The Guide

by R.K. Narayan

“The unbeaten brat will remain unlearned,” said my father, quoting an old proverb.

“What a mess! You will never prosper in life if you disfigure the sacred letters of the alphabet.”

Oh, God numbers did give me a headache. While the birds were out chirping and flying in the cool air, I cursed the fate that confined me to my father’s company. His temper was rising every second.

Still, I enjoyed the smell of the straw in the cart and all the scenes we passed. Men and vehicles, hogs and boys—the panorama of life enchanted me.

Now that I reflect upon it, I am convinced I was not such a dud after all. It seems to me that we generally do not have a correct measure of our own wisdom.

I read stuff that interested me, bored me, baffled me, and dozed off in my seat. I read stuff that pricked up a noble thought, a philosophy that appealed, I gazed on pictures of old temples and ruins and new buildings and battleships, and soldiers, and pretty girls

With the exception of Velan and a few others, Raju never bothered to remember faces or names or even to know to whom he was talking. He seemed to belong to the world now. His influence was unlimited. He not only chanted holy verses and discoursed on philosophy, he even came to the stage of prescribing medicine;

Travelers are an enthusiastic lot. They do not mind any inconvenience as long as they have something to see. Why anyone should want to forgo food and comfort and jolt a hundred-odd miles to see some

I learned while I taught and earned while I learned,

“I belong to a family traditionally dedicated to the temples as dancers; my mother, grandmother, and, before her, her mother. Even as a young girl, I danced in our village temple. You know how our caste is viewed?” “It’s the noblest caste on earth,” I said. “We are viewed as public women,” she said plainly, and I was thrilled to hear the words. “We are not considered respectable; we are not considered

The book is sent to me, and the acknowledgment is of my services.” But it was like hiding a corpse. I’ve come to the conclusion that nothing in this world can be hidden or suppressed. All such attempts are like holding an umbrella to conceal the sun.

For the first time in his life he was making an earnest effort; for the first time he was learning the thrill of full application, outside money and love; for the first time he was doing a thing in which he was not personally interested. He felt suddenly so enthusiastic that it gave him a new strength to go through with the ordeal.