Unit 7: Jalebis

The boy did not pay the school fees on the day he brought money to the school because his teacher, Master Ghulam Mohammed, who collected the fees, was on leave that particular day and so the fees would be collected the next day.

1. The coins in the boy’s pocket were actually his inner self which was urging him to buy hot and fresh jalebis.
2. Yes, the coins were misguiding him because the money was actually meant for paying school fees. However, when he saw the hot, sweet and syrupy jalebis, the boy couldn’t resist the temptation to buy and eat them.

Initially, the boy didn’t take the coins’ advice because of the following reasons:

1. He was an honest boy.
2. He could not spend the money meant for school fees on buying jalebis.
3. He was fully aware of the consequences of not paying the fees on time, i.e., the teacher would punish him by beating him with a cane.

1. The oldest coin convinced him that they were telling him to buy jalebis for his own good. It also said that he could also pay his fees the following day with his scholarship money. Hence, he should not suppress his desire for jalebis or resist this temptation.
2. No, the boy did not follow the coins’ advice initially. He was an honest and promising student and thought he couldn’t defame his reputed family by spending his school fees to buy jalebis. Moreover, he was aware of the harsh punishment that the teacher would inflict upon him if the school fees were not paid on time.

Upon reaching home, the coins in his pocket kept persuading him. When he went inside to have lunch, they began to shriek. Thoroughly fed up, he rushed out of the house barefoot and ran towards the bazaar. Unable to suppress his temptation and totally terrified, he told the halwai to weigh a whole rupee worth of jalebis quickly. The halwai opened up a whole newspaper and heaped a pile of jalebis on it.