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Chapter-2

The Toys of Peace

THE TOYS OF PEACE ---- H.H. Munro (SAKI)

Hector Hugh Munro was a witty British author who published under the pen name SAKI or H.H.Munro.The story "The Toys of Peace" was first published in the 1919 anthology of the same title. Set in 1914, the story satirises the campaign by the National Peace Council, a coordinating committee of anti-war organisations, against violent toys. The plot is set in motion when Eleanor asks her brother to buy "peace toys" instead of toy soldiers for her young sons. Presented with lead figures of notable civilians and other non-violent toys, the boys are at first unsure what to do. Children being resourceful, however, they soon find a way to combine the new toys with their history homework for entertainment.

Short Answer Questions

1.What exciting news did Eleanor want Harvey to read from the London news paper?

The exciting news that Eleanor wanted her brother Harvey to read from the London news paper was about children's toys which carried some of their ideas about influence and upbringing.

2.What were the views of the National Peace Council according to the extract

According to the extract, from the views of National Peace Council, there were grave objections to presenting the boys with regiments of fighting men,batteries of guns and squadrons of dreadnoughts.

3. Boys, as National Peace Council admits naturally love

a)fighting and all the panoply of war

4.Where and when would the children's welfare exhibition open?

The children's welfare exhibition will open in Olympia in three weeks time from 19th of March.(As the article came in the newspaper on 19th March)

5.How did the peace council make alternate suggestions to parents?

Peace council made an alternate suggestion to parents, in the shape of an exhibition of 'peace toys'. In front of a specially-painted representation of the Peace Palace at The Hague, will be grouped, not miniature soldiers but miniature civilians, not guns but ploughs and the tools of industry. It was hoped that manufacturers may take a hint from the exhibit, which will bear fruit in the toy shops.

6.What suggestion does Eleanor makes to Harvey regarding the opportunity to inaugurate the new experiment of using peace toys?

Eleanor suggests that when Harvey is coming for Easter, and as he is having the habit of bringing toys for the boys, she suggested this as an opportunity for him to inaugurate the new experiment by buying toys and models that have special bearing on civilian life in its more peaceful aspects . He must explain the toys to the children and interest them in the new idea.

7.What kind of toys did Eleanor wanted Harvey to buy for the children during Easter?

She wanted Harvey to give children toys and models that have special bearing on civilian life in its more peaceful aspects.She wanted him to give quite a new impulse and direction to the children's minds as they were at their most impressionable age.

8.Which character comes up with the idea of purchasing peace toys for the boys in the toys of peace?

Eleanor

9.What toy had Aunt Susan sent the children earlier. What made her take the toy away from the children?

Aunt Susan sent the children the 'Siege of Adrianople' toy which the children knew very well without any explanations and even they knew all the uniforms and flags and the names of the respective commanders.She had to take the toy away from the children because she heard them using the most objectionable language which they told was the Bulgarian word of command.

10.The names of the two young boys were Eric and Bertie .They were eleven (not reached exactly eleven) and nine and a half years old.

11.What primitive instincts and hereditary aspects had to be taken into consideration according to the uncle

The primitive instincts are the natural love of boys for fighting and all the panoply of war and hereditary aspects that had to be taken into consideration was, one of their great-uncles fought in the most intolerant fashion at Inkerman and he was specially mentioned in dispatches, and their great-grandfather smashed all his Whig neighbours' hot houses when the great Reform Bill was passed.

12.What did the boys anticipate when Eleanor announced that they had "the newest things in toys" as Easter gift?

When Eleanor announced that they had "the newest things in toys" as Easter gift the boys anticipated that either it will be Albanian soldiery or Somali camel-Corps.Eric was in favour of latter only and whispered that there would be Arabs on the horse back and even explains that the Albanians have got jolly uniforms, and they fight all day and night too,when there is moon, and says, because the country is rocky, they have got no cavalry.

13.How did Harvey want to impress the boys with regard to the municipal dustbin. What did they think about it?

Eric first thought that it was the palace of the "Mpret of Albania" and was immensely proud of his knowledge of the exotic title and he thinks so, as it has got no windows,so that passers-by. can't fire in at the Royal Family.Then Harvey tells them that it is a municipal dust bin where all the reuse and litter of the town is collected instead of lying about and injuring the health of the citizens.

14.Name some of the peace toys bought by Harvey

Some of the peace toys bought by Harvey were Municipal dust bin,figure of John Stuart Mill-a civilian of political economy, a model of the Manchester branch of Young Women's Christian Association, figure of Robert Raikes- civilian and founder of Sunday schools, model of municipal wash house, figure of sanitary inspector, figure of district councillor, figure of official of local government board, ballot box and some tools of industry like wheel barrow and hoe, model beehive, ventilator,model of school of art and public library, lead figure of Mrs. Hemans-a poetess, figure of Rowland Hill-who introduced system of penny postage and figure of Sir John Herschel-eminent astrologer.(Answer any few toys according to the marks)

15.How according to the children could one make two people contest a seat in parliament

According to the children, one could make two people contest a seat in parliament with rotten eggs and free fights and so many broken heads and noses all bleeding and everybody drunk as can be.

16.What was the holiday task given to children?

17.It was possible for Harvey to compile history for use in elementary schools in which there should be no prominent mention of battles,massacres, murderous intrigues,and violent deaths.True/False?

False

Paragraph questions

1. What holiday task did the boys have to do for the History class?

The holiday task given to children was history that time and the children have to, got to learn up, something about the Bourbon period in France.They also have to got to know something about Louis the Fourteenth,continued Eric telling that he has learnt the names of all the principal battles already.Then Harvey is explaining to them that the accounts of them were much exaggerated and news was very unreliable and had practically no war correspondents, so generals and commanders might have magnified every little skirmish they engaged in till they reached the proportions of decisive battles. Harvey is adding that Louis was really famous, now, as a landscape gardener; the way he laid out Versailles was so much admired that it was copied all over Europe, as he wanted to to give quite a new impulse and direction to the children's minds about history.

2. Studying historic battles and playing war games go hand in hand. Did it influence the boys? Explain.

Yes.Studying historic battles and playing war games go hand in hand and had influenced the boys.when Eleanor asks her brother to buy "peace toys" instead of toy soldiers for her young sons. Presented with lead figures of notable civilians and other non-violent toys, the boys are at first unsure what to do. Children being resourceful, however, they soon find a way to combine the new toys with their history homework for entertainment.Harvey returns later to check on the boys how they are playing with the new peace toys. Peeping in through the doorway Harvey observed that the municipal dust-bin had been pierced with holes to accommodate the muzzles of imaginary cannon, and now represented the principal fortified position in Manchester; John Stuart Mill had been dipped in red ink, and apparently stood for Marshal Saxe. Louis orders his troops to attack the Young woman's christian association and abduct the girls. Mrs.Hemans is used for one of the girls and she stabs Marshal Saxe to the heart and the soldiers rush in and avenge his death with the utmost savagery. and hundred girls were killed and Bertie splashes the remaining red ink all over the young woman's christian association building.This shows that studying historic battles and playing of war games go hand in hand and can influence young children.

3.What imaginative ways do the boys find to use the ''peace toys'' in their war games?

Robert Raikes, the founder of Sunday schools was made to play the role of Louis the Fourteenth.As he was not like him, Bertie gave him a purple coat from his paintbox. Madame de Maintenon, was represented by Mrs. Hemans .

The municipal dust-bin had been pierced with holes to accommodate the muzzles of imaginary cannon, and now represented the principal fortified position in Manchester; John Stuart Mill had been dipped in red ink, and apparently stood for Marshal Saxe. Louis orders his troops to attack the Young woman's christian association and abduct the girls. Mrs. Hemans is used again for one of the girls and she stabs Marshal Saxe to the heart .To show the bleeding, Bertie, splashed red ink liberally over the facade of the Association building. and the soldiers rush in and avenge his death with the utmost savagery. and hundred girls were killed and Bertie splashes the remaining red ink all over the young woman's christian association building.

4.What did Harvey see when he went back to the boys'room, to check how they were getting on with their peace toys?

Peeping in through the doorway Harvey observed that the municipal dust-bin had been pierced with holes to accommodate the muzzles of imaginary cannon, and now represented the principal fortified position in Manchester;John Stuart Mill had been dipped in red ink, and apparently stood for Marshal Saxe. Louis orders his troops to attack the Young woman's christian association and abduct the girls. Mrs.Hemans is used again for one of the girls and she stabs Marshal Saxe to the heart .To show the bleeding, Bertie, splashed red ink liberally over the facade of the Association building. and the soldiers rush in and avenge his death with the utmost savagery. and hundred girls were killed and Bertie splashes the remaining red ink all over the young woman's christian association building.

5.Towards the end of the story, Harvey exclaims "the experiment-- has failed. We have begun too late”. Why does he say that?

When Eleanor asks her brother to buy "peace toys" instead of toy soldiers for her young sons, her brother Harvey, present them with lead figures of notable civilians and other non-violent toys. The boys are at first unsure of what to do with the peace toys. Children being resourceful, however, will soon find a way to combine the new toys with their history homework for entertainment.When Harvey goes back to the boys'room, to check how they were getting on with their peace toys,peeping in through the doorway, Harvey observes that the municipal dust-bin had been pierced with holes to accommodate the muzzles of imaginary cannon, and now represented the principal fortified position in Manchester;John Stuart Mill had been dipped in red ink, and apparently stood for Marshal Saxe. Louis orders his troops to attack the Young woman's christian association and abduct the girls.Mrs.Hemans is used again for one of the girls and she stabs Marshal Saxe to the heart .To show the bleeding, Bertie, splashed red ink liberally over the facade of the Association building. and the soldiers rush in and avenge his death with the utmost savagery. and hundred girls were killed and Bertie splashes the remaining red ink all over the young woman's christian association building.So he exclaims"the experiment-- has failed. We have begun too late."

6. Eleanor believes that it is possible to curb a boy's natural enthusiasm for violent games by giving them ''peace toys.'' Did she succeed? Explain.

Eleanor believes that it is possible to curb a boy's natural enthusiasm for violent games by giving them ''peace toys".Boys, as the Council admits, naturally love fighting and all the panoply of war , but that was no reason for encouraging, and perhaps giving permanent form to,their primitive instincts. So Eleanor asks her brother to buy "peace toys" instead of toy soldiers for her young sons. Eleanor suggests that when Harvey is coming for Easter, and as he is having the habit of bringing toys for the boys, she suggested this as an opportunity for him to inaugurate the new experiment by buying toys and models that have special bearing on civilian life in its more peaceful aspects . He must explain the toys to the children and interest them in the new idea.Presented with lead figures of notable civilians and other non-violent toys, the boys are at first unsure what to do. Children being resourceful, however,they soon find a way to combine the new toys with their history homework for entertainment.Robert Raikes, the founder of Sunday schools was made to play the role of Louis the Fourteenth.As he was not like him, Bertie gave him a purple coat from his paintbox. Madame de Maintenon, was represented by Mrs. Hemans .

The municipal dust-bin had been pierced with holes to accommodate the muzzles of imaginary cannon, and now represented the principal fortified position in Manchester; John Stuart Mill had been dipped in red ink, and apparently stood for Marshal Saxe. Louis orders his troops to attack the Young Woman's Christian Association and abduct the girls.Mrs.Hemans is used again for one of the girls and she stabs Marshal Saxe to the heart .To show the bleeding, Bertie, splashed red ink liberally over the facade of the Association building. and the soldiers rush in and avenge his death with the utmost savagery. and hundred girls were killed and Bertie splashes the remaining red ink all over the young woman's christian association building.

Eleanor was not successful to curb the boys natural enthusiasm for violent games by giving them ''peace toys.'' as the boys already found imaginative ways to use the ''peace toys'' in their war games. Studying historic battles and playing war games had influenced the boys as they were really at a most impressionable age.