Here is a comprehensive study guide for the SEBA Class 10 English Supplementary Reader chapter, “The Midnight Visitor,” by Robert Arthur. This guide includes a summary, complete textual question answers, previous years’ HSLC questions, and a list of most important questions in both English and Assamese,
Chapter: “The Midnight Visitor”
by Robert Arthur
Summary Note (পাঠটোৰ সাৰাংশ)
In English: “The Midnight Visitor” is a clever detective story that proves intelligence is more powerful than physical strength. The story features Ausable, a secret agent who, unlike typical spies, is very fat and lives in a small, gloomy hotel room. A young, romantic writer named Fowler visits him, hoping to see some real spy action, but is initially disappointed by Ausable’s ordinary appearance and setting.
Their dull evening takes a dramatic turn when they enter Ausable’s room and find another secret agent, Max, waiting for them with a pistol. Max has come to forcibly take a secret report about new missiles that Ausable is expecting. The situation seems dangerous, but Ausable remains calm. He cleverly invents a story about a non-existent balcony under his window, complaining that it is the second time someone has entered his room through it. He describes it in such detail that both Fowler and Max believe him.
Just then, there is a loud knocking at the door. Ausable confidently claims it must be the police, whom he had asked to check on him for extra security because of the important report. This makes Max nervous. Wanting to hide, and completely believing in the balcony story, Max jumps out of the window to his death, as there was no balcony on the sixth floor. The “police” at the door turn out to be just a waiter with a drink Ausable had ordered. Thus, Ausable outwits and defeats his rival using only his sharp mind and presence of mind, giving Fowler the authentic thrill he was looking for.
In Assamese: “The Midnight Visitor” হৈছে এখন চতুৰ চোৰাংচোৱাৰ কাহিনী, যিয়ে প্ৰমাণ কৰে যে শাৰীৰিক শক্তিতকৈ বুদ্ধি অধিক শক্তিশালী। কাহিনীটোত আছে এজন গোপন এজেণ্ট, অচাবেল, যি আন সাধাৰণ চোৰাংচোৱাৰ দৰে নহয়, বৰঞ্চ তেওঁ অত্যন্ত শকত আৰু এখন সৰু, বিষাদপূৰ্ণ হোটেলৰ কোঠাত বাস কৰে। ফাউলাৰ নামৰ এজন ডেকা, ৰোমাণ্টিক লেখকে তেওঁক লগ কৰিবলৈ আহে, কিছুমান প্ৰকৃত চোৰাংচোৱাৰ কাৰ্যকলাপ দেখাৰ আশাত, কিন্তু অচাবেলৰ সাধাৰণ চেহেৰা আৰু পৰিৱেশ দেখি তেওঁ প্ৰথমতে হতাশ হয়।
তেওঁলোকৰ নিৰস সন্ধিয়াটো নাটকীয়ভাৱে সলনি হয় যেতিয়া তেওঁলোকে অচাবেলৰ কোঠাত সোমাই মেক্স নামৰ আন এজন গোপন এজেণ্টক পিষ্টল লৈ ৰৈ থকা দেখা পায়। মেক্সে অচাবেলে পাবলগীয়া নতুন মিছাইল সম্পৰ্কীয় এক গোপন প্ৰতিবেদন বলপূৰ্বকভাৱে ল’বলৈ আহিছিল। পৰিস্থিতিটো বিপদসংকুল যেন লাগিছিল, কিন্তু অচাবেল শান্ত হৈ থাকে। তেওঁ চতুৰালিৰে তেওঁৰ খিৰিকীৰ তলত এখন অস্তিত্বহীন বেলকনিৰ কাহিনী সাজে, আৰু অভিযোগ কৰে যে এইটো দ্বিতীয়বাৰৰ বাবে কোনোবাই সেই বেলকনিৰে তেওঁৰ কোঠাত সোমাইছে। তেওঁ ইমান বিস্তাৰিতভাৱে বৰ্ণনা কৰে যে ফাউলাৰ আৰু মেক্স দুয়োজনে তেওঁক বিশ্বাস কৰে।
ঠিক সেই সময়তে, দৰ্জাত জোৰেৰে খটখটোৱা শব্দ হয়। অচাবেলে আত্মবিশ্বাসেৰে কয় যে সেইয়া নিশ্চয় পুলিচ, যাক তেওঁ গুৰুত্বপূৰ্ণ প্ৰতিবেদনখনৰ বাবে অতিৰিক্ত সুৰক্ষাৰ বাবে তেওঁক চাবলৈ কৈছিল। এই কথাই মেক্সক অস্থিৰ কৰি তোলে। লুকাবলৈ বিচাৰি, আৰু বেলকনিৰ কাহিনীটোত সম্পূৰ্ণ বিশ্বাস কৰি, মেক্সে খিৰিকীৰে জঁপিয়াই মৃত্যুবৰণ কৰে, কাৰণ ষষ্ঠ মহলাত কোনো বেলকনি নাছিল। দৰ্জাত থকা “পুলিচ”জন আচলতে অচাবেলে অৰ্ডাৰ কৰা পানীয় লৈ অহা এজন ৱেইটাৰহে আছিল। এইদৰে, অচাবেলে কেৱল তেওঁৰ তীক্ষ্ণ বুদ্ধি আৰু উপস্থিত বুদ্ধি ব্যৱহাৰ কৰি তেওঁৰ প্ৰতিদ্বন্দ্বীক পৰাস্ত কৰে, আৰু ফাউলাৰক তেওঁ বিচৰা প্ৰকৃত ৰোমাঞ্চকৰ অভিজ্ঞতা দিয়ে।
Textual Question Answers (পাঠ্যপুথিৰ প্ৰশ্নোত্তৰ)
Read and Find Out (পঢ়া আৰু বিচাৰি উলিওৱা)
1. How is Ausable different from other secret agents?
(অচাবেল আন গোপন এজেণ্টসকলতকৈ কেনেকৈ বেলেগ?)
Answer: Ausable is different from other secret agents in several ways. Firstly, he is extremely fat. Secondly, he lives in a small, gloomy room on the sixth floor of a French hotel, not in a lavish setting. Lastly, instead of getting messages from beautiful spies, he gets only a prosaic telephone call.
2. Who is Fowler and what is his first authentic thrill of the day?
(ফাউলাৰ কোন আৰু সেইদিনাৰ তেওঁৰ প্ৰথম প্ৰকৃত ৰোমাঞ্চকৰ অভিজ্ঞতা কি আছিল?)
Answer: Fowler is a young and romantic writer who wants to write a book about spies. His first authentic thrill of the day was seeing a man, Max, standing in the middle of Ausable’s room holding a small automatic pistol.
3. How has Max got in?
(মেক্স কেনেকৈ সোমাইছিল?)
Answer: Max had got into Ausable’s room using a passkey or a master key.
4. How does Ausable say he got in?
(অচাবেলে কেনেকৈ সোমাইছিল বুলি কৈছিল?)
Answer: Ausable, looking at Max with irritation, says that he must have gotten in through the balcony under the window.
Think about it (ভাবি চোৱা)
1. “Ausable did not fit any description of a secret agent Fowler had ever read.” What do secret agents in books and films look like, in your opinion?
(“ফাউলাৰে পঢ়া কোনো গোপন এজেণ্টৰ বৰ্ণনাৰ সৈতে অচাবেলৰ মিল নাছিল।” তোমাৰ মতে, কিতাপ আৰু চিনেমাত গোপন এজেণ্টসকলক কেনেকুৱা দেখা যায়?)
Answer: In my opinion, secret agents in books and films are usually depicted as tall, handsome, and athletic men. They are well-dressed, surrounded by beautiful women, and are experts in using guns and fighting. They are often shown in exotic locations, dealing with danger and thrilling situations, which is completely opposite to Ausable’s appearance and lifestyle.
2. How does Ausable manage to make Max believe that there is a balcony attached to his room? What makes it a convincing story?
(অচাবেলে কেনেকৈ মেক্সক বিশ্বাস কৰোৱায় যে তেওঁৰ কোঠাৰ লগত এখন বেলকনি সংলগ্ন আছে? কিহে কাহিনীটোক বিশ্বাসযোগ্য কৰি তোলে?)
Answer: Ausable makes Max believe in the balcony by creating a very detailed and convincing story. He complains to Max about the “nuisance” of the balcony, mentioning that it is the second time someone has entered his room through it. He explains that it belongs to the next apartment and extends under his window. This detailed description, told with an air of irritation, makes the story sound completely authentic and convincing.
3. Looking back at the story, when do you think Ausable thought up his plan for getting rid of Max?
(কাহিনীটোলৈ ঘূৰি চালে, তুমি কি ভাবা অচাবেলে মেক্সৰ পৰা পৰিত্ৰাণ পোৱাৰ পৰিকল্পনা কেতিয়া কৰিছিল?)
Answer: Ausable likely thought up his plan the moment he saw Max in his room and switched on the light. As a clever secret agent, he must have assessed the situation instantly and used his presence of mind to create the story about the balcony on the spot, taking advantage of the ordinary window in his room.
Talk about it (কথা পতা)
1. In this story, Ausable shows great ‘presence of mind,’ or the ability to think quickly, and act calmly and wisely, in a situation of danger and surprise. Give examples from your own experience…
(এই কাহিনীটোত, অচাবেলে ‘উপস্থিত বুদ্ধি’ৰ পৰিচয় দিয়ে… তোমাৰ নিজৰ অভিজ্ঞতাৰ পৰা উদাহৰণ দিয়া…)
Answer: Once, while I was returning home from school, a stray dog started barking and chasing me aggressively. Instead of panicking and running, which would have made it chase me more, I remembered that dogs often stop if you stand your ground. I stood still, faced the dog without making eye contact, and it stopped, lost interest, and walked away. My presence of mind helped me avoid getting bitten.
2. Discuss what you would do in the situations described below…
(তলত বৰ্ণনা কৰা পৰিস্থিতিবোৰত তুমি কি কৰিবা আলোচনা কৰা…)
Answer:
- A small fire in the kitchen: I would first turn off the gas supply, then use a fire extinguisher or cover the fire with a wet blanket. I would also alert other family members.
- A child starts to choke: I would perform the Heimlich maneuver by standing behind the child and giving quick, upward thrusts to the abdomen to dislodge the food.
- A bicycle knocks down a pedestrian: I would immediately rush to the pedestrian, check for injuries, and call for medical help if needed. I would also ensure the cyclist stays at the scene.
Previous Year HSLC Question Answers
(বিগত বৰ্ষৰ HSLC প্ৰশ্নোত্তৰ)
1. Who was Max? (HSLC 2023)
(মেক্স কোন আছিল?)
Answer: Max was another secret agent and a rival of Ausable. He had come to Ausable’s room to get an important report on new missiles.
2. Who was following Ausable in the corridor of the French hotel? (HSLC 2023)
(ফৰাচী হোটেলৰ কৰিডৰত অচাবেলক কোনে অনুসৰণ কৰি আছিল?)
Answer: Fowler, a young writer, was following Ausable in the corridor of the French hotel.
3. Describe Max as a secret agent. (HSLC 2022)
(এজন গোপন এজেণ্ট হিচাপে মেক্সৰ বৰ্ণনা দিয়া।)
Answer: Max was a slender, not very tall man with features that suggested he was crafty and cunning, like a fox. He carried a small automatic pistol but was not as clever as Ausable, as he was easily fooled by Ausable’s story of the non-existent balcony.
4. What was Fowler’s first authentic thrill of the day? (HSLC 2022)
(সেইদিনাৰ ফাউলাৰৰ প্ৰথম প্ৰকৃত ৰোমাঞ্চকৰ অভিজ্ঞতা কি আছিল?)
Answer: Fowler’s first authentic thrill of the day was the sight of Max standing in the middle of Ausable’s room, holding a small automatic pistol in his hand.
5. How did Ausable get rid of Max? (HSLC 2020, 2017)
(অচাবেলে মেক্সৰ পৰা কেনেকৈ পৰিত্ৰাণ পালে?)
Answer: Ausable got rid of Max by cleverly inventing a story about a non-existent balcony under his window. When there was a knock at the door, Ausable convinced Max that it was the police. To hide, Max jumped out of the window, believing he would land on the balcony, but fell to his death from the sixth floor.
6. Who was Fowler? Give a description of his meeting with Ausable. (HSLC 2018)
(ফাউলাৰ কোন আছিল? অচাবেলৰ সৈতে তেওঁৰ সাক্ষাৎকাৰৰ বৰ্ণনা দিয়া।)
Answer: Fowler was a young and romantic writer who wanted to write about the life of a secret agent. He met Ausable in a gloomy French hotel but was disappointed because Ausable was fat and lived in a small, ordinary room, not fitting the image of a typical spy. His disappointment, however, turned into a thrilling experience when he witnessed how Ausable outsmarted Max.
7. Briefly describe how Ausable defeated Max’s scheme to take away the report. (HSLC 2021, 2015)
(অচাবেলে কেনেকৈ মেক্সৰ প্ৰতিবেদন লৈ যোৱাৰ পৰিকল্পনা বিফল কৰিলে, চমুকৈ বৰ্ণনা কৰা।)
Answer: Ausable defeated Max’s scheme by using his quick thinking. He invented a story about a balcony under his window. When a waiter knocked on the door, Ausable made Max believe it was the police. Panicked, Max jumped out of the window to hide on the “balcony” and fell to his death, thus ending his scheme.
8. Between Ausable and Max, who do you think is more intelligent and why? (HSLC 2020)
(অচাবেল আৰু মেক্সৰ মাজত, কোনজন অধিক বুদ্ধিমান বুলি তুমি ভাবা আৰু কিয়?)
Answer: Between Ausable and Max, Ausable is far more intelligent. While Max relied on a pistol, Ausable used his brain as his weapon. He remained calm under pressure and created a believable story on the spot, which tricked Max into jumping out of the window. This shows that intelligence is more powerful than physical force.
9. How does Ausable make Max believe that there is a balcony attached to his room? (HSLC 2021)
(অচাবেলে কেনেকৈ মেক্সক বিশ্বাস কৰোৱায় যে তেওঁৰ কোঠাৰ লগত এখন বেলকনি সংলগ্ন আছে?)
Answer: Ausable makes Max believe there is a balcony by complaining angrily about it being a “nuisance” and claiming that someone had entered his room through it last month. His detailed explanation and irritated tone made the story seem completely real.
Most Important 10 Questions and Answers
1. Why was Fowler disappointed after meeting Ausable?
(অচাবেলক লগ পোৱাৰ পিছত ফাউলাৰ কিয় হতাশ হৈছিল?)
Answer: Fowler was disappointed because Ausable did not fit the romantic picture of a secret agent. Ausable was very fat, lived in a small, gloomy hotel room, and seemed to lead a very ordinary life, unlike the smart and dashing spies Fowler had read about.
2. What was the important paper that Ausable was waiting for?
(অচাবেলে ৰৈ থকা গুৰুত্বপূৰ্ণ কাগজখন কি আছিল?)
Answer: The important paper was a report concerning some new missiles. It was so important that several men and women had risked their lives for it, and it had the potential to affect the course of history.
3. How did Max’s presence in the room challenge Ausable?
(কোঠাত মেক্সৰ উপস্থিতিয়ে অচাবেলক কেনেকৈ প্ৰত্যাহ্বান জনাইছিল?)
Answer: Max’s presence was a serious challenge as he was armed with a pistol and intended to take the secret report by force. Ausable was physically outmatched and had to rely entirely on his intelligence to handle the dangerous situation.
4. What story did Ausable invent about the balcony?
(বেলকনিৰ বিষয়ে অচাবেলে কি কাহিনী সাজিছিল?)
Answer: Ausable invented a story that the balcony belonged to the next apartment and extended under his window. He complained that it was the second time someone had used it to enter his room and that he had already asked the management to block it off.
5. How did the knock at the door help Ausable’s plan?
(দৰ্জাৰ খটখটনিয়ে অচাবেলৰ পৰিকল্পনাত কেনেকৈ সহায় কৰিছিল?)
Answer: The knock at the door was a crucial part of Ausable’s plan. It allowed him to convince Max that the police had arrived to check on him, creating a sense of urgency and panic in Max, which forced him to act rashly.
6. Who was actually knocking at the door?
(আচলতে দৰ্জাত কোনে খটখটাইছিল?)
Answer: It was Henry, a waiter, who was knocking at the door. He was bringing a drink that Ausable had ordered before coming up to his room.
7. What is the significance of the title “The Midnight Visitor”?
(“The Midnight Visitor” শিৰোনামটোৰ তাৎপৰ্য কি?)
Answer: The title refers to Max, who secretly entered Ausable’s room around midnight to steal the report. His unexpected arrival as a “midnight visitor” creates the central conflict and suspense of the story.
8. What does the story suggest about the qualities of a good secret agent?
(কাহিনীটোৱে এজন ভাল গোপন এজেণ্টৰ গুণাৱলীৰ বিষয়ে কি কয়?)
Answer: The story suggests that the most important quality of a good secret agent is not physical appearance or strength, but presence of mind and intelligence. A good agent can outwit their enemy by thinking quickly and acting calmly in a dangerous situation.
9. Why did Max jump out of the window?
(মেক্স খিৰিকীৰে কিয় জঁপিয়াইছিল?)
Answer: Max jumped out of the window because he was trying to hide from the police, whom he believed were at the door. He was completely convinced by Ausable’s story and thought he would be safe on the balcony.
10. What is the central theme of “The Midnight Visitor”?
(“The Midnight Visitor” ৰ কেন্দ্ৰীয় বিষয়বস্তু কি?)
Answer: The central theme of the story is the triumph of intellect over force. It shows that a sharp and quick-witted mind is a more powerful weapon than a pistol and that appearances can be deceptive.