A Horse and Two Goats by R K Narayan

R. K. Narayan in his short story “A Horse and Two Goats” uses humour to touch upon several important social issues.

The story is set in a fictional village in Tamil Nadu named Kritam where the protagonist of the story, Muni, lives. Most of the houses in the village are made of bamboo thatch, straw and mud. Only the house of the village chief is made of brick and cement.

Muni and his wife are a childless couple living in a small South Indian village. At one time Muni was a relatively prosperous herdsman, with “a flock of forty sheep and goats”. However, times changed and Muni’s flock now comprises of only two goats.

Muni’s daily routine consists of taking the animals to graze near the highway, where he sits on the base of an old clay horse statue and watches the world go by. As he passes through the village each day with his two goats, people talk about his diminished status, and Muni quietly hangs his head hearing such talks.

Only when he reaches the statue near the highway is he able to relax and enjoy a little peace. Muni sits here all day in the shade of the horse statue.

An American buys a horse statue from Muni thinking him to be the owner of the horse but the horse is actually a clay horse and does not belong to Muni; Muni just owns two goats and he thought that the American wanted to buy the goats.

So there is a lot of confusion in the story.

The story is narrated in third person narrative. Through the story, the author reveals the cultural differences between the East and the West, showcases poverty and wealth, and also touches upon the importance of knowledge and wisdom. The story portrays rural life in India with hunger and poverty, social classes and caste system, prejudices and superstitions.

Academic Questions

Question: The way of life and language differed between Muni and the Red faced man but they got along well and their conversation creates a lot of humour as well. Discuss with reference to the story, ‘A Horse and Two Goats’.

Question: Describe the town of Kritam in the story ‘A Horse and Two Goats’ (or what is said about Kritam in the story)

Ans. Kritam is the tiniest village in Tamil Nadu. It is denoted by a microscopic dot on the district survey map. The meaning of its name is ‘coronet’ or ‘crown’. There were about 30 houses in the village, with only one house made of bricks and cement.

Question: How did the Big House differ from other houses in the village?

Ans. The Big House was built with bricks and cement. It was painted beautifully with bright yellow and blue colour. There were paintings of Gods and gargoyles on several pillars. The other houses were made of bamboo, thatch, straw and mud. The Big House indicates that its owner must be a wealthy man, but the rest of the villagers were poor.

What was Muni’s first meal in his prosperous days?

Ans. In Muni’s prosperous days, his wife lit the domestic fire at dawn, boiled some water, added millet flour and some salt. This was his first meal of the day. She also used to provide Muni with lunch as he started out which was the same millet flour cooked in a little ball along with an onion.

What was Muni craving for? Why?

Ans. Muni was bored with eating the same meal every day. One day he was able to get six drumsticks. He was craving to eat drumsticks with a delicious sauce. His craving could not be satisfied as his wife did not have the necessary food items for a sauce at home. His wife angrily asked him to bring all the ingredients like dhal, chilli, curry leaves, mustard, gingelly oil and one large potato.

Did the shopkeeper give Muni the food items he needed? Why?

Ans. The shopkeeper liked if people laughed and appreciated him for his jokes. This is how Muni used to flatter him and get things on credit. On some days, the shopkeeper would give Muni what he needed, whereas on other days he would shout at him for asking for items on credit. This time when Muni asked him to give the food items, he joked about his age and asked Muni to pay the pending credit. Thus, Muni had to return home unsatisfied without getting the food items.

Why was Muni careful about not annoying his wife?

Ans. Muni’s wife was angry as he could not get the food items necessary for the sauce. The shopkeeper refused to give him the ingredients on credit. Hence, Muni’s wife asked him to fast all day and did not give him anything to eat. Muni did not argue or annoy her more because he knew that she would somehow conjure up some food for him in the evening. Therefore, he obeyed her and left.

How did Muni calculate his age?

Ans. Muni calculated his age from the time of the Great Famine when he stood as high as the parapet around the village. Although there was no appropriateness in his calculation, the shopkeeper thought he was seventy while Muni said he was fifty.

What was Muni’s and his wife’s age when they married?

Ans. Muni was ten years old and his wife was eight years old. They lived together since then and had no children.

What thought disturbed Muni when he was thinking about his age?

Ans. Muni used to calculate his age from the time of the Great Famine. He told the shopkeeper that he was fifty, whereas the shopkeeper addressed him to be seventy years old. Later, a thought came across his mind that being too old, he could be summoned by God and his wife would have to live alone with no one to look after her as they have no children. He was worried about his wife.

Why did Muni like sitting at the pedestal of the horse statue in the outskirts of the village?

Ans. As Muni sat at the pedestal of the statue, he watched the highway. He saw the lorries and buses passing through the hills. In this way, he felt connected to the larger world. He thought he too belonged to the outside world, and so he could spend his day sitting and watching vehicles passing by.

State the feelings Muni felt after he saw the foreigner. Why did he have such feelings?

Ans. The foreigner was red-faced and came in a motor car. He wore khaki clothes which made Muni believe that he is either a policeman or a soldier. He knew that there were talks about murder and thought that the foreigner was here to investigate it. He wanted to run away, but he knew he would be chased down soon considering his age. He also thought that the policeman will shoot him if he started running out of suspicion.

What happened when the American offered a cigarette to Muni?

Ans. The American wanted to ask about a gas station nearby and was also fascinated by the statue where Muni was sitting. He offered Muni a cigarette. He was surprised at first but took it. He was confused about how to light it. The American flicked the lighter open and offered a light to Muni, but Muni put it out. The American then presented it again and lit Muni’s cigarette. Muni drew a deep puff and started coughing, but he found it extremely pleasant.

Why was Muni scared of the foreigner?

Ans. Muni knew that a murder was committed and the body was found under a tamarind tree at the border between Kritam and Kuppam. The foreigner being dressed in khaki clothes looked like a policeman or a soldier to Muni. He thought that the foreigner will arrest him and so he was scared of him.

Why didn’t Muni run away when he was scared of the foreigner?

Ans. When Muni saw the foreigner who was dressed in khaki and came in a yellow motor car, he assumed him to be a policeman. The first thought that came to his mind was to get up and run away. But he wasn’t young enough to run fast. He also thought that if he runs, the policeman would get suspicious of him and shoot him down. So, he prayed to God to save him and stood near the statue.

How has Muni described the people of Kuppam?

Ans. Muni thinks that anything is possible in Kuppam. People from Kuppam are not trustworthy. Muni believed that the murderer was from there and assured the foreigner to go as his village has a clean record.

Who decides the fate of a criminal in Kritam? OR How is justice served in Muni’s village?

Ans. Muni said that the disputes among villagers were cleared by the priest of the temple. He said that the priest could see the face of the thief in the camphor flame and then the thief was punished.

What was the foreigner’s business?

Ans. The American hailed from New York and mentioned that he was a modest businessman who traded in coffee. (However, Muni thinks that the foreigner is asking for Kapi and guides him to ‘Kapi hotels’.)

Why did the American think that the statue of the horse belonged to Muni?

Ans. The American had seen many Indians sitting in front of their shops and goods. They sit just like Muni was sitting at the pedestal of the statue of the horse. So, the American businessman concluded that he was the owner of the statue of the horse.

What is Kaliyuga? What is said to happen in Kaliyuga?

Ans. Muni was sure that he was having a conversation with the foreigner about the horse statue. As Muni said, at the end of the Kaliyuga, the entire universe, this world and all other worlds will be destroyed. The Redeemer will come in the shape of a horse called ‘Kalki’. The clay horse will then come to life, gallop and trample down all bad people.

How was the foreigner planning to take the horse statue to New York?

Ans. The foreigner knew that such a large piece of art as was the statue of the horse could not be taken to his country by air in a plane. So, he decided to carry it by sea in a ship so that he could get it home intact.

How much money did the foreigner offer Muni for the statue and what did Muni misunderstand it for?

Ans. The foreigner offered Muni a hundred rupees for the statue. Initially, Muni thought that he is asking for change, so he guided him to get it from the headman of the village as he had a lot of money. Later, Muni thought it is the price for his two goats.

How has Muni described the headman of the village?

Ans. The American offered Muni a hundred rupees thinking he is the owner of the horse statue. Seeing the hundred-rupee note, Muni thought that the American was in need of change. So, he guided the foreigner to go to the headman of the village who was a moneylender. Muni said that the headman possessed a lakh of rupees in gold sovereigns. The headman had a lot of hidden money in his house as per Muni and he roams around in rags only to fool people.

How did Muni’s wife react when he told her about selling the goats?

Ans. Muni believed that he had sold his goats so he went home to give the money to his wife. Muni’s wife did not believe the story. Her suspicion was confirmed when the goats returned home. She thought that Muni had stolen the money from somewhere.

Explain the appropriateness of the title.

Ans. ‘A Horse and Two Goats’ is an apt title for the story. Although the hero of the story is Muni who drives the story forward, the major part of the story is the dialogue between him and the American concerning the horse statue, which Muni misunderstands to be regarding his goats. From the beginning of the story, it is observed that Muni is left with two goats which he wants to get rid of somehow. When Muni takes his goats to graze at the highway, he encounters an American. The American assumes Muni to be the owner of the statue as he sat at the pedestal of the statue. He keeps on praising the glory of the statue throughout the conversation. Muni, on the other hand, does not understand the foreigner’s language and thinks that the foreigner is a policeman. He keeps on talking about various topics with him with reference to his village, religion and other values.

When the American gives him a hundred rupees, Muni gets confused and mistakes it as the price for his goats, whereas it was for the statue. This story revolves around a horse statue and two goats and culminates in a humorous situation, making the title appropriate.

Describe the character sketch of Muni.

Ans. Muni is the protagonist of the story. The whole story revolves around him. We see different forms of his character in different situations.

In the initial part of the story, he is displayed as a poor typical villager. From a prosperous man, he has become a poor shepherd due to an unknown reason. He doesn’t have children and his wife is the only family. He is unable to maintain a square meal for him and his wife.

His poverty has made him an unpleasant fellow. No one offers him tobacco, and he has to roam alone. Even the shopkeeper does not want to acknowledge his presence due to his habit of borrowing on credit. In order to keep his body and soul together, he is totally dependent on his wife who arranges food for both of them by working at the Big House doing some petty work in the fields. As a result, he does not argue with her out of the fear that she might not get him food and will get irritated by him.

Muni loves his wife even though she is dominating. He loves her as he gets worried for her future—by the thought that at the age of 70, he might be summoned by the Almighty leaving her alone. He is concerned about his age too, because the shopkeeper told him that he must be about 70. It hurts him and he starts thinking about his age and strength.

He is a natural believer as whatever he is told he holds true. He has never gone to school, yet he possesses knowledge of the Ramayana and the Mahabharata because he has heard them been cited by the priest of the temple and has learned them by heart.

Thus, Muni’s character has many shades and has enhanced the charm of the story.

Describe the foreigner in the story ‘A Horse and Two Goats’.

Ans. The red-faced foreigner entered the story when Muni was sitting at the foot of the statue waiting for the right time to head home. He came in a yellow sort of vehicle which is a symbol of the new culture represented by the West. The American is represented as a typical wealthy person as opposed to Muni, an Indian villager. The foreigner expected to find a gas station nearby. He also assumed that Muni was the owner of the horse statue by the way he sat at the pedestal of the statue. The man was polite and courteous as he offered Muni a cigarette, and though he did not understand Muni’s language, he listened to him attentively. At the same time, he also tried to comprehend Muni’s language without being rude to him. It is ironical that he expected Muni to understand English so that they could talk about business. He was a typical American tourist who wishes to take back home the horse statue as a souvenir to keep it in his living room. He traded in coffee and really liked the way Muni spoke his language. He was a man of business who did not understand the statue’s cultural or religious importance but appreciated the art. He paid a hundred rupees for the statue to Muni and took the statue along with him by ship to New York.

Elaborate on the character of Muni’s wife.

Ans. The writer R.K. Narayan presented Muni’s wife as an Indian woman who took up the duties and responsibilities of her household and her husband. She is introduced in the story in their kitchen where she prepared and packed food for her husband. Although she was gruff with him she was willing to satisfy his craving to chew the drumsticks out of the sauce. Muni would trash her occasionally earlier, but now she had an upper hand in family disputes. Muni pondered on what his wife would do when he would die, but it was Muni who was dependent on her. He knew that if he obeyed her, she would earn enough by taking up occasional jobs in the Big House to buy foodstuffs. She was a hard-working woman not worn down by poverty. She was so honest that she was not delighted on seeing her husband with hundred rupees but accused Muni of stealing it. She was ready to work as hard as possible to make both ends meet but was not ready to use money presumably secured by unfair means. She was married to Muni at a very young age and had been with him all her life. She used to get angry occasionally, but she tried her best to earn money and buy food items to satisfy their basic needs.

The story deals with a lot of misunderstandings between the foreigner and Muni. Discuss in detail.

Ans. The story deals with the misunderstanding which takes place between a South Indian Hindu villager named Muni and an American businessman. Muni lives with his wife in the small village of Kritam.

The encounter of Muni and the American took place when he had taken his goats to graze and sat at a statue close to the highway. A yellow station wagon came and stopped in front of him. A red-faced man came out of it.

This was an American dressed in khaki clothes and enquired about the nearest gas station there. The American noticed the statue as he found it marvellous. He asked questions about the statue as he wished to buy it.

The first misunderstanding that occurred between Muni and the foreigner is that Muni assumed the foreigner to be a policeman who had come to investigate a murder, whereas the foreigner assumed Muni to be the owner of the statue. Muni did not understand the foreigner’s language and got scared as he thought that the red-faced American must be a policeman. The American gave him his business card which Muni thought was a warrant to arrest him.

Finally, the American gave Muni a hundred rupees for the statue, but Muni thought that the American has bought his goats. Muni went home to give the money to his wife, while the American was to take the statue to New York. Muni’s wife did not believe his story and suspected that he had stolen the money. Her suspicion was confirmed when the goats find their way home, so the whole story is full of misunderstanding.

We find that actions take place and poor Muni gets the money which he could have never got if the American would have understood his language. Even the American would have never acquired the statue if he understood what Muni was trying to speak to him. This misunderstanding has led to a happy ending for both Muni and the American.

Elaborate on the humorous aspect of the story.

Ans. This story is filled with elements of humour. R.K. Narayan has artistically created the comic characters of Muni and the American and he laughs at them in a general and kind manner. The funniest incidents from the text are described as follows:

1) In the very beginning, Muni shows a craving to chew drumsticks mixed with sauce. His wife replies that he has only four teeth in his jaw, but he is craving for big things. This is a very funny conversation between Muni and his wife which also shows that they were so poor that they were striving for an everyday meal.

2) The next funny incident occurs at the shop where Muni goes to borrow items which his wife has asked him to get to make the drumstick sauce. In order to draw the shopkeeper’s attention, he keeps clearing his throat. When the shopkeeper notices him, he addresses him as a young man. Muni assures that he will pay off his dues when his daughter will send him money for his fiftieth birthday. In response to this, the shopkeeper replies that he looks 70. The shopkeeper also said that should he sneeze hard, Muni will fly off into the gutter.

3) When the American questions him whether he smokes or not, Muni uses the only two words that he has in his English vocabulary which are ‘yes’ and ‘no’ simultaneously. The situation gets really humorous in conversation with the American when Muni asks him about the number of children he has. The American replied hundred; he meant that he was willing to pay hundred rupees for the statue. This is a funny scene where the language barrier displays the comic content.

4) In the end, Muni returns home with the hundred rupees and tells his wife that it was given by the American in lieu of the goats. His wife refuses to believe him and thinks that he has stolen the money. After a while, they hear the goats at their gate. So, Muni questions the goats as to why they haven’t gone with the man to whom he sold them to.

This is the climax of the story. We come to know that it will be difficult for Muni’s wife to believe him as the goats have returned.

These incidents and their accompanying conversations make the story humorous.

How does this story detail the clash of two cultures?

Ans. The main theme of ‘A Horse and Two Goats’ is East-West opposition which is reflected through the communication between Muni and the American. On the one hand is Muni—representative of a typical Indian native who is poor, rural and uneducated. He knows no English and is striving to make a living. On the other hand, we have the American who knows no Tamil but expects Muni to understand English. He is wealthy, urban and educated and is only interested in a business deal with Muni. Both of them are quite ignorant of the other’s way of life. The American tells Muni of the day when there was a power failure and how he had to spend four hours without air conditioning. The man from the West is ignorant of the fact that poverty, hunger and bad weather are everyday troubles in the East. The East-West opposition is highlighted through the conversation between Muni and American in their respective languages. Muni speaks Tamil and the American speaks English. The short story is a conversation between them and the conversation builds up to a climax when by the end Muni believes that the American wants to buy his goats and the American thinks that he has got the horse statue.

Discuss the economic differences between Muni and the American.

Ans. Muni and the American differ in their levels of wealth. The opening of the story shows how desperately poor Muni is; even in his time of prosperity his standard of living was below that of the American. He used to have his first nourishment of millet soup at breakfast and had lunch of millet flour in the form of a round ball with an onion. This is a clear indication that he led a below-average standard of living. The American takes for granted his relative wealth and seems unaware of the difference between Muni and himself. He casually offers a cigarette to a man whom he has never met before, complains for about 4 hours of working without air conditioning to a man who has never seen electricity, brags about enjoying manual labour as a Sunday hobby to a man who grew up working in the fields from morning till night and without a thought gives Muni money to open a business. The American is very rich as compared to Muni as he is willing to buy a statue worth a hundred rupees. This money is a lot for Muni and could be used for starting his business. On one side, this poor South Indian man Muni struggles for a two-time meal, and on the other, the American is ready to change his schedule of return just for the sake of a statue which he wants to use to decorate his living room.

Describe the grandeur of the statue.

Ans. The statue of the horse was nearly life-sized. It was made out of clay which was baked burnt and brightly coloured. Beside it, there stood a warrior with a scythe-like moustache, bulging eyes with a nose curved like an eagle. The horse was as white as a washerman’s washed sheet and had on its back a cover of pure brocade of red and black lace matching the multicoloured waistband around the waist of the warrior. This splendid form of art was unnoticed by the villagers and even Muni. It was the foreigner who found the statue marvellous and was willing to carry it to New York in order to decorate his living room. Muni used to sit at the pedestal of the horse statue as he could crouch under its belly for shade and it was a good place for him to spend the day watching the highway.

How does the language barrier play an important aspect of the story?

Ans. ‘A Horse and Two Goats’ is a short story that takes place in the isolated village of Kritam. It is ironical that language which has been devised by humans to communicate becomes a barrier between Muni and the American. Their different languages do not let them understand each other. They converse, though, in reality, they both are speaking on entirely different subjects. The foreigner is concerned about the price of the statue. Muni when through gestures realises that he is being asked for the statue rumbles on about its religious value and how it has stood for generations. The foreigner owing to the language barrier assumes that Muni is a salesman and offers him a hundred-rupee note in exchange for the statue. Since Muni could not understand English, he assumes that the money is offered in exchange for his goats. Their inability to comprehend each other’s language adds humour to the story and becomes a barrier for effective communication.

Write in brief about the idea of knowledge and ignorance with respect to the story.

Ans. ‘A Horse and Two Goats’ explores the different ways that a person can be educated. Muni had no formal education as he grew up as a member of the low caste. Only Brahmins, the highest caste, could attend school and avail education. He has not travelled beyond his village and he likes to watch trucks and buses go by on a highway a few miles away so that he can have a sense of belonging to the larger world. He has some knowledge of the two major religious texts of the Ramayana and the Mahabharata, which he has learnt by acting in plays and listening to preachers at the temple.

The American, on the other hand, has had the benefits of an American education. He has a room full of books that he values as objects, but there is no evidence that he values what is inside them. On one level, he is familiar with the larger world around him in a way that Muni will never be. The uneducated Muni tries to tell him the significance of the horse statue, but the American sees it only as a living room decoration. He appreciates its art but does not know the mythology behind it. Of course, the language barrier prevents him from receiving Muni’s interpretation, but it never even crossed his mind to ask. This indicates his ignorance towards values; however, Muni is unable to obtain education and knowledge even though he is willing to attain it.

‘At the end of the story, both Muni and the American got what they wanted.’ Justify this statement.

Ans. In the story ‘A Horse and Two Goats’, the writer R.K. Narayan is depicting simplicity and a story of destiny. The protagonist Muni is an old Tamilian man who is struggling for a proper meal. He was prosperous in the past, but his fortunes have declined, and now he is dependent on his wife for his everyday meal. This develops sympathy for Muni because of his poverty and helplessness. He has a dream of owning a shop, but he is unable to gather money for it. One day, when he encounters a foreigner from New York, he eventually gets what he needs. Muni and the foreigner are unable to understand each other’s language as Muni speaks Tamil and the foreigner speaks English. The foreigner is interested in buying the statue which he thinks is owned by Muni; however, Muni thinks that the foreigner is paying to buy his goats. After a funny conversation because of the language barrier, Muni takes the money offered by the foreigner thinking he has sold his goats. Muni needed the money and he got it, and the foreigner who appreciated the art of the statue was able to take the statue along with him to New York. This indicates a happy ending for both of them.

What do we learn from this story?

Ans. In the story ‘A Horse and Two Goats’, the writer is conveying a message that each individual should follow his own culture. Muni, the South Indian Hindu, follows his own Indian culture, while the American businessman follows his own.

Another message that is conveyed from the story is that miscommunication leads to confusion. Muni has accepted his fate. He speaks Tamil, while the American businessman speaks English. The two are unable to communicate with each other because of the language barrier. Muni speaks about his own life, while the American speaks about his own which leads to confusion. Both are unintelligible to each other. The American gives Muni hundred rupees and thinks that he has bought the statue, but Muni thinks that he has sold his goats. So, the story revolves around the horse statue and the two goats which is clearly a misunderstanding between Muni and the American businessman.

We also get the message from the story that no man can escape his destiny whether good or bad. Muni and the American were destined to meet. Muni was very poor and did not have money to have a proper meal, whereas the American was rich. No matter how different they are from each other, they tried their best to understand each other’s language and continued the conversation. Muni was in need of money as he dreamt of having a shop of his own but could not gather the money for it. He sat at the pedestal of the horse statue making the American think that Muni owns the statue; therefore, the American businessman gave him hundred rupees thinking that he has bought the statue. However, Muni took the money thinking he has sold his goats. At the end of the story both got what they wanted. This is truly a story of destiny for both of them.