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2. too dear

The document discusses the story 'Too Dear' by Count Leo Tolstoy, which satirizes the governance of Monaco, a small kingdom reliant on gambling for revenue. It details the king's struggles with a criminal sentenced to death, the costs associated with execution, and the eventual decision to grant the criminal a pension instead. Ultimately, the criminal leads a modest life after his release, reflecting on the societal implications of his past actions.

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27 views2 pages

2. too dear

The document discusses the story 'Too Dear' by Count Leo Tolstoy, which satirizes the governance of Monaco, a small kingdom reliant on gambling for revenue. It details the king's struggles with a criminal sentenced to death, the costs associated with execution, and the eventual decision to grant the criminal a pension instead. Ultimately, the criminal leads a modest life after his release, reflecting on the societal implications of his past actions.

Uploaded by

namrathaa9999
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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TOO DEAR

1. Why was ‘Monaco’ called a ‘toy kingdom’?


Ans: It had just about seven thousand people and if all land in kingdom were divided, there
would not be an acre for each inhabitant.
2. Name the commodities taxed in Monaco.
Tobacco, Wine and Spirits
3. What was the source of the King’s special revenue? Who were its beneficiaries?
Ans: Gaming house or the profit from the gaming house wear the source of special revenue.
The King, the gamekeeper, the officials and his people were the beneficiaries.
4. Why did the Germans stop gaming houses in their country and how did it benefit Monaco?
Ans: The gaming houses caused more harm. Monaco was benefited as it was the only place
in Europe that allowed this game.
5. What was the punishment given to the murderer?
Ans: Death sentence / Capital Punishment / Execution
6. The death sentence was converted into life imprisonment because
Ans: (b) Carrying out death sentence was expensive.
7. How much did the king spend on the criminal, annually?
Ans: 600 francs a year.
8. On what condition did the criminal agree to go away from the prison? How was his demand
fulfilled?
Ans: That he would be paid his annual pension regularly. By paying one-third of his annuity
as advance his demand was fulfilled.

1. Though gambling is a dirty business, why does the king of Monaco resort to it? OR
‘You can’t earn stone palaces by honest labour’. In what context is this statement made?
OR Describe the Toy Kingdom.

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 ruled a tiny kingdom with a small population of about seven
thousand. In that kingdom he was a real kinglet. He had a palace, courtiers, ministers, a
bishop, generals and an army to take care of. However, he had very limited sources of
income: a tax on tobacco, wine, spirits and a poll-tax. These sources were insufficient. So, he
found a new source of special income; a gaming house where people played roulette. This
was the only place in the whole of Europe where people would come to play. Whether they
would win or lose, the Prince gained by it. It is like, ‘You can’t earn stone palaces by honest
labour’. This statement is true with reference to the context the king of Monaco lived in. He
knew it very well that gambling is a dirty business. He also understood that by levying taxes
on drink and tobacco for revenue was not a good idea. But, he had to resort to it for the
survival and sustenance of his kingdom.

2. Why did the king of Monaco keep changing his mind in dealing with 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.
When the criminal was sentenced to death, there was only one hitch in the matter; they
had neither a guillotine nor an executioner. The ministers then sought the French
Government for assistance. They said that they could arrange for the same with a cost of
16000 francs. Finding the cost more expensive, the Council decided to write a letter to the
King of Italy. Though the cost quoted stood at 12000 francs, it still seemed too much. Even
the suggestion of asking one of their soldiers to execute the criminal did not yield results.
Later, it was decided to alter the death sentence to one of imprisonment for life. The Prince
agreed to this. But exactly after a year when he looked over the account, he noticed a new
item of expenditure for the keep of the criminal. It came to more than 600 francs a year. So,
they dismissed the guard so that the criminal might run away. But this did not happen as he
remained inside. When brought before the Prince to explain why he did not run away, he
complained that they had spoilt his character by their sentence. Finally, a Council was called
and it considered offering him a pension of 600 francs to get rid of him. Thus the matter was
settled. This is how the King of Monaco kept changing his mind dealing with the criminal.

3. Why was the criminal reluctant to go out of the prison?

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 criminal was reluctant to go out of the prison because he had nowhere to go. He
complained that by their death sentence, they had ruined his character. He was afraid that
people would turn their backs on him. Besides, he had lost touch with the way of working. He
said he had been treated badly which was not fair. After he was sentenced, he should have
been executed. Instead, they changed it to life imprisonment, put a guard on him and then
took him away again. He had to fetch his own food. Though he agreed to all these changes
without complaining, he was not willing to go away from prison as he thought he would be
rejected by society as a normal citizen. He would not earn any respect. So, he declined to go
out of the prison.

4. How did the criminal lead his life after his release?

Ans: 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.
After the criminal was released, he received one-third of his annuity in advance, and
left the King’s territories. He emigrated and settled just across the border where he bought a
bit of land, started market-gardening and lived comfortably. He always went at the proper
time to draw his pension. After collecting, he would go to the gaming tables and stake two or
three francs. Sometimes he would win and at times, he would lose and return home. Thus, he
lived happily.

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