Too Dear

-Count Leo Tolstoy

One Mark Questions.
1. Where does the kingdom of Monaco lie?
Near the borders of France and Italy, on the shore of the Mediterranean Sea, lies the
kingdom of Monaco.
2. What is the population of Monaco?
Seven thousand.
3. What is the strength of the army of Monaco?
Sixty men.
4. Name the commodities taxed in Monaco?
Tobacco, wine and spirits, poll tax.
5. Why did the German sovereigns forbid the gaming houses?
Because people killed themselves after losing money in the gaming houses.
6. What is referred to as dirty business in the story?
Gaming/ gambling/playing roulette.
7. What was the initial punishment suggested to the murder by the council?
Death sentence.
8. What obstacle did the king have in executing the criminal?
They neither had a guillotine nor an executioner.
9. Which government did the king enquire first for a guillotine and an executioner?
The French government.
10. How much did the French government expect for a machine and an executioner?
16,000 francs.
11. Who did the king send an enquiry, the second time, seeking a machine and an
executioner?
King of Italy.
12. How much did the King of Italy expect for a machine and an executioner?
12,000 francs.
13. Who is referred as ‘brother monarch’ by the king of Monaco?
King of Italy.
14. What was the only way left for the council to get rid of the criminal?
Offer him a pension.
15. How much was fixed as a pension for the criminal?
600francs.
16. On what condition did the criminal accept the offer of pension?
The pension should be paid regularly.
17. How much did the criminal receive in advance?
One third of his annuity.
18. What did the criminal do after he left the prison and the kingdom?
Started Market –gardening.
19. What did people play in the gaming house?
Roulette.
20. What proverb does the writer mention to justify the dirty business of gambling?
“You can’t earn stone palaces by honest labor.”
 21. From where did the prisoner get his food?
From the palace kitchen.
22. Why was the guard dismissed?
To save the expenses spent on the criminal.
23. What business does the king of Monaco monopolize?
The business of gambling.
24. The king’s special revenue was from the gaming house.

LONG ANSWERS
1. The toy kingdom- Monaco
“Too dear” is a short story that presents the case of an offender and satirizes the impractical
measures taken by those in power in dealing with it and how the criminal takes advantage of the
procedural lapses.
Near the borders of France and Italy on the shore of the Mediterranean Sea there was a tiny
kingdom called Monaco. There were about seven thousand inhabitants in that kingdom. But
there was a real kinglet, and he had a palace, the courtiers, the ministers the bishop, the generals
and the army of sixty men. There were also taxes on tobacco, wine, spirits and a poll tax as
elsewhere.
But the prince found it hard to maintain the courtiers and other officials without the special
revenue that came from gaming house. People played roulette in gaming house. The keeper of
the gaming house, out of his profits paid a large sum to the prince because it was the only
gambling establishment left in Europe. All the other European countries had forbidden such
gambling houses as they did so much harm to the people. But the prince of Monaco remained
with a monopoly of the business.

2. Though gambling is a dirty business why does the king of Monaco resort to it?
“Too dear” is a short story that presents the case of an offender and satirizes the impractical
measures taken by those in power in dealing with it and how the criminal takes advantage of the
procedural lapses.
Since the population of Monaco is very less the prince finds it very difficult to generate enough
revenue for his kingdom just by collecting various kinds of taxes. Therefore, the king has resorted
to generate special revenue from a gaming house where people play roulette. People from all
over, come to Monaco to play this game. Whether they win or lose the keeper always gets a
percentage on the turn over and out of it he pays a large sum to prince. It was the only gambling
establishment left in Europe. All the other countries including Germany had forbidden such
gaming houses because of the harm it caused to the people. Yet there is no one to stop the
prince of Monaco. Thus, he has remained with a monopoly of the business

3. The circumstances which led the king to alter death sentence to life imprisonment.
OR
Why the murderer was finally subjected to life imprisonment?
Why and whom did the kinglet of Monaco approach regarding the execution of the
murderer?
“Too Dear” is a short story that presents the case of an offender and satirizes the impractical
measures taken by those in power in dealing with it and how the criminal takes advantage of the
procedural lapses.
 The people of Monaco always lived peacefully. Once a murder was committed in the kingdom
and the criminal was condemned to have his head cut off. But the problem was they had neither
guillotine for cutting the heads off nor an executioner. The king sent an inquiry to the French
government whether they could lend the machine and an executioner. The French government
replied that it would cost 16000 francs. The king thought it was expensive as he had to collect
two francs extra tax per head to meet the expense. He wanted it to be cheaper. So the similar
inquiry was sent to the monarch of Italy. The reply revealed that it would cost 12000 francs
including travelling expenses. This was comparatively cheaper but the king thought that the
criminal was not worth the money. Besides, none of the soldiers were ready to cut the criminal’s
head off. Finally, the commission of ministers suggested the king to alter death sentence to life
imprisonment. This would enable the king to show his mercy and it would come cheaper.

4. Why did the murderer refuse to go out of prison? (OR)

Why was the criminal reluctant to go out of the prison? (OR)
what were the arguments put by the prisoner for not going out of the prison?
“Too Dear” is a short story that presents the case of an offender and satirizes the impractical
measures taken by those in power in dealing with it and how the criminal takes advantage of the
procedural lapses.

The king and his ministers expected the criminal to run away from the prison when they
dismissed the guard. But that did not happen. The surprised ministers questioned the criminal
why he did not run away. The criminal said that he had no place to go and complained that they
had ruined his character by their sentence. People would turn their backs on him. So he couldn’t
expect any kind of help from them. He also had lost the habit of working. He argued that they
had treated him badly which was not fair. Because first they sentenced him to death but they did
not execute him. The criminal did not complain about that. Then they sentenced him to
imprisonment for life and appointed a guard to bring him his food. Later they dismissed the guard
and the criminal had to fetch his food himself. Yet he did not complain about that. Now they
wanted him to go away but the criminal refused to do so. Finally the criminal stated that they
might do whatever they like but he would not go away.

5. The criminal lead a comfortable life after his release, explain with reference to ‘Too
Dear’? OR How did the criminal lead his life after his release?
“Too Dear” is a short story that presents the case of an offender and satirizes the impractical
measures taken by those in power in dealing with it and how the criminal takes advantage of the
procedural lapses.
When the criminal did not agree to leave the prison he was offered 600 francs as a yearly pension
to get rid of him. Thus they settled the matter. Receiving one-third of his annuity in advance the
criminal left the kingdom. He emigrated and settled across the frontier, where he bought a bit of
land. He started market-gardening and lived comfortably: He would always go at proper time to
draw his pension. After receiving his pension he would to the gambling tables to try his luck. He
would bet two or three francs. Sometimes he won and sometimes he would lose. Then he would
return home. Thus he led a peaceful life. Somehow he was lucky not to have committed the
 crime in a country which did not mind the expense to cut a man’s head off or to keep him in
prison for life.

6. Why did the king of Monaco keep changing his mind in dealing with the criminal?
“Too Dear” is a short story that presents the case of an offender and satirizes the impractical
measures taken by those in power in dealing with it and how the criminal takes advantage of the
procedural lapses.
The king of Monaco kept changing his mind in dealing with the criminal because both the French
and Italian governments charged 16,000 francs and 12,000 francs respectively for providing a
guillotine and an executioner which was very expensive. Therefore, the king approached his
soldiers in dealing with the criminal, but they disagreed as they were not trained to do such a
thing. Again, the king was suggested by his ministers to alter the death sentence to life
imprisonment. At the end of the year when the king checked his accounts book there was an
additional expenditure of more than 600 francs towards the maintenance of the criminal in the
prison which was still very expensive. Finally, the criminal was offered 600 francs as pension
so that they could get rid of him and settle the matter.
Thus, the king had to keep on changing his decision in dealing with the criminal’s punishment to
find a cheaper alternative.