2.

Too Dear -Leo Tolstoy

Comprehension I
I. Answer the following questions in a word, a phrase or a sentence
each: -
1. Where is the kingdom of Monaco?
The kingdom of Monaco lies on the shore of the Mediterranean Sea near the
borders of France and Italy
2. What is the population of Monaco?
Or
How many inhabitants are there in the kingdom of Monaco? March - 2016
Or
What is the population of the Kingdom of Monaco? March - 2019
Ans: - Seven thousand inhabitants
3. How many soldiers were there in the army of Monaco?
Ans: - Sixty men.
4. Mention one of the taxes imposed by the King of Monaco.
Or
What were the items on which taxes were imposed?
Or
Name any one commodity taxed in Monaco?
Ans: - Tobacco/wine and spirits/poll tax/gaming houses
5. Name the special source of revenue in the kingdom of Monaco?
March - 2015
Ans: - Gaming House,
6. What did people play in the gaming house?
Roulette
7. Which country in Europe stopped the Gaming Houses as mentioned
in “Too Dear!”?
Or
Which country banned the Gaming Houses in Europe?
Ans: - Germany Sovereigns
8. Why were the German sovereigns forbidden from keeping gaming
houses? Why?
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Gaming houses run by German sovereigns did a great deal of harm to the
people. Many a time gamblers who lost their money in the German gaming
houses, out of despair they drowned or shot themselves.
9. In what way does the Prince of Monaco hold his court with all the
ceremony of a real king?
The Prince of Monaco had his coronation, and his levees. He also gave
rewards, and awarded sentences and pardons. He also held reviews,
councils, laws and courts of justice.
10. What were the duties expected of the guard?
The guard was expected to watch the criminal and also to fetch his food
from the palace kitchen.
11. Who was known as a brother monarch?
Ans: - King of Italy
12. How much did the French government expect for a guillotine and
an executioner in Too dear?
Ans: - 16,000 Francs
13. Mention one of the reasons as to why death sentence was altered to
life imprisonment?
Ans: - Because they could not afford a guillotine nor an executioner
14. What was the initial punishment suggested to the criminal by the
council in Too dear?
Ans: - Death sentence
15. How much did the Italian government quote for the guillotine and
the executioner?
Ans: - Twelve thousand [12000]francs, including the travelling expenses.
16. How much pension would the criminal get in Too Dear?
Or
What was the sum fixed as pension for the criminal in Too Dear?
Ans: - 600 francs.
17. Meaning of the proverb,” You can’t earn stone palaces by Honest
Labour.”
Ans: - Honest Labour alone cannot earn riches. One has to take resort to
dishonest measures in order to earn beyond means.

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18. Why was the prince of Monaco unwilling to put an additional tax of
two francs on the people?
Ans: - Prince of Monaco was unwilling because the people wouldn't stand it
and it may also cause a riot.
19. How much did the criminal receive as advance before leaving
Monaco in Too Dear!?
Ans: - One – Third of his annuity.
20. What was the hitch in executing the death punishment?
Ans: The only hitch in executing the death sentence was that the kingdom
had neither the guillotine and nor the executioner.
21. Why did the council decide to dismiss the guard?
Ans: - At the end of one year of the imprisonment of the murderer, the king
found that they had to spend a lot on the guard appointed for him. So they
dismissed the guard.

Comprehension II
Answer the following questions in a paragraph of 80 – 100 words each: -
1. What made the king alter his decisions in dealing with the criminal?
Or
Why did the authorities in Monaco fail to carry out the death sentence
of the criminal?
Ans: - This is from the story “Too Dear” written by Count Leo Tolstoy who is
a master of realistic fiction and widely considered one of the world’s greatest
novelists. This story is a parody of one of the modern systems of
governance.
The authorities in Monaco failed to carry out the death sentence
because there was neither a Guillotine nor an executioner. Though they
tried to borrow a machine and an expert from France and Italy, they realized
that it would cost a huge sum of money and the king would be forced to
collect nearly two francs more per head on taxes. Therefore, the authorities
cancelled the idea of carrying out the death sentence.
2. How does the narrator describe the Toy Kingdom in Too Dear?
Or
Describe briefly the Toy Kingdom in Too Dear?
Or
Describe the Monaco Kingdom.
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 Or
Briefly describe the kingdom of Monaco mentioned in Too Dear?
March - 2016
Ans: - The narrator begins by telling about the location of Monaco. It was
located near the borders of France and Italy on the shore of the
Mediterranean Sea. It was a small kingdom which just has seven thousand
inhabitants and if all the land in kingdom were divided there would not be
even an acre for each inhabitant. The narrator calls it a toy kingdom as it
did not have that glory, splendor and strength of a large kingdom. In this
kingdom there was a kinglet and he had palace and courtiers, ministers and
a Bishop and generals and an army. The kingdom in all had only sixty men
as army. There were also taxes in the kingdom. The items that were taxed
were tobacco, wine and spirits and poll tax.
3. Describe the different levels of punishment meted out to the
criminal at different times?
Ans: - As though to disrupt peace murder was committed in the kingdom.
The council and the king sentence the criminal to life sentence. But due to
the lack of Guillotine and an executioner the sentence is reduced to life
imprisonment. After a period of six months the king notices a new item of
expenditure and he notices that the amount was spent on the criminal.
Again the council was summoned and they decide to dismiss the guard so
that the prisoner will run away from the prison but unfortunately the
prisoner does not run away but he takes food from the palace kitchen and
again locks himself up in the cell. Finally, the council asks him why he did
not go away when there was no guard to watch over him and the criminal
gives his own reasons as to why he did not go away from the prison. Finally,
the council and king pay pension to the criminal and send his away from
the prison. So we see at various times the council and king gives different
sorts of punishment to the criminal.
4. Why was the criminal reluctant to go out of the prison in Too Dear?
Or
Why was the criminal refuse to escape from the prison in Too Dear?
March - 2017
Or
Why was the murderer unwilling to run away from the prison in Too
Dear?
Or
What were the arguments put forth by the prisoner for not running
away from the prison? March – 2019
Ans: - This is from the story “Too Dear” written by Count Leo Tolstoy who is
a master of realistic fiction and widely considered one of the world’s greatest

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novelists. This story is a parody of one of the modern systems of
governance. The prisoner refused to escape from the prison because the
judgment given by the king of Monaco had ruined his character as he was
termed ‘A Murderer’ and the people of Monaco would turn their backs on
him. Beside, nobody would employ him and he had to go without work. He
felt that he was treated badly and it was not fair to ask him to move out of
prison. He said that, first as he was sentenced to death, he must have been
executed. It did not happen and he had not complained about the same.
The judgment was changed and he was sentenced for life and a guard was
put to bring him the food, but he too was removed with the changing
judgment for the third time. This time, he was asked to go away from the
prison which he was not willing to do, as he found his life secured inside the
prison.
5. ‘The criminal leads a comfortable life after his release’. Explain with
reference to Too Dear?
Or
How did the prisoner lead his life after his release?
Or
How did the criminal benefit from the pension he was offered in the
lesson Too Dear? March - 2015
Ans: - The king of Monaco offered a pension of 600 Francs to get rid of the
criminal who had committed a murder. The criminal agreed to go away from
the kingdom on the condition that he has to receive his pension regularly on
time. The prisoner received one – third of his annuity in advance. He
emigrated and settled just across the frontier. He brought a piece of land
and started market – gardening and lived comfortably. Regularly, he went to
draw his pension enjoyed gaming and lived peacefully and happily.
6. ‘Though gaming is a dirty business, why does the king of Monaco
resort to it?
Ans: - This is from the story “Too Dear” written by Count Leo Tolstoy who is
a master of realistic fiction and widely considered one of the world’s greatest
novelists. This story is a parody of one of the modern systems of
governance. The king of Monaco levied taxes on tobacco, wine and spirit,
apart from a poll tax. But there were such a few people in the country that
the tax earned by these sources was not enough for the king to maintain his
courtiers and official and his kingdom. Therefore, he had to resort to the tax
obtained from gaming houses.
7. Describe the attempts made by the ministers in solving the
problems of cutting off the criminal’s head? March - 2018
Ans: - Monaco, the kinglet though had well co–ordinated legal system but
there was absence of means of execution to cut off the criminal’s head. The
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king did not have a Guillotine machine and an executioner in his kingdom
so he tried buying it from France but that would cost 16,000 Francs. Then,
the king approached Italy, but Italy also quoted 12,000 Francs. Both these
amounts were too high and could not have been accepted so the king asked
his general to find a soldier in his army who could cut the head roughly.
But the solders replied that they were not trained to do so. So the king
changed his punishment to life imprisonment and kept a guard to watch
him. But after one year, the king met him in the prison. Then he was asked
to run away but he refused to do so till they promised him annual lifelong
pension of 600 Francs.
Comprehension III
IV. Answer the following questions in about 200 words: -

1. Inspite of all their efforts the king and his team failed in punishing
the criminal. How is it narrated in the story Too Dear? March - 2018
Ans: - Monaco is a small kingdom with hardly seven thousand inhabitants.
The writer describes it as a ‘Toy Kingdom’. But it had a king and ministers
and his army. The problem is the kingdom started when a murder was
committed. The prisoner was tried in the court of law and was given death
sentence. His head was to cut off. But the state had neither Guillotine nor
the executioner. So they thought of buying it from France and Italy, their
neighboring countries. France asked for 16,000 Francs while Italy quoted
12,000 Francs. The king decided that it was too expensive and not worth it
so the punishment was changed to life imprisonment but after a year the
king realized that they were spending 600 Francs on the prisoner. Again
they found it too expensive and the prisoner was asked to run away, but he
didn’t till they promised him annual lifelong pension of 600 Francs. The
decision of the king and the advice given by the ministers, both were worth
a laugh. Moreover, the maintenance of criminal in prison and the amount
spent by the state on them is also mocked at. To get rid of the criminal only
after promising a lifelong annual pension of 600 Francs. The criminal who
was supposed to be punished by the state now enjoyed his life on state’s
money. He gambled in gaming house and spent a happy life thereafter.
2. Why did the King of Monaco keep changing his mind in dealing
with the criminal?
Ans: A few years ago, a murder was committed in Prince's domains. Such a
thing had never earlier. At last, after trials and arguments the men of law
condemned the criminal to cut his head off and had submitted the sentence
report to the prince. The prince ordered for execution of the criminal. But
there was an obstacle in the matter. They had neither a guillotine for cutting
heads off, nor an executioner. The ministers decided to order an enquiry to
the Italian and French Government regarding a guillotine and an expert to
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cut off the criminal's head. The French Govt. quoted 16000 francs and that
of Italy 12000 francs. The ministers considered it a costly affair. They
assembled a commission, and a committee, and a Sub-Committee, and at
last they decided to alter the death sentence to imprisonment for life. After
one year, the kinglet was looking over the account of his income and
expenditure one day and noticed additional expenditure of 600 francs spent
towards the criminal and his food. It also seemed costly and the council
decided to offer a pension to the criminal. So the matter was settled and the
criminal was let free with 600 francs pension.
3. "You can't earn stone palaces by honest labour.” In what context is
this statement made?
Ans: Too Dear! is a short story by Russian author Leo Tolstoy first
published in 1897. It is a humorous account of the troubles of dealing with
a criminal in the kingdom of Monaco. Monaco is a small kingdom and the
population is 7000. There is Real kinglet that has courtiers, ministers,
bishop and generals. It is an army 60 men. There is tax on Tobacco, wine
and a poll tax. The king receives special revenue from a gaming house,
where people play roulette. The owner of the gaming house receives money
whether the players lose or win, he gets the percentage. And out of his
profits, the owner pays a large sum to the prince because it is the only
gambling establishment left in Europe. The Germans banned this play
because people committed suicide but the prince of Monaco continued it
because there is no another source to draw revenue. The king knows that it
is a dirty business but he is helpless and runs it. He gives permission
because honest labour cannot fetch more money as it does. He thinks so
because he believes the above proverb.

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