A Story and a Song – A.K. Ramanujan – MCQ’S

Reading Time: 3 minutes

1. A Story and a Song is originally a

A. Tamil folktale
B. Telugu folktale
C. Kannada folktale
D. Malayalam folktale

2. The story is included in the collection

A. Speaking of Siva
B. Folktales from India
C. A Flowering Tree
D. The Interior Landscape

3. A Story and a Song was translated by

A. R.K. Narayan
B. Girish Karnad
C. A.K. Ramanujan
D. U.R. Ananthamurthy

4. The central character of the story is a

A. Queen
B. Dancer
C. Housewife
D. Priest

5. What does the woman possess but never share?

A. Wealth and jewels
B. A secret and a dream
C. A story and a song
D. A curse and a blessing

6. Over time, the story and song begin to

A. Disappear slowly
B. Trouble her husband
C. Feel trapped inside her
D. Turn into dreams

7. When do the story and song escape from the woman?

A. While she is awake
B. While she is cooking
C. While she is sleeping
D. While she is praying

8. They escape through her

A. Ears
B. Eyes
C. Hands
D. Mouth

9. What do the story and song transform into?

A. Birds and animals
B. Shoes and a coat
C. Lamps and flames
D. Flowers and trees

10. Where do these objects appear?

A. Inside the temple
B. In the marketplace
C. Outside her house
D. Near the river

11. On seeing the shoes and coat, the husband feels

A. Proud
B. Confused and suspicious
C. Happy
D. Curious but calm

12. The husband assumes that

A. Thieves have visited
B. A god has come
C. Another man has visited his house
D. The objects belong to his wife

13. This misunderstanding leads to

A. Celebration
B. Silence
C. A quarrel
D. Laughter

14. After the quarrel, the husband goes to

A. His mother’s house
B. A friend’s home
C. The Monkey-God’s temple
D. The marketplace

15. Who gather at the temple after being extinguished?

A. Birds
B. Lamps
C. Priests
D. Villagers

16. The lamps gather mainly to

A. Pray
B. Rest
C. Gossip
D. Sing

17. Which lamp reveals the truth about the quarrel?

A. The brightest flame
B. The weakest flame
C. The late-arriving flame
D. The oldest lamp

18. According to the flame, the quarrel happened because

A. The husband was angry
B. The wife was unfaithful
C. The story and song were not shared
D. The lamps interfered

19. After hearing the truth, the husband

A. Leaves the town
B. Punishes his wife
C. Realises his mistake
D. Ignores the story

20. When the husband returns home, he asks his wife about

A. The quarrel
B. The temple
C. The shoes and coat
D. The story and the song

21. By then, the woman

A. Refuses to speak
B. Has forgotten the story and song
C. Tells them beautifully
D. Writes them down

22. The loss of the story and song suggests that

A. Stories are dangerous
B. Silence brings peace
C. Stories die if not shared
D. Memory is unimportant

23. The lamps in the story symbolise

A. Fear and darkness
B. Wealth and power
C. Wisdom and truth
D. Magic and illusion

24. The story highlights the importance of

A. Wealth
B. Silence
C. Oral tradition
D. Punishment

25. The folktale style of the story is

A. Complex and philosophical
B. Simple and symbolic
C. Scientific and logical
D. Historical and factual

26. The woman’s silence mainly causes

A. Happiness
B. Confusion and misunderstanding
C. Success
D. Spiritual growth

27. The story suggests that stories have

A. No value
B. Only entertainment value
C. A life of their own
D. Only moral lessons

28. According to the story, storytelling helps in

A. Creating conflict
B. Healing and connection
C. Avoiding responsibility
D. Forgetting history

29. The moral of the story is that stories

A. Should be hidden
B. Should be sold
C. Must be shared
D. Should be written only

30. Overall, A Story and a Song supports

A. Written tradition alone
B. Oral storytelling culture
C. Modern communication only
D. Silence over speech

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Answer Key

1. C
2. C
3. C
4. C
5. C
6. C
7. C
8. D
9. B
10. C
11. B
12. C
13. C
14. C
15. B
16. C
17. C
18. C
19. C
20. D
21. B
22. C
23. C
24. C
25. B
26. B
27. C
28. B
29. C
30. B