He was ready to snap at anything before he was even fully hatched out of his shell. He was ready to fend for himself from the very moment of his birth. The crocodile was hatched from an egg on a sandbank of the river a long time ago (may be a hundred years ago). How did the crocodile sustain himself after his birth and what kind of food did he get to satisfy his hunger ? Norah has purposely given all these details about the powerful crocodile in order to emphasize the fact that the little girl Sibia had a great strength of mind to fight with his physically stronger rival while saving a woman’s life from his clutches. He had an inch-thick skin which could not be pierced even by rifle-bullets. We are amused to read that inside his stomach there rolled a silver bracelet among the stones which the crocodile had swallowed to help him in his digestion. He could be scientifically described as an antediluvian saurian reptile. He was a mugger crocodile blackish brown above and yellow white below. We are told that the crocodile was twice the length of a tall man. The writer, Norah Burke, has given a graphic account of the monstrous crocodile which is the centre of interest in this story. How does the writer paint a pen-picture of the monstrous strength of the crocodile ? What is his purpose in giving these details ? Quite often this crocodile comes upto the sandbank to breathe the sunny air. These sleepers are a good resting place for the huge crocodile. Some logs of wood or ‘sleepers’ lie stuck around the big stones which block their way. This river is being used to float the timber which comes from the forests above. He is living on the ghat of a great Indian river. The crocodile is the focus of interest and the story begins from the habitat in which he is living. Norah Burke, the writer of the story “The Blue Bead”, has given a graphic picture of an exciting adventure - an encounter between Sibia, a 12-year old girl and a crocodile.

Treasure Trove Short Stories Workbook Answers Treasure Trove Short Stories Workbook Answers The Blue Beadĭescribe in your own words the habitat of the crocodile as given in the story “The Blue Bead.” Treasure Trove Short Stories Workbook Answers The Blue Bead

Crocodile on the sandbank