1. Engine Trouble
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| R K Narayan |
Questions & Answers
1. Give an account of the series of troubles the narrator experienced in the wake of winning a road engine.
(or)
Rasipuram Krishnaswami Narayan was an Indo-Anglian writer. He wrote novels and short stories and got a great fame in the whole world. ‘Engine Trouble’ is an interesting short story.
The narrator won a road engine in a lottery, for a ticket purchased for two annas. He was happy that he got a big road engine which would bring him great fortune. The engine was at the Gymkhana grounds and it has to be moved from that place. The Municipal authorities urged him to shift it. He paid rent for three months but it was burdensome for him and his family. He wanted to sell it. Nobody came forward to buy it.
The narrator firmly believed that one day it would make him rich. He requested some of the drivers to drive the engine but of no use. There was a bargain with the secretary of a local club. The Municipal Chairman also expressed his helplessness. The temple priest accepted to send the temple elephant to drag it. Fifty coolies at the rate of eight annas a day (half a rupee) got ready to push the engine from behind. The road engine had to be moved for half a furlong from the place.
The elephant was dragging the engine, the coolies were pushing from behind, and Joseph the driver was in the driver’s seat. A huge crowd gathered there. As a result of confused dragging by the elephant, the driver Joseph and coolies in their own way. The engine went straight to the opposite wall and smashed it. The difficulties of the narrator were multiplied.
The dynamic world showed a way out. To his luck, a Swamiji arranged a yoga feat. He said that he would be ready to have the engine over his chest. But he needed a road engine and asked Municipal Chairmen for it. He didn’t have it. Then the narrator said that he had it. Are everything was ready to move the engine. The Swamiji’s assistant would drive the engine. Suddenly at this moment, a police officer came and stopped the show, there was no other go, for the narrator except to leave the town.
Luckily for him an earthquake hit the area. There was much damage. Even the big Road Engine was moved into a disused well nearby. The owner of the house was very happy. The municipal authorities asked him to close it down. The engine fitted well like a cork. The owner accepted to construct the compound wall himself and also promised to pay all the expenditure, he had in that affair. When luck plucks, no one checks. Loss to many by the : earthquake, became a gain to the narrator.
