Engine Trouble Summary (English)
The narrator wins a road engine in a lottery at Gaiety Land, a traveling show. Instead of being happy, this prize becomes his biggest problem. The showman refuses to help transport it and agrees only to keep it temporarily at the Gymkhana grounds.
When the showman leaves town, the municipality sends notices demanding the narrator remove the engine. He starts paying ten rupees monthly rent, which is very expensive for him. His wife questions what he will do with it, but he has no answer. He tries selling it to the municipality but fails.
When a cattle show arrives, he must move the engine within 24 hours. He hires a temple elephant, fifty coolies, and Joseph, a dismissed bus driver who claims he can steer it. During the move, everything goes wrong - the elephant pulls one way, Joseph steers randomly, and the coolies push wherever they want. The engine crashes into a compound wall, destroying it. The elephant panics, breaks free, and damages more of the wall. The police arrest the narrator.
After his release, he faces multiple bills - rebuilding the wall, paying the coolies, Joseph's fee, and the elephant's medicine costs. He has no money left and his wife refuses to give her last jewel. Then an earthquake strikes the town. The next morning, he discovers the engine has fallen into a nearby disused well. The well owner is so happy that the well is finally covered that he pays off all the narrator's debts and offers more money, which the narrator refuses.
സംഗ്രഹം (Malayalam)
ഗെയ്റ്റി ലാൻഡ് എന്ന സഞ്ചാര പ്രദർശനത്തിലെ ലോട്ടറിയിൽ ആഖ്യാതാവ് ഒരു റോഡ് എഞ്ചിൻ നേടുന്നു. സന്തോഷിക്കുന്നതിനുപകരം, ഈ സമ്മാനം അദ്ദേഹത്തിന്റെ ഏറ്റവും വലിയ പ്രശ്നമായി മാറുന്നു. ഷോമാൻ അത് കൊണ്ടുപോകാൻ സഹായിക്കാൻ വിസമ്മതിക്കുകയും താൽക്കാലികമായി ജിംഖാന ഗ്രൗണ്ടിൽ സൂക്ഷിക്കാൻ മാത്രം സമ്മതിക്കുകയും ചെയ്യുന്നു.
ഷോമാൻ പട്ടണം വിട്ടുപോയപ്പോൾ, മുനിസിപ്പാലിറ്റി എഞ്ചിൻ നീക്കം ചെയ്യാൻ നോട്ടീസ് അയക്കുന്നു. അദ്ദേഹം പ്രതിമാസം പത്തുരൂപ വാടക നൽകാൻ തുടങ്ങുന്നു, ഇത് അദ്ദേഹത്തിന് വളരെ ചെലവേറിയതാണ്. ഭാര്യ എന്തുചെയ്യുമെന്ന് ചോദിക്കുന്നു, പക്ഷേ അദ്ദേഹത്തിന് ഉത്തരമില്ല. മുനിസിപ്പാലിറ്റിക്ക് വിൽക്കാൻ ശ്രമിക്കുന്നു പക്ഷേ പരാജയപ്പെടുന്നു.
ഒരു കന്നുകാലി പ്രദർശനം വരുമ്പോൾ, 24 മണിക്കൂറിനുള്ളിൽ എഞ്ചിൻ നീക്കണം. അദ്ദേഹം ഒരു ക്ഷേത്ര ആന, അൻപത് തൊഴിലാളികൾ, ജോസഫ് എന്ന പുറത്താക്കപ്പെട്ട ബസ് ഡ്രൈവർ എന്നിവരെ വാടകയ്ക്കെടുക്കുന്നു. നീക്കിക്കൊണ്ടുപോകുമ്പോൾ എല്ലാം തെറ്റായി - ആന ഒരുവഴിക്ക് വലിക്കുന്നു, ജോസഫ് അനിയന്ത്രിതമായി സ്റ്റിയർ ചെയ്യുന്നു, തൊഴിലാളികൾ എവിടെയും തള്ളുന്നു. എഞ്ചിൻ ഒരു കോമ്പൗണ്ട് മതിലിൽ ഇടിച്ച് നശിപ്പിക്കുന്നു. ആന പരിഭ്രാന്തപ്പെട്ട് കൂടുതൽ മതിൽ തകർക്കുന്നു. പോലീസ് ആഖ്യാതാവിനെ അറസ്റ്റ് ചെയ്യുന്നു.
മോചിതനായതിനുശേഷം, അദ്ദേഹം നിരവധി ബില്ലുകൾ നേരിടുന്നു - മതിൽ പുനർനിർമ്മിക്കൽ, തൊഴിലാളികൾക്ക് പണം നൽകൽ, ജോസഫിന്റെ ഫീസ്, ആനയുടെ മെഡിസിൻ ചെലവ്. പണമില്ല, ഭാര്യ അവസാന ആഭരണം നൽകാൻ വിസമ്മതിക്കുന്നു. അപ്പോൾ ഒരു ഭൂകമ്പം പട്ടണത്തിൽ സംഭവിക്കുന്നു. പിറ്റേന്ന് രാവിലെ, എഞ്ചിൻ അടുത്തുള്ള ഉപയോഗശൂന്യമായ കിണറ്റിൽ വീണിരിക്കുന്നതായി കണ്ടെത്തുന്നു. കിണർ ഒടുവിൽ മൂടപ്പെട്ടതിൽ സന്തോഷിച്ച ഉടമ എല്ലാ കടങ്ങളും അടച്ച് കൂടുതൽ പണം വാഗ്ദാനം ചെയ്യുന്നു, അത് ആഖ്യാതാവ് നിരസിക്കുന്നു.
About R. K. Narayan (1906-2001)
R. K. Narayan is one of India's finest English writers. His simple and humorous writing style captures everyday life in India.
Key Facts:
- Created the fictional town of Malgudi, setting for many of his stories
- Wrote over 200 short stories
- Famous novel: The Guide (1958) - won Sahitya Akademi Award, later made into a film
- Other works: autobiography My Days, essay collection My Dateless Diary
- Retold Indian epics: The Ramayana and The Mahabharata
- Honors: Padma Vibhushan (2000), nominated to Rajya Sabha (1986)
Important Contribution: In Parliament, R. K. Narayan raised the issue of heavy schoolbags. His speech had immediate impact. Governments across India reduced schoolbag weights, in some cases by 50%.
His Parliamentary Speech: Narayan spoke about how children carry 3-6 kg of books strapped to their backs "like a pack-mule." He called schoolbags "an inevitable burden" and pleaded for their abolition. He highlighted that in focusing on adult concerns, we ignore children's problems. This shows his concern for common people's everyday struggles, which is reflected in his stories.
Questions and Answers
While Reading Questions:
Q1. Have you ever seen a show such as Gaiety Land? Describe your experience.
Answer: (Personal answer will vary. Sample answer:) Yes, I have visited a traveling fair similar to Gaiety Land during a festival in my town. There were various attractions like magic shows, game stalls, lottery booths, and food stalls. I particularly enjoyed the shooting gallery and tried my luck at winning prizes. The atmosphere was full of excitement with crowds, bright lights, and music. Unlike the narrator, I won only small prizes like toys and didn't face any trouble. Such fairs bring entertainment to towns and are popular with all age groups.
Q2. What is a road engine used for?
Answer: A road engine, also called a road roller or steam roller, is a heavy machine used for construction work. It is used to flatten and compress surfaces while building roads. The heavy cylindrical rollers press down on gravel, asphalt, or concrete to create smooth, even road surfaces. In the story, this large, heavy machine becomes a burden for the narrator because it is difficult to transport and has no practical use for an ordinary person.
Q3. Why couldn't the narrator transport the road engine immediately?
Answer: The narrator couldn't transport the road engine immediately for several reasons. First, it was not the sort of prize one could carry home at short notice because it was extremely large and heavy. Second, the showman refused to help transport it but agreed only to keep it at the Gymkhana grounds temporarily. Third, the narrator couldn't find anyone who knew how to drive a road engine. Finally, he had no practical plan or resources to move such a massive machine. These factors combined to create his initial problem.
Q4. How did the temple priest help the narrator?
Answer: The temple priest helped the narrator by offering the services of the temple elephant. The narrator needed the elephant to drag the road engine from the Gymkhana grounds to his friend's field. However, this help came at a cost - the elephant charged seven rupees per day, and the narrator had to provide a day's feed for it. This was very expensive for the poor narrator and drained his resources. Unfortunately, the elephant later caused more problems by panicking and kicking down the compound wall.
Q5. What happened when the engine was moved to the road?
Answer: When the engine was moved to the road, chaos erupted. Instead of going straight down the road, the engine began to wobble and zig-zag. The elephant dragged it one way, Joseph turned the wheel without knowing where he was going, and the fifty men behind pushed it wherever they wanted. As a result of this confused dragging, the engine ran straight into the wall of the opposite compound and reduced a good length of it to powder. The crowd let out a joyous yell. The elephant, disliking the crowd's behavior, trumpeted loudly, strained and snapped its ropes, and kicked down more of the wall. The fifty coolies fled in panic, and there was complete pandemonium. The owner of the compound wall slapped the narrator in the face, and the police arrived and arrested him.
Q6. How did Nature help the narrator solve his problem?
Answer: Nature came to the narrator's rescue through an earthquake. That year, an earthquake destroyed whole towns in Northern India, and there were reverberations in the narrator's town too. People were thrown out of their beds at night, and doors and windows rattled. The next morning, when the narrator went to take a last look at his engine before leaving town, he discovered it was not there. After raising a hue and cry and organizing search parties, the engine was found in a nearby disused well with its back up. The earthquake had caused the engine to fall into the well. The owner of the property was so pleased that the well was finally covered that he paid off all the narrator's debts and even offered more money, which the narrator refused. This unexpected natural event solved all his problems.
Let's Rewind Questions:
Q1. What would you do if you won a road engine in a lottery?
Answer: (Personal answer will vary. Sample answer:) If I won a road engine in a lottery, I would try to sell it immediately to the municipality or a construction company before taking possession of it. I would negotiate with the showman or lottery organizers to either exchange it for cash or help arrange its sale. If that failed, I would contact road construction companies and offer it at a reasonable price. I would definitely not make the narrator's mistake of taking possession without having a clear plan. The key lesson from this story is to think practically before accepting such unusual prizes. Unlike the narrator who became emotionally attached to the engine, I would treat it as an asset to be converted into something useful rather than a possession to keep.
Q2. Why did the people gaze at the narrator as if he were a strange animal?
Answer: People gazed at the narrator as if he were a strange animal because winning a road engine in a lottery was extremely unusual and absurd. Nobody expected such a prize, and it was completely impractical for an ordinary person. The situation was both amusing and strange - while most people win small, useful items like cameras or sewing machines, the narrator won a massive, immovable machine that had no use for a common man. People were curious and perhaps amused by his predicament. They couldn't imagine what he would do with such a prize. The comparison to a strange animal emphasizes how unusual and entertaining his situation appeared to others. It also shows the beginning of his troubles, as he became the object of public curiosity rather than congratulations.
Q3. How do the other characters like Joseph, the temple elephant, and the coolies add to the humour of the story?
Answer: Joseph, the temple elephant, and the coolies add significantly to the story's humour through their actions and incompetence.
Joseph: He was a dismissed bus driver who claimed he could steer a road engine if it was kept in motion, despite knowing nothing about road rollers. His false confidence and actual incompetence created a comic situation. He turned the wheel "without any idea of where he was going," contributing to the disaster.
Temple Elephant: The elephant was supposed to help but instead added to the chaos. It dragged the engine in its own direction without coordination. When the crowd yelled, it panicked, trumpeted loudly, snapped its ropes, and kicked down more of the wall. The irony is that the narrator had to pay medicine bills for the elephant's injuries even though it caused the damage. The temple authorities refused to listen to his reasonable argument that he didn't hire the elephant to break walls.
The Coolies: The fifty men were hired to push from behind but "clung to it and pushed it just where they liked" without any coordination. When chaos erupted, they fled in panic. Yet they still demanded wages despite not completing their job and "would not explain how they were entitled to the wages when they had not done their job." This absurd demand adds to the humour.
All three contributed to the catastrophe in different ways, creating a chaotic scene. Their collective incompetence transformed a simple moving operation into a disaster, making the story hilarious.
Q4. How does the narrator's initial enthusiasm change in the course of time?
Answer: The narrator's attitude toward the road engine undergoes a complete transformation throughout the story.
Initial Enthusiasm:
- When he won the engine, he was stunned but later grew "very fond of it"
- He made daily trips to the Gymkhana grounds to look at his engine
- He "loved its shining brass parts"
- He "patted it affectionately, hovered about it"
- He returned home only at the close of the show each day
- He had emotional attachment and pride in ownership
Growing Concern:
- When the showman left, the engine looked "neglected"
- Municipal notices started arriving demanding he remove it
- He had to pay ten rupees monthly rent, which was expensive
- He started pledging his wife's jewels to pay the rent
- His wife questioned him daily about what he would do
- He had "no answer to give her"
Complete Desperation:
- He "went up and down the town offering it for sale to all and sundry"
- He realized he was "making myself bankrupt"
- He became "desperate" when given 24 hours to remove it
- After the disaster, he was "at a loss" about what to do
- By the end, he went "to take a last look at my engine before leaving the town"
This progression from affection to desperation shows how his impractical prize turned from an object of pride into a source of financial and emotional burden. The story humorously depicts how something initially exciting can become a nightmare through poor planning.
Q5. Do you think machines like the road engine have become outdated? Why/why not?
Answer: Road engines like the steam-powered roller in the story have largely become outdated, though the concept remains relevant in modern form.
Why They Are Outdated:
Technology Advancement: Modern road rollers are powered by diesel engines or electricity, not steam. They are more efficient, easier to operate, and require less maintenance.
Size and Portability: Old steam rollers were extremely heavy and difficult to transport, as shown in the story. Modern versions are more compact and can be transported on trucks.
Operator Requirements: Steam engines required specialized knowledge and constant attention. Modern machines have simpler controls and safety features.
Efficiency: Steam engines were slow and consumed a lot of fuel. Current machinery is much faster and more fuel-efficient.
Why the Concept Remains Relevant:
Function: Road rollers are still essential for road construction. The basic function hasn't changed - compacting surfaces to create smooth roads.
Modern Infrastructure: With India's growing infrastructure needs, road construction equipment is more important than ever.
Improved Versions: While steam engines are obsolete, the road roller itself has evolved into a modern, essential machine used worldwide.
Conclusion: The specific type of road engine in Narayan's story is outdated and would be found only in museums today. However, road rollers as a category of machinery remain crucial for infrastructure development. The story's humour partly comes from the impracticality of such a machine for an ordinary person, which would be true even today - winning a modern road roller in a lottery would still create problems, though perhaps different ones.
Key Themes and Messages
Main Themes:
Human Stupidity and Poor Planning: The narrator's failure to think before acting, accepting a prize without considering consequences.
Impracticality vs. Sentimentality: The narrator's emotional attachment to a useless object causing financial hardship.
Chain of Disasters: One bad decision leading to multiple problems, each worse than the previous.
Nature's Intervention: Sometimes problems solve themselves in unexpected ways.
Social Comedy: How ordinary people deal with extraordinary situations, often making things worse.
Financial Burden: How pride and poor decisions can lead to bankruptcy.
Absurdity of Situations: How normal people can find themselves in completely ridiculous circumstances.
Life Lessons:
Think before accepting anything, even prizes.
Consider practical implications before making decisions.
Don't let pride or sentiment override common sense.
Sometimes it's better to cut losses early than persist with a bad situation.
Asking for help from the right people is important.
Don't get emotionally attached to impractical possessions.
Problems sometimes resolve themselves unexpectedly.
Poor planning leads to worse consequences.
Important Vocabulary
Showman - Person who owns or manages a show or entertainment
Institution - An organization or establishment
Gate money - Entrance fees collected at the gate
Annas - Old Indian currency, 16 annas made one rupee
Booth - A small temporary structure or stall
Pincushions - Small pads for holding pins
Road engine - Heavy machine used for flattening road surfaces, also called road roller
Stunned - Shocked or surprised
Short notice - Very little time or warning
Declined - Refused politely
Municipality - Local government body that manages a town or city
Innocently - In a naive or simple manner
Acquisition - Something newly obtained or gained
Gymkhana - Sports club or ground for athletic activities
Patted - Touched gently with the hand
Affectionately - In a loving or caring manner
Hovered - Remained near, lingered around
Neglected - Not cared for, abandoned
Immediate effect - Right away, without delay
Slender budget - Small, limited amount of money
Pledge - Give something as security for a loan
Sundry - Various, miscellaneous people
Apprehension - Anxiety or fear about something
Concession - Reduced price, discount
Futile - Pointless, having no useful result
Bankrupt - Unable to pay debts, financially ruined
Complications - Difficulties, problems
Desperate - Having lost all hope, in urgent need
Coolies - Workers hired for manual labor
Drained - Used up completely
Resources - Available money or assets
Dismissed - Removed from a job, fired
Stout - Strong and thick
Glee - Great delight or joy
Wobble - Move unsteadily from side to side
Zig-zag - Move in a pattern with sharp turns
Compound - Enclosed area around a building
Trumpeted - Made a loud sound (elephant's call)
Strained - Pulled with great effort
Pandemonium - Wild confusion and noise
Lock-up - Temporary jail or police cell
Entitled - Having a right to something
Thali - Traditional marriage necklace in South India
At a loss - Confused about what to do
Reverberation - Echo or continuing effect
Rattled - Shook with noise
Hue and cry - Loud outcry or alarm
Disused - No longer in use, abandoned
Quick Revision Points
Genre: Humorous short story with ironic ending
Main Character: Unnamed narrator - poor man, impractical, sentimental
Setting: Small Indian town, Gaiety Land show, Gymkhana grounds
Central Problem: Winning an impractical prize in a lottery
Main Events:
- Wins road engine in lottery
- Cannot transport it immediately
- Pays expensive rent to municipality
- Tries unsuccessfully to sell it
- Attempts to move it with elephant, coolies, and incompetent driver
- Engine crashes into compound wall
- Faces multiple bills and debts
- Earthquake causes engine to fall into disused well
- Well owner pays all his debts
Key Characters:
- Narrator: Impractical, sentimental, poor
- Wife: Practical, questioning, worried
- Showman: Unhelpful, business-minded
- Joseph: Incompetent driver, falsely confident
- Temple Priest: Helpful but expensive
- Temple Elephant: Uncooperative, causes damage
- Fifty Coolies: Undisciplined, demanding
Writing Style: Simple, humorous, conversational, ironic
Narrative Technique: First-person narration
Humour Elements:
- Absurd situation
- Incompetent helpers
- Chain of disasters
- Ironic ending
- Social comedy
Message: Think before acting, don't let sentiment override practicality, sometimes nature solves problems
R. K. Narayan's Style: Simple language, everyday situations, gentle humor, focus on common people, realistic details
Story Structure:
- Beginning: Winning the prize
- Rising Action: Increasing problems and costs
- Climax: Disastrous attempt to move the engine
- Resolution: Earthquake solves the problem
Irony: The narrator's "prize" becomes his biggest burden; nature solves what human effort couldn't; earthquake (usually destructive) becomes beneficial