Chapter 4 – Folk-Tales of Bengal – A Ghostly Wife Additional Questions and Answers

Content structure

  • Long questions & answers

A Ghostly Wife Solutions

Long questions & answers

1. How did the mother-in-law begin to suspect the woman was not her real daughter-in-law?
Ans: At first, the ghost acted very much like the real wife, but gradually, her strange habits caught the mother-in-law’s attention. She ate large amounts of food without showing satisfaction and stayed unusually quiet. Sometimes she seemed tired for no reason and avoided certain traditional customs. These odd behaviors made the mother-in-law uneasy. She noticed that even small daily activities were done differently from her daughter-in-law’s usual manner. Her growing doubt led her to believe something supernatural had happened and that they were living with an impostor.

2. How was the Brahman’s wife’s behavior different before and after the ghost took her place?
Ans: The Brahman’s wife was usually gentle, weak, and slow in her work before the ghost took her place. After the ghost assumed her form, she became fast, active, and energetic, finishing all tasks quickly. The mother-in-law was first happy to see the sudden change, but later noticed something strange — the woman could stretch her arms to bring things from other rooms without moving from her spot.

3. Describe the scene when the real wife was rescued from the tank.
Ans: The Ojha commanded the ghost to return the real wife. Trembling with fear, the ghost led everyone to the tank. There, in the cool, shaded water, the real wife was found trapped inside, looking weak but unharmed. She had been kept there since the day she went for a bath. The villagers helped her out, offering warm clothes and food. She was overjoyed to be free and hugged her husband and mother-in-law. The rescue brought relief to the family, and the ghost vanished from the area forever.

4. How does the story reflect the theme of good versus evil?
Ans: The ghost in the story represents deception and evil, while the Brahman’s family and the Ojha represent truth and goodness. The ghost tried to take the real wife’s place for selfish reasons, but the family’s love, courage, and wisdom exposed her. The Ojha’s spiritual powers helped drive the ghost away and bring back the real wife. This shows that evil, no matter how clever, cannot defeat the strength of truth and unity. In the end, goodness triumphs, restoring peace and happiness to the household and community.

5. What do you learn about traditional beliefs from this story?
Ans: The story shows that traditional beliefs played an important role in village life. When faced with unusual or supernatural events, people often sought help from a local Ojha, who used rituals, mantras, and sacred objects to solve problems. The villagers trusted these methods because they had been passed down for generations. In this story, the Ojha’s sacred ashes and chants successfully exposed the ghost. It highlights how, in the absence of modern science, faith in spiritual practices gave people confidence to face and solve mysterious situations.

6. How did the ghost react when her real nature was exposed?
Ans: The ghost, confident in her disguise, never imagined being caught. However, the Ojha’s sacred ashes and chants weakened her. She screamed loudly, trembled in fear, and could no longer maintain the form of the Brahman’s wife. Realizing her defeat, she obeyed the Ojha’s command to return the real wife. She seemed terrified of his spiritual power and left the family without harming anyone further. This reaction shows that, despite her supernatural strength, the ghost could not withstand the combined force of faith, courage, and traditional wisdom.

7. What strange thing did the mother-in-law see in the kitchen?
Ans: One day, there was no firewood in the house, yet the mother-in-law saw flames in the kitchen. Curious, she went inside and was shocked to see her daughter-in-law cooking with her burning foot instead of using fuel. She quickly told her son what she saw, and they both realized that the woman was not the real wife but a ghost.

8. What did the ghost finally confess to the Ojha?
Ans: The Sankchinni ghost at first refused to tell the truth about herself. When she remained silent, the Ojha beat her with his slippers to make her speak. At last, she confessed that she was a Sankchinni ghost who lived on a tree near the tank. She also admitted that when the Brahman’s wife touched her by mistake, she captured her and took her place.

9. What unusual thing did the mother-in-law see, and what did she do next?
Ans: The mother-in-law wanted to test her doubt about her daughter-in-law. She asked her to bring a vessel kept at a distance. To her surprise, the woman stretched her arm several yards long and brought it instantly. The old lady was shocked by what she saw. She immediately told her son everything, and together they started observing the woman closely, which confirmed that she was a ghost.

10. What changes did the mother-in-law notice in her daughter-in-law?
Ans: The mother-in-law saw many strange changes. Earlier, her daughter-in-law was weak and slow at doing work, but now she was fast and active. She cooked very quickly, could stretch her arm to fetch things from far away, and even cooked without using any fuel — her foot burned like fire. These odd actions made the mother-in-law sure that she was a ghost.

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