CHAPTER # NO 08( THE WOLVES
OF CERNOGRATZ)
(ALL QUESTIONS / ANSWERS SINDH BOARD)
Q1: What did Conrad ask his sister?
Ans: Conrad was a prosperous Humburg merchant, and a man of higher imagination than the rest of his family. The Conrad family had gathered at the recently owned Cernogratz palace, where they had gathered to celebrate New Year festivities, asked his sister if there were any legends attached to the castle. He asks so as he believes that such stories are often associated with big and historical palaces.
Q2: What did the Baroness think the legend was?
Ans: The legend according to the baroness, the new owner of the castle, who hardly believes in any of the legends so far attached with the castles, was that whenever anyone died in the castle all the dogs in the village and the wild beasts in the forest had howled all night long. But she expresses her disapproval, alluding that nothing like that happened when her Mother-in-law that died last year.
Q3: What was the real story?
Ans: The real story is told by Amalie, the grey old governess, the really last member of the Cernogratz family. According to her whenever any member of the Cernogratz family dies there the wolves come from far and near and howl at the edge of the forest. Just before the hour of death when the soul leaves the body of the dying man a tree crashes down in the park. However, it all happens only when a Cernogratz dies in their ancestral palace.
Q4: At what precise moment would a tree fall in the park, according to the legend?
Ans: According to the legend, as told by old grey governess, Amalie, who is the last Cernogratz member of the old legendary family, when the soul departs from the dying person's body a tree falls in the park. She tells the legend by interrupting and correcting the legend when she discusses with her family gathering at the New Year event festivities.
Q5; How did the governess know the real story?
Ans The governess Amalie who belonged to that noble historic family, but is employed as governess with the Conards, is the last member alive. She tells that she knew the legend from her grandfather, who was the gardener here. She barely knew that she will return to her ancestral palace ever.
Q6: Why were the Baron and the Baroness angry with Amalie?
Ans :Amalie the old governess was employed with the Conrad family after the decline of her noble family. She never interrupted into the family matters of her employers. She most often remained silent, and spoke only when spoken to. No one except her knew about
her relation with that great dynasty. However today, exceptionally, when her family legend was being discussed, she interrupted rather defiantly, caring the least for ethics. This unprecedented note of defiance and her expression of affiliation with a dynasty far better than her employers made the Conrad family angry with Amalie.
Q7: When did the governess fall ill?
Ans: The old governess Amalie, who was employed with the Conrad family, visited the Cernogratz palace along with her employers' family gathering during New Year festivities. She visits her ancestral palace, surprisingly, which she had never even imagined of visiting. She falls ill during her this visit.
Q8: What was the first sign of the presence of wolves?
Ans: Wappi, the small woolly lapdog leapt suddenly down from its cushion and crept shivering under the sofa. The family was surprised but thought it because of the unusual extreme cold that made the Wappi leap and shiver suddenly.
Q9: Why did the governess insist on having her window open?
Ans: Baroness visits the room of old governess instinctively. In an unusual extreme cold weather she finds the window of the room open. Amalie the old governess insists upon the window to be open as she thinks it her death time and wants to listen to the family music, and observe her family legend to happen..
Q10: What was the rational explanation for these strange events?
Ans: The Baroness, Conrad and other guests are annoyed at the defiance and disrespect of the old governess. Baroness and the banker's wife in particular disapprove the claimed allegiance of the old Amalie with such a noble and historic dynasty. The rational explanation as put by baron and baroness was the extreme cold that caused the wolves howl and the trees fall.
Q11: What does the death of Amalie Von Cernogratz prove?
Ans: The death of Amalie, the old governess proved the altruism of the legend told by her and her allegiance with that great and historic dynasty. It too proved that all the legends so far are not fake and fabricated. The death of Amalie demands that the poor people must not be looked down upon or underestimated; they might be ones from the historic and legendary dynasties. The time keeps changing the status of the people.
