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Then he lost his temper and tried bullying the thing. The bicycle, I was glad to see, showed spirit; and the subsequent proceedings degenerated into little else than a rough-and-tumble fight between him and the machine. One moment the bicycle would be on the gravel path, and he on top of it; the next, the position would be reversed— he on the gravel path, the bicycle on him. Now he would be standing flushed with victory, the bicycle firmly fixed between his legs. But his triumph would be short-lived. By a sudden, quick movement it would free itself and, turning upon him, hit him sharply over the head with one of its handles.
At a quarter to one, dirty and dishevelled, cut and bleeding, he said, “I think that will do”, and rose and wiped his brow.
The bicycle looked as if it also had had enough of it. Which had received most punishment it would have been difficult to say. 1 took him into the back kitchen where, so far as was possible, he cleaned himself. Then I sent him home.
Explanation:
The fall caused the man to lose his temper. He was upset with the bicycle and decided to bully it. Since clumsiness was a part of the man's nature, his bullying started backfiring. In the name of fighting with the bicycle, he ended up hurting himself.
There was a tug-of-war between the man and the bicycle. One moment the bicycle would be on top of him, and later he would be on top of it.
There came a time when he thought that he had won, but soon he would fall or get hit by one of the handles.
This continued for a while. At \(12\):\(45\) pm, the man decided to give up. He looked exhausted and dirty and had bruises from the scuffle. The bicycle also seemed quite worn out. Since both had their shares in the recent misfortune, it was hard to find out who had received most punishment.
There was a tug-of-war between the man and the bicycle. One moment the bicycle would be on top of him, and later he would be on top of it.
There came a time when he thought that he had won, but soon he would fall or get hit by one of the handles.
This continued for a while. At \(12\):\(45\) pm, the man decided to give up. He looked exhausted and dirty and had bruises from the scuffle. The bicycle also seemed quite worn out. Since both had their shares in the recent misfortune, it was hard to find out who had received most punishment.
The man had cuts and bruises
Later, the narrator took the man into the back kitchen, and the man cleaned himself as much as he could.
At last, the man left for his home with their arrangement misfired. The bicycle, on the other hand, suffered at the wrong hands. It had turned almost useless and had possibly become quite dangerous to ride.
Finally, the man leaves home without going on the bicycle ride
Meanings of difficult words from the paragraphs:
Sl. No. | Words | Meanings |
1 | Bullying | Seek to harm, intimidate, or coerce someone or something perceived as vulnerable |
2 | Subsequent | Something that happens after something in time; following |
3 | Degenerated | Decline or deteriorate physically, mentally, or morally |
4 | Tumble | Fall suddenly, clumsily, or headlong |
5 | Flushed | Excited or elated by something |
6 | Quarter to one | Time -12.45 |
7 | Dishevelled | Of a person's hair, clothes, or appearance which is untidy or disordered |
Reference:
National Council of Educational Research and Training (2007). Honeycomb. A Bicycle in Good Repair (pp. 126-132). Published at the Publication Division by the Secretary, National Council of Educational Research and Training, Sri Aurobindo Marg, New Delhi.
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