused on the threat of the “police” that he didn’t even check if there was actually a balcony outside. He allowed Ausable to control the narrative. His nervousness and impulsiveness made him fall into Ausable’s trap. Max represents the “brawn” (physical force) that is ultimately defeated by Ausable’s “brain.”

Q4. What role does Fowler play in the story?

Ans: Fowler serves as the observer and the audience. Through his eyes, we see the transformation of the story from a boring meeting to a high-stakes thriller. Initially, he is bored and feels he is wasting his time. However, as the drama unfolds, he becomes a witness to Ausable’s brilliance. Fowler’s presence allows the reader to feel the shock and surprise of the ending. He learns a valuable lesson: that real-life “heroes” don’t always wear uniforms or carry guns; sometimes they are just ordinary-looking people with extraordinary minds.

Q5. Discuss the significance of the “balcony” in the story.

Ans: The balcony is a brilliant plot device used by the author. It doesn’t exist in reality, but it exists in Max’s mind because of Ausable’s detailed description. Ausable mentions it twice to make it sound real, even complaining that the hotel management hadn’t blocked it yet. It becomes the “exit” that leads Max to his doom. The “balcony” represents the power of suggestion—how a well-told lie can become more “real” than the truth during a moment of panic. It is the pillar of Ausable’s victory.