The Mysterious Picture
1. Who is the author of the story 'The Mysterious Picture'?
Answer :
Charles De Coster
2. Who is the central character of the story?
Answer :
Tyl
3.Where do the events in the story take place?
Answer :
In the palace of the Archduke of Battenburg
4. How did Tyl ride to the palace?
Answer :
On his donkey Jeff
5. Who stopped Tyl at the entrance of the palace?
Answer :
The captain of the Guards
6. Why didn't the captain of the Guards allow Tyl to enter the palace?
Answer :
Because Tyl and his donkey looked like Skeltons. The appearance of Tyl was very shabby. So the captain thought that Tyl was a loafer
7. What kind of man was the captain of the Guards?
Answer :
He was a tall, well-built, red-haired man of about twenty-five. He was handsomely dressed in his gold-braided uniform.
8. "If you will be so good as to give me a piece of the gold cord that you wear on your coat, I’ll go and hang myself by the teeth on that large leg of mutton that I see hanging in that butcher’s shop.’'- whose words are these? Why does he tell so?
Answer :
These are the words of Tyle. He said so because he was very much hungry.
9. What was the captain of the Guards doing ?
Answer :
The Captain was playing a game of chess with another officer.
10. Where did Tyl come from?
Answer :
Flanders
11. Why did the captain of the Guards allow Tyl to meet the Archduke?
Answer :
Tyl said that he was a painter from Flanders. The captain of the Guards knew that the Flemish painters and their pictures were in great demand all over Europe. So he permitted Tyl to meet the Archduke .
12. Is there a change in the attitude of the Captain? What is the reason behind it?
Answer :
Yes, because the Captain of the Guards understood that Tyl was a Flemish painter.
13. Do you think Tyl and his donkey are hungry? Give reasons for your answer.
Answer :
The donkey may not be hungry as it fed well all along the way. But Tyl had nothing to eat for the last three days.
14. What did Tyl presented before the Archduke?
Answer :
The portrait of Lady, the Virgin, in her royal robes.
15. What does Tyl wish to become?
Answer :
Tyi wished to become the court painter.
16. Pick out a word from the passage that means "a person who talks a great deal"
Answer :
Talkative
17. What did Tyl request the Archduke immediately getting the job of the court painter?
Answer :
Tyl was very hungry. So he requested for good food and drink from the royal table.
18. What did Tyl ask the Archduke in favour of his donkey?
Answer :
Tyl requested to provide the donkey a little fodder and lodging at night.
19. What kind of food was served before Tyl at the palace?
Answer :
The food was like a wedding feast. The tables were loaded with every kind of food and drink. Wine flowed like water. The courtiers stuffed themselves with the choicest dishes.
20. What does the Archduke want Tyl to do?
Answer:
The Archduke wanted Tyl to paint his portrait so as to leave his memory to his descendants.
21. What does the sentence, ‘We do not know when God will think fit to summon us,’ mean?
Answer:
lt means that nobody can predict when he will die.
22. Why does Tyl feel unhappy?
Answer :
Tyl was unhappy because the Arch-duke asked him to paint him alone without the courtiers in the portrait.
23. What was Tyle's plan about the portrait of the Archduke?
Answer :
Tyl wanted to paint the Archduke along with all his courtiers and his lady.
24. Who are compared to the moon and the lanterns?
Answer:
The Lord and the Lady are compared to the moon and all the other courtiers are compared to the lanterns.
25. What did Archduke give to Tyl as a reward for his portrait in advance?
Answer :
A hundred pieces of gold
26. What were the demands of the Archduke and the courtiers in painting their pictures?
Answer:
The courtiers demanded Tyl that he should make them more attractive than they actually look like. They all threatened him that if he didn't do so, they will kill him.
While the Archduke demanded Tyl to paint all the courtiers exactly as he see them. He also warned Tyl that If he left out a mole, a pimple, or a single grey hair, he would slaughter him like a pig.
27. Why did Tyl think that if he painted the picture, he would definitely be killed?
Answer :
If Tyl painted the picture as directed by the Archduke, he will be killed by the courtiers. If he painted as per the wishes of the courtiers, he will be killed by the Archduke.
28. What were the requirements did Tyl ask for painting the picture ?
Answer :
Tyl asked the Archduke for the hall where he was to paint the picture. He also demanded for thick curtains to be hung on the walls and three assistants to help him in mixing colours
29. How did Tyl manage to stay in the court for long? How many days did he finally get to complete the picture?
Answer:
He kept on saying that the picture was nearing completion and he requested for some more days to complete. Tyl took sixty days to finish the picture.
30. What is special about the picture?
Answer:
Actually there is no picture at all. Tyl knew that if he drew the picture, either the courtiers or the Archduke will kill him. So he wisely avoided to draw the picture and lied to the courtiers that only those who have noble blood can see the picture.
31. What did the courtiers praise The Tyl for ?
Answer :
The courtiers praised Tyl for his splendid painting.
32. What did the jester mean by saying that " "I have no blue bloods in my veins ".
Answer :
The juster meant that he is not a person of noble birth.
33. Is the jester a mere fool? Why do you think so?
No, he is not. He is the only one in that court who realised that Tyle was making everyone fool.
34. Tyl calmly strode out of the hall and rode away on his donkey from the palace . On the way he meets one of his friends and narrates the experiences he had in the palace. Write the narrative..
Answer :
Tyl: The Clever Painter
On the course of my wandering from court to court on my donkey Jeff, I reached the palace of the Archduke of Battenburg. I wanted to become the court painter. As I informed that I was a Flemish painter, the captain of the guards at the entrance allowed me to meet the Archduke. I showed the painting of Our Lady, The Virgin’ to the Archduke. The Archduke was flattered by the painting and appointed me as his court painter.
As I came to know that the Archduke wanted his portrait to be remembered by his descendants, I put forward a suggestion that I could draw his portrait along with his lady and all other courtiers. The Archduke was very much impressed by that idea and offered me a hundred gold pieces in advance.
The next day as per my wish, all the courtiers who were to painted came to see me one by one. The first one was the Commander in chief of the army. He was a short, fat, bald man with an enormous paunch. But he wanted himself to be painted handsom and threatened to hang me if I didn't obey him. Similar kinds of threats were followed by all the other courtiers . But alas! The Archduke commanded that my painting should be very I real and if I missed anything in it, I would be slaughtered like a pig.
I realised that I was in danger. I want to save myself at any cost. So I made a solution. I asked for three assistants to help me in mixing colours. The all of us enjoyed our living at the palace by drinking and eating for sixty days. But we didn't draw any pictures on the wall. On the sixtieth day, I summoned everyone to the hall. Before unveiling the curtain, I announced that only those who had noble blood in their veins would be able to see the painting. I also added that all the rest would only see a blank wall. Then everybody started admiring my painting. Suddenly the Duke’s jester came and told that he was a fool and he had no blue blood in his veins but even then he couldn’t see the picture. Hearing this I calmly moved out of the palace by saying that "When fools begin to talk,‘it’s time for wise men to walk." Thus I saved my life.
35. Prepare the character sketch of Archduke.
The Archduke of Battenburg.
The Archduke is one of the powerful character in the story 'The Mysterious Picture' written by Charles De Coster. He is the ruler of Battenburg. He loves paintings and artists very much. Though a little pompous he is sincere and just. He always keeps his promises. He is a very kind person as he gives Tyl reward in advance. And also he has a mind to welcome guests with good feasts., He loves to be remembered after his death. He has a good patience . So that he waits , about two months for completing the painting of Tyl.
36. Prepare the character sketch of Tyle.
Answer :
Tyl: The Flemish Painter
Tyl is the central character of the story 'The Mysterious Picture' written by Charles De Coster. He is a painter from Flanders and wants to be the court painter at the palace of the Archduke of Battenburg . He comes to the palace on his donkey Jeff. He is slim and looks like a skeleton. He always wears a cap with three bright feathers. He is very clever and tricky. He knows very well how to escape safely from a crisis. He has a good sense of humor and values his own freedom and creativity. He is very talkative and confident fellow. He can impress anyone by his sensible way of talking.
